Document telser.doc

    =============================================================
    telser 1.30 -- serial telnet(d) device for TCP/IP and AS225r2
                             Documentation
                         - September 11, 1995 -
    =============================================================

      Copyright (c) 1994-1995 by Sam Yee.  All rights reserved.


1. Legal Issues
===============

1.1. Copyright
--------------

The   program,  telser  and  its  associated  files  are  written  and
copyrighted  by  Sam  Yee.   telser  is SHAREWARE and the UNREGISTERED
version  of  telser  may be distributed freely providing the following
conditions hold:

o Distributors may not charge more than the cost of a diskette used in
  the distribution of this program.

o Distributors may only distribute the unmodified copy of the original
  program, along with its documentation, and copyright notices intact.

o Commercial  distribution  is  only  possible with written permission
  from the author.

1.2. License Agreement
----------------------

The   REGISTERED   versions   of  telser  may  not  be  redistributed.
Redistribution  is  illegal,  immoral,  and  strictly prohibited.  The
licensed keyfile may be used on more than one machine if you own those
machines and that they are not for business use.  Otherwise, different
keyfiles are required for each machine.

1.3. Disclaimer
---------------

This   program  and  its  documentation  are  provided  "as  is".   No
warranties  are  made  with  respect  to  the  accuracy,  reliability,
performance  or  operation  of this software and information.  You are
using this program at your own risk.  The author is not liable for any
damages that may have been caused by using this software.


2. Introduction
===============

telser.device  ("telser")  is  a  modem  simulator  running over a TCP
telnet/rlogin  connection.   It  simulates  basic `modem commands', so
telecommunication ("comm") programs can run over a network connection.
To  the  comm  program,  it  thinks it's talking to a modem.  Terminal
emulation,  file  transfers,  scripting,  etc., are all handled by the
comm  program.   Connecting  to  a  host  is as simple as typing "ATDT
abc.edu,23"  or  even  simpler if the host is in the comm's phonebook.
Also, with telser's built-in scripting, logins can be automated.

telser  supports  most  of  the telnet/rlogin negotiation commands and
options.   For  example,  you  may  elect to notify the remote host on
changes  to the terminal emulation type and window size.  An intuitive
"gadtools"  graphical  user  interface  is supplied to control most of
telser's operations.

telser  can  also  run in host mode, essentially allowing it to accept
incoming  telnet/rlogin  calls.   Unwanted  connections can be denied.
Calls  may  be tracked by a caller ID feature.  A "multi-line" BBS can
be easily set up over the internet!

telser  is  capable  of  unlimited device units, which means unlimited
incoming  and  outgoing  connections  are  possible.  It supports both
TCP/IP  packages on the Amiga, namely AmiTCP (tested with 3.x and 4.x)
and AS225r2.  The TCP/IP emulator, MLINK, is also supported.


3. Demo Restrictions
====================

The  demo  version of telser allows one device unit.  Opening a second
unit  causes  a  device busy result code.  If you use telser often you
are  recommended  to  register.   When  you register you get unlimited
device units and help keep this project alive...


4. Requirements
===============

telser  runs  on  any  Amiga(tm)  with version 2.04 of the OS, running
AmiTCP  or AS225r2.  AmiTCP 3.0b2 and 4.0 demo has been tested, and it
does not work with 2.3.  telser uses very little memory (perhaps 90K).
To  make  telser  even  more memory efficient, make it resident.  Then
every device unit you open will use about 20K.


5. Installation
===============

The telser archive contains the following files:

telser_install      - Installer script
telser_install.info - icon for above
bin/telser          - telser main program for AmiTCP
bin/tstelnet        - comm program that uses telser.device
TelserMon           - telser monitor commoditiy
TelserMon.info      - icon for TelserMon
c/telser            - telser main program for AS225r2
db/telser.conf      - configuration file for each device unit
db/telser.hosts     - list of host aliases
db/telser.mdm       - stores modem configuration
db/telser.terms     - list of terminal types
db/telserd.bans     - list of IP addresses banned
db/telserd.conf     - configuration file for serv/telserd
devs/telser.device_amitcp  -
                       device driver that talks to bin/telser
devs/telser.device_as225r2 -
                       device driver that talks to c/telser
doc/telser-Axsh-setup.doc - Axsh setup tutorial in text format
doc/telser-Axsh-setup.doc.info -- icon for above
doc/telser-Axsh-setup.guide - Axsh setup tutorial in AmigaGuide(r)
                               format
doc/telser-Axsh-setup.guide.info - icon for above
doc/telser.doc      - telser documentation in text format
doc/telser.guide    - telser documentation in AmigaGuide(r) format
doc/telser.guide.info - icon for the above
doc.info            - icon for doc/ directory
launchd             - a program launcher daemon
libs/rawin.library  - linemode editing handling library
serv/telserd_amitcp - telser daemon ("server") for AmiTCP
serv/telserd_as225r2 - telser daemon for AS225r2
src/tstelnet.c      - sample source that uses telser.device
src/tstelnet.makefile - makefile for above
s:telser.key        - registration keyfile for telser

Once unpacked, the above files reside in the telser/ directory.

AmiTCP Installation
-------------------

To install telser for AmiTCP, unpack the archive into AMITCP:
 1> lha x DH0:telser120.lha AMITCP:

Copy and rename the device driver telser.device_amitcp into devs:
 1> copy AMITCP:telser/devs/telser.device_amitcp
         devs:telser.device clone

Rename the executables:
 1> rename AMITCP:telser/serv/telserd_amitcp AMITCP:serv/telserd

AS225r2 Installation
--------------------

To install telser for AS225r2, unpack the archive into INET:
 1> lha x DH0:telser120.lha INET:

Copy and rename the device driver telser.device_as225r2 into devs:
 1> copy INET:telser/devs/telser.device_as225r2
          devs:telser.device clone

Rename the executables:
 1> rename INET:telser/bin/tstelnet INET:c/
 1> rename INET:telser/serv/telserd_as225r2 INET:serv/telserd

Installer Script
----------------

An  Installer script ("telser/telser_install") is included to automate
the above procedures.  Just click on the install icon and way you go.


5.1. Keyfile Installation
=========================

When  you  register,  you  will probably receive your key file through
e-mail.   If  this  is  the  case,  you  must  use  a  UN*X compatible
"uudecode"  to  decode it.  Once decoded, you should copy the key file
into  the  S:  directory.  Alternately, you may point to the directory
containing  the key file by setting the $KEYPATH environment variable.
e.g., "copy telser.key DH0:keys", "setenv KEYPATH DH0:keys".


6. Configuration
================

telser  is  a  very  configurable  program.  Most of the configuration
files  can  be  manipulated  by  the  save  buttons in section
`Telser Options Window'.  The rest must be editted with a text editor.
In  most  files,  a  "#" or ";" ignores ("comment out") lines.

6.1. Device Unit Configuration
------------------------------

db/telser.conf allows you to configure each unit of telser.device.

The follow is how db/telser.conf looks like:
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
#unit default host  map serial break to GUI/Startup LINGER      DEBUG   logfile       REDIRECT/
#     (alias)       Nothing             HIDE        or          or      ("" for none) NOREDIRECT
#                   OpenWindow          OPENWIN     NOLINGER    NODEBUG
#                   AbortOutput         ICONIFY                                         
#                   AreYouThere
#                   Break
#                   EraseChar
#                   EraseLine
#                   GoAhead
#                   InterruptProcess
#                   NoOperation
#                   SynchOperation
\\#?   ""            OpenWindow          HIDE       NOLINGER     NODEBUG  T:telser.log NOREDIRECT
 0    ""            OpenWindow          HIDE       LINGER       NODEBUG  T:telser.log REDIRECT
 2    home          Nothing             OPENWIN    NOLINGER     DEBUG    T:telser.log NOREDIRECT
 10   work          OpenWindow          ICONIFY    NOLINGER     DEBUG    ""           NOREDIRECT
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Unit field:
    The  unit number the comm program will use.  It can be an AmigaDOS
    pattern and will allow unconfigured units to share configurations.
    If  the  pattern  begins  with  #?,  it must be rewritten as \\#?.
    (Recall  "#" is used as a comment, so the "\\" is used to indicate
    the  line  should  not  be  treated as a comment.) "\\" is skipped
    before  pattern  matching.   For  example,  "1#?"  means  that all
    unconfigured  units  that  begin  with  1  will  use  this  unit's
    configuration.   Note that the order of configuration line matters
    when  patterns  are used.  If there are more than one match in the
    unit  field  of all the lines, the last configuration line will be
    used.   (Note,  if  you  are  reading  the  text  version  of  the
    documentation you will see two slashes.  The AmigaGuide verion has
    one slash absorb by the translator.)

Host (Alias) field:
    This  field  tells  telser  which  host  should  a  connection  be
    attempted once the comm program is started.  Enter "" if automatic
    connection  is not desired at telser.device opening time.  You may
    use an IP address, host alias, or a real hostname for this field.

Map Serial Break To field:
    Most  comm programs allow the user to send a physical break signal
    to   the   modem.   This  feature  is  inapplicable  to  a  telnet
    connection.   Instead, telser allows the user to do various things
    when he/she tries to send a "virtual" break.  When such a break is
    sent, telser can be directed to do the following:

    Nothing:    ignore the virtual break signal
    OpenWindow: Open telser's main window if it's not already opened.
                If already opened, bring the window to front.
    AbortOutput: Send a telnet Abort Output command to host.
    AreYouThere: Send a telnet Are You There command to host.
    Break:       Send a telnet Break command to host.
                 Note that this break is nothing like a modem break.
    EraseChar:  Send a telnet Erase Character command to host.
    EraseLine:  Send a telnet Erase Line command to host.
    GoAhead:    Send a telnet Go Ahead command to host.
    Interrupt Process: Send a telnet Interrupt Process command to host.
                       Often this command kills the foreground process
                       on Unix machines.
    NoOperation: Send a telnet No Operation command to host.
    SynchOperation: Send a telnet Synchronize Operation to host.

    Consult  the  Telnet  RFC's (e.g., RFC854) for more information on
    Telnet commands and options.

GUI/Startup field:
    If this flag is set to HIDE, telser will not open a window when it
    starts.

    If  OPENWIN  is  specified,  the telser window will be opened.

    Otherwise,  If  ICONIFY is specified, the window will be opened in
    iconified  mode.   When  the program is iconified, it displays the
    connection  state.   When  a connection is made, the icon modifies
    its   text   to   reflect   the   peer's  hostname.   telser  uses
    ENV:telser_appicon.info  as  the  image  of  the icon, if the file
    exists.   Otherwise,  Workbench's default tool icon is used.  Note
    that  telser_appicon.info  is  not  included  in this distribution
    because  I  can't draw.  If you are an icon artist and are willing
    to  contribute  an  icon  suitable  for  telser,  I  would  really
    appreciate it!

Linger/NoLinger field:
    This  flag  allows  you  to  terminate  your  comm program without
    closing  the  telnet  connection.  This is useful when you need to
    switch  comm  programs.  When Linger is specified, telser will not
    quit  when  the  comm  program  exits.   Otherwise, if NoLinger is
    specified,  the  connection  will  be closed and telser terminates
    when  the  comm program quits.  This flag sets the Linger checkbox
    in  section  `Telser Options Window'.  Some BBS packages need this
    option on.

Debug/NoDebug field:
    When  Debug  is  specified,  all  telnet  negotiation  options and
    commands  will be logged.  Also, modem commands are logged.  Modem
    log  entries  have the format:  "MODEM:  [command]", where command
    is the modem command without the "AT" prefix.

Logfile field:
    Specify  the  file  name  where  all  logs should go.  Enter "" to
    disable  logging  to  file.   The  logfile is written after telser
    exits.   For  an  explanation  on  the  format  of log entries see
    section `Logging'.

Redirect/NoRedirect field:
    Specify whether this unit should be used as a redirector for other
    units.   In  redirection  mode,  the comm program will attempt the
    next  256 units after this unit until it succeeds.  To effectively
    use  redirection,  the  comm  program  must  open telser.device in
    exclusive (nonshared) mode.  This ensures no two programs open the
    same  (non-redirected)  unit.  Redirection is particular useful if
    you  want  to  load  the  same comm program over and over again to
    connect  to  different hosts.  Note that redirectors do not handle
    any network communications, so they can't make or accept calls.

    Your  BBS  program  should  not  open redirection units because of
    potential  side effects.  For example, some BBS's close and reopen
    the  serial device after they connect.  But, the reopening may use
    a different unit number.

    Obviously, only the registered version allows unit redirection.

In  general,  this  file can be manipulated by the "Save Unit Options"
button in section `Telser Options Window'.  This file is not necessary
for  the  operation  of  telser.   If  a  unit  or the file is missing
defaults  will be used.  Units with patterns can not be manipulated by
the GUI.

6.2. Telnet Hosts Configuration
-------------------------------

db/telser.hosts looks something like this:
----------------------------------------------------------------------
#                                       telnet options
#                                       bitmap (if set)
#                                       0 - initiate negotiation
#                                       1 - do binary
#                                       2 - do echo
#                                       3 - do sga
#                                       4 - will ttype
#                                       5 - will naws
#                                       6 - will linemode
#                                       7 - will tspeed
#                                       8 - will lineflow
#                                       9 - force linemode
#                                       10 - ignore neg.
#alias   hostname or IP      port term  bits            rlogin? login id    login-script
#                                       01234567890
home     localhost           23   ansi  11111111010
archie   archie.rutgers.edu  23   ansi  11111111010
school   fraser.sfu.ca       23   vt100 11111100010     y       samy
work     incognito.com       23   vt220 11111111010
fun      res.com             0    vt100 11111111010     n       root        amitcp:db/res.login
~        ""                  23   vt100 11111111000
~10      ""                  23   vt220 11111111000
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Alias field:
    An  alias  for the host you want to connect to.  Aliases preceding
    by  the  "~" (tilde) character has special meaning.  These aliases
    are   used  to  store  the  default  telnet  configuration  for  a
    telser.device  unit.   They  are  named with "~[unit-number]".  If
    "unit-number"  is  left out, any unit without telnet configuration
    will   use   this   configuration   entry   as  its  default.   If
    "unit-number"  is  included, only the specified unit will use this
    configuration  entry.   e.g., "~10" means only unit 10 can use it,
    while "~" means any non-configured unit can use it.

Hostname or IP field:
    The real name or IP address of the host you want to connect to.

Port field:
    The  port  you  want to telnet into.  Normally this is 23, but for
    MUD  (Multi-User  Dungeon) sites, this can be something like 6667.
    Specify 0 if you don't care which port you are connecting to.

Term field:
    The terminal emulation you will be using for the connection.  Note
    that  telser  does not handle terminal emulation per se.  It is up
    to  your comm program to do so.  Term is provided so that the host
    you  are  connected  to  will automatically know what term you are
    using.   You  must enable automatic terminal emulation if you want
    to  notify  the  host  about  the  terminal you are using.  Telnet
    options bit #4 is used for this purpose.

Telnet Options Bitmap field:
    This  bitmap  allows you to specify what is to be performed during
    telnet negotiation.  Putting a "1" at a bit position sets it.  The
    bits are defined as follows.

    Bit 0:  We initiate telnet negotiation with the host.
            If   0,   telser   will   not  talk  first  during  Telnet
            negotiation.
    Bit 1:  We ask the host to go into binary mode.
    Bit 2:  We ask the host to echo what we typed.  We will not do any
            echoing.
    Bit 3:  We ask the host to Suppress Go Ahead.
    Bit 4:  We tell the host we will be sending our terminal type.
    Bit 5:  We tell the host we will be sending our window size.
    Bit 6:  We tell the host we will be going into linemode.
            In  linemode,  editing  is  done  locally.  This speeds up
            command line editing immensely.
    Bit 7:  We tell the host we will be sending our terminal speed.
    Bit 8:  We tell the host we can do local flow control.
            If host grants permission, when user presses ^S (XOFF),
            incoming TCP data is stopped until user presses ^Q (XON).
            When incoming flow is stopped, outgoing flow is still
            possible.
    Bit 9:  We do linemode whether host allows it or not.  In linemode,
            command line editing is performed locally.  This bit does
            not result in any negotiation with the host.
    Bit 10: If set, the telnet protocol is not used.  Telnet control
            codes (if any) are passed directly to the comm program.
            This is required to connect to some TCP ports, such as
            UUCP and MUD servers.

    Of course the host can refuse any of our requests.
    To  understand what these Telnet options and commands do, refer to
    their RFCs (Request-For-Comments).  The following RFCs deal with
    the telnet protocol: 652, 653, 727, 854, 855, 856, 857, 858, 859,
    860, 885, 930, 1073, 1079, 1143, and 1372,

rlogin field:
    This field indicates whether the host should be connected with the
    rlogin  protocol.   Enter "Y" for yes, or "N" for no.  If "N" then
    the login id field is ignored.  The rlogin protocol typically uses
    TCP port 513.  See `Telser Main Window'.

login: field:
    This  field  specifies  the  login  ID  to  be used for the rlogin
    protocol.  See `Telser Main Window'

login-script field:
    The script file used for auto-login.  See section `Login Scripts'
    on the script language.

This  file  can  be manipulated by the "Save Telnet Options" button in
section `Telser Options Window'.

6.3. Terminal Emulation Configuration
-------------------------------------

db/telser.terms  allows you to specify the list of terminal emulations
your  comm  programs can support.  They can be used to notify the host
on what emulation you are using.

db/telser.terms looks something like this:
----------------------------------------------------------------------
#Term           Cols Rows   Terminal-ID
#(or alias)                 ("" = use term)
ansi            80   24
dumb            80   24
vt52            80   24
vt100           80   24
vt102           80   24
vt200           80   24
vt220           80   24
"vt220 (80x48)" 80   48     vt220
vt240           80   24
vt300           80   24
vt320           80   24
vt340           80   24
vt420           80   24
rip             80   48
unknown         80   24
xterm           160  128
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Term field:
    The  terminal type supported by your comm program.  This field can
    be  used  for display purpose only.  If this is the case, you must
    specify  the  actual  terminal  type,  to send to the host, in the
    Terminal-ID.

Cols field:
    The number of columns of your comm window.

Rows field:
    The number of rows of your comm window.

Terminal-ID:
    If this field is specified, its content is sent to the host you
    are connected to.  Otherwise, the value at the Term field is used
    instead.

This  file is what gets displayed in the terminal list box in
`Telser Main Window'.   Telnet negotiation on terminal type and window
size will use these definitions.

6.4. Modem Profile Configuration
--------------------------------

db/telser.mdm  stores  the  modem profile for each telser.device unit.
The  profile  is  loaded  every  time  telser.device  is opened with a
particular unit.

db/telser.mdm looks something like this:
----------------------------------------------------------------------
[0]
B0
E1
F1
M1
...
----------------------------------------------------------------------

The  number  in  [] is the unit number of the modem.  What follows are
the  registers, etc.  for that unit.  In this case, telser.device unit
 0 will  use  the  above.   You  normally don't need to edit this file
directly.   Do  your stuff with the "AT" commands in your comm program
and type "AT&W" to save it to this file.


6.5. Server Mode Configuration
------------------------------

db/telserd.conf  stores  the  units that telserd should attempt to use
when an incoming call is detected.

db/telserd.conf looks something like this:
----------------------------------------------------------------------
#unit ring-interval max-rings   startup-command cleanup-command logfile
#     (seconds)                 "" for none     "" for none     "" for none
 0    2             2           ""              ""              t:telserd.log
 2    2             2           ""              ""              t:telserd.log
...
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Unit field:
    The  telser.device  unit  to check for the possibility of making a
    connection.   If this unit is not already opened or busy, the next
    one will be attempted.

Ring-Interval field:
    The number of seconds between "RING" messages are sent to the unit.

Max-Rings field:
    The maximum number of "RING"s to send to the unit before giving up.
    After giving up, the next unit is tried.

Startup-Command field:
    The command to execute before actually trying to talk to the unit.
    If the command fails (errorcode non-zero), this unit is ignored.

Cleanup-Command field:
    The command to execute after the telnet connection is closed.

Logfile field:
    The   file   where  all  logs  are  written  to.   If  logging  is
    undesirable,  enter  ""  for  this  field.  The logfile is written
    after telserd exits.

In addition to editing the above file you must also edit db/inetd.conf
and db/services.

Your db/inetd.conf file should look like this:

telnet    stream  tcp nowait root amitcp:serv/telserd -telserd

If  you are using the current version of AS225 or newer, you must omit
the "root" word from the above line!

Your db/services file should look like this:

telnet          23/tcp

Usually, the services file is already set up by your TCP package.

To   get   your   BBS   running   over  telser,  you  must  make  sure
db/telserd.conf  contains  the  unit  number that is opened by the BBS
software.   Also,  db/telser.conf  should  have  an entry for the unit
used.   All  units  to  be  used by telserd should not have auto-login
enabled!!!   i.e.,  make  sure  the  "host"  field is blank ("").  You
wouldn't  want your BBS automatically dial out everytime the device is
openend.   If  you  are  using  AXsh  with telserd, make sure you have
LINGER on or AT&D0!!!  It may apply to other BBS packages as well.


6.5.1. Using telserd Server on Multiple TCP Ports
-------------------------------------------------

If  you need telserd to launch from different TCP ports, you may do so
by   passing  the  telserd  program  a  different  telserd.conf  file.
telserd.conf specifies which telser.device units to connect the remote
user to.  The command line options are:

    serv/telserd -telserd -c db/telserd2.conf

    (-telserd is the name of the newly created process.
     telserd2.conf is your alternative telserd config file.
     The filename is arbitrary.)

In  addition,  you  must also edit your db/services and db/inetd.conf
files:

db/services:
    telnet2  1234/tcp

    (port 1234 is just an example.)

db/inetd.conf:
    telnet2 stream tcp nowait root serv/telserd -telserd -c db/telserd2.conf

Note  that  telnet2  is  used  in  both  files.   This allows inetd to
determine which daemon to launch when service is requested at a port.

This  setup  is  useful  if  you  want  to run different programs from
different  ports.   For example, your AXsh runs from port 23, BBS runs
from port 3000, and AmigaMUD runs from 6667.

6.5.2. Using telserd without inetd
----------------------------------

telserd  can  run as an active daemon, where it runs in the background
and  listens  to  a port you specify.  This is particularly useful for
TCP stacks that don't come with an inetd.  Once telserd receives a new
connection  request,  it  re-launches  ("forks") itself using the same
command  line  arguments you initially passed to it.  It then proceeds
as  normal.   The new daemon acts just like its launcher.  The command
line arguments to start an active daemon are:

    telserd TCPPORT <port-num> ...

    Example: telserd TCPPORT 6000

You  just  need  to launch one telserd for each port you wish to grant
telnet access.

To stop any running telserd process, simply issue the "status" command
from  AmigaShell and use the "break" command to send a ^C break signal
to it.


6.5.3. Using telserd in rlogind mode
------------------------------------

By default, telserd acts as a telnetd server, but it can also act as a
rlogind  server.  This is accomplished by passing the "-r" or "RLOGIN"
parameter  to  telserd.   db/services  must  have  the "login" service
specified  and  db/inetd.conf  must determine which daemon to load for
"login".

Example:

db/services:
    login 513/tcp

db/inetd.conf:
    login stream tcp nowait root serv/telserd -telserd -r

The standard rlogin port is 513, but you may change it.

When the user logs on, the environment variables are set:  USER<unit>,
<TERM><unit>,  and BAUD<unit>.  <unit> is the telser.device unit.  For
example,  when  I  rlogin  from  my  school the variable contents are:
USER2=samy,TERM2=vt100,BAUD2=9600.   If you are writing an application
that uses telser, you may take advantage of these variables.

While  the  user  is logged in, the standard way to forcibly terminate
the connection is by pressing "<CR>~." (carriage-return tilde period).

When  the  user disconnects, the above three environment variables are
cleared.


6.5.4. Banning sites from calling in
------------------------------------

The db/telserd.bans file is used to ban sites you don't want access to
your  system.   Each  line in the file contains an AmigaDOS pattern to
match the peer's IP address with.  Lines beginning with "#" or ";" are
ignored.  Some examples are "*.*.*.*" to ban all sites, "127.0.0.1" to
ban localhost, and "11.*" to ban all machines in network 11.


7. How telser works
===================

In client mode:

<comm-prog> <--> <telser.device> <--> [telser] <-..->  [telnetd]
                ((( LOCAL HOST)))             (TCP/IP)  ((( REMOTE HOST )))

Your  <comm-prog>  opens telser.device and talks to it.  telser.device
relays  all  your  serial commands to [telser].  [telser] also handles
the  telnet/telnetd  protocol.  [telser] communicates with telnetd (or
other daemons) on the remote host.

In server mode:

<BBS> <--> <telser.device> <--> [telser] <--> [telserd] <-..-> [telnet]
                ((( LOCAL HOST)))                      (TCP/IP) (( REMOTE ))

Your  <BBS> opens <telser.device> and waits for an incoming call.  The
remote  user  uses  the  [telnet]  program  to  connect  to [telserd].
([telserd]  is launched by inetd.) [telserd] simply moderates messages
between  [telser] and [telnet].  Once [telserd] makes a connection, it
sends  a  "RING" message to [telser], which is then passed back to the
<BBS>.  If [telser] is set up to auto-answer it would do an auto-matic
connection  with [telserd].  Otherwise, the <BBS> must explicitly send
an "ATA" command to [telser] to "answer" the call.


8. Using telser.device
======================

To use telser.device, run your comm program the usual way.  Select the
option   to   change   the   serial  device  and  unit.   Change  from
"serial.device" to "telser.device".  And if you need to have automatic
connections,  define  a  unit  in  db/telser.conf.  See
`Device Unit Configuration' for details.

If  telser.device  is  opened  successfully you should be able to send
modem  commands to it.

To  make  a  connection with a host either type "ATDT <host>,[<port>]"
from  your comm program or enter the host information and click on the
Connect  button in the `Telser Main Window'.  To disconnect from host,
either  log  off  from  the  host,  or  type  "+++ATH",  or  press the
Disconnect button from the `Telser Main Window'.  After disconnection,
a "NO CARRIER" message is returned.

When  you  are done, just exit your comm program.  telser will stay in
memory   and/or  close  any  connection  depending  on  the  following
condition.  If LINGER on or AT&D0, telser will not exit.  If LINGER on
and AT&D2, telser will disconnect if connected, but will not exit.  If
LINGER  off  and  AT&D2,  telser  will  exit and close any connection.
Under any other condition, telser stays running.


Controlling telser from the Shell
---------------------------------

If  a  telser  client  is  still running (when running with the linger
option  on)  but  it  is  not  servicing  a  comm  program,  it may be
terminated  by  sending  a  ^C  break  signal  to  it with the "break"
command.

For example:
 1> status
 2> break <telser-process> C

To  open  a telser client's window, send it an E signal.  e.g., "break
<telser-process> E".  To close the window, "break <telser-process> D".
A telser process can also be controlled by `TelserMon'.


8.1. Opening telser.device from a task
--------------------------------------

When  telser.device  opens,  it  normally launches the manager program
"telser".   This  is  a problem if the program opening the device is a
task.  (Tasks cannot call DOS functions, such as launching an external
program.)  To  solve this problem, telser.device sends the name of the
command (as a message) to execute to the server program "launchd".  If
you  are  opening  telser.device  from  a task, you must run "launchd"
first.  To run launchd, issue "run >NIL:  <NIL:  launchd".


9. Using tstelnet (as telnet/rlogin client)
===========================================

tstelnet  is a really simple comm program that opens telser.device and
allows  you  to connect to a host.  tstelnet starts from device unit 0
and  goes  through  to  20 until telser.device is opened successfully.
You  may of course specify a unit to attempt.  By trying each unit you
can use tstelnet to act like the "telnet" program.

Usage: tstelnet [ -d device,unit ] [ -l username ] [ -f ] hostname [port]

Examples: tstelnet archie.rutgers.edu
          tstelnet mud.com 6667
          tstelnet -dtelser.device,100 es.com

If  port is specified as "login" or "513" the rlogin protocol is used.
For  the  remote  username used in rlogin, telser checks the following
locations:    remote  username  as  specified  in  the  host  database
(db/telser.hosts),  RUSER  environment  variable (ENV:RUSER), and USER
environment  variable (ENV:USER).  If -l is specified, tstelnet simply
writes  the  value  to  the RUSER variable.  When tstelnet terminates,
RUSER is then deleted.

A handy alias to put in your s:shell-startup is:

alias rlogin tstelnet -l samy [] 513

(samy is my username on some hosts).

So, to rlogin into a host, you simply execute "rlogin <host>" from the
Shell.

There  is  currently  no  official  way  to abort an asynchronous read
request  from  file  handlers.   However, there are unofficial ways to
abort  requests  for those file handlers that support it.  The -f flag
is  for  forcing the abort of a read request by pushing a character to
the file handler.  Because this is unofficial, you should use the flag
with  caution.  If you are using tstelnet from AmigaShell through CON:
or  KINGCON:,  then  -f  should be fine.  If -f crashes in your Shell,
don't use the flag.

tstelnet  essentially  sends  "ATDT <host>[,<port>]" to telser.device.
If  the  host name is not given, the user is prompted for the host and
port.  The following prompts are displayed:

Telnet/RLogin Host: abc.edu
Port [23]: 

tstelnet is particularly useful for telnetting out of a BBS because it
is  8  bit  clean,  so  file  transfers  will work.  It also cleans up
properly when the user drops carrier.

Note  that  tstelnet is not limited to the usage of telser.device.  It
can  also  be  used  as  a comm program for a real serial port.  e.g.,
"tstelnet  -dserial.device,0  1-604-434-3665" would open serial.device
unit 0 and tone-dials 1-604-434-3665.  To exit tstelnet just hit ecape
three  times.   (Three  ^C  break  signals  would also work.) For your
enjoyment,  the  C  source  code  to  tstelnet is included in the src/
directory.


10. TelserMon
=============

TelserMon is a commodity program that allows you to monitor the status
of  each  telser unit.  The program should go into your SYS:WBstartup/
drawer,  so it is run every time your system boots into Wokrbench.  In
the TelserMon.info icon, the following tooltypes are supported:

DONOTWAIT
    If  specified,  this  is a standard tooltype which tells Workbench
    not  to wait for the program to return before it (WB) continues to
    execute.

CX_PRIORITY=<priority>
    Specifies the priority the commodity should run at.

    Default: CX_PRIORITY=0

CX_POPUP=<YES|NO>
    Specifies whether the TelserMon window should open when it starts.

    Default: CX_POPUP=YES

CX_POPKEY=<hotkey>
    Specifies  the  key to press (or "hotkey") to bring up the monitor
    window.

    Some of the standard qualifier keys are:

    lshift      - left shift
    rshift      - right shift
    capslock    - Caps Lock
    control     - Ctrl
    lalt        - left Alt
    ralt        - right Alt
    lcommand    - left Amiga
    rcommand    - right Amiga

    Default: CX_POPKEY=control alt t

TCPDIR=<directory>
    This  specifies  the  directory  where  db/telser.conf  is stored.
    telser.conf lets TelserMon know which units it should check.

    Default: TCPDIR=AmiTCP:

TelserMon can also be run from the command line, and it also uses the
same arguments as the icon tooltypes.

When the TelserMon window opens, it looks like the following:

+--------------------------------------+-+
|[]| TelserMon 1.30 - © 1995 by Sam Yee|Z|
|--------------------------------------+-+
| Unit CLI Owner        Connected Host   |
|+------------------------------------+-+|
||  11  10 prog         fraser.sfu.ca | ||
||                                    | ||
||                                    | ||
||                                    | ||
||                                    | ||
||                                    | ||
||                                    | ||
||                                    |_||
||                                    |^||
||                                    |v||
|+------------------------------------+-+|
|+---------+---------+---------+--------+|
||   Open  |  Close  |  Break  |  Hide  ||
|+---------+---------+---------+--------+|
+----------------------------------------+

Unit column:
    The unit number being monitored.

CLI column:
    The CLI number of the telser process.

Owner column:
    The  name  of the program that opened the unit.  If this column is 
    empty,   this   unit   has   no   owner.   Redirector  units  have
    "<redirector>" for the owner name.

Connected Host column:
    The  host  the  unit  is  connected  to.  If the host is empty, no
    connection is made.

Open button:
    When  pressed,  the  window  associated  with the selected unit is
    opened.   Essentially,  an  E  signal  is sent to the CLI.  Double
    clicking  on  a unit in the units list box is effectively the same
    as clicking on the unit and then Open.

Close button:
    When  pressed,  the  window  of the unit is closed.  A D signal is
    sent to the CLI.

Break button:
    Terminate the selected telser unit if it has no owner.

Hide button:
    This  button causes the TelserMon window to close.  The window can
    again be opened by pressing the hotkey.

TelserMon can be terminated by either hitting the close gadget on the
window or by sending the program a ^C break signal.


11. Gadtools Graphical User Interface
=====================================

As  mentioned  before,  your  telnet connections can be managed with a
GUI.   The  GUI  may  be  opened  on  any public screen by setting the
environment  variable  "TELSERPUBSCREEN"  to  point to the name of the
screen.  For example:

 1> setenv TELSERPUBSCREEN TERM
 1> copy ENV:TELSERPUBSCREEN envarc: ; permanently saves it

If  the  public  screen cannot be opened, the Workbench screen is used
instead.  Note that some comm programs, such as Term, opens the serial
device  first  before opening its screen.  In this case, if telser was
told  to  open  its  GUI  at  start up time, it will not appear in the
comm's  screen.   To  solve  this  problem,  simply  close the GUI and
re-open  it.  Note that the environment variable can be changed at any
time and will take effect the next time the GUI is re-opened.

Telser has 3 windows in which you can change things.

11.1. Telser Main Window
------------------------

If  you  specify  it, when telser.device is opened a window that looks
like   the  below  opens.  The  OpenWin/NoOpenWin  option  in  section
`Device Unit Configuration'  can determine whether this window will be
opened  at  device  opening  time.   Alternatively,  you  may  send  a
"virtual"   break   signal   to   telser,   as  described  in  section
`Device Unit Configuration', or typing "AT[" in command mode.

+--------------------------------------------------+-+-+
|[]| [0] Telser 1.30 - Copyright 1994-5 by Sam Yee |%|Z|
|--------------------------------------------------+-+-+
| Unregistered version              +---------+------+ |
|      Select Host     Select Term  |Iconify  | Help | |
| +----------------+-+ +--------+-+ +---------+------+ |
| |home            |#| |ansi    |#| |     Connect    | |
| |archie          |#| |dumb    | | +----------------+ |
| |school          |_| |vt52    |_| |   Disconnect   | |
| |work            |^| |vt100   |^| +----------------+ |
| |fun             |v| |vt102   |v| |  Send Commands | |
| +----------------+-+ +--------+-+ +----------------+ |
| +------------------+ +----------+ |Change Term Type| |
| |fun               | |vt100     | +----------------+ |
| +------------------+ +----------+ |Change Win Size | |
| | |rlogin?   +-----+       +----+ +----------------+ |
| +-+     Port |6667 |  Cols |80  | |     Options    | |
|         +----+-----+       +----+ +----------------+ |
|  login: |root      |  Rows |24  |                    |
|         +----------+       +----+                    |
|  Script |amitcp:db/|              +--------+-------+ |
|         +----------+ log          |Save As | Clear | |
| +-------+-----+----------------------------------+-+ |
| |[94-Oct-30 13:25:43] Trying localhost...        | | |
| |[94-Oct-30 13:25:43] Connection established.    | | |
| |                                                | | |
| |                                                | | |
| |                                                +-+ |
| |                                                |^| |
| |                                                |v| |
| +------------------------------------------------+-+ |
+------------------------------------------------------+

The title bar displays the unit number (e.g., "[0]") of telser.device.
You  can  safely  close  the window if you don't need it anymore.  All
other  windows  associated  with  this  window will be closed as well.
Hitting the Escape key also closes the window.

The second line of text displays who telser is registered to.

The gadgets are defines as follows.

Select Host:
    Select  a  host  you want to connect to.  To attempt a connection,
    click  once  on a host and click on the Connect gadget.  Otherwise
    double-click on the host.  If you want to connect to a host not in
    the  list,  simply enter it in the edit box below the list box and
    click on the Connect button.

Port:
    This edit box enables you to establish a connection with a host at
    particular port number.  In this example, the familar port 6667 is
    used.

rlogin?:
    The rlogin protocol allows you to connect to a site automatically,
    without  enter  a login ID or even a password.  You should see the
    Unix  man  pages  on rlogin(d) before trying this feature.  Rlogin
    posts a security risk, so use it with caution.

    Rlogin requires both the local username and the remote username to
    be  sent  to  the host.  The local user name is retrieved from the
    $USER  environment variable.  The remote name (or login id) can be
    specified in the db/telser.hosts file or manually entered from the
    username field below.

    If  this  checkbox  is  checked, use the rlogin protocol to do the
    connection.   After  it's checked, the login:  gadget is activated
    and  the  port number is cleared if it is set at 23 (telnet).  For
    the  port number, you may enter 513 (rlogin) or just leave it at 0
    to  use  the  default.   If  the rlogin checkbox is unchecked, the
    login id gadget is ghosted out.

    Note  that rlogin is a simple protocol, unlike telnet, so the only
    thing you can do while connected (if host permits) is changing the
    window  size.  File transfers may not work properly because rlogin
    is  not  100% 8-bit clean.  However, on some sites, file transfers
    work better with rlogin!

login:
    The remote login id to use for the rlogin protocol.  It is ghosted
    out if rlogin is not used.

Script:
    The script file to execute after connecting to the host.
    See section `Login Scripts'

Select Term:
    Select  the  terminal  type you will be using for this connection.
    Once  a  term  has  been  selected,  the  Cols and Rows edit boxes
    reflect the type of terminal.  However, Cols and Rows can still be
    manually  changed.   Note  that  telser  will only notify the host
    which terminal you are using if you tell it to.
    See `Telser Options Window'

Cols:
    This  edit  box  allows  you to specify the number of columns your
    comm program supports.

Rows:
    The number of rows your comm program supports.

Iconify:
    Close the window and creates an application icon on Workbench.

Help:
    Brings up the AmigaGuide(r) help file.

Connect:
    Attempt  a  connection with the specified host.  Once a connection
    has been established, this buttons is ghosted out.

Disconnect:
    Disconnect  from  the  host  you are connected to.  If you are not
    connected to a host, this button is ghosted out.

Send Commands:
    When  a  connection is made, you may control the telnet connection
    by  clicking  on this button.  It will then bring up a window with
    many buttons you can push.  See `Telnet Send Commands Window'

Change Term Type:
    If  you are already connected, you may tell the host what your new
    terminal type is.

Change Win Size:
    If  you  are already connected, you may tell the host how big your
    comm  program's  window  is.   Programs  like  "vi"  on  Unix will
    auto-adjust itself to reflect the change in window size.

Save As:
    Save the logs to a particular file.  A file requester will open up
    to request for a filename.

Clear:
    Clear the logs.  No warning is given prior to the clear.

11.2. Telser Options Window
---------------------------

This  window  allows you to manipulate options for a telnet connection
or a telser unit.

+-----------------------------------------------+-+-+
|[]| [0] Telser Options                         |%|Z|
|-----------------------------------------------+-+-+
|         Telnet Client Negotiation Options         |
|  _                         _                      |
| |_| Ignore Negotiation    |_| Will Flow Control   |
| |_| Initiate Negotiation  |_| Will Terminal Type  |
| |_| Do Binary             |_| Will Window Size    |
| |_| Do Echo               |_| Will Terminal Speed |
| |_| Do Suppress Go Ahead  |_| Will Linemode       |
|                           |_| Force Linemode      |
|                                                   |
|             telser.device Unit Options            |
|                                                   |
|   Map Serial Break To           GUI on Startup    |
| +---------------------+   +---------------------+ |
| |@|    Open Window    |   |@|      Iconify      | |
| +-+-------------------+   +-+-------------------+ |
| |_| Redirect Unit          _                      |
| |_| Linger on Close       |_| Debug               |
|                                                   |
| +---------------------+   +---------------------+ |
| | Save Telnet Options |   |  Save Unit Options  | |
| +---------------------+   +---------------------+ |
+---------------------------------------------------+

The  "[0]"  above  indicates  that these options are for telser.device
unit 0.

Telnet Host Options:
    These options are defined in `Telnet Hosts Configuration'

Telser Unit Options:
    These options are defined in `Device Unit Configuration'

Save Telnet Options:
    Save these telnet options to the db/telser.hosts file.

Save Unit Options:
    Save these telser.device unit options to the db/telser.conf file.


11.3. Telnet Send Commands Window
---------------------------------

When  a telnet connection has been established, sometimes it is useful
to send telnet commands to the host.  This window will allow you to do
just that.

+-----------------------------------------------------------+-+-+
|[]| [0] Send Telnet Commands                               |%|Z|
|-----------------------------------------------------------+-+-+
| +-------------------+-------------------+-------------------+ |
| |   Abort Output    |  Erase Character  | Interrupt Process | |
| +-------------------+-------------------+-------------------+ |
| |   Are You There   |     Erase Line    |    No Operation   | |
| +-------------------+-------------------+-------------------+ |
| |       Break       |      Go Ahead     | Synch Operation   | |
| +-------------------+-------------------+-------------------+ |
+---------------------------------------------------------------+

The  "[0]"  above  indicates  that these options are for telser.device
unit 0.

All  these  commands  are documented in "Map Serial Break To field" of
section `Device Unit Configuration'.


12. Logging
===========

All  log  entries have a time/date stamp.  The logs are written at the
time  telser.device  closes,  unless  of course you click on the "Save
Log"  button in the `Telser Main Window'.  Most of the log entry types
are defined as follows.

Connection closed by foreign host.
    telnetd on the other end has closed our connection

Connection closed.
    you forcibly close the connection

connect() error
    Unable to connect to host at a particular port number.
    Check your host name and port number and try again.
    Port number 0 is the default.

Connection established.
    A successful outgoing connection has been made with the host.

local: <local-name>; remote: <remote-name>; term: <term>; baud: <baud>
    While   handling  incoming  rlogin  connections,  this  log  entry
    displays  the local name the user wants to log in with, the remote
    name of the user, terminal type used, and baud rate he/she is at.

Received ^C break signal
    You sent a break signal to the telser process.  If you are
    connected, you will no longer.

received TCP urgent data
    
rlogind connection established.
    A successful incoming rlogind connection has been made.

select() returns <result>: error <code>
    Internal error <code> caused by select()

socket() error
    Unable to open a socket

tcp/rlogin: unknown service
    The ermote host does not have rlogind running.

tcp/telnet: unknown service
    The remote host does not have telnetd running.

telnetd connection established.
    A successful incoming telnetd connection has been made.

Trying <host>...
    Client is trying to open a telnet connection with <host>
    Note that this may take a while if the host is unreachable.
    Hitting a key on your keyboard won't abort it.

unknown host: <host>
    <host> is not in your hosts file or your name server.
    Try again with an IP address instead.

Refer to your TCP/IP package for other network error codes.


13. Modem Commands
==================

The basic Hayes(r) compatible modem commands and options are supported
by  telser.device.   Also,  several  new  commands are used by telser.
Note  that  many  commands  and  options  are  there for compatibility
reasons  and  are  ignored.   The  effective  commands and options are
defined as follows.

Command/    Function
Options
--------    ----------------------------------------------------------
A           Manually answer an incoming call.
A/          Re-execute the last command. Useful for redialing.
            It does not take AT or <Enter>.
AT          Attention: lets the telser know that commands are
            being issued to it.
DP or DT    Attempt to connect to a host.
            E.g.,  "ATDT archie.rutgers.edu,23".  The 23 following the
            host name is the port number.
DSn         Connect to the host stored at host list position n.
            See &Zn.  E.g., "ATDS3"
En          Command mode local echo.
            E0  Echo OFF
            E1  telser.device displays keyboard commands
Fn          Online local echo.
            F0  Echo ON
            F1  Echo OFF (default)
H0          Disconnect from host.
In          Information display.
            I0  Three digit version number.
            I4  Display current modem settings.
            I5  Display nonvolatile memory (NVRAM) (ie., from file)
                settings.
            I7  Return version information
O0          Return online.
Qn          Result Codes displayed/suppressed.
            Q0  Display result codes
            Q1  Quiet mode; no result codes.
Sr=n        Set register r to n.
Sr?         Show contents of S-Register r.
V0          Verbal/numeric result codes.
            V0  Numeric codes
            V1  Verbal codes
Xn          Result code set.

            Result Code     X0  X1  X2  X3  X4
            ----------------------------------
            0/OK            .   .   .   .   .
            1/CONNECT       .   .   .   .   .
            2/RING          .   .   .   .   .
            3/NO CARRIER    .   .   .   .   .
            4/ERROR         .   .   .   .   .
            5/CONNECT 1200      .   .   .   .
            6/NO DIALTONE           .       .
            7/BUSY                      .   .
            8/NO ANSWER                 .   .
            10/CONNECT 2400     .   .   .   .
            13/CONNECT 9600     .   .   .   .
            18/CONNECT 4800     .   .   .   .
            20/CONNECT 7200     .   .   .   .
            21/CONNECT 12000    .   .   .   .
            25/CONNECT 14400    .   .   .   .
            26/CONNECT 19200    .   .   .   .
            27/CONNECT 38400    .   .   .   .
            28/CONNECT 57600    .   .   .   .
            29/CONNECT 115200   .   .   .   .
Z           Reset to software defaults.
&Cn         Carrier Detect (CD) signal.
            &C0 CD override
            &C1 Normal CD operations
&Dn         Data Terminal Ready operations.
            &D0 DTR override; so DTR drop would not cause a
                disconnection from host.
            &D2 Normal DTR operations; telser disconnects when DTR
                drops.
&V          Same as "ATI4"
&W          Write current configuration to NVRAM (ie., db/telser.mdm).
&Zn=s       Write host name string s to NVRAM at position n.
+++         Escape to Online-command mode, or if S14=1, disconnect
            from host and escape to command mode.
[           Open the telser window. E.g., "AT[".
]           Close the telser window. E.g., "AT]".
+CID=n      Caller ID
            +CID=0 disable caller ID.
            +CID=1 enable caller ID: display IP address of caller
            +CID=2 enable caller ID: display hostname of caller
            +CID=3 enable caller ID: display both address and name

            When caller ID is on, incoming calls will cause the
            following lines to be displayed:

            RING
            CID = IP address and/or hostname

*cmd        Special modem commands for sending telnet commands.
            *AO     Abort Output
            *AYT    Are You There?
            *BRK    Break
            *EC     Erase Character
            *EL     Erase Line
            *GA     Go Ahead
            *IP     Interrupt Process
            *NOP    No Operation
            *SYNCH  Synch Operation

$           Display quick command summary.  E.g., "AT$"


S-Registers

Register    Default     Function
--------    -------     ----------------------------------------------
S0          0           Sets the number of rings on which to answer in
                        Auto Answer mode.
S1          0           Counts and stores the number of rings from an
                        incoming call.
S2          43          Stores the ASCII decimal code for the escape
                        character.  The default is '+' (43).    A
                        value of 128-255 disables the escape code.
S3          13          Stores the ASCII decimal code for the
                        Carriage Return Character.
S4          10          Stores the ASCII decimal code for the Line
                        Feed Character.
S5          8           Stores the ASCII decimal code for the Back-
                        space character.
S14         0           If set to 1, the connection will be closed up
                        on receipt of the escape code, returns to
                        command mode and sends the NO CARRIER result
                        code.
S19         0           Sets the duration, in minutes, for the
                        Inactivity Timer.  To disable it set it to 0.
                        When the timer goes off, any connection will
                        be closed.
S50         0           When in host mode, the number of seconds to
                        wait before returning the CONNECT string.

13.1. Connection Result Codes
=============================

Telnet  connection  result  codes  are  mapped  to the following modem
result codes.

BUSY
    unknown service

CONNECT ...
    connection established.

OK
    the last modem command was successful.

NO CARRIER
    unknown host or disconnection closed

NO ANSWER
    unable to connect to host because host is down

NO DIALTONE
    unable to open a socket


14. serial.device compatibility
===============================

The basic serial.device commands are supported.  The ones that are not
supported  are simply ignored and a successful result code is returned
to the comm program.  Most comm programs are supported.  Some examples
are:

    o Term 4.1/4.2,
    o VLT 5.867,
    o NComm 3.0,
    o Terminus 2.0c/d,
      ("Ignore ODU" option in settings/port must be turned off)
    o JR Comm,
    o Termite 1.00 demo,
    o Platinum  Works! Comm,
    o JPTC,
    o TinyTerminal,
    o X-Comm,
      (When switching to telser.device in X-Comm, ensure you
       activate the port (Device/Active) and then flush it
       in the Device/Flush Port menu.)
    o AXSH 1.3,
    o DLG BBS/OS,
    o AmiExpress BBS,
    o CNet BBS,
    o Xenolink,
    o Zeus BBS,
    o AmigaMud (game), and
    o Carnage (game).

The comm programs that don't work include:

    o hft, and
    o Baud Bandit.

If you are a comm/BBS program author and telser doesn't work with your
program let me know.


15. Login Scripts
=================

telser  supports  a  limited  scripting  language which enables you to
auto-login into a host.  Lines in the script file can be commented out
by  preceding  the lines with ";" or "#" characters.  Commands are not
case sensitive.  Command arguments that contain spaces must be quoted.
The script commands are described as follows.

(Note:   the 2 slashes in escape codes only appear in the text version
of the documentation.)

DELAY <seconds>
    Delay some seconds before executing the next line in the script.

    Example: DELAY 5
             delays 5 seconds

DTENTHS <10th-seconds>
    Delays some 10th seconds before executing the next line.

    Example: DELAY 5
             delays 1/2 seconds

END
    Ends  the  executing of the script.  This is optional and required
    only if early termination of the script is desired.

MESSAGE <string>
    Sends a string to the comm program.  The string is the same format
    as SEND.

    Example: MESSAGE "About to auto-login...\\r\\n"

SEND <string>
    Sends  a  string  to  the  host.   The  string may contain special
    control codes, which are defined as follows:

    \\b - backspace (control-H)
    \\e - escape (control-[)
    \\f - form-feed (control-L)
    \\n - newline (control-J)
    \\r - carriage-return (control-M)
    \\t - tab (control-I)

    Example: SEND "samy\\r"
             sends samy<CR> to the host.  Usually sent when the host
             prompts "login: "

WAIT <string>
    Waits until a string is received before executing the next line.

    Example: WAIT "login: "
             waits until the "login:" string is received before moving
             on.

The  script file may reside anywhere, and its name is specified in the
telser.hosts file.  (See section `Telnet Hosts Configuration').  Hosts
may  share  the  same  script files.  This is particular useful if you
connect to several hosts using the same user id and password.

Example script file:

    ; this script auto logins into my U
    message "Auto logging into school...\\r\\n"
    wait "ogin: "
    send "samy\\r"
    wait "assword:"
    send "nicetry\\r"

If  telser's scripting capability is primitive for your needs, you can
always  use  the  script language built into your comm program.

You  are not recommended to use login scripts if your Amiga is used by
someone you don't really trust.  They can easily steal your passwords!


16. Troubleshooting
===================

----------------------------------------------------------------------
Problem:
    Nothing happens after I see the "CONNECT" string.

Cause:
    Telnet negotiation failed.

Solution:
    Turn  BINARY  mode  off from the `Telser Options Window'.  On some
    Suns,  use  the  terminal  "UNKNOWN"  when  logging in.  After you
    logged  in,  issue  "setenv  TERM  <your-term>".  (The Suns I have
    access to don't suffer this problem.)

----------------------------------------------------------------------
Problem:
    You can't enter your user id and password.

Cause:
    The host expects a different end-of-line character that terminates
    a line of input.

Solution:
    On  some  Suns,  use ^J (linefeed) instead of carriage-return.  If
    possible, remap your carriage-return key to linefeed.  It may also
    help if you uncheck the "Do Binary" checkbox in the
    `Telser Options Window'.

----------------------------------------------------------------------
Problem:
    You can't log into Amiga NetBSD systems.

Cause:
    Telnet negotiation failed.

Solution (maybe):
    Telser's  LINEMODE  options  are not 100% implemented.  Hopefully,
    it'll  be  completed  in  the future releases.  Meanwhile, try the
    host again with LINEMODE set off in the `Telser Options Window'

----------------------------------------------------------------------
Problem:
    You  can  log  into a BSDI BSD/386 or BSD 4.4 system, but it won't
    respond to your keystrokes.

Cause:
    Telnet negotiation failed.

Solution:
    telser  doesn't  support ("real" or "kludge") LINEMODE completely,
    so turn off LINEMODE in the `Telser Options Window' and try again.

----------------------------------------------------------------------
Problem:
    When you use DTR drop to hang up telser you don't see the full
    "NO CARRIER" string.

Cause:
    DTR  drop  involves  closing and re-opening the device.  Some comm
    programs  flush the device after it opens it, but before the first
    read.  Therefore, the "NO CARRIER" can be partly flushed out.

Solution:
    Do not use DTR drop to hang up.  Instead use +++ATH\\r.

----------------------------------------------------------------------
Problem:
    When  telser.device  is  opened  the second time, the comm program
    reports busy.

Cause:
    The unregistered version of telser allows only one unit at a time.
    You are recommended to register.  See `Registration Form'
    You chose the same unit as the first comm program.

Solution:
    If you are already a registered user, make sure the telser.key
    file is in S:
    Chose a different unit and try again.

----------------------------------------------------------------------
Problem:
    You can't do file transfers.

Cause:
    Intolerable time delays affecting the underlying transfer protocol.

Solution:
    Play  with  the protocol parameters such as relaxed timing, packet
    sizes,  turn off LINEMODE, etc.  If all else fails, you can always
    "uuencode"  the  file  and ascii capture the output from the "cat"
    command.

    Try  to log on with the rlogin protocol and do file transfers.  It
    works on some systems, like IRIX.

----------------------------------------------------------------------
Problem:
    You cannot abort dialing.

Cause:
    TCP/IP is taking a long time finding a route to the host.

Solution:
    Issue  a Ctrl-C break signal to the telser process responsible for
    the  unit  you are using.  You can do it from TelserMon or finding
    out the CLI number of telser by using "status" and using "break".

----------------------------------------------------------------------
Problem:
    You see garbage after you connect.

Cause:
    Wrong TCP port

Solution:
    Make  sure  you  telnetted to the correct port (typically 23), and
    rlogin  to  the  right  port also.  Telnetting to a rlogin port or
    rloginning  to a telnet port will display garbage and possibly get
    disconnected.

----------------------------------------------------------------------
Problem:
    You cannot get telser to work with CNet BBS.

Cause:
    modem setup incorrectly.

Solution: (written by Dan Fraser (IRC nick: Optic))
    There are some simple changes that must be made to allow telser to
    work properly with CNet BBS.

    First,  load  CONFIG  and configure a new CNet port as if you were
    installing a new modem.  Completely remove the "Init#1", "Init#2",
    "Terminal", and "Term link" modem strings.  Set the "Idle baud" to
    whatever  speed  you  would  like to use with telser (ie:  19200).
    Remember  to  change the serial device to "telser.device".  Ensure
    that the "Ans.  pause" field is set to at least 10.

    Now,  load  the port in CNet's control panel, open its screen, and
    enter  terminal  mode.   Type  "ATS0=0&D2&W" to make the necessary
    changes  to  telser's config.  Exit terminal mode, and your telser
    port is all ready to go.

----------------------------------------------------------------------
Problem:
    You cannot get telser to work with TSL 2.0e (Terminus) from
    Workbench

Causes:
    unknown

Solution:
    As reported by Dan Zerkle:

    If  I  start  Terminus  directly from the workbench (without TSL),
    it's fine.  It's also fine to run TSL from the shell.

    To summarize:

                    Shell   Workbench
    Terminus        OK      OK
    TSL             OK      HANGS

    I  now  suspect that is is due to a bug or incompatibility in TSL,
    not telser.

----------------------------------------------------------------------
Problem:
    You must press [RETURN] before your keystrokes get send.

Cause:
    LINEMODE is turned on.

Solution:
    Turn off LINEMODE by un-checking the corresponding checkbox in the
    `Telser Options Window'.

----------------------------------------------------------------------
Problem:
    You can't send extended ASCII characters (>= 128)

Cause:
    Your comm program is stripping the 8-th bit.

Solution:
    Tell your comm program to stop doing that.


17. History
===========

 Ver. YY/MM/DD Changes
 ---- -------- --------------------------------------------------------
 1.30 95/09/11 - bug fix with ATDT<host> where host is not in host list
                 Was causing enforcer hits when GUI not opened.
               - telserd can now run without being launched by
                 inetd.  (works with MLINK on most sites.)
               - telser.device now loads a resident telser, if present.
               - telser.device can now be opened from a task.
               - also looks in $KEYPATH for key file
               - device unit redirection (programs access other units
                 through one unit)
               - can ban IP addresses from calling in
               - iconification at startup or any time.
               - can adjust terminal type string sent to host
               - device units can share configuration with each other
               - units can now have default telnet configurations
               - rawin.library is now optional, but still needed if
                 LINEMODE is desirable.
               - ATDT<host>[,<port>], <port> can be a service name that
                 exists in the services file.
               - tstelnet can fully simulate the UNIX rlogin client.
               - should work better with some telnet-less MUDs.
 1.20 95/03/06 - save telnet options now saves the rlogin preferences
                 and login ID.
               - at startup, if window is opened, it will not be
                 become active.  (Suggested by Vincent Hodges)
               - telserd can now take config filename from command
                 line.  Therefore, it can now service different ports.
                 (Suggested by Vincent Hodges)
               - now works with Platinum Works! comm program
               - can disable telnet negotiation.  This is needed for
                 some MUD servers and UUCP.
               - added modem register S50 to allow CONNECT string
                 report to be delayed while in hostmode
               - added simple script capabilities
                 (Suggested by Dennis Lee Bieber)
               - added TelserMon to monitor telser units
               - can now handle incoming rlogin connections
               - file transfers much improved
 1.10 95/01/29 - Checkbox gadgets are now scaled.
               - ZModem upload/downloading much improved.
               - Spurious characters problem fixed.
               - Caller ID can now report hostname as well as IP
                 address.
               - RLogin protocol now supported, as suggested by
                 Eddy Carroll.
               - serial EOF mode supported, but not fully tested.
               - asynchronous connect, but stuff like address
                 resolution is still synchronous.  You can abort
                 host "dialing" some of the time, but not always.
               - known enforcer hits removed
               - added telnet flow control negotiation
               - linemode can now be forced

 1.00 95/01/01 - Original release


18. Acknowledgements
====================

Thank-you's go to...

 - The AmiTCP group at Helsinki University for their great work,

 - Stephan Sürken for Text2Guide, which made creating AmigaGuide
   documents easy,

 - Jan van den Baard for GadToolsBox, which help create telser's GUI,

 - All the beta-testers (TOO many to list.), especially those who
   made reports.

   Special thanks to:

   David Zvekic (IRC nick: Ensoniq) for major testing with the AS225
        version;

   NJ Verenini (IRC nick: Spumoni) for testing the AmiTCP version and
        writing the AXsh installation guide;

   Robert Reiswig (IRC nick: RobR) for writing the Installer script;
        and

   Dan Fraser (IRC nick: Optic) for writing the CNet BBS installation
        tip in the Troubleshooting section,

 - David Swasbrook (author of SwazBlanker, IRC nick: Swaz) for helping
        debug TelserMon's popup key, and

 - All registered users.  Without you, there probably wouldn't have
   been as many enhancements since 1.0.


19. Registration Form
=====================

----------------------- telser Registration --------------------------

Surname___________________________ Given Name_________________________

Company Name_________________ Type of Business________________________

Street Address________________________________________________________

City______________________________ Prov./State________________________

Postal/ZipCode_____________________ Country___________________________

E-Mail_________________________________________ uuencoded files OK?___

Networking software and hardware in use_______________________________

______________________________________________________________________

Hostname of BBS telserd is used on____________________________________

Where did you obtain telser?_______________________ Version Number____

Suggestions for future releases or new programs_______________________

______________________________________________________________________

Registration fee: $15US for unlimited units.
                  Canadian users may send $20CAN.

Method of payment:
[ ] Money order
[ ] Personal check, please allow 3-4 weeks for clearance.
    No personal checks from outside of Canada and the US.
[ ] Cash (wrapped with sufficient paper).
    I hold no responsibility for missing cash.

I have read the section `Legal Issues' and agree with it.

_________________________  ___________________________________________
       (Date)                           (Signature)
----------------------------------------------------------------------


20. Contact Address
===================

Registration  fees,  questions,  ideas,  comments,  bug  reports, etc.
should go to:

Snail Mail: Sam Yee
            4595 Nanaimo St.
            Vancouver, B.C.
            Canada  V5N 5J5

  Internet: samy@sfu.ca  (Good until Jan 1, 1996)
            samy@res.com (Use this starting Jan 1, 1996)
            IRC nick: Encoder in channel #amiga
   FidoNet: 1:153/765 (Terra Firma BBS (604) 434-3665)
