Synchronet v3.19b-Win32 (install) has been released (Jan-2022).

You can donate to the Synchronet project using PayPal.

Differences

This shows you the differences between two versions of the page.

Link to this comparison view

Both sides previous revisionPrevious revision
Next revisionBoth sides next revision
util:sbbsecho [2017/11/13 15:00] – Define "Kludge Line" digital manutil:sbbsecho [2017/11/28 03:32] – Moved the glossary and other minor changes digital man
Line 14: Line 14:
 ===== Terminology ===== ===== Terminology =====
  
-The terminology used with FidoNet networking technology can be as confusing as it is particular. Here we attempt to define some terms we will be using through this article to describe the features and functions of SBBSecho.+The terminology used with FidoNet networking technology can be as confusing as it is particular. In our [[ref:FidoNet Glossary]] we attempt to define some terms we will be using through-out this article to describe the features and functions of SBBSecho. If you come across a term you aren't familiar with, please check the [[ref:FidoNet Glossary]].
    
-==== FTN ==== +===== Installation =====
-FidoNet Technology Network: Any network using FidoNet standards for addressing, +
-mail packets, mail sessions, node lists, etc.+
  
-==== Zones, Nets, Nodes, and Points? ==== +SBBSecho and its configuration program, EchoCfg, come with Synchronet BBS software (i.e. their executables can be found in your Synchronet ''[[dir:exec]]'' directory. So it usually requires no special installation steps of its own.
-FTN node addresses are like phone numbers, they are made up of multiple +
-components (four usually, but sometimes three and sometimes five).  +
- +
-The main four components are: zone, net, node, and point. +
-Each component is specified by a decimal (base-10) number, separated by symbols +
-(no spaces): +
- +
- Zone:Net/Node.Point +
- +
-The zone represents the continent (if FidoNet) or the network number (if other +
-FTN network). All FidoNet nodes in North America have a zone 1 address. When +
-the zone is specified in an address, it is the first component and must be +
-followed by a colon. If the zone is not present in an address, the local +
-system's zone is assumed. +
- +
-The net represents the network number of the FTN node. Duplicate net numbers +
-may exist between zones. If the net number is not present, the local system's +
-net is assumed. +
- +
-The node number specifies an exact FTN node within a network. The node number +
-is the only required element of an FTN node address. +
-The point is an optional component which specifies a sub-node that does not +
-directly receive mail and is also not listed in the main FTN node list, but +
-instead gets all its mail from its boss-node (zone:net/node.0). When the point +
-is not specified, 0 (zero) is assumed (i.e. ''1:2/3'' and ''1:2/3.0'' are identical) +
-which indicates the system with that address is **not** a point node. +
- +
-Zones can be grouped into named domains (e.g. ''@fidonet''), but FTN domains +
-are pretty rarely used in the twenty-first century. +
- +
-A 2D (2 dimensional) address refers to an FTN address containing just the +
-net and node numbers (e.g. ''103/705''). +
- +
-A 3D (3 dimensional) address refers to an FTN address containing the zone, +
-net, and node numbers (e.g. ''1:103/705''), specifically excluding the point number +
-if it exists. +
- +
-A 4D (4 dimensional) address refers to an FTN address containing the zone, +
-net, node, and optional point numbers (e.g. ''1:103/705.1''). +
- +
-A 5D (5 dimensional) address refers to an FTN address consisting of a standard +
-3D or 4D address with an appended "@domain" (e.g. ''1:103/705@fidonet''). +
- +
-==== Node ==== +
-All FidoNet node-listed systems are //nodes// of the network. +
- +
-**Normal Nodes** do not have a //point// value, so a ''.0'' suffix on their address is implied. The addresses ''1:103/705'' and ''1:103/705.0'' are the same node, a normal node (sometimes also called a //boss node//). +
- +
-**Point Nodes** (nodes with non-zero point value) may only directly connect and communicate with their //boss node//. The boss node of a point node with the address ''1:103/705.1'' would be ''1:103/705'' (the ''.0'' point value is implied). Point nodes are not listed in the network's official nodelist. Some network regions distribute a //pointlist// containing only point nodes. +
- +
-A **Boss Node** is just a normal node that has one or more //point nodes// for which they are responsible to deliver and receive messages and files. +
- +
-A **Linked Node** is a node which is linked with your system in some pre-arranged way and is reflected in your SBBSecho configuration (e.g. packet password, AreaFix password, packet type, archive type, etc.).  Linked Nodes may also be linked with one or more EchoMail message areas on your system as reflected in your Area File. +
- +
-==== AKA ==== +
-AKAs are additional/alias addresses for an FTN node. Some times you'll see the //Main/Primary// address also referred to as an "AKA", but just know this just means an FTN address, possibly one of many, that may be used to reach a single FTN node. +
- +
-If a node belongs to multiple FTN networks (e.g. FidoNet and one or more "othernets"), then they will usually have their FidoNet address (Zones 1-4) as their //Main// address and the "othernet" addresses as their AKAs. +
- +
-==== Uplink ==== +
- +
-An //Uplink// is a Linked Node which is your system's pre-arranged conduit to the rest of the message network (a.k.a. your hub). +
- +
-==== Downlink ==== +
- +
-A //Downlink// is a Linked Node which your system "feeds" messages and for which your system is responsible for routing received messages from. +
- +
-==== Attach or FLO Mailer? ==== +
- +
-If you are using FrontDoor, InterMail, D'bridge, SEAdog, Dutchie, or any other +
-ArcMail *.MSG attach-style mailer, you are using what we will refer to as an +
-"ArcMail/Attach-style Mailer". Support for ArcMail/Attach-style mailers has been deprecated in SBBSecho v3 and unless there is anyone coming forward to test what support does remain, it will be removed in the future. +
- +
-If you are using BinkD (Binkley daemon), Argus/Radius/Taurus, BinkleyTerm, Portal of Power, or any other mailer that uses Binkley-Style-Outbound (BSO) directories and FLO/CLO/HLO/DLO files (a.k.a. FLO-files), you are using what we will refer to as a "Binkley/FLO-Style Mailer". +
- +
-It is very important that you select the correct "Mailer Type" in the ''[[util:echocfg]]'' utility (or ''sbbsecho.ini'' file). +
- +
-==== NetMail ==== +
- +
-Point-to-point (usually person-to-person) directly-delivered or routed messages (now more commonly referred to as "e-mail" or just "mail"). +
- +
-==== EchoMail ==== +
- +
-Group or conference messages of a particular subject matter (a.k.a. Message Area). Usually +
-distributed on a regional or continental scale (e.g. FidoNet Zone 1 backbone). +
-FTN style echomail areas have a unique name associated with them to +
-distinguish each area from the others. These agreed upon area names are called //Area Tags// or //Echo Tags//. +
- +
-==== Toss ==== +
- +
-To //toss// EchoMail packets or messages means to //import// the packed messages into your BBS's local message bases where your users can read and reply to the messages. FidoNet EchoMail programs, like SBBSecho, are often referred to as "Tossers" for this reason. +
- +
-==== Scan ==== +
- +
-To //scan// message bases means to //export// locally-posted messages from your BBS's local message bases into EchoMail packets to be sent to your upstream link (hub) and any downstream linked nodes you may have. +
- +
-==== Packet ==== +
- +
-An FTN packet is a group of one or more messages contained in a single +
-uncompressed file. Packets may contain echomail and/or netmail messages. +
-Packets files usually have a ''.pkt'' extension, although outbound NetMail packets for +
-Binkley/FLO Mailers will have ''.?ut'' extensions (where ? is either ''o'', ''c'', ''d'', or ''h'', e.g ''.out'', ''.cut'', etc.). The +
-first eight characters of the filename may be anything, but are usually decimal or hexadecimal +
-digits representing the date and time the packet was created. +
- +
-You can use the [[person:digital man]]'s ''pktdump'' utility to view packet headers and help identify and fix problems with inbound and outbound packets. +
- +
-=== Bad Packet === +
-If SBBSecho cannot process an inbound packet file, it will rename the file, giving it a ''.bad'' extension. Checking the SBBSecho log file  (e.g. ''[[dir:data]]/sbbsecho.log'') for the reason for the ''Bad packet detected'', if you can then remedy the problem and rename the ''*.bad'' files to ''*.pkt'', SBBSecho will rediscover and attempt to re-process the packet files. Alternatively, you can just delete ''.bad'' packets and perform a hub re-scan if you expect the packets contain only EchoMail (no NetMail) and you want the missing EchoMail messages from the packets.  +
- +
-== Identifying Bad Packets == +
- +
-  - File length is shorter than a packet header (58 bytes) +
-  - Packet terminator (''0x0000'', 2 NUL bytes) missing from end of the file +
-  - File read failure (e.g. permissions or file locking issue) +
-  - Source address does not match expected address (e.g. for packets found in //inboxes//) +
-  - Packet header cannot be parsed (e.g. is not a ''type 2'' packet header) +
-  - Packet header contains incorrect packet password +
-  - Packet contains one or more "grunged messages" (e.g. packed //message type// is not ''2'') +
-==== Bundle ==== +
- +
-An FTN bundle is a single file archive of one or more (usually compressed) +
-packets. Bundles will have file extensions where the first two characters +
-represent the day of the week the bundle was created (MO, TU, WE, TH, FR, SA, +
-and SU) and the third character of the extension is a number or letter. The +
-first eight characters of the filename may be anything, but are usually +
-hexadecimal digits representing the FTN node address (or relative address) of +
-the system that created the bundle. SBBSecho changes the file extension of bad +
-inbound bundles to ''.?_?'' or ''.?-?'' (e.g. ''*.mo0'' would be renamed to ''*.m_0''). +
- +
-==== AreaFix/Area Manager ==== +
- +
-AreaFix is a synonym for area manager (the very first FTN area manager +
-program was called "AreaFix"). Area manager capabilities (remote adding/removing +
-of areas, changing compression type, etc) are built into SBBSecho, so therefore +
-no external area manager program is required. If you are not an FTN hub, then +
-the area manager portion of SBBSecho will probably not get much use on your +
-system. The Area Manager process has also be called a "Conference Manager" ([[http://ftsc.org/docs/fsc-0057.003|ConfMgr]]). +
- +
-==== Kludge Line ====  +
-Due to historic FTN message and packet header limitations, some message metadata was defined in body text of each message in the form of "control lines" (often called //kludge lines//). Each control line begins with a Ctrl-A (ASCII 1) character followed by a keyword, a space, some optional data, and terminated with a carriage return (ASCII 13) character. Different control line keywords are used define different metadata values.  +
- +
-Kludge/control lines are not normally displayed to messages viewers (users), but most programs have an option to view the control lines where it is customary to replace the Ctrl-A character with an ''@'' character. +
- +
-Synchronet stores FTN control lines in its message headers, so you must use the Terminal Server operator->View Header command (''H''), to view a message header to see the metadata that may have been received via FTN kludge lines. +
- +
-Some control lines are only expected in EchoMail messages, some only in NetMail, and some in either. +
- +
-===== Installation =====+
  
 SBBSecho expects to find an area file (e.g. ''areas.bbs'') in your Synchronet ''[[dir:data]]'' SBBSecho expects to find an area file (e.g. ''areas.bbs'') in your Synchronet ''[[dir:data]]''
-directory. You will need to create the Area File in order for SBBSecho to do anything with EchoMail message areas.+directory. You will need to create the Area File in order for SBBSecho to do anything with EchoMail messages. Importing and exporting //NetMail// does not require an area file.
  
 [[util:SCFG]] can also export a group of message areas (sub-boards) to an SBBSecho-compatible Area File. [[util:SCFG]] can also export a group of message areas (sub-boards) to an SBBSecho-compatible Area File.
-You may want to import a network's EchoList (e.g. FidoNet's ''BACKBONE.NA'') into a message group (using [[util:SCFG]]) first and then export the networked message group(s) from [[util:SCFG]] to the SBBSecho-compatible Area File once you're linked successfully with your network hub.+You may want to first import a network's EchoList (e.g. FidoNet's ''BACKBONE.NA'') into a message group (using [[util:SCFG]]) and then export the networked message group(s) from [[util:SCFG]] to the SBBSecho-compatible Area File once you're linked successfully with your network hub.
  
 ===== Area File Format ===== ===== Area File Format =====
Line 258: Line 107:
  
 === NetMail Directory === === NetMail Directory ===
-This is the path to a directory on your local system where both inbound and outbound FTN NetMail will be stored. The only files placed in this directory should be FTN [[ref:fidonet_files#stored_message|Stored Messages]] (''*.msg'') format).+This is the path to a directory on your local system where both inbound and outbound FTN NetMail will be stored. The only files placed in this directory should be FTN [[ref:fidonet_files#stored_message|Stored Messages]] (''*.msg'' format).
  
 Synchronet can create ''*.msg'' files in this directory when sending NetMail from the terminal server. Synchronet can create ''*.msg'' files in this directory when sending NetMail from the terminal server.
Line 264: Line 113:
 SBBSecho will create ''*.msg'' files in this directory when creating NetMail messages (e.g. auto-responding to ''PING'' or ''AreaFix'' requests, notices to the //Area Manager//, or exporting NetMail from the "mail" msgbase) or exporting NetMail from inbound [[ref:fidonet_files#packet|Packets]]. SBBSecho will discover ''*.msg'' files in this directory when Packing outbound NetMail, importing into the "mail" msgbase, or handling AreaFix and PING requests. SBBSecho will create ''*.msg'' files in this directory when creating NetMail messages (e.g. auto-responding to ''PING'' or ''AreaFix'' requests, notices to the //Area Manager//, or exporting NetMail from the "mail" msgbase) or exporting NetMail from inbound [[ref:fidonet_files#packet|Packets]]. SBBSecho will discover ''*.msg'' files in this directory when Packing outbound NetMail, importing into the "mail" msgbase, or handling AreaFix and PING requests.
  
-The other NetMail-related settings on this menu affect only FidoNet NetMail messages created by the Synchronet [[:server:Terminal]] Server; they are not used by SBBSecho.+The other NetMail-related settings on this [[util:SCFG]] menu affect only FidoNet NetMail messages created by the Synchronet [[:server:Terminal]] Server; they are not used by SBBSecho.
  
 === Default Origin Line === === Default Origin Line ===
 Standard FTN EchoMail messages contain a terminating ''* Origin'' line. The default Origin Line, or at least the portion between the ''* Origin'' prefix and your system's address in parenthesis, is configured here. You do not have to enter an Origin Line here, but it is customary to enter the name, hostname or IP address and/or phone number of your BBS here. SBBSecho will use the text in this setting as the default Origin Line to append to outbound EchoMail messages (posted locally or gated from other network technologies). Standard FTN EchoMail messages contain a terminating ''* Origin'' line. The default Origin Line, or at least the portion between the ''* Origin'' prefix and your system's address in parenthesis, is configured here. You do not have to enter an Origin Line here, but it is customary to enter the name, hostname or IP address and/or phone number of your BBS here. SBBSecho will use the text in this setting as the default Origin Line to append to outbound EchoMail messages (posted locally or gated from other network technologies).
 +
 +It is possible to over-ride this default Origin Line for specific message areas (sub-boards), if so desired by the sysop.
  
 === Inbound File Directory === === Inbound File Directory ===
Line 275: Line 126:
 ==== EchoCfg ==== ==== EchoCfg ====
  
-The SBBSecho Config program (echocfg) is the program used to configure all the SBBSecho-specific settings saved exclusively in the SBBSecho configuration file (''[[config:sbbsecho.ini]]'').+The SBBSecho Config program (''echocfg'') is the program used to configure all the SBBSecho-specific settings saved exclusively in the SBBSecho configuration file (''[[config:sbbsecho.ini]]'').
  
 === Command-line Syntax === === Command-line Syntax ===

Trace: • campaign • Files • How to Setup Docker on Ubuntu • Instalación UNIX/Linux