The User Settings menu (also called Account Defaults Configuration or just Configuration in older documentation) lets you, the user, change account-level preferences: terminal type, command shell, default editor, screen options, password, and personal information. It does not change the BBS's configuration, only your own account.
The User Settings menu is a loadable module — by default user_settings — and is separate from the command shell. The shell binds a key to invoke it (in Classic, that's D from the Main prompt; other shells use other keys).
A live capture from vertrauen (running Synchronet v3.22, dumb terminal mode):
User Settings for Claudeai-Docs #1191:
[T] Terminal Mode : Auto US-ASCII / DUMB (color) DEL=BS [K] Command Shell : Synchronet (Classic) [L] Language : English [E] External Editor : None [A] Temporary/QWK Archive Type : zip [X] Expert Menu Mode : Off [P] Screen Pause : On [S] Spinning Cursor : Pause Prompt Only [C] Clear Screen Between Messages: Off [N] Ask For New Message/File Scan: On [Y] Ask For Your Un-read Msg Scan: Off [F] Automatic New File Scan : On [R] Remember Current Sub-board : On [B] Batch Download File Flagging : On [M] Forward Mail : Off (noreply@anthropic.com) [Z] Default Download Protocol : None [W] Change Personal Information
Which or [Q] to Quit:
The single bracketed letters are command keys — type the letter to change that setting. Q (or Enter on the bracketed default) returns to the previous prompt.
T Terminal Mode — Auto-detects ANSI / RIP / mouse / UTF-8 / CP437 / PETSCII capabilities at logon, or you can pin a specific mode. Affects how the BBS draws menus and text.K Command Shell — Choose your preferred command shell (only shells the sysop has made available are listed). The BBS remembers your choice across sessions.L Language — Choose your preferred display language (only languages the sysop has installed are available).E External Editor — Choose an external message editor (e.g. SlyEdit, FSEditor) to use instead of the built-in line editor when composing messages.A Temporary/QWK Archive Type — Archiver used for QWK packets and the temp-file feature (e.g. zip).X Expert Menu Mode — When off (default for new users), full menus are redisplayed at every prompt; when on (“expert” mode), menus are hidden until you press ?. Saves screen real estate once you know the keys.P Screen Pause — Pause every screenful with a “Hit a key” prompt.S Spinning Cursor — Show a spinning cursor at pause prompts (or always, or never).C Clear Screen Between Messages — Clear the screen before displaying each new message when reading.N Ask For New Message/File Scan — At logon, ask whether to scan for new messages and files.Y Ask For Your Un-read Msg Scan — At logon, ask whether to scan for messages addressed to you.F Automatic New File Scan — Automatically run a new-file scan at logon.R Remember Current Sub-board — Resume each session at the sub-board you were on at last logoff.B Batch Download File Flagging — Flag files during browsing for later batch download (vs. download immediately).M Forward Mail — Forward your local BBS e-mail to your network e-mail address (the address shown in parentheses).Z Default Download Protocol — Download protocol used by default if you don't specify one.W Change Personal Information — Sub-menu to update your real name, location, gender, birthday, network e-mail, etc.A few user-account preferences are not on the User Settings menu:
/A from the Main prompt (Classic) to change your avatar.& from the Main prompt.The User Settings module is independent of the shell, but the key that invokes it is shell-specific:
D from the Main prompt
A sysop can replace the stock user_settings module with a different one (configured in SCFG -> System -> Loadable Modules -> User Config); BBSes running a custom module may show a different menu.