Table of Contents
Classic Shell — Prompts and Menus
This page describes the menus and prompts of the Synchronet Classic command shell as captured live from a Synchronet v3.22 BBS in dumb-terminal mode. On an ANSI/CP437 terminal the box-drawing characters render as proper line-art (╔═╗ etc.); the meaning is the same.
Asking for the menu
Synchronet's Classic shell uses an expert mode model:
- Expert mode off (default for new users — Novice mode): the menu of available commands is automatically redisplayed at every new command prompt.
- Expert mode on: the menu is hidden until you ask. Saves screen real estate and call time once you know the keys.
You toggle expert mode in the User Settings menu (X). At any prompt, ? redisplays the menu. /? does the same inside the chat module or the built-in line editor (where bare ? is a valid character to type).
The Main prompt
The Main prompt is the top-level prompt of the Classic shell — where you land after logon and where most navigation and command keys are entered. It looks like this:
- Main * 3:58:54 [1] Main [1] Notices:
The Main prompt is identified by square brackets [ ] surrounding the group/sub-board number indicators. The fields are:
* Main *— the prompt name3:58:54— your time remaining online (or time spent online if you have a time exemption)[1] Main— your current message group (number and name)[1] Notices— your current sub-board (number and name)
Main Menu
Press ? at the Main prompt:
- * Read/Post Messages Message Area Selection Electronic Mail
+–+ +–+ +–+
| N| New message scan | J| Jump to new msg area | E| Read/Send E-mail
| R| Read message prompt +--+ * List sub-boards +--+
| L| List/View messages /* List groups ** Other Commands
| V| View/Vote-in Polls { } # Select sub-board +--+
| Q| QWK packet transfer [ ] /# Select group | D| Default user config
| P| Post msg /Poll /Meme | &| Message scan config
| A| Post auto-message ** Go to | U| User lists
+--+ +--+ | I| Information
** Message Search | T| File Transfer section |/A| Change your avatar
+--+ | G| Text file section |/L| Node activity
| F| Find text in messages | C| Chat section |^K| Ctrl-key Menu
| S| Scan for msgs to you | X| External programs | O| Logoff BBS (or /O)
+--+ +--+ +--+
Anytime | Ctrl-U Who's online Ctrl-P Send private msg Ctrl-C Abort cmd/text
The boxes group the commands by purpose. ^K is the Ctrl-K menu. Single-letter entries (N, R, E…) are typed at the prompt; entries shown as /A or /L are slash commands; ^K is Ctrl-K.
Sub-board navigation
The middle column is for moving between groups and sub-boards without leaving the Main prompt:
*— list sub-boards in your current group/*— list all groups#— jump to sub-board # (e.g.3selects sub-board 3 in current group)/#— jump to group #{/}— previous / next sub-board[/]— previous / next group
(Many other shells re-bind these — these conventions are Classic's.)
The File Transfer prompt
Pressing T at the Main prompt enters the File Transfer Section. The prompt looks like:
- File * 3:58:14 (1) Main (1) Synchronet:
Identified by parentheses ( ) around the library/directory number indicators. Fields:
* File *— the prompt name3:58:14— time remaining(1) Main— current file library(1) Synchronet— current directory
File Transfer Menu
Press ? at the File Transfer prompt:
##### List/Flag Files ####### File Area Selection ######### File Search ######
# # # #
# L List files in dir # J Jump to new file area # F Find text in descrip #
# N New file scan #-------------------------# S Search for filename #
# E Extended file info # * List directories # #
# # /* List libraries ###### Other Commands #####
##### Upload/Download ##### { } # Select directory #
# [ ] /# Select library # & File scan config
D Download file # # R Remove/edit file
U Upload file ########## Go to ########## I Information
/D Download from user # # V View file contents
/U Upload to user # Q Main/Message section # /L Node activity
Z Upload to sysop # C Chat section # ^K Ctrl-key menu
B Batch/Bi-dir xfers # T Temp dir/Archive cmds # O Logoff BBS (or /O)
# #
Anytime | Ctrl-U Who's online Ctrl-P Send private msg Ctrl-C Abort cmd/text
The library/directory navigation keys (*, /*, #, /#, {}, []) mirror the Main prompt's group/sub-board keys — same idea, applied to file libraries.
The Chat menu
Press C from the Main prompt:
######################## ## # Join a Chat # ## # J Join/initiate multinode chat # # P Join/start private node/node chat # # C Chat with Sysop: Programming in C # # T Talk with The Guru (AI) # # F Finger (query) remote user/system # # R Internet Relay Chat (IRC) # # I InterBBS Instant Messaging # ##------------# Toggles #------------## # D Chat availability state: On # # A Node activity alerts state: On # # S Split-screen chat state: On # ##-----------------------------------## # Q Quit chat menu # Anytime: ^Users online ^Private msg
Chat:
The Chat prompt is its own context — Q returns to Main. The “Chat with Sysop” and “Talk with The Guru” entries vary by sysop configuration. The Chat menu itself is the Chat Section module (default chat_sec), invoked by Classic's C binding.
The Information menu
Press I from the Main prompt:
+-------------------------------+ | Main Section Information Menu | +-##############################+###### # Y Your statistics ## # I System information # # V Synchronet version information # # S Information on current sub-board # ##-----------------------------------## # Q Quit to Main menu # #######################################
Info:
Y shows your account stats (calls, time used, uploads/downloads, etc.). I shows BBS-wide info (sysop, location, server software, hours of operation). V shows Synchronet build/version. S shows description and statistics for the current sub-board.
Logoff
O from the Main or File Transfer prompt logs off (with confirmation). ''/O'' logs off immediately, no confirmation.
See Also
- User Settings menu — toggle expert/novice mode
