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| user:shell:classic:menus [2026/05/07 21:42] – Create user-documentation namespace beachhead (start migration of docs/user.html) Claude.Ai | user:shell:classic:menus [2026/05/07 22:18] (current) – external edit 127.0.0.1 |
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| ====== Classic Shell — Displaying Menus ====== | ====== Classic Shell — Prompts and Menus ====== |
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| Synchronet's Classic shell uses an //expert mode// model: when expert mode is **off** (the default for new users, also called //Novice// mode), the menu of available commands is automatically displayed at every new command prompt. When expert mode is **on**, the menu is hidden until you ask for it — saving screen real estate and call time once you know the keys. | 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. |
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| You toggle expert mode in your [[user:settings:|User Settings]] menu (''X'' option in the stock module). | |
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| ===== Asking for the menu ===== | ===== Asking for the menu ===== |
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| * **''?''** at almost any prompt displays the menu of available commands at that prompt. | Synchronet's Classic shell uses an //expert mode// model: |
| * **''/?''** inside the chat module or the Synchronet built-in [[user:editor:synchronet|line editor]] displays the menu of those modules' commands. (The leading slash is needed there because plain ''?'' is a valid character to type into a chat or message line.) | |
| | * **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. |
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| | You toggle expert mode in the [[user:settings:|User Settings]] menu (''X''). At any prompt, **''?''** redisplays the menu. **''/?''** does the same inside the chat module or the built-in [[user:editor:synchronet|line editor]] (where bare ''?'' is a valid character to type). |
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| ===== The Main prompt ===== | ===== The Main prompt ===== |
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| 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. | 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: |
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| The Main prompt is identified by **square brackets** ''[ ]''. (The [[user:shell:classic:files|File Transfer prompt]] uses **parentheses** ''( )'' — that's how you know which one you're at.) | * Main * 3:58:54 [1] Main [1] Notices: |
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| The Main prompt always shows: | The Main prompt is identified by **square brackets** ''[ ]'' surrounding the **group/sub-board number** indicators. The fields are: |
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| * Your current **message group** (name and number) — the first part | * ''* Main *'' — the prompt name |
| * Your current **sub-board** (name and number) — the second part | * ''3:58:54'' — your time remaining online (or time spent online if you have a //time exemption//) |
| * A clock — by default, your **time remaining** online; if your account has a time exemption, your **time spent** online | * ''[1] Main'' — your current message **group** (number and name) |
| | * ''[1] Notices'' — your current **sub-board** (number and name) |
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| Pressing ''?'' at the Main prompt redisplays the **Main Menu**. | ==== Main Menu ==== |
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| | Press ''?'' at the Main prompt: |
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| | ** 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 |
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| | The boxes group the commands by purpose. ''^K'' is the [[user:ctrl_keys|Ctrl-K menu]]. Single-letter entries (''N'', ''R'', ''E''…) are typed at the prompt; entries shown as ''/A'' or ''/L'' are [[user:shell:classic:slash_commands|slash commands]]; ''^K'' is //Ctrl-K//. |
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| | ==== Sub-board navigation ==== |
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| | The middle column is for moving between **groups** and **sub-boards** without leaving the Main prompt: |
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| | * **''*''** — list sub-boards in your current group |
| | * **''/*''** — list all groups |
| | * **''#''** — jump to sub-board //#// (e.g. ''3'' selects sub-board 3 in current group) |
| | * **''/#''** — jump to group //#// |
| | * **''{''** / **''}''** — previous / next sub-board |
| | * **''[''** / **'']''** — previous / next group |
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| | (Many other shells re-bind these — these conventions are Classic's.) |
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| ===== The File Transfer prompt ===== | ===== The File Transfer prompt ===== |
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| The **File Transfer prompt** is reached from the Main prompt with ''F'' (or ''/F'' as a slash command) and is the entry point to the [[user:shell:classic:files|File Transfer Section]]. It shows your current **library** and **directory** (with names and numbers) instead of group/sub-board, and uses **parentheses** ''( )'' instead of square brackets to make the difference unmistakable at a glance. | Pressing ''T'' at the Main prompt enters the **File Transfer Section**. The prompt looks like: |
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| | * File * 3:58:14 (1) Main (1) Synchronet: |
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| | Identified by **parentheses** ''( )'' around the **library/directory number** indicators. Fields: |
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| | * ''* File *'' — the prompt name |
| | * ''3:58:14'' — time remaining |
| | * ''(1) Main'' — current file **library** |
| | * ''(1) Synchronet'' — current **directory** |
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| | ==== File Transfer Menu ==== |
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| | Press ''?'' at the File Transfer prompt: |
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| | ##### 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 |
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| | The library/directory navigation keys (''*'', ''/*'', ''#'', ''/#'', ''{}'', ''[]'') mirror the Main prompt's group/sub-board keys — same idea, applied to file libraries. |
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| | ===== The Chat menu ===== |
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| | Press ''C'' from the Main prompt: |
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| | ######################## |
| | ## # 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 |
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| | Chat: |
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| | 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 [[user:chat:|Chat Section module]] (default ''chat_sec''), invoked by Classic's ''C'' binding. |
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| | ===== The Information menu ===== |
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| | Press ''I'' from the Main prompt: |
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| | +-------------------------------+ |
| | | 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 # |
| | ####################################### |
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| | Info: |
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| ===== Quitting back ===== | ''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. |
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| Most context-specific prompts inside Classic accept ''Q'' to **quit** back to the prompt that called them (e.g. quit Read Mail back to the E-mail Menu, quit the E-mail Menu back to the Main prompt). | ===== Logoff ===== |
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| ''O'' from the Main or File Transfer prompt **logs off** the BBS. ''/O'' is a quick logoff (no "are you sure?"). | ''O'' from the Main or File Transfer prompt logs off (with confirmation). [[user:shell:classic:slash_commands|''/O'']] logs off immediately, no confirmation. |
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| ===== See Also ===== | ===== See Also ===== |
| * [[user:shell:classic:commands|Classic single-key command reference]] | * [[user:shell:classic:commands|Classic single-key command reference]] |
| * [[user:shell:classic:slash_commands|Slash commands]] | * [[user:shell:classic:slash_commands|Slash commands]] |
| * [[user:settings:|User Settings menu]] — toggle expert / novice mode | * [[user:shell:classic:files|File Transfer Section detail]] |
| * [[user:ctrl_keys|Control-key commands]] (Ctrl-K lists them; works at any prompt) | * [[user:ctrl_keys|Control-key commands (Ctrl-K menu)]] |
| | * [[user:settings:|User Settings menu]] — toggle expert/novice mode |
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| {{tag>user shell classic menus}} | {{tag>user shell classic menus main prompt}} |
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