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- VFIDO OS/2 Fido Gateway 7.00.05a
- ================================
-
- Copyright Neil J Marshall 27th November 1994
- TransAtlanticBBS
- 1 @ 440 VirtualNET
- Neil J Marshall @ 2:440/211 Fido
-
-
- Introduction
- ============
-
- This program implements a complete Gateway to Fido networks.
- It enables the exchange of NetMail, EchoMail, Tick Files,
- Node Lists and Diffs, AreaFix and AllFix messages between
- VBBS and Fido. VBBS and VFIDO are fully capable of handling
- all Fido type Network calls as a Front End Mailer, though you
- can use FrontDoor as a Front End Mailer.
-
-
- Contents
- ========
-
- Initial Configuration Of VFIDO To Give E-Mail Functionality
- Configuration Of VFIDO To Add Conference Functionality
- Configuration Of VFIDO To Add Interface To FrontDoor
- Creation Of A Fido Network List For Use By VBBS
- Summary Of VFIDO Command Syntax
- Technical Information
- Development History
-
-
- Initial Configuration Of VFIDO To Give E-Mail Functionality
- ===========================================================
-
- Place the VFIDO.EXE and VFITO.EXE programs in your VBBS directory.
-
- Run VFIDO /E NETWORKID=#, where # is the Network Number you are
- setting up, as shown in the NETWORKS.LST or VCONFIG.
-
- 1. Fido Address: 2:440/211
- Your Fido network primary address in Zone:Net/Node.Point format
- 2. EchoMail Server: 2:440/410
- Your main EchoMail server in Zone:Net/Node.Point format
- 2. NetMail Directory: C:\VBBS\NETMAIL
- Where Fido NetMail will be stored - must specify the same
- directory for every Fido-type network you set up
- 3. EchoMail Directory: C:\VBBS\ECHOMAIL
- Where Fido EchoMail will be stored - must specify the same
- directory for every Fido-type network you set up
- 4. Archiver: ZIP
- Compression Type for Outgoing EchoMail:
- ZIP means use PKZIP.EXE and PKUNZIP.EXE
- PKPAK means use PKPAK.EXE and PKUNPAK.EXE
- PAK means use PAK.EXE
- LHA means use LHA.EXE
- ARJ means use ARJ.EXE
- ARC means use ARC.EXE
- ZOO means use ZOO.EXE
- 6. FIDO Front-End: Standalone
- Select Standalone or FrontDoor.
- 7. Node List Name: NODELIST
- The name of the nodelist for the network
- 8. Zones: 1-7
- The range of Zones that are valid for that network (ie the Domain)
- 9. Origin: TransAtlanticBBS
- The text you want to appear in the Origin line of EchoMail
-
- D. Dial List
- 1. Node Number: 2:440/59
- Fido address of node to call
- 2. Phone Number: 0689-824890
- Full phone number to dial
- 3. Poll Priority: Hold
- Hold means never call, Always means call as soon as mail is
- waiting, Daily means only one call a day is made
- 4. Preferred Session Type: EMSI
- EMSI Handshaking is the fastest mail protocol in FIDOnet,
- and is supported by all modern mailers. TSYNCH Handshaking
- is the original standard for FIDOnet and should be used
- with systems not supporting EMSI
- 5. Session Password: FRED
- The password to use in the EMSI or TSYNCH session with the
- other BBS, which may be blank. The password must be linked
- to the FIRST address your connect presents in his EMSI
- handshakes
- 6. AreaFix Password: JOE
- The password that must be used in AreaFix messages between
- your BBS and the other system. This must be set to a
- non-blank value if you want the other system to be able
- to make AreaFix requests
- 7. AllFix Password: TOMMY
- The password that must be used in AllFix messages between
- your BBS and the other system. This must be set to a
- non-blank value if you want the other system to be able
- to make AllFix requests
- 8. Flags: ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ
- The access flags, corresponding to those set in VCONFIG for
- the Message and File Areas, which this BBS is entitled to
- access using AreaFix and AllFix
-
- R. Routing
- 1: 2:440/59 2:440/59.*
- Routing defines the way your mail is sent to its addressee.
- The format is {Send To Address} {Addressee Address}. The
- above example says send all mail to 2:440/59 or any of its
- points (the .* wild card) to 2:440/59
- 2: 1:1/1 1:*/*
- This says send any mail to Zone 1 systems to 1:1/1
- 3: 2:440/6 2:*/*
- This says send all other Zone 2 mail to 2:440/6
- If you do not include this kind of "catch-all" final routing
- line, all mail that does not match one of the routing options
- above will be left "on hold" on your BBS for its addressee
- to collect
-
- A. AKAs
- 1: 2:440/59.3
- Alternative address for the board - must be same Zone
- 2: 2:440/0
-
- Once this configuration is completed, go to the main VBBS directory
- and run:
-
- VFIDO /C NETWORKID=#
-
- You should rerun this every time you change the above configuration
- information, although VFIDO will now detect these changes
- automatically and rerun the above command.
-
- You will also need set up a file containing phone prefix aliases
- called VFIDO.FON in your DATA subdirectory. This is used to ensure
- that the phone numbers listed in the nodelist are converted to a
- format that can be dialed from your BBS. This is used for removing
- your country code for national calls and area code for local calls.
- VFIDO needs the correct phone numbers listed so it can call any BBS
- in the nodelist when Crash Mail, File Attaches or File Requests are
- sent.
-
- The format of this file is:
-
- {International Dialing Prefix}
- {Convert This Dialing String} {To This Dialing String}
- .
- .
- .
- {Convert This Dialing String} {To This Dialing String}
-
- An example of this file for the USA would be:
-
- 011- The prefix for dialing international phone numbers
- 1-616-399- 399- Sets up the toll free codes for your area code
- 1-616- 1- Makes all other calls in your area code long distance
- 1- 1- Ensures all US phone numbers are not made international
-
- This example would convert a phone number listed as 1-616-399-4818 to
- 399-4818, or convert 1-616-772-0482 to 1-772-0482, or 44-689-890937 to
- 011-44-689-90937
-
- and for Europe:
-
- 010- The prefix for international calls
- 44-689- Strip the country and area code for local calls
- 44- 0 Add a 0 prefix for national calls
-
- As an example, the above would convert an international phone number
- listed in the nodelist as 1-616-399-4818 to 010-1-616-399-4818, or a
- national number in the nodelist as 44-689-890937 to 0689-890937.
-
- Place the unarchived nodelist into the C:\VBBS\NETMAIL directory and
- run:
-
- VFIDO /A NETWORKID=#
-
- You will normally receive a new NODELIST or NODEDIFF file from your
- Server or Hub once a week. Whenever you receive these files, the
- above command should be run. You can also set it up as a daily event
- if you want.
-
-
- Sending E-Mail Using VFIDO
- ==========================
-
- To send an E-Mail message from VBBS to any Fido-type network, invoke
- the E-Mail routine as normal. The User Network Address field should be
- completed in the format User Name@Fido Address, so to send E-Mail to me
- use Neil J Marshall@2:440/211.
-
- If you want to send Crash Mail, that is where the E-Mail is sent
- directly to the addressee's BBS, ignoring the routing logic, then
- add a " +c" after the addressee's name, so to send Crash Mail to me use
- Neil J Marshall +c@2:440/211.
-
- In Fido-type networks it is policy that messages with files attached
- must go directly to the addressee's BBS and ignore the routing logic,
- so if you attach a file to a message it will be held on your board
- awaiting a call from the addressee's BBS unless you send it Crash Mail
- or the addressee is one of the BBSs in your dialing list that you call.
-
-
- Running An EMAIL Gateway Using VFIDO
- ====================================
-
- If you are in more than one Network, you can operate an EMAIL/NetMail Gateway
- service to allow people in a Fido Type Network to send NetMail to people in
- other non-FTN Networks.
-
- To send the mail to the Gateway, it must be sent To: {Network Name} Gateway
- and the Subject line must read either {User Name}@{Address}, or
- {User Name} {User Number}@Address, or {User Number}@{Address}. For example,
- to send mail to me you would make it To: VirtualNET Gateway and make the
- Subject line read Neil J Marshall 1@440 or Neil J Marshall@440 or 1@440.
-
- Inside the body text of the message, if you put a line that reads
- Subject: {Real Subject Of This Message} the Gateway will move that into the
- correct Subject field at the Gateway.
-
- Outgoing EMAIL/NetMail to a Gateway is handled using the GATEWAY.* files as
- described in the VBBS documentation.
-
-
- File Requests Using VFIDO
- =========================
-
- If you want to send a File Request to another Fido-type BBS invoke the
- e-mail routine as normal. The User Network Address field should be
- completed in the format Sysop +f@Fido Address, where the " +f" is the
- switch to indicate this is a File Request. The Filename requested is
- put in the Title field of the message. All File Requests are sent direct
- to the addressee's BBS and ignore routing. If the addressee's BBS is not
- one that you have set up in your dialing list, then you must also use
- the +c switch to make the File Request a Crash E-Mail. To request the
- latest version of VFIDO from me, you would invoke the E-Mail function
- and address it to Sysop +f +c@2:440/211, then make the Title of the
- message VFIDO.
-
- VFIDO also supports incoming File Requests. When a File Request is
- received, VFIDO searches each of the File Areas that you have set up in
- VCONFIG and sends the file back if it is found. VFIDO also supports
- "Magic Names" for File Requests - this is where a pseudonym is
- associated with an actual file for ease of access by calling systems.
- Magic Names should be set up in the file VFIDO.MAG in your DATA
- directory. The format of this file is one entry per line, giving the
- "Magic Name" followed by the full path and filename of the file to
- associate with the Magic Name, for example
-
- VBBS C:\VBBS\FILES\SYSOP\VBBS620.ZIP
- FILES C:\VBBS\MASTLIST.TXT
-
- might be some of the most common ones. Magic Names must be a single
- word only and must not contain any spaces.
-
-
- Configuration Of VFIDO To Add Conference Functionality
- ======================================================
-
- Before conferences can be subscribed to you must place
- whichever EchoMail archiver you want to use in a
- directory accessable through the PATH statement.
-
- If you want to access public message areas in Fido, you will
- need to know the AREA name that uniquely identifies each Fido
- conference. Supposing for example you wished to set up VBBS to
- participate in a Fido conference whose AREA name was HARPOON.
-
- Run VCONFIG.EXE and select Database Configuration, Message Bases,
- the relevant Group and Database. Then select Networks Configuration,
- A for add, select the network, and on the line for the Network
- Conference Identifier, put the AREA name of the Echomail conference
- in the network, then a space, then the Fido address of the EchoMail
- server from whom you receive the conference. If you are acting as a
- local hub, also add, separated by a space, the Fido addresses of the
- nodes to whom you directly circulate the conference. You are currently
- limited to 80 characters in VCONFIG although you can manually edit
- the file in DOS to create longer subscription lists.
-
- The line will look like this:
-
- Network Conference Identifier: HARPOON 2:440/59 1:2/3 1:3/4
- ^ ^ ^
- | | |
- | | These are the addresses
- | | of BBS whom you pass the
- | | conference on to when
- | | you are a local hub
- | |
- | This is the Fido address of the
- | EchoMail server from whom you
- | collect the conference
- |
- This is the AREA name of the Fido
- conference
-
- After you have set up all your conferences, you must run VCONFIG,
- Database Configuration, Compile Network Configuration, then
- VFIDO /C NETWORKID=#. You should rerun these two steps every
- time you change the network configuration of a database in VCONFIG,
- although VFIDO will now detect that Compile Network Information has
- been run and will automatically run the VFIDO /C NETWORKID=#.
-
- With these simple steps taken, every message posted on that
- conference will be echoed to Fido, and every message from Fido
- on that conference will be fed into VBBS.
-
- You may find, from time to time, that new Message Areas arrive at
- your BBS which you do not have configured. If you have a Message
- Area set up in VCONFIG called DEADMAIL, all these "unknown area"
- messages will be posted there.
-
- Once EchoMail has arrived in DeadMail, you can run:
-
- VFIDO /ADD NETWORKID=#
-
- which will automatically set up the Areas found in DeadMail.
-
-
- File Distribution Conferences
- =============================
-
- Fido networks uses a procedure called "Tick" to automatically distribute
- files to all BBS subscribing to File Distribution Conferences.
-
- The procedure for setting up a File Distribution Conference is the same
- as for an EchoMail conference. You must remember to configure a Files
- Path in VCONFIG, Database Configuration, File Directories for each of
- the File Distribution Conferences you set up, and you must also remember
- to physically create the Directory specified in the Files Path on your
- Hard Disk.
-
- VFIDO processes incoming "Tick" files and places them in the correct
- Files Path for the File Distribution Conference to which they belong.
- It also creates "Tick" messages to forward these files on to any of
- your Clients subscribing to the same File Distribution Conference.
-
- All incoming "Tick" files will be passed through the Virus Scanner
- and will have their file descriptions, in FILE_ID.DIZ or DESC.SDI
- format, uploaded into their long description field.
-
- Where "Tick" files have Magic Names associated with them, VFIDO will
- automatically add the Magic Name to your Magic Name file VFIDO.MAG
- or will update an existing Magic Name to show the new File Name.
-
- If you are uploading files locally to VBBS and want to have a Magic
- Name associated with the file, ensure that one of the lines of the
- Long Description of the file reads:
-
- Magic MagicName
-
- VFIDO will update your own Magic Name file with this information and
- will also include the Magic Name in the "Tick" message sent to each
- other BBS subscribing to the File Distribution Conference.
-
-
- Using AreaFix Or AllFix To Request Conferences
- ==============================================
-
- You can add or remove your BBS to the subscription list for conferences
- on other Fido BBS using AreaFix for EchoMail Conferences and AllFix for
- File Distribution Conferences.
-
- All you have to do is to send a NetMail to AreaFix or AllFix, as
- appropriate, at the BBS address with your AreaFix or AllFix password
- as the title (the AreaFix or AllFix password is agreed in advance by
- yourself and the other Sysop) and a content that lists, line by line,
- the Area name of a conference, preceded by a - for remove.
-
- For example, a message whose content read:
-
- VFIDO_SUPPORT
- -GAMES_DISCUSSION
- ---
-
- would add your BBS to the VFIDO_SUPPORT conference and remove it from
- the GAMES_DISCUSSION conference.
-
- At the end of the list of areas you want to add and drop, put three
- dashes --- at the start of a line to indicate you have finished.
-
- VFIDO also supports the use of the -L and -Q commands in the message
- subject. The -L command returns a list of every Echo that is available
- from the BBS. The -Q command returns the same list, but also marks with
- a * each Echo that you are subscribing to. Just make the Subject of the
- message read PASSWORD -L or PASSWORD -Q to operate this function.
-
-
- Acting As An EchoMail Or File Distribution Hub
- ==============================================
-
- VFIDO supports incoming AreaFix Requests as an EchoMail Hub and
- AllFix Requests as a File Distribution Hub when your BBS has Clients.
- The passwords presented are checked against those set up for the
- calling BBS in VFIDO /E, and the Access Flags the calling BBS has are
- checked against each Conference before subscription is allowed.
-
- If you receive an AreaFix or AllFix request from a Client for an
- EchoMail Conference or File Distribution Conference that you do not
- already receive, VFIDO will generate an AreaFix or AllFix request to
- your EchoMail Server automatically.
-
- It will also set up the new EchoMail Conference or File Distribution
- Conference as a Pass Through area on your BBS. That means the EchoMail
- messages or File descriptions will not be posted to your BBS, but they
- will be bundled and processed for your Clients.
-
-
- Summary Of VFIDO Command Syntax
- ===============================
-
- VFIDO {channel number} {option} NETWORKID=#
-
- # is the network identifier as specified in the NET.0 file for
- the network you are connecting to.
-
- {channel number} is only necessary with /DIAL, /HOST and /POLL options.
-
- {option} is one of:
-
- /A Build network list from Node List and Node Diffs
- /ADD Adds EchoMail Areas that have gone to DeadMail
- /C Compile Fido configuration
- /E Edit Fido configuration
- /DIAL Make a call to another Fido address, specifying the address
- right after the switch like /DIAL2:440/211
- /HOST Answer an incoming Fido call
- /POLL Call all systems for whom Crash Mail is pending
- /U Scan VBBS mail and toss to Fido
- /T Scan Fido mail and toss to VBBS
-
-
- Technical Information
- =====================
-
- VFIDO creates FTS-0001 packets for NetMail with FSC-0039 extensions for
- Zone and Point 4D addressing, FTS-0004 ARCmail packets for EchoMail,
- and FTS-0006 WaZOO-format File Requests.
-
- Connections can be using FTS-0001 (TSynch) using XMODEM or
- FSC-0056 (EMSI) using the ZModem Uni-Directional and/or the
- Hydra Bi-Directional protocol depending on the capabilities of
- the remote system.
-
- VFIDO requires the presence of DSZ.COM/DSZ.EXE, HYDRACOM.EXE,
- the DOS SORT program, and the appropriate archiver programs
- (PKZIP, PKUNZIP, PAK, ARJ, LHA, PKPAK, PKUNPAK, ARC, ZOO) in a
- directory accessable through the PATH statement.
-
-
- Release Notes
- =============
-
- 7.00.05a Roland has corrected the problem with sending and receiving files
- once the connection is made
-
- 7.00.05 Revised COM port routines to work better with the 6.14a serial
- routines and reduce the chances of crashes
- 7.00.05 The FILE_ID.DIZ from incoming TIC files is now automatically added
- to the file's long description using the Upload Scanner
- 7.00.05 Now automatically falls forward to the first configured Fido Type
- Network when FIDOnet itself is not configured, so you no longer
- need to configure a fake FIDOnet address if you are not a member
- of FIDOnet
- 7.00.05 Added a /MONO monochrome option for those without colour screens
- or who prefer not to see my colour scheme
- 7.00.04 Phone Number Verification now works very much faster during Node List
- compilation
- 7.00.04 Node Lists are now sorted into ascending Zone:Net/Node order during
- compilation
- 7.00.04 Phone number verification during Node List compilation no longer
- resets phone numbers to Unpublished
- 7.00.04 Solved an obscure problem at the NetMail Gateway when someone
- addresses mail to the Gateway and specifies the Gateway's address
- in one of the other Networks as the final destination address
- 7.00.04 Resolved a problem caused by running /ADD when there is no EchoMail
- in DEADMAIL that can be added
- 7.00.04 Identified and rectified cause of Hydra locking up when the Slow
- setting for Handshake is set up in VCONFIG Channels Configuration
- 7.00.03 Added full EMAIL/NetMail Gateway between Fido Type Networks and
- non-FTN Networks such as VirtualNET or Internet using the VBBS
- GATEWAY.* files for outgoing EMAIL and a To: NetworkName Gateway
- format for incoming NetMail as described in the main documentation
- 7.00.03 Now answers incoming calls faster by short-cutting some of the
- startup routines
- 7.00.03 Word wrapping now works at column 80 instead of column 79 which
- ensures some of those fancy taglines do not wrap
- 7.00.03 Word wrapping now wraps lines containing Heart ANSI and Real ANSI
- so they are not split unnecessarily by ignoring the ANSI codes
- 7.00.03 Added code to limit the To and From Names to 36 characters and the
- Title/Subject to 72 characters
- 7.00.03 Corrected a problem with the SEEN-BY and PATH lines created when
- hubbing mail to a point
- 7.00.03 Identified and rectified cause of VFIDO dropping carrier on other
- Channels than the one it is working on
- 7.00.03 Added packet passwords to the empty TSYNCH fake packet where a
- Session Password is used
- 7.00.03 When adding Echoes from DEADMAIL using /ADD, it now supports mail
- with MSGID and Origin information showing that post if from another
- Domain to the one the Echo from which has been received
- 7.00.02 Added support for the Hydra Bi-Directional Protocol in EMSI sessions
- with other Hydra-capable Mailers, for example FrontDoor
-
- 7.00.01 Modified the off-hook routine to prevent the phone ever being
- taken off-hook if the Modem Idle setting in VCONFIG is set to
- do nothing
-
- 7.00.00 Changed to support provisional new VBBS 7.00 configuration files
- 7.00.00 Now sends you a Daily Report in EMAIL of its activities
- 7.00.00 Split the program into VFIDO.EXE which handles the
- phone calls and VFITO.EXE which handles the mail
- tossing, freeing up memory and improving performance
- 7.00.00 The Origin Line is now configurable for each separate Network
- 7.00.00 Renamed the AreaFix function for File Distribution
- Conferences to AllFix to follow Fido conventions
- 7.00.00 Added separate AllFix password separate from the
- AreaFix password
- 7.00.00 Added Access Flag security to the AreaFix and
- AllFix functions using the 26 Access Flags you
- can set in VCONFIG for each Echo
- 7.00.00 Daily Feedback now reports Addresses as well as
- Names of calling BBSs
- 7.00.00 When presented with out-of-spec Seen-By and Path
- lines containing Nets or Nodes over 32767, will not
- crash any more
- 7.00.00 VFIDO /ADD now limits itself to a subset of the
- DEADMAIL to ensure the DOS SORT function does not
- run out of memory
- 7.00.00 VFIDO /ADD now detects TIC Areas and does not set
- them up accidentally as EchoMail areas
- 7.00.00 Now puts the phone on-hook before trying to
- initialise it
- 7.00.00 Identified a DOS bug that was causing the mysterious
- hanging at the end of the Loading Todays Callers
- section
- 7.00.00 Now logs the connect time to the Network Log for
- reporting and analysis purposes
-
- Gamma 10
- 6.20.00 Added a new /ADD command to automatically scans
- your DEADMAIL, sets up any new EchoMail Areas
- that it finds and transfers the posts over from
- DEADMAIL to the new EchoMail Areas
- 6.20.00 Added support for incoming File Attach messages
- using Wildcards as File Names
- 6.20.00 File Attach NetMails from Tick and ArcMail are no
- longer posted to the local EMAIL database
- 6.20.00 EchoMail where the To: address is not known now
- appears as To: {EchoMail} instead of the old
- To: {Not Available}
-
- Gamma 9
- 6.20.00 Enhanced screen display
-
- Gamma 8
- 6.20.00 Cured problem in EchoMail that was causing some
- EchoMail to be treated as NetMail - that was a
- side effect of the Gamma 7 fix for NetMail
- containing the word AREA:
-
- Gamma 7
- 6.20.00 Cured problem in NetMail Routing to Points
- 6.20.00 Corrected problem in recognising LHA archived
- EchoMail packets, NODEDIFFs and NODELISTs
- 6.20.00 Incoming AreaFix requests that are sent Crash
- Mail are no longer replied to by Crash Mail,
- just by normal NetMail
- 6.20.00 Cured problem of NetMail containing the word
- AREA: being mistaken for EchoMail
-
- Gamma 6
- 6.20.00 Added support for extra archive methods using
- ZOO.EXE, ARC.EXE and PKPAK.EXE/PKUNPAK.EXE
- 6.20.00 Enhanced error handling for unknown archivers,
- missing unarchiver programs, and memory problems
- with unarchivers
- 6.20.00 All AKAs for the Domain are now added to SEEN-BY
- lines for EchoMail to reduce the chance of dupes
- 6.20.00 Added support for AreaFix commands %LIST %QUERY
- in incoming AreaFix commands, and cured problem
- with spurious + on Area names
-
- Gamma 5
- 6.20.00 Modified Network Validation logic to only require
- validation when you have Validation On and where
- you are gating between networks
- 6.20.00 Enhanced message tossing still further to eliminate
- out of string space problems
-
- Gamma 4
- 6.20.00 Added an internal equivalent of the VCONFIG Network
- Configuration screen for Fido type networks to allow
- all the extra fields missing in VCONFIG to be set up
- 6.20.00 Added proper Hubbing functions including sending
- AreaFix requests to your Server when a Client requests
- an EchoMail conference you don't carry, and support for
- Pass Through EchoMail areas
- 6.20.00 Now detects when any aspect of the Fido configuration
- has been changed and automatically runs a VFIDO /C
- to compile the new configuration
- 6.20.00 EMSI handshakes now give 5D addresses including Domain
- 6.20.00 Automatically runs VCONFIG's Compile Network Information
- when new Pass Through areas have been added
- 6.20.00 Added support for separate Session and AreaFix passwords
- 6.20.00 Restricted Session and AreaFix passwords to 8 characters
- to conform to Fido Technical Standards
- 6.20.00 Changed processing of message packets to solve the
- Out Of String Space problems
- 6.20.00 When you connect with another Fido system, VFIDO now
- only lists addresses for those Networks you have in
- common in the Today's Callers list
- 6.20.00 Will now not send NetMail with File Attaches or
- File Requests, nor EchoMail or Ticks, between the
- Net Low time and Net High time defined in VCONFIG,
- enabling full Zone Mail Hour compliance
- 6.20.00 Improved the screen display of calling node
- information when answering EMSI to the same level
- of detail as shown when calling out using EMSI
- 6.20.00 AreaFix requests incoming from Fido networks using
- other NetworkIds than Slot 4 now work correctly
- 6.20.00 Now removes any blank lines or illegal lines found
- after the Tear Line in EchoMail
- 6.20.00 Added .MSG creating and tossing functionality to support
- BRE and other similar games, and FrontDoor
-
- Gamma 3
- 6.20.00 Seen-By lines are now presented in sorted order in
- accordance with unpublished Fido Technical Standard
- 6.20.00 Original Fido & VirtualNET Date & Time fields are
- now preserved
- 6.20.00 Message Threading now works for messages from and to
- Fido Networks
- 6.20.00 NetMail Tossing and Tick Tossing now operates faster
- 6.20.00 Tossing Performance in Kb/Minute is now reported in
- the Network Log and Daily Feedback
- 6.20.00 Incoming Mail Tosser now counts up the total number
- of messages processed instead of the number in each
- packet
-
- Gamma 2
- 6.20.00 Incoming file requests are now logged to NETWORK.LOG
- 6.20.00 All Tick files are automatically passed through the
- Virus Scanner and have the FILE_ID.DIZ descriptions
- uploaded into the Long Description
- 6.20.00 Now logs the Fido Address of any invalid subscribers
- to the daily Feedback message and the Network Log
- 6.20.00 ARCmail file attach messages and other file attach
- messages which contain nothing but the file name
- are now sent as "null" messages so that the empty
- message can be deleted automatically by the
- receiving BBS
- 6.20.00 File Attach messages now just place the filename
- in the Subject field instead of the path and the
- filename
- 6.20.00 Command line use of DSZ now includes passing the
- estimate parameter while sending files and the
- restrict parameter while receiving files
- 6.20.00 Taglines from EMAIL.TAG are automatically stripped
- from otherwise empty EMAILs, such as File Requests
- and File Attaches, so that an empty NetMail is
- received at the other BBS which can be deleted
- automatically
- 6.20.00 Fixed a bug from Gamma Candidate 1 which was letting
- the PATH lines, hidden by a Diamond 0 combination,
- be seen by non-SysOps
-
- Gamma 1
- 6.20.00 Mail tossing time reduced by 65% for incoming mail
- and 75% for outgoing mail
- 6.20.00 VFIDO supports multiple Fido style network gating
- with different EchoMail Area names for each network
- 6.20.00 VFIDO now deletes null (60 byte) packets each run
- instead of leaving them in the NetMail directory
- 6.20.00 Modified the compiled Nodelist format to show the
- telephone number as shown in the source Nodelist,
- including - separator characters
- 6.20.00 Changed phone prefix technique to read the VFIDO.FON
- as phone numbers are dialed instead of requiring the
- Nodelist to be recompiled each time the VFIDO.FON
- is altered
- 6.20.00 Nodelist compilation now automatically checks and
- corrects the phone numbers listed in your dialing
- list in VCONFIG Network Configuration
- 6.20.00 Added Network Validation for incoming Fido EchoMail
- 6.20.00 SEEN-BY: and PATH: lines are now concatenated onto
- existing lines where possible instead of automatically
- starting a new line
- 6.20.00 Messages incoming from Fido are now stored with all
- their Fido "kludge" lines intact, but hidden by
- Diamond 0 prefixes, so they can be viewed only by
- the SysOp
- 6.20.00 NetMail routing modified so that mail always routes
- directly if there is no suitable routing logic, to
- assist those Nets with lots of local boards who have
- to route direct and don't want to enter it manually
- 6.20.00 Incoming NetMail now scans the USERFILE.IDX to find
- the User Number so that you don't need to have sent
- NetMail to Fido networks before being able to receive
- incoming NetMail to your Real Name or Handle
- 6.20.00 EMSI handshaking now presents the primary address for
- the NETWORKID as the first address in the handshake
- sequence, rather than always presenting the FIDOnet
- address first
- 6.20.00 When answering EMSI calls, VFIDO shows the primary
- address corresponding to the primary address shown by
- the caller
- 6.20.00 Added code to handle messages gated from WWIV networks
- using VWW4 that contained spurious ^A characters
- 6.20.00 Now strips heart colour codes from the From and To
- Name fields and the Subject field
- 6.20.00 EchoMail now reports the To: address in messages as
- {Not Available} where VFIDO is unable to identify
- the real To: address
- 6.20.00 VFIDO now adds dialing entries to the correct
- NET.# file instead of always adding them to the
- file for the Networkid # it was run under
- 6.20.00 No longer tries to look up phone numbers for Points
- from the NODELIST
- 6.20.00 Now displays connect's address and name during file
- transfer in EMSI mail sessions
- 6.20.00 Now records connect's BBS name and SysOp name from
- EMSI mail sessions in network.log
- 6.20.00 Now completes all of the EMSI handshake optional
- fields based on information extracted from the
- NODELIST
- 6.20.00 Changed VFIDO's AreaFix LIST command to the conventional
- -L or -Q after the password instead of the earlier
- LIST command which was non-standard
- 6.20.00 VFIDO's AreaFix now automatically returns a list of all
- Echoes that the caller is subscribing to when the caller
- makes any kind of AreaFix request
- 6.20.00 EchoMail sent to {DEADMAIL} will now be tossed to a
- Message Area with a database file name of DEADMAIL if
- you set one up in VCONFIG, Database Configuration
- 6.20.00 Now automatically unarchives NODELIST files
- 6.20.00 Deletes old NODELIST files when a newer one is received
- 6.20.00 Correctly picks up a "this year" .001 NODELIST in
- preference to a "last year" .365 NODELIST
- 6.20.00 Now processes NODEDIFF files and updates the NODELIST
- 6.20.00 Cured bug that was failing to delete sent EchoMail and
- NetMail packets that were over 1Mb in size
- 6.20.00 Added full incoming and outgoing Tick file handling,
- including moving files to the relevant directories
- as defined for each File Area in VCONFIG
- 6.20.00 The VFIDO.FON dialing translation file now handles
- translate patterns where the second part of the pattern
- is blank, eg translate 1-616- to nothing
- 6.20.00 Changed order in which attached files are sent to
- ensure that attached files are resent when a connection
- fails with some of the files sent and some not
- 6.20.00 Logs the type of incoming connect, EMSI or TSYNCH, in
- the NETWORK.LOG
- 6.20.00 NetMail addressed to unknown users is forwarded to the
- SysOp account automatically
-
- 6.10.05 Improved mail tosser logic to prevent tossing to
- "silly" node numbers
- 6.10.05 Modified NODELIST compiler to only print summary
- information to screen to improve performance
- 6.10.05 Spacebar aborts of outgoing calls now hang the phone
- up immediately
- 6.10.05 Added code to support password EMSI handshaking with
- boards who insist on adding a .0 to the end of their
- full node addresses
-
- 6.10.04 Added unique thread id to prevent accidental deletion
- of messages by VME as duplicates
- 6.10.04 Corrected EchoMail routines to support hubbing between
- VFIDO systems
- 6.10.04 Added routine to handle overlength date/time fields
- in packed message headers
- 6.10.04 Improved still further the routines for extracting
- origin information from EchoMail
- 6.10.04 Disabled VFIDO mail tossing on nodes 2 and over of a
- multi-line BBS to prevent locking and crashing
- 6.10.04 Added packet level passwords for outbound mail
-
- 6.10.03 Corrected operation of VFIDO in a multinode BBS
-
- 6.10.02 Rectified routing problem in non-crash direct mail such
- as EchoMail file attaches
-
- 6.10.01 Rectified problems in EMSI and TSYNCH handshake caused by
- VFIDO 6.10.00
-
- 6.10.00 Modified LOCALNET processing routines to support the new
- NETWORKS.LST format
-
- 6.00.05 Modified configuration compilation to support zones=
- fields with only a singe zone number listed
- 6.00.05 Removed need for GUS by inbuilding archive detection
- 6.00.05 Modified incoming EMSI routing to support badly behaved
- EMSI mailers
- 6.00.05 Added more detail to the log in VFIDO.TOS and VEMSI.LOG
- to assist debugging
-
- 6.00.04 Modified the logging to VFIDO.TOS to include all tossing
- within a single running of VFIDO
- 6.00.04 Amended the off-hook routine to ensure that the phone is
- taken off the hook on some slower modems
- 6.00.04 Modified the handshaking delays to ensure connects with
- Binkley systems
- 6.00.04 Modified outgoing EMAIL routine to delete outgoing NetMail
- with incorrectly formatted node numbers
- 6.00.04 Removed need for NET.1 and NET.4 to be configured for VFIDO
- to operate successfully
-
- 6.00.03 Added tossing log file VFIDO.TOS to assist debugging of
- EchoMail and NetMail tossing problems
-
- 6.00.02 Improved handling of CD-ROM file requests
- 6.00.02 Modified NetMail identification routine to support file
- attaches generated by BRE
- 6.00.02 Increased the archiving formats to support ARC, PKPAK, DWC
- and HYP
- 6.00.02 Changed to use a GUS General Unarchiver Shell program to
- allow almost any incoming archived mail format to be used
- 6.00.02 Reintroduced some delays before DSZ to assist Binkley connects
- 6.00.02 Modified call logging routine to record every connecting AKA
-
- 6.00.01 Improved wildcard file request handling
- 6.00.01 Improved automatic polling logic to work according to original
- concept
-
- 6.00.00 Official release
-
- 5.60.11 Cured bug in the outgoing EchoMail packets generated by a hub
-
- 5.60.10 Enhanced AreaFix routines to support the use of the session
- password as the AreaFix password, and to recognise the LIST
- command as a method of showing all available databases
- 5.60.10 Modified password routine to recognise passwords from any
- network on incoming calls
- 5.60.10 Modified outgoing call routines to automatically use EMSI or
- TSYNCH as appropriate
- 5.60.10 Modified routines calling DSZ to use PORTX instead of PORT
- 5.60.10 Modified call logging routine to list correct Network name
- 5.60.10 Modified NODELIST processor to exclude DOWN systems
-
- 5.60.09 Modified EchoMail archive packet naming for points
- 5.60.09 Corrected bug in incoming file request handler
-
- 5.60.08 NetMail no longer carries a tear and origin line
- 5.60.08 Outgoing file requests and crash mail can only be sent by
- the Sysop account
- 5.60.08 Modified EMSI checksum routine to ensure 4 digit checksums
- 5.60.08 Removed reliance on DOS DIR command
- 5.60.08 Added support for LocalNET slots configured as Fido type
- 5.60.08 Modified file request code to support CD ROM drives and to
- ignore wildcard file requests
- 5.60.08 Improved analysis of results of a call to ensure sent packets
- are deleted even if the receive fails
-
- 5.60.07 Modified incoming mail user name recognition to cope with
- names with the first character missing
- 5.60.07 Overhauled the FTS-0001 packet exchange section to get better
- results with Binkley connects
-
- 5.60.06 Modified packet creation routine to make the packet show
- the address in the correct network as the origin
- 5.60.06 Corrected a bug caused by the switch to 60 byte null
- packets in 5.60.05 which caused outgoing mail to be
- ignored or two bytes out of phase
-
- 5.60.05 Modified the /c and /f email switches to +c and +f
- because of conflict with MultiMail function
- 5.60.05 Modified null packet length to the correct 60 bytes
- 5.60.05 Modified EchoMail processing to detect NetMail containg
- AREA: in the text as NetMail instead of EchoMail
- 5.60.05 Introduced a quick return to Waiting For Call where call
- was unsuccessful
- 5.60.05 Modified incoming and outgoing call routines to improve
- success rate with VFIDO, FrontDoor and Binkley connects
- 5.60.05 VFIDO now remembers the telephone numbers of Crash Mailed
- systems so the nodelist does not need to be searched again
- if further Crash Mail is sent or redials are needed
- 5.60.05 Modified routine that processes EMSI caller's address
- information to handle 5D addressing and spurious .0
- point addresses
-
- 5.60.04 Modified telephone answering routine to handle incoming
- Binkley 2.56 calls using EMSI or FTS-0001
- 5.60.04 Modified incoming file request processor to take account
- of comments and directory names
- 5.60.04 Improved the incoming EMSI handshake performance
- 5.60.04 Modified the EMSI handshake routine to detect carrier
- dropped right at the start of the handshake
- 5.60.04 Modified the routine to detect nodelists in VFIDO /A
- so that it runs a bit faster
-
- 5.60.03 Corrected bug in Crash Mail introduced in 5.60.02
- 5.60.03 Incoming EchoMail is now forced to appear from the same
- network as it is addressed to, preventing reflection
- 5.60.03 Added even more code to remove junk in incoming MSGID,
- REPLY and Origin fields
-
- 5.60.02 Corrected bug in receive EMSI handshaking that was
- causing an infinite loop
- 5.60.02 Corrected a bug causing a crash if you sent crash mail
- to the same address more than once then made a connect
- 5.60.02 Modified incoming mail processor to add a /c to crash
- mail to allow the reply to be sent as crash mail
- automatically
- 5.60.02 Changed MSGID, REPLY and * Origin routines to detect
- where Zone is 0 and default the network to FidoNET
- 5.60.02 Completely rewrote inbound EchoMail processor to allow
- for situations when the from and to addresses are in
- completely different networks
- 5.60.02 Corrected origin network processing for mail whose
- origin line indicates an invalid Zone
- 5.60.02 Corrected incoming File Request processing routine
- 5.60.02 Suppressed sending of null packets during EMSI session
- 5.60.02 Enabled routing to #:#/0 addresses
- 5.60.02 Corrected routine that takes modem off hook during
- tossing to use correct COM: port and only activate if
- VCONFIG is set to Idle Modem
- 5.60.02 Checks VCONFIG file request flag to see if file areas
- are FREQ'able or not
- 5.60.02 Added code to recover from invalid addresses in the
- REPLY field from other Fido mailers
- 5.60.02 Added some strategically placed pauses to allow screen
- to be read to assist debugging
- 5.60.02 Spacebar now aborts the whole redial sequence for a node
- 5.60.02 Checks for null packets received during a TSynch session
- to prevent attempting to apck mail for 0:0/0
-
- 5.60.01 Modified the /POLL routine to only poll within the
- specified NETWORKID
- 5.60.01 Added display of EchoMail From Address during tossing
- to assist correct configuration of EchoMail processor.
- 5.60.01 Corrected TSYNCH handshake to cope with empty incoming
- packets
- 5.60.01 Corrected the AreaFix message format to follow the Fido
- standard for add requests
- 5.60.01 Modified the initial handshake after CONNECT to support
- mailers that generate a single Escape character
- 5.60.01 Added code to mask out REPLY lines reading 0:0/0
- 5.60.01 Added code to mask out invalid MSGID lines from Xenolink
- 5.60.01 Added support for Session Passwords
- 5.60.01 Updated processing of Origin information in EchoMail to
- handle invalid formats of the Origin without crashing
- 5.60.01 Corrected incoming EchoMail processing logic to handle mail
- from multiple networks simultaneously
- 5.60.01 Takes phone off hook during mail tossing
- 5.60.01 Modified call to DSZ to handle duplicate incoming file names
- 5.60.01 Added abort by spacebar in dialouts
- 5.60.01 Added pause between redials
- 5.60.01 Corrected processing of nodelists with sub-100 extensions
- 5.60.01 Added Carrier Detect functions to detect loss of connection
- in incoming and outgoing calls
-
- 5.60.00 Added incoming AreaFix functionality
- 5.60.00 Added incoming & outgoing Crash Mail functionality
- 5.60.00 Added incoming & outgoing File Attach functionality
- 5.60.00 Added incoming & outgoing File Request functionality
- 5.60.00 Integrated the FrontDoor telephone handling functionality
- 5.60.00 Introduced support for Domains
- 5.60.00 Upgraded routing to give unlimited routing flexibility
- 5.60.00 Introduced support for Aliases
- 5.60.00 Introduced support for simultaneous multiple Fido-type networks
- 5.60.00 Reintroduced the PATH statement in EchoMail
- 5.60.00 Introduced support for unarchived EchoMail
- 5.60.00 Improved the detection of origin information on incoming EchoMail
- 5.60.00 Added processing to correct Private EchoMail and Public Netmail
- 5.60.00 Added support for To: field in EchoMail
- 5.60.00 Upgraded to support VBBS 5.60
-
- 5.52.04 Corrected the problem that was preventing messages from Fido being
- gated out to VirtualNET clients and servers
- 5.52.04 Improved the detail provided on-screen as messages are being
- processed (to give you something to read as the program chugs
- slowly along!)
- 5.52.04 Cured the problem of VFIDO "reflecting" EchoMail back to the
- original sender thereby causing duplicates
- 5.52.04 Corrected the display of the From address for incoming EchoMail so
- that it no longer always shows the Server's address
- 5.52.04 Removes the AREA and SEEN-BY lines from incoming EchoMail before
- posting it to VBBS
- 5.52.04 Introduced an automatic word-wrap on incoming messages to cater for
- those annoying Fido mailers that fail to word-wrap their messages as
- they are entered
-
- 5.52.03 Corrected another bug in the usa of LHA for archiving
-
- 5.52.02 Corrected a bug that was making the VBBS mail tosser skip messages
-
- 5.52.01 Corrected the use of LHA as an archiving and unarchiving protocol
- since it was making VFIDO crash
-
- 5.52.00 Completely rewrote echomail handling for multiple clients (the
- last version was my first attempt and was not too good!)
- 5.52.00 Added recognition of soft carriage returns in message text
- 5.52.00 Corrected SEEN-BY line on echomail to show NET/NODE only
- 5.52.00 Forced e-mail to use real name
- 5.52.00 Corrected FLAGS for file-attached archived message packets
- 5.52.00 Corrected expected name of NODELIST files
- 5.52.00 Added a VFIDO.LOG file that records file access attempts to help
- debug obscure file problems
-
- 5.51.00 Added support for VBBS 5.51
-
- 5.50.06 Added support for multiple servers and multiple EchoMail clients
- (this was a MAJOR job, let me tell you!)
- 5.50.06 Corrected bug causing crashes if subdirectories under NETMAIL
- 5.50.06 Fixed crash caused by blank lines in NET.0
- 5.50.06 Fixed crash caused by archived NODELIST in VFIDO /A
-
- 5.50.05 Fixed ARCmail file attach message bug
- 5.50.05 Fixed INTL addressing bug
-
- 5.50.04 Fixed horrendous bug in the 5.50.03 EchoMail processor
-
- 5.50.03 Rewrite of mail processor to handle large messages
-
- 5.50.02 Fido mail addressed to SysOp is routed to #1 account
- 5.50.02 Origin line now has only 1 leading space
- 5.50.02 SEEN-BY and PATH now in correct order on Conference mail
-
- 5.50.01 Failure to toss Fido Conference mail to VBBS message areas
-
- 2.2 Fixed bug in showing Fido node in VBBS
-
- 2.1 Fixed bug in Fido echomail to VBBS conversion
-
- 2.0 First Public Release
-
- 1.5 Beta
-
- 1.4 Beta
-
- 1.3 Beta
-
- 1.2 Beta
-
- 1.1 Beta
-
- 1.0 Beta
-