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Registering for Updates: For $35.00 You can download all updates from my BBS or for $50.00 you can get the disks and Docs mailed to you all updates after the initial cost can be downloaded free or sent to you by mail for $10.00. Version 1.30 is the current version for registered sysops,this includes FIDONET compatable networking. Plus much more.... Why pay more???????? Eric Drewry 15 Greenlawn Ave South Grafton Ma 01560 617-839-5810 8pm -9am EST BBS Otherwise call voice. Installing STar-Net ------------------- 1. Backup this disk. 2. Run CONFIG.TOS Editing access levels There are 16 access level 0-15.When you choose the edit access level option you are prompted for an access level to edit.You can the change calls per day,time per call,idle time(amount of time the BBS will wait before hanging up on a user who isnt doing anything),their ability to enter E-Mail,play outside games,access the system maint.(sysop mode),entering news,and maintaining the new,G-files and programs areas. Editing Message Bases There are 20 message bases 1-20.When you choose edit message base option you are prompted for the message base to access.You can change the message base name,pathname(where the BBS stores the message base on you disk system) the minimum access level that can access the message base,the maximum number of messages allowed,and the Subop(a subop is a user who has sysop access only on that message base). Editing UD sections There are 20 UD sections.All options are the same as the message bases except the options that refer to message numbers. Editing other parameters Edit default pathname This is the path where the user.dat,user.ver files should be placed. It should remain in the root directory of any of your drives(ie a:\ b:\) .If you are using the log to disk option the star.log file is created here. Edit mail pathname This is the pathname where the mail is kept.You must create this folder for the BBS to save its mail correctly. Edit outside pathname This is the pathname where your outside games,msh.prg are kept. Also place a copy of arc.ttp there.You must creat this folder and copy these files into it for the BBS to handle the outside games a V option from the UD section properly. Edit textfile pathname This is the pathname that the BBS looks for the menu,welcome,newuser logon and logoff textfiles and graphics files.You must these files to a new folder with that name. Edit BBS name This name will be displayed in the welcome prompt before asking if you have a VT52 terminal or for you to press return in the hayes result code method of baud rate detect. Edit Chat mode engage string This string will be sent to the user and screen when you enter chat mode. Edit return from chat string This string will be displayed when you return the BBS to user control. Edit # of calls to system This allow you to change the total of calls the system thinks it has received. Toggle Baud Rate detection type This allows you to change from the hayes result code method of determining the callers baud rate to the hit return method and visa-versa. If you think you hayes compatable modem is having trouble determining the baud rate change this. Edit system ID string This allows you to change the 2 character string that precedes the users ID number for your system. Edit new user starting points This allows you to determine how many points a new user will start off with. Toggle system log This allows you to send the feedback and system caller messages to either the disk or printer. Toggle part time BBS This allows you to set a time the BBS will go on and off.You can have it be off for as little as 1 minute.At the time the BBS goes off it will look in the folder that the main program is in for a program called shell.prg.You can name any shell such as STSHELL(from Computes ST) shell.prg and create a autolog.bat file that will run other programs that exit by itself(such as the Maintainance program for the online game space empire) you could also use it to back up your user list or things like that. Edit news pathname This is the pathname where the news is kept.You must create this folder for the BBS to save its news correctly. Ending config.tos Make sure you save the configuration with the B command before exiting the program. Bootstar.prg This is the program that boots Star-Net from an auto folder. If you have a hard drive on this system it is probably C:\AUTO\ otherwise it would be A:\AUTO\. Place this program in your auto folder. The file bootstar.con contains the path name to where the main program starv12.prg is to be kept, this can be any folder on any drive other than the root directory (example A:\STAR\). This file can be edited using any editor such as EMACS or First Word with the word processing mode turned off. Place Bootstar.con in the root directory of your drive with the auto folder. Star.con This file holds the sytem configuration data, it should be placed in the same folder as starv12.prg. This folder should also contain config.tos. User.ver and User.dat These files hold your user information, they should be placed in the root directory (the drive entered in config.tos as default path). If for some reason the system cannot find these files, a message will be sent to the screen telling you where it is trying to find them. Msh.prg This file executes the online games and arc.ttp. It should be placed in the folder entered in config.tos as the outside path. NOTE: This program will bomb if executed from the desktop. Arc.ttp This file is not supplied, it is an archive utility in the public domain available on most BBS's. This file should be placed in the outside path. Shell.prg This file is not supplied, you can rename a shell prg such as STSHELL.PRG from COMPUTE'S ST that support a batch file that auto executes on entry to the program. If you choose the part-time BBS option from config.tos the BBS will execute this program when the BBS is shut down. If you wish to use this option and you are operating a 24 hr. BBS you can still choose part-time BBS and only have the time shut down be the estimated time that your batch file will take to complete. This should be placed in the same folder as starv12.prg. Quotes.bbs This file should be placed in the same folder as starv12.prg. This is a text file of quotes seperated by 2 carriage return line feeds. You can edit it with First Word or EMACS. One of the quotes will be displayed to the user just before they reach the main prompt. Text (.txt) graphics (.gra) Files with the .txt extension have a .gra counterpart. The .txt extension is for files with standard ascii text. The .gra extension is for files with VT52 control codes. EXAMPLES: welcome.txt welcome.gra newuser.txt newuser.gra logon.txt logon.gra logoff.txt logoff.gra menu1.txt menu1.gra . . . . . . menu9.txt menu9.gra These files should be placed in the folder entered in config.tos as the path for text files. Modemcom.txt This file should be placed in the folder entered in config.tos as the path for text files. This is an exception to the above .txt .gra comparison. This file contains the command string to be sent to the modem to enable auto answer and change the result codes to extended numerical results. You can change this command string with the standard editors to suit your own modem. Userconv.tos This file is used to convert a userlog(the user.dat and user.ver files) from versions lower than .09 to the new format.It will 2 new files with the .ver and .dat extensions.Place userconv.tos in the same folder as user.dat and user.ver and run userconv.tos.Scratch user.dat and user.ver and rename the new files to user.ver and user.dat. Booting the system STar-Net will autoboot after a system reset or on powerup. Setting the time The keyboard clock is read on bootup and the TOS clock is set to the time of the keyboard clock. So you can set the time from Control.ACC if you wish,or when the waiting for call screen comes up you can set the time using F4.The time should be entered in 24 hour format(ie midnight is 00:00 and 1:00 PM is 13:00). First time logon You enter the BBS in local mode by pressing F1. You will then be asked weither you terminal supports VT52 graphics.If 'yes' the system will try to read the VT52 graphic menus and text file(.GRA) instead of the ASCII files (.TXT). If you have not created VT52 graphics files a message will come on the screen saying the file cannot be opened(this message is not sent to the modem) and the ASCII file will be read. You next prompt is a press return prompt.If you press return at the prompt the file welcome.txt will be read,although if you enter an 'a' then press return that file will be aborted.You will then be prompted for your user ID.As you have not been on before enter 'NEW'.The NEWUSER file will then be read.You will then be asked information about yourself. When you have completed the new user information you will be brought back to the prompt for your user ID. You can enter the ID number or your handle here. You will then be prompted for your password. This completes the logon procedure. Raising your access: To raise your access you can either use F3 (this enters system maintenance without modem I/O turned off), or F5 (this enters system maintenance with modem I/O turned off). Once you are in SM you will get a prompt showing the active drive and path name. To edit your user account type "user", you will then be asked for the type of search for users. To edit your own access enter 'C' for current user. You can now edit your user information. To change your access level, type 'A',you will then be prompted for what access level you wish, enter 15 which is sysop level. To return to the BBS type Q at the next prompt type Q again and then type exit, and then you will be returned to the main menu. Adding outside programs: Copy the program and all files associated with it to the folder named in config.tos as the outside path. Log on to the BBS and from the main menu enter'P'and'A',you will then be prompted for the title name of the program, followed by the file name, any parameters to be passed to the file, access level,and whether the file needs I/O redirection. Now the addition of the outside program should be complete. Adding News: Follow the same procedure as adding outside programs except for the copying, and entering 'N' instead of 'P',you will then be put into the editor to enter your news. Adding General Files: Follow the same procedure as adding outside programs except for entering 'G' instead of 'P', and the files should be copied to the folder entered in config.tos as the folder for text files. Adding Program to the UD Section: Copy the files into the folder entered in config.tos as the folder for the UD section you want to add the program to. Log on to the BBS enter UD at the main prompt, type the number of the UD section you want to add the file to, type 'A', you will then be prompted for the file name. After you have entered the file name the BBS will find the file on the disk ,display the file size and prompt you for a description. Editing Text Files: Log on to the BBS, enter SM at the main prompt, enter 'edit' . You will then be prompted for the file name. The file will then be loaded into the editor, press return once, you can now use the editors commands to edit the file. Possible Problems: I have had a number of calls from people with the problem of the BBS going into a loop of sending the modem command string. If you are having this problem you should check the switch setting of your modem. Most Hayes Compatible modems have switches that control weither the modem will respond to carrier detect,if this swich is set to force carrier detect high the BBS will asways see a carrier and never get to the waiting for call screen.There is also another switch that controls weither the modem will respond to terminal ready if this switch is set to force terminal ready high the modem will not hang up when terminal ready is brought low by the BBS. STar-Net Docs ------------- First The files config.tos, star.con must be in the same folder. for editing the configuration,it is not needed for normal operation of the program so it can be copied there whenever needed.Starv12.prg can be kept in any folder except a root directory,the file star.con should be kept in the same folder.This program is now designed to run from a warm boot(ie hitting the reset button),to accomplish this place the file exactime.prg in an auto folder followed by bootstar.prg and place the file bootstar.con in the root directory of the drive with the auto folder. Enter the pathname where you are keeping starv11.prg in textfile bootstar.con. This file as any file with the extension .txt can be edited with First Word,MicroEmacs or any editor that will output a standard ascii file.The system will now do a warmboot when a carrier is lost while a user is in an outside game so the main program will always have to be on the system. Note pressing any key during reset will abort loading STar-Net! Run config.tos, to edit the system configuration.You can edit the messages base access levels,message base name and the folder you want the messages kept in, also the number of messages you want to be the maximum messages in that base (the messages will auto delete the low message when this number is exceded). You can enter a user as a sub-op to the message base here as well. A sub-op has sysop abilities on his base alone. Do this for the UD section as well.Editing access levels: here you can set the call time limit and the limit for calls per day, idle timeout,and that access level's ability to enter System Maint.(the dos and user editing area),news maint. (the ability to add edit or delete news files), Outside maint (the ability to add edit or delete the outside games section, the access levels ability to send E-Mail,Play Outside games, and read the user list. In the edit other parameters you can change the enter and exit from chat strings, change the baud detect routine from hayes compatible result codes to the hit return method. You can also change the system log output from printer to a disk file, here you enter the default path, the path for mail, outside (this path is where you keep msh.prg, all your outside games, arc.ttp, and any files associated with the outside games). You enter the text path here (this is where you keep the menus), you can edit the number of calls to the system. You can change the system ID string which is the 2 characters in front of the users ID no. that creates there ID ( currently set at SN you can make it ST or any other 2 letter combo that goes with your BBS theme). You also enter the new users starting points(this will be incorporated in future outside games). Access levels for UD sections and message bases range from 0 to 15 to make a section inaccessable enter a 16 for the access level. The files user.dat and user.ver should be kept in the folder that you entered in the configuration program as the default path. The Hayes baud rate detect routine currently uses the numeric result code so if you are using the Avetec 1200 you will have to use the non Hayes hit return method for detection. Function keys commands when a user is on line while you are in local mode are as follows: F1 shows you the stats of the user on line, F3 brings you to system maint. (this is the first step to raising your own access level)with this entry into system maint. the user will be able to see and perform available funtions in system maint. as well. F4 toggles input,output to the modem on and off, so you can do things while users on line and hide your actions. F5 brings you directly into system maint. with modem input output disabled. F10 is the engage and disengage chat.F2 will disable the status window for user online information so you can have a full screen in local mode. F1 in chat mode will allow you to add time to the current user. All menus, the welcome.txt, logon.txt, logoff.txt, and all files for the general files area are to be kept in the folder entered for text path.The file newuser.txt has been added it is a welcome message for new users and should be kept in the same folder. Outside function: In order for the outside function and the View arc file function to work you must have the file msh.prg in the directory entered as your outside path. You must have ARC.TTP in the outside folder as well. Note: Programs run from outside should no longer need to provide there own carrier detect! Pausing and aborting: You can pause and abort all file reads and system messages with the command below. The Control S pause, Control Q resume and control C abort. The userlog record size has been expanded to hold more information if you are running a lower version than .09 you must run userconv.tos in the same folder as the files user.ver and user.dat,it will generate 2 new files called new.ver and new.dat.Those files are replacements for user.dat and user.ver rename them as such and discard the old files(or keep themon a seperate disk until you have tested ver .09 just to be safe) the RN command has been added to the message bases this will read new messages (skipping messages read with this version any messages read before this version were not stored in the users record).A BBS list updateable by validated users has been added. modemcom.txt Keep in same folder as logon.txt.This file holds the commands to alter your modems setup.The old commands built into the program are now in this file. System Variables ---------------- When reading a file if these strings are in the file they will be replaced with their respected variables. Command string Output result -------------------------------------------------------------------------- ~v0 The Current Number of calls to the BBS. ~v1 The Handle of the Current user ~v2 Users last call date ~v3 Users last call time ~v4 Last callers handle ~v5 Current users real name ~v6 Users Telephone number ~v7 Users Download byte count ~v8 Users Upload byte count ~v9 Number of calls user has made ~va (note lower case) Current time ~vb Current date ~vc A prompt to press return The file logon.txt has an example of how to use the system variables in a message. Other notes ----------- Entering a 'a' at the ENTER RETURN prompt will abort the reading of welcome.txt.When reading messages the C for continue is no longer needed pressing return will read the next message. Deleting a user: To delete a user go to system maint. and type deuser, you will then be prompted for the user name of the user you wish to delete or you can use the edit user function and choose the delete option. Reading the Log: To read the system log if it is on disk type log, the file will then be displayed on your screen, when the file is finished reading you will be prompted for whether you wish to delete the file or not. Entering a y will delete the file otherwise it defaults to no. Editing a text file: You can edit a text file with a program such as first word, or from the BBS with the command edit from the system maint. area. The file should be under 200 lines long if editing from the BBS. Do not enter an editor command(i.e. .l .s ect.)on the first line. If you wish to view the current file hit return first then you can use any editor commands. The UD file descriptions: These files are normal text files and can be edited as above.In order to add a file description use the A command from the UD section menu Updates: You can now set a time for the system to shut down and come back up from the config.tos program.When the BBS shuts down it will try to run a program called shell.prg,this could be any command shell with an autolog.bat type file that can exit when the batch file is run.This is not needed for the BBS to operate but may be needed for online games that require daily updating. You can now delete users from the user edit menu as well as with the deuser command.You can search for users to edit by username,user id number,or access level(usefull for finding new users). VT52 graphics: The files welcome.txt,logon.txt,logoff.txt,newuser.txt,and all of the menus now have counterparts for VT52 graphic files with the same name but with a .gra extension(welcome.txt welcome.gra).If a user answers yes to the VT52 graphic prompt the BBS will try to read the file names with the .gra extensions first if they cannot be opened the original .txt file will be read. Changes Version 1.21 8/31/87 Exactime.prg is no longer needed to maintain the time after a reset.You can also set the time from the waiting for call screen with F4.You must use 24hr format for time(00:00= 12:00 midnight, 23:59= 11:59 P.M.).You can now set the BBS to shut down during hours when the system should be down(for part time BBS's) this is available through the config.tos , option m from the edit other system parameters menu.This Toggles part time BBS on and off and allows you to set the times to go up and down. Eric Drewry 15 Greenlawn Ave. South Grafton Ma. 01560 617-839-5810 online 8pm-9am otherwise call voice.