Virtual BBS/2 6.14 Beta Multinode/Multinetwork BBS + Documents

Virtual BBS for OS2 6.14 beta
Copyright (c) Roland De Graaf 1990-1994

Welcome to VBBS 6.14 beta!

This archive contains executables, default configuration and data files,
this README, and a VBBS-OS2 registration form. The documentation for this
beta release is available separately and should be available where you
found this archive. VBBS documentation is now available in both
ascii text file, and interactive hypertext formats.

VBBS-OS2 6.14 beta Installation Instructions:

Having extracted the contents of this archive to a separate directory,
run the INSTALL executable. If upgrading from a previous installation,
the INSTALL program will merely copy over new EXE files and the DEFAULT.STR
string file. If this is a new installation, INSTALL will create needed
directories, copy files, etc and provide you with a complete ready to run
VBBS-OS2 installation.

MAIL_REG.TXT  VBBS-OS2 Registration Form

BBS.EXE       BBS Start-Up File
VBBS.EXE      Main BBS Program
VBBS-AUX.EXE  Externalized BBS Functions
VQWK.EXE      Standard QWK Mail Door
VCONFIG.EXE   VBBS Configuration Program
VME.EXE       Virtual MultiNet Engine
VDM.EXE       Virtual DIRECTmail Interface
VNET.EXE      VNET Network Software
VXY.EXE       Xmodem, Ymodem, Zmodem Transfer Protocols
VCOM.EXE      Script Compiler
VLIST.EXE     Text File Viewer
INSTALL.EXE   Installation Program

DEFAULT.STR   External String File (Runtime)

*.CFG         Default Configuration Files
*.TXT         Default System Text Files
*.PDM         Default Pull-Down Menu Definition
*.MNU         Default System Menu Files
BBSLIST.*     VirtualNET Network Lists

START.V       Default Start-Up Script
START.FB      Default Main Menu Function Block Definition
FILES.FB      Default Files Menu Function Block Definition
SYSOP.FB      Default SysOp Menu Function Block Definition

AREACODE.NET  Area Code Data File
NETWORKS.LST  MultiNetworks Master List File

All of the following improvements apply to both VBBS-DOS and VBBS-OS2
unless otherwise specified.

VBBS 6.14 beta revision history:

1. External String File Changes (DEFAULT.STR)

 **** You MUST use the new DEFAULT.STR with this version, or at least ****
 **** update your customized .STR files to make them compatible.      ****

   a) String #19, formerly reserved, is now the PAUSE string
      which is displayed by the BBS. (Formerly configured under
      VCONFIG, main configuration.)

   b) String #188, formerly part of the thread display prompt,
      now merely states "Exiting this thread..." This is relative
      to the Enhanced Message Threading mentioned below.

   c) Strings #396 to #399 are new, and replace STORM.TXT, LEAVEFB.TXT,
      TOOSLOW.TXT, and NETONLY.TXT, in that order.
   
   d) Strings #400 to #404 are new, and are relative to the message
      threading changes.

   e) String #405 is new, and is relative to a new sysop command
      which allows the sysop to kick users off, from a remote login
      as described below.

   f) String #406 is new, and is related to a new feature which,
      if enabled, charges users 1 credit for every minute of online time.
   
2. Auto-RIP detection

   Displays LOGIN.RIP if RIPterm (or compatible) detected
 
3. Enhanced Message Threading

   Message numbers to forward threads are automatically displayed,
   and pressing (+) now enters "thread mode,"  and immediately
   displays the first message in the series of replies.
 
   While in thread mode, pressing [enter] advances to the next message
   in the series. When the series is complete, the reader is returned
   to spot where they left off, plus one (ie..next new message), and
   "thread mode" is disengaged.
 
   User Q-scan pointers are not updated when reading replies in
   thread mode, so there is no "penalty" on the user for reading
   forward threads.
 
4. Fix message display problem w/ long messages

5. Fix VCONFIG: window-scrolling problem

6. Fix VCONFIG: creating unnecessary zero-length .NET files in DB directory

7. Fix VBBS: creating unnecessary .QSC files for file listings databases

8. Added support for 28800, 24000, 19200 connect speeds to SysInfo Screen

9. Eliminated need for database pointer initialization upon new user login

10. Added feature that allows sysop to boot user from remote login.
 
    VBBS-AUX %1 SYSOPCMD

11. Major improvement in VBBS-DOS assembly language serial routines.
    Now includes optional 16550 FIFO support, faster performance, and better
    time-slicing under Desqview, Windows, and OS/2.

12. Fix VXY-OS2: Increased timeouts for start of transfer
              
                 Change implemented to overcome bug in DigiBoard's
                 OS/2 driver.
              
13. Fix VXY-DOS: Increased timeouts for start of transfer
              
                 VXY Zmodem Receive function can now take a full-speed
                 streaming (ie..continuous) input.
              
                 VXY Zmodem Transmit functions also improved.

                 (Both VXY-DOS performance improvements were possible
                 thanks to the new improved serial routines mentioned
                 in #10)

14. Both VXY-DOS and VXY-OS2 have been carefully fine-tuned and tested
    to provide maximum possible performance on today's latest hardware.
    (ie...28.8 modems....)

15. Seperate temporary working directories for each channel (node)

    Each VBBS channel you start will create and maintain a temporary
    working directory for it's own "private" use. These directories
    are automatically created off of your defined VBBS Temporary Directory.
 
    For example, if your temp dir is set to C:\VBBS\TEMP, then
    channel 0 will use directory C:\VBBS\TEMP\N0 for its own use.
    Channel 1 will create/use C:\VBBS\TEMP\N1, channel 2 will
    use C:\VBBS\TEMP\N2 and so on.

    VBBS uses these private temporary directories for two things:

    1) CD-ROM temporary working storage

    If available space permits (at least 2MB+size of requested file)
    files requested from CDROM are copied to the channel's private
    working directory. Downloading then takes place from the
    private directory instead of directly from the CDROM drive.
    (This makes multiuser access of a CDROM go much smoother.)
    Files are automatically deleted when no longer needed.
 
    2) Door Drop Files
 
    CHAIN.TXT, DORINFO1.DEF, DOOR.SYS are now written to these
    private directories instead of to the main VBBS directory.
    This should make running multiuser and even single user doors
    under a multiuser VBBS go much smoother.
 
    In the past you probabily used a door batch file like the following:

    cd \doorgame
    copy c:\vbbs\chain.txt
    doorgame.exe
    cd \vbbs
 
    Now, you should pass the channel # on the command line when you configure
    the door under VCONFIG. %1 is the replacable parameter for channel
    number, so a proper example of a VCONFIG Door Command line would be
    'doorgame.bat %1'.  At run-time, %1 will automatically be replaced
    by the proper VBBS channel number.

    If running on channel 0, VBBS would run 'doorgame.bat 0'.
    If running on channel 1, VBBS would run 'doorgame.bat 1'.
    If running on channel 2, VBBS would run 'doorgame.bat 2'.
    And so on.

    And the new doorgame.bat batch file:

    cd \doorgame
    copy c:\vbbs\temp\n%1\chain.txt
    doorgame.exe
    cd \vbbs

    Notice the difference. In the second batch file example,
    c:\vbbs\temp\n%1\chain.txt will be evaluated based on the value
    of the batch file variable %1.

    (ie..the first parameter on the command line which executed the batch file.)
 
    If running on channel 0, c:\vbbs\temp\n%1\chain.txt evaluates to
    c:\vbbs\temp\n0\chain.txt.
    If running on channel 1, c:\vbbs\temp\n%1\chain.txt evaluates to
    c:\vbbs\temp\n1\chain.txt.
    If running on channel 2, c:\vbbs\temp\n%1\chain.txt evaluates to
    c:\vbbs\temp\n2\chain.txt.