GEMini Atari/GEMini_Atari_CD-ROM_Walnut_Creek_December_1993.iso/files/bbs/fn132bin/fdman/chapter.01

Text File | 1991-09-03 | 21KB | 539 lines

Chapter 1:  The Fifteen Minute Guide to Fnordadel                          5




1  The Fifteen Minute Guide to Fnordadel


   This chapter  provides quick and  (we hope) easy  instructions on how  to
get your BBS  up and running.   We recommend that  you also read, at  least,
Chapter 2 [Sysop  Theory], page 14, so  you know what's what, and  whichever
other parts of the manual tickle your curiosity.



1.1  Initial Preparations

   In order for Fnordadel to run at all, you need to have the following:

  o An  Atari ST or  TT series  computer with at  least 512K  of RAM and  at
    least  one 360K disk  drive.   More of  both RAM  and disk space  always
    helps; in particular, a hard disk is real nice.

  o An  RS-232 modem  and cable.    The modem  must be  able to  autoanswer.
    Most  modems are  Hayes-compatible; if  yours  is, it  should work  with
    Fnordadel.

  o A  text editor  or word  processor which  reads and  writes plain  ASCII
    files.   Any text editor will work,  and most word processors  will work
    if you turn off  ``WP mode'' or whatever they happen to call it.   Check
    your word processor's manual.

  o Optionally, some  sort of shell  or CLI (``command line  interpreter'').
    The  Fnordadel programs  work by taking  arguments on  the command  line
    which are  clumsy to specify using  the GEM desktop; additionally,  some
    features of  Fnordadel, like events,  are unavailable or nearly  useless
    unless you use a shell.


1.1.1  Disk layout

   The first  thing you  should do  is to set  aside space  on your  storage
devices to hold the Fnordadel binaries, the online help  files, and the data
files comprising  your BBS. How  you do  this will depend  on how large  you
want your BBS to be,  and what storage devices you have.   Fnordadel's space
requirements are roughly detailed below:

  o The two essential binaries, citadel and configur, take around 210K.

  o The help files consume about 110K of disk space.

  o The userlog takes approximately 512 bytes (i.e., 0.5K) per  user.  For a
    decent sized log of around 100 users, allow 50K.

  o The room files take at least 1K per room.   Allow about 60K for a set of
    40 rooms.

  o Other   miscellaneous  system  files,   including  `ctdlcnfg.sys'   (the
    configuration file), the floors, net and other  files can be expected to
    take about another 50K.



Chapter 1:  The Fifteen Minute Guide to Fnordadel                          6




  o And  finally,  the message  base  takes exactly  as  much space  as  you
    allocate  to it.   For  a reasonably  busy system and  allowing for  old
    messages  to be  around  for about  a week,  you'd  like around  a  300K
    message base.  This is enough for about 1000 average-sized messages.

   With  the preceeding  in  mind,  here are  a  couple of  suggestions  for
various setups.


Hard disk systems

   If you have a hard disk,  things are relatively easy.  Here's one  way of
doing it.

  o Make a directory someplace on your hard disk  to hold Fnordadel and your
    BBS. We  recommend something close to the  root of the drive,  since all
    pathnames will have to be specified relative to  the root directory, and
    you don't  want to type `d:\foobar\bletch\blort\weevil\bbs\...' all  the
    time.  So pick `d:\bbs', say.

  o Make  a directory  under  `d:\bbs' called  `bin',  and  put all  of  the
    Fnoradel binaries in it.

  o Copy  the  file  `ctdlcnfg.doc' from  the  Fnordadel  distribution  into
    `d:\bbs'.

  o Make  another directory  under `d:\bbs',  calling this  one `help',  and
    copy all of the Fnordadel online help files into it.

Also, if you do not already use a disk cacheing program  you may want to get
one, as they  can greatly improve disk performance.   Try `dcache'  or `Cold
Hard Cache'.   If you have  a hard drive based  on an ICD host adaptor,  use
the cache built into the ICD software.



Floppy disk only systems

   If you  have only floppy  disks, you'll  need to plan  things a bit  more
carefully.   You  will probably want  to use  some kind of  RAMdisk to  hold
parts of your  system; not only does  this increase the amount of  space you
have  online, but  it speeds  things up  considerably as  well.   There  are
thousands of  RAMdisk programs available  for the ST.  We supply one  called
Flashdisk which  seems to  work well;  see  the accompanying  documentation.
You will  probably also  want to  format your  BBS disks  using an  extended
formatter of  some kind, to  increase your available storage  capacity.   We
recommend DC Format.

   A decent  Fnordadel  system will  fit on  one double-sided  (i.e.,  720K)
disk,  although  things  will  be  a  little cramped.     If  you  have  two
double-sided  drives, you're  laughing---just put  your `auto'  folder,  the
Fnordadel  binaries  and help  files,  `ctdlcnfg.sys',  and  whatever  other
utility things  you need on  the first disk  (in drive A),  and put all  the
data files for your BBS on the second disk (in  drive B). Paths to Fnordadel
data files should begin  with `B:\...'.  You may optionally run  things with
some or all of the data files from drive B living  in a RAMdisk instead; you



Chapter 1:  The Fifteen Minute Guide to Fnordadel                          7




might want to configure  the RAMdisk program so that at boot time  it copies
all necessary files from drive B into the RAMdisk.

   If you  have only  single-sided drives,  you'll need to  split the  files
over two disks.   If you have  only one single-sided drive, you're  still in
the Stone Age---but yes, you can still run Fnordadel.   Here's one suggested
way:

   Drive A: will contain:

  o `citadel.tos'

  o the `help' directory

  o a directory called `audit'

  o `configur.tos'

  o `ctdlcnfg.sys'

  o a small text editor or word-processing program

   You will also want  to create a RAMdisk of  as large a size  as possible;
if you have  a 512K machine, you're limited  to about a 200K RAMdisk,  while
if you have a 1Mb machine, you can use a RAMdisk  of up to 700--750K. You'll
set the data  file paths so that after  you run configur (see  Section 1.2.2
[Running configur], page 9), the RAMdisk will contain:

`ctdlmsg.sys'
           the message base

`roomnnnn.sys'
           the room files; you specify how many in `ctdlcnfg.sys'

`ctdlflr.sys'
           the floors file

`ctdllog.sys'
           the user log file

   You would  then copy these  files (which  are empty to  begin with)  onto
another floppy, so that you have a physical backup version of them.


1.1.2  Other details

   There are a few other  things which you may need to attend to  before you
can configure your system.  In no particular order:

  o If you're  going to be using  the GEM desktop,  you will have to  rename
    most of the  Fnordadel binaries from `.tos' to `.ttp' extensions.   This
    is  because most  of them  take arguments  (parameters)  on the  command
    line, and  you need to give them  `.ttp' extensions to force GEM  to pop
    up the parameters dialog box.



Chapter 1:  The Fifteen Minute Guide to Fnordadel                          8




  o If  you have  a hard disk  or you  have TOS  1.4 or  higher, you  should
    ensure that  you have foldr100 in your  `auto' folder, or that  you have
    some other form of  workaround for the TOS 40-folder bug.  (If  you have
    an STE, you have TOS 1.6, to which this item applies.)

  o If you have TOS  1.4 or greater, you should have poolfix in  your `auto'
    folder.



1.2  Configuration

   Briefly, here's how configuration  goes.  First, you  edit `ctdlcnfg.sys'
to  customize  your  system.     Then  you  run  configur,  which  digests
`ctdlcnfg.sys'  and  creates  all  of  the  needed  files  and  directories.
Simple, eh?


1.2.1  Editing ctdlcnfg.sys

   The  base   Fnordadel  configuration   file   is  supplied   to  you   as
`ctdlcnfg.doc'.   It  is exhaustively  commented, so we  recommend that  you
read it  from start  to finish,  changing the parameters  as you  go.   When
you're done,  save it as  `ctdlcnfg.sys'.   After doing so  you may wish  to
move the original `ctdlcnfg.doc'  off of your working disks if  you're short
of space; you might also want to remove the comments from `ctdlcnfg.sys'.

   The following sections give you a few insights into  which parameters you
should set and how.


1.2.1.1  General parameters

   The following general  parameters should all be altered  by you.  If  you
don't, some  won't make any sense  on your BBS,  while others will make  the
configuration program  crap out  as it  tries to  do its  thing.   Read  the
parameter descriptions in `ctdlcnfg.doc'.  Here's the list:

      Misc.           Sizes and such          Directories
      ---------------------------------------------------
      #nodetitle      #define logsize         #msgdir
      #nodename       #define messagek        #sysdir
      #nodeid         #define cryptseed       #roomdir
      #organization   #define maxrooms        #helpdir
      #domain         #define mailslots       #auditdir
      #baseroom       #define sharedrooms     #netdir
      #basefloor
      #syspassword
      #sysop

   With the  various directories,  you  might wish  to combine  one or  more
of them  together, especially  if you're  running on floppy  disk drives  or
RAMdisk.  In that case, just define the various  directory parameters to the
same value.



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1.2.1.2  Modem parameters

   The  following  parameters  are  all  modem-related.     If  you  have  a
Hayes-compatible modem,  you'll have to change  very few of the  parameters.
If your  modem is  not a Hayes-compatible  but is  still driven by  software
commands of some  kind, you still might be able  to get it working.   If you
have to do anything that  you think is unusual to make your modem  work, let
the Fnordadel team know so  they can pass the info along to others.   Here's
the list of parameters to look at:

      Misc.                   Connect reply messages
      ----------------------------------------------
      #calloutprefix          #reply300
      #calloutsuffix          #reply1200
      #define sysbaud         #reply2400
      #define init-speed      #reply9600
      #modemsetup             #reply19200
      #define hayes

   With the modem  reply messages, you'll probably  want to comment out  the
ones that  don't apply to your  modem, e.g.   #reply19200, or else set  them
to the  empty string  `""'.   Other  general tips  are that  the modem  must
report the  true state  of the DCD  and DTR  signals, and  should be set  to
have command echoing  off and numeric result codes.   For more details,  see
Chapter 6 [Modem Stuff], page 86.


1.2.1.3  Networking parameters

   For this  first pass  through the  configuration,  our recommendation  is
that you  pretty much ignore  networking.  However,  you should comment  out
the following items in `ctdlcnfg.doc' (by placing a `*'  at the beginning of
the line) to avoid possible glitches.

      #event NETWORK
      #polling
      #define poll-delay



1.2.2  Running configur

   When you've edited  `ctdlcnfg.doc' to your  satisfaction and saved it  as
`ctdlcnfg.sys',  you're ready to  run the  configuration program,  configur.
Ensure  that  the current  directory  is  the one  in  which  `ctdlcnfg.sys'
resides, and  then invoke  configur by typing  its name  (if you're using  a
shell),  or by  clicking on  its icon  (if  you're using  the GEM  desktop).
Don't supply any arguments.

   configur should  run and  begin to  display various  messages about  what
it's doing.   One of the first things it  will do is stop to report  that it
can't find  certain directories (the  ones you specified in  `ctdlcnfg.sys')
and  will ask  you whether  you'd  like configur  to create  them.    Answer
`yes'.   It will then proceed to create  various system files.   If anything
is screwed up with  your configuration, or if configur encounters  any other
error, it will complain and probably stop.  If this  happens you may have to



Chapter 1:  The Fifteen Minute Guide to Fnordadel                         10




go back  and edit `ctdlcnfg.sys' some  more.  (A  good rule of debugging  is
``Never change more than one thing at a time.'')

   If configur  is successful, it  will leave  a file called  `ctdltabl.sys'
in the  same directory as  `ctdlcnfg.sys'.   This file  contains all of  the
information that citadel and the rest of the Fnordadel  programs need to run
properly.



1.3  Bringing Up The System

   If you've  made it  this far,  it  means that  configur has  run and  has
deposited `ctdltabl.sys'  on your disk.   Now you're  ready to bring up  the
BBS for the first  time.  To do this,  run citadel.  You don't need  to pass
it any parameters.

   When citadel  runs, you'll first  see a few  lines of identifying  bumph,
followed by  the contents of  `banner.blb', which lives  in your help  files
directory (specified  by #helpdir  in `ctdlcnfg.sys').   (As  with all  help
files, you can edit this with a normal ASCII text  editor to reflect details
of your  own system.)   Next you'll see some  more gibberish, and finally  a
prompt consisting  of a line  of helpful reminders of  commands to use,  and
another line that looks something like this:

      Lobby>


1.3.1  Logging in

   The first  thing to  do now is  to login.   To  do this,  you must  first
bring Fnordadel into ``console mode'' by hitting the `<ESC>' key.   Now type
[L]ogin (i.e., type `L' and  watch the BBS echo `login').  The BBS  will now
do one  of two things,  depending on  whether you told  it (via the  getname
parameter in `ctdlcnfg.sys') that you wanted it to log  users in using their
usernames and  passwords,  or with just  their passwords.    If the  former,
you'll see

      login:

Type the username  you wish to use on your  system; it should match  the one
you defined  in `ctdlcnfg.sys'  as #sysop, and  should not  be more than  19
characters long.  The BBS will then ask:

      password:

at which point you  should type the password you wish to use;  passwords may
be no longer than 19 characters, and should *not* be easily guessable.

   If you  told the system  that you'd like  it to  use passwords only  when
logging people in, then you'll instead see:



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      Enter password (just carriage return if new):

Since you're new, just hit `<CR>'.

   In either case, the BBS will now reply:

      No record. Enter as new user? (Y/[N]):

Answer `Y' for  `yes'.  The system will  then ask you a series  of questions
about your desired  user configuration.   Answer them however you like,  but
when the system asks

      Are you an experienced Citadel user? (Y/[N])

you'll probably  want to  answer `No'.    The system  may then  print out  a
warning about choosing an intelligent password.

   If you haven't told the system your name yet, it will now ask:

      What is your name:

and you should tell it.

   If you haven't given it a password yet, it will now ask for one:

      What is your password:

and you should give it one, of no more than 19 characters.

   The BBS will now reply with:

      Name: username
      Password: password

      OK? (Y/N):

Type `y' to accept it, or `n' if you want to change something.

   You will now be logged  in to your BBS. You will see the  ``room prompt''
again:

      Lobby>


1.3.2  Giving yourself power

   If  you've done  as  we  suggested  and  logged in  using  the  name  you
specified as #sysop  in `ctdlcnfg.sys', you'll find that you  have magically
been given Sysop, Aide  and Network privileges.  If you didn't,  then you'll
want to assign these privileges to yourself manually.  To  do this, hit `^L'
at the room prompt.  You should see



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      sysop cmd:

which is  the prompt for the  Sysop command menu.   Here, as elsewhere,  you
can  type a  `?' to  see a  list of  options, but  right now  we're here  on
business, so type `U'.  You'll see

      status cmd:

which is  the prompt for  the ``user status''  menu.   Type `S' for  [S]ysop
privileges, and the  system will ask you for the  name of a user on  whom to
bestow Sysop privileges.   Type the name  you logged in with and  answer the
confirmation

      username gets Sysop privileges - confirm? (Y/[N]):

with `Yes'.

   You  should repeat  the above  exercise  using the  [N]etwork  privileges
command to give yourself network privs.



1.4  Backing Up

   There are lots of things you can do now, but we recommend the following:

  o If  you aren't at  the room  prompt but are  still in  one of the  menus
    under the  `sysop cmd:' menu,  type `X' for  e[X]it until you reach  the
    room prompt.

  o Type `T'  for [T]erminate and confirm  with `Yes'.   This is to log  you
    off the system.   The system will  return to ``modem mode'' where  it is
    waiting for a caller.

  o Press `<ESC>' and `^L' to get to the Sysop menu again.

  o Type `Q' for [Q]uit Fnordadel.  This is  to exit from citadel and return
    you to your shell or desktop.  Confirm the quit with `Yes'.

   Now that you're back on  the shell or desktop, you should figure  out how
to back your  system up and do  it for practice.   If you're running from  a
RAMdisk, you should  copy all files down onto  a physical disk.   You should
make copies  of the physical floppies  on which you  run the system, if  you
use floppies.    If you  use a  hard disk,  make a directory  on a  separate
partition (or better  yet, a separate drive)  and copy the contents of  your
BBS directory into it.

   We Fnordadelians recommend that you keep at least two sets  of backups on
floppy disks, which you alternate between every other backup  session.  This
is to  guard against  data file  corruption which might  go unnoticed  until
after one  backup has  been made---if you  have more than  one backup,  your
chances of possessing an uncorrupted one are greater.

   If you  ever  need to  restore  your system  from  a backup,  you  should
restore  the  *entire*  backup,  unless  you  are  very  familiar  with  the
interactions of various system files and therefore know  what you are doing.



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Mixing old and new files can have strange and  often bad results, especially
with respect to  networking.  Play it  safe and restore all  matching system
files, unless you have a very good reason not to.



1.5  Doing It Properly

   There, you've got  it up and running.   Sort of.   Now we recommend  that
you do one or both of the following things:

 1. Sit down  with a  large cup of  something liquid, preferably  containing
    caffeine, and read through parts of this manual.   You should absolutely
    read  Chapter 2  [Sysop Theory],  page  14, and  should  skim Chapter  3
    [User Command Reference], page 24, Chapter 4  [Aide and Co-Sysop Command
    Reference],  page  62,  and Chapter  5  [The Sysop  Command  Reference],
    page 75.   Read the remaining chapters as your interest  and persistence
    dictates.

 2. Bring  up citadel again  and start  playing around---create some  rooms,
    enter some  messages, and generally  goof off.   You'll learn about  how
    the user interface  and the system in general works, and you  can't hurt
    much.  (You *did* make a backup, didn't you?).

   At bare  minimum you will  want to  go through the  help files  directory
and edit most  of the files that  end in `.blb'---these are ``blurb''  files
like the banner,  the logout notice and  so on, which you should  customize.
You should  also edit two  of the `.hlp' files:   `policy.hlp' (your  system
policy),  and `localbbs.hlp'  (a listing  of other  systems).   (The  `.mnu'
files should  be left alone;  these are  the command  menus, and there's  no
good reason  to change them  unless you don't  like the format.)   You  will
probably also want to go through `ctdlcnfg.sys' again  and fine-tune some of
the more esoteric options.