MailRoom QWK QWK format offline mail door for DLG Pro BB/OS Copyright (c) 1994 by Jim Dawson. All Rights Reserved. Standard Legal Disclaimers ========================== `MailRoom' is released under the concept of Shareware. This means that you are granted a license to use `MailRoom' for a period of 30 days after the initial use. After 30 days you must either register the program or discontinue its use. See Registration, for more details. Registration ============ To register `MailRoom', fill out the registration form (filename `Registration.form') and send it along with your payment to the address on the registration form. You will receive a 16 digit registration key based on your name. Enter this number into the 'Register' window of the configuration editor and `MailRoom' will generate a keyfile (`MailRoom.KEY') that will remove the shareware registration notices. Recommended method of payment is a check or money order drawn from a US bank. Cash is accepted (US Funds only), however you send cash at your own risk. The registration key will work with all minor revisions of `MailRoom'. When a new major revision becomes available, registered `MailRoom' users will be eligible for reduced cost updates. Most registrations are processed within 2 working days. Warranty ======== THIS PRODUCT IS PROVIDED "AS-IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND. ALL RISKS AND DAMAGES, INCIDENTAL OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM THE USE, MISUSE, OR INABILITY TO USE THIS PROGRAM ARE ENTIRELY THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE USER. THE AUTHOR DOES NOT MAKE ANY GUARANTEES OR REPRESENTATIONS REGARDING THE CORRECTNESS, RELIABILITY, ACCURACY, CURRENTNESS, ETC. OF THIS PROGRAM. THE AUTHOR WILL NOT ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR ANY DAMAGE OR LOSSES RESULTING FORM THE USE, MISUSE, OR INABILITY TO USE THIS PRODUCT. Copyright ========= The `MailRoom' software and documentation are copyright (C) 1992,1993 Jim Dawson. All rights reserved. All product names used in this document are trademarks of their respective owners. Distribution ============ Regardless of the method of distribution, `MailRoom' is NOT and never has been public domain. `MailRoom' may be distributed freely, providing the following criteria are met: * Distribution is limited to the original shareware distribution only. None of the files in the `MailRoom' distribution archive may be modified or omitted. * No material gain may be realized from the distribution of `MailRoom', other than a small amount to cover distribution materials. * `MailRoom' may be included in freely distributable software libraries, including the Fred Fish collection. * `MailRoom' may not be bundled with any hardware or software product without prior written consent from Jim Dawson. * Registration numbers for `MailRoom', and the key file that `MailRoom' generates from them (`MailRoom.KEY') may not be distributed. Introduction ============ DLG MailRoom is a QWK format offline mail door for DLG BB/OS. It allows BBS users to download messages and read them offline, and upload replies to the BBS. Less time is spent online, so the BBS is freed up for other users, and the caller spends less on his or her phone bills. The QWK format consists of two parts, a '.QWK' file, which contains messages from a BBS, and a '.REP' file, which contains new messages from a BBS user. MailRoom creates .QWK files, and imports messages contained in .REP files into the BBS. The BBS user uses a QWK reader such as MailRoom (shameless plug) to read the .QWK packet and pack new messages into a .REP packet. How to set up MailRoom ====================== To set up MailRoom, first extract the MailRoom archive. Since you are reading this document, you probably have already done this. Next, create a directory somewhere on your hard drive and copy all of the MailRoom files and directories to it, then assign 'MailRoom:' to it. You will probably want to add this assignment to your User-Startup or dlg.start file so the assignment gets made every time the BBS is started. Once you have done this, add MailRoom to one of your DLG menus. You will probably want to add it to the Main or one of the Message menus. Here's the recommended settings. [ 1] Letter: Q [ 2] Executable: (path/name) mailroom:mailroom MENU %UNAME [ 4] Description: MailRoom QWK [ 5] Type: Executable [ 6] Help File: [ 7] Lower level: 1 [ 8] Upper level: 255 [ 9] Hidden: NO [10] Load type: OVERLAY [11] Ask user if sure: NO [12] Pend messages: NO [13] Cli mode: NO [14] Pause on completion: NO [15] Log value: None [16] Activity string: [17] Priority: DEFAULT Once Mailroom is added to a menu, go to that menu and start MailRoom. When you get to the main MailRoom menu, hit 'S'. 'S' is an 'invisible' menu option that takes you to the sysop menu. (you must have a user level of 255 to access the sysop menu.) Once there you can configure MailRoom to your liking. (See the configuration section below.) Sysop Configuration =================== To enter the sysop configuration menu, hit 'S' from the main MailRoom menu. (You must have a user level of 255 to enter the sysop menu.) Here's a rundown of each item. Here's a listing of some of the less obvious configuration options. [5] BBS ID This is a 1-8 character ID string used for naming .QWK and .REP packets. It must conform to MS-DOS filename restrictions. (A-Z, 0-9, and '_' are the only legal characters.) [6] Short Packet ID This is a 1 or 2 character 'Short' ID string used when the 'Date in packet name' is used. Like the regular BBS ID, it must conform to MS-DOS filename restrictions. [7] Max Messages/Packet [8] Max Messages/Conference These commands set the maximum number of messages that MailRoom will put in a packet, and for an individual conference. [9] Default Messages/Packet [0] Default Messages/Conference These commands set the default packet size limits, which are used if a BBS user has not yet set packet size limits of his or her own. [D] Work Directory This command tells MailRoom where to create work directories. If you have enough memory, I recommend setting this to somewhere in RAM:. [W] Welcome File [G] Goodbye File [N] News File These commands specify which file to use as 'Welcome' 'Goodbye' and 'News' files in .QWK packets. These fields are optional. [R] Register MailRoom Use this command to enter your registration number into MailRoom. MailRoom operation from CLI =========================== MailRoom accepts the following CLI arguments: Name/A,MENU/S,BATCH/S,IMPORT/S,PKTDIR/K,NODELETE/S,NOCHECK/S: Name/A: The name of the person to create a QWK packet for, with an underscore between first and last name. This argument is required. MENU/S: Switch to start MailRoom in Menu mode. useful only when started from within DLG. BATCH/S: Switch to tell MailRoom to create a .QWK packet. IMPORT/S: Switch to tell MailRoom to import a .REP packet. PKTDIR/K: Specifies a directory other than the users private file directory to put a .QWK packet when in BATCH mode, or look for a .REP packet in IMPORT mode. NODELETE/S: Tells MailRoom that the .REP packet should not be deleted after being imported. NOCHECK/S: Tells MailRoom not to check for existing packets before creating a new one. This switch forces MailRoom to use the 'date in filename' format for QWK packets. Generally the only options you need to worry about are the Name keyword and the MENU switch. I added the other options so I could create a packet in my 'Downloads' directory without even logging on to my BBS. I just type... MailRoom:MailRoom BATCH jim_dawson PKTDIR Downloads: NOCHECK and MailRoom creates a packet for me in my downloads directory, where AmiQWK (another shameless plug) is configured to look for packets. When I am done reading messages, I just type... MailRoom:MailRoom IMPORT jim_dawson PKTDIR Uploads: and MailRoom imports the .REP packet. In both cases I don't even have to log on to the BBS to read or import new messages. Bug Reports =========== Send all bug reports, suggestions, and registrations to: Internet : jim_dawson@hguild.com Snail Mail : Jim Dawson 509 S. Madison St. Marion, IL. 62959 BBS : The Hackers Guild BBS, (618) 997-2591 1200-14400bps USR DS. The Future of MailRoom ====================== I plan to re-write MailRoom entirely in C++, adding more features, such as QWK mail networking and support for other mail formats such as BlueWave. I also plan on writing some utilities for DLG such as GUI based User/Area editors. The amount of time I spend on these projects depends on how many registrations I get for MailRoom. A Special Offer for MailRoom SYSOPS =================================== Sysops registering MailRoom can also register my QWK reader, AmiQWK II, for $10 and save $5 off of the regular price of $15.