BBIB-->HRMS is a utility to convert the Second SiGHT BBS file directories into a form suitable for use with the Hermes BBS. If you've used it before please see the 'Changes since version 2.0' file, quite a bit has changed.
Setting it up.
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Before you use BBIB-->HRMS, there are several options you may wish to set. The first option is whether you want to create directories for Hermes 1.9 or 2.0. This can be set by pulling down the "Options" menu to the "Hermes 2.0" choice. If this option is checked, directories will be created for Hermes 2.0. Left unchecked, directories for Hermes 1.9 will be created.
The second set of options involves customizing the names BBIB-->HRMS uses in creating the directories:
If checked, 'Uploader name' will be used for the uploader name of each file. If left unchecked, the uploader name will be 'AMUG "BBS in a Box"'.
If checked, directory prefix will be added to the beginning of each Hermes' directory file. (ie. if prefix is '[CD] ' then the 'Bus' directory would be saved as '[CD] Bus'.
If checked, directory suffix will be added to the end of each Hermes' directory file. (ie. if suffix is ' ROM]' then the 'Bus' directory would be saved as 'Bus [ROM]'.
If both the prefix and suffix are left unchecked the suffix ' [ROM]' will be used.
In addition to adding these prefixes and suffixes, BBIB-->HRMS will do the following to the names of the .db files before using them. First, it will remove '.db' from the end of the name. Second, it will remove a leading space (' ') from the beginning of the name.
Running it.
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Running BBIB-->HRMS is really simple. All operations are from the main dialog below:
The 'Add' button will call up a standard open dialog allowing you to chose the .db files you would like to convert. New files will be added to the list to the left. The dialog will show all text files so it is important that you only choose .db files. Other files will be processed but with unpredictable results.
The 'Remove' button will remove a selected file from the list of files to be processed.
The 'Clear' button will remove all files from the list.
The 'Process' button will call up the following save dialog:
In order to begin processing you must first select the folder in which to save the new Hermes directories and the BBIB-->HRMS log file. Save the log file in the location where you would like the directories to be saved and processing will begin. Hitting cancel will return you to the main dialog.
Using your new directories
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In order to use the new directories you must do the following:
1) Rename the directories exactly as you would like them to be displayed in your transfer section(ie 'Tele [ROM]' may look better as 'Communications [ROM]', etc). Be sure to rename both the description file and the extended description (.ext) with the same name.
2) Once the directories have be properly named, you next need to create new directories with the exact same names you used above. Create these by going to the 'Transfers' menu option under the 'Sysop' menu in Hermes. The directories will look best if you use a filename size of 20 characters. The 'Directory Path' option for these directories is not necessary since Hermes now saves the full path to all files on the CD. It would probably be a good idea to have this path point somewhere valid just in case you ever move anything else to this directory.
3) Once the new directories have been created, quit Hermes and move the directory files to the Data folder inside the Hermes Files folder.
4) You can now start up Hermes and should see all the files in the proper directories. These files are not in alphabetical order so if you would like them to be, you need to sort them. You should do this online rather than from the sysop interface since most of the directories are too large to be displayed in the "Downloads" dialog in Hermes.
Limitations, problems etc
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I don't know of any major problems but please let me know if you discover any. BBIB-->HRMS is slow but it is processing quite a bit of information. Plan ahead, converting an entire CD could take as long as an hour on slower machines.
Volume 5 of BBS in a Box has a corrupted Util.db file. You can download the corrected file from my BBS. See the number below.
Future features
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This version is fairly complete but there are many options that could be added if users want them. In particular, all of the information Hermes saves for each file could be customized. If you have anything you would like to see in possible future versions let me know.
The plea.
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BBIB-->HRMS is SHAREWARE. I think this is a really useful product. I am more than willing to support it but new versions are of course dependent on interest and interest is dependent on feedback and the best feedback is registration. I have written a few shareware applications and it is getting discouraging, not to mention financially hard, to justify all the time. If you use it please register your copy. I feel that shareware has fallen into the same trap as the commercial system it is supposed to be an alternative to. Authors ask for such large fees because so few people actually send them in. This in turn causes fewer people to send them in, which makes authors feel they need to ask for more, which…you get the picture. I have intentionally made the price so reasonable you don't have any excuse not to pay the shareware fee. If you don't think the application is worth $5 then DON'T USE IT.
Registration info
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To register send $5, *and* the registration form below (the form does make things easier) to Chris Owen, PO Box 1471, Garden City, KS 67846 (before May 1993 you can send it to me at 27 Bishop St #2R, New Haven CT 06511 for faster registration). I will send your registration number to you on Olympus unless you specifically ask me to do otherwise. The fee will also cover future versions as they come out.
If you have any questions or comments about BBIB-->HRMS, I would appreciate hearing them. I can be reached on Olympus or at the numbers below.
