OnLine Reviews v1.0
Dennis N. Maidon
The Parole Board BBS
9411 Buffalo Rd
Clayton, NC 27520
(919) 965-3600 -> Voice
(before 9:30 PM EST)
The Parole Board BBS
FIDO 1:151/185
(919) 965-4696 -> US Robotics 21.6k Dual Standard
(919) 965-9885 -> Hayes OPTIMA 288 V.FC
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
OLR(OnLine Reviews) is a BBS door program designed to allow your
users to write reviews and reports on certain topics which you, the
SysOp, have set up in the door, and upload the reviews directly to the
door. Users may read these reviews online or even download them and
read them at their leisure.
SysOps are able to make LOCAL uploads. Select [U]pload review and
OLR will detect a LOCAL login and act accordingly.
The door should be easy enough to set up on its own, particularly if
you're familiar with door operation under Wildcat! If you do have any
problems, you can reach me on The Parole Board BBS or you can call me
voice.
REGISTERED OPTIONS:
Once registered, you may set the Listing Age (Line #9 of the CFG
file) to any number of days. Until registration, it is locked at 30
days. I do not like 'crippling' or 'handicapping' one of my programs
but on my older doors, there are more un-registered users using them
than registered. I do spend a vast amount of time and energy
programming these doors. In block purchases, I probably have some of
the cheapest doors available. I do this because I know just how much it
does cost to operate a BBS. To those that do register, I do appreciate
it and hope to continue bringing you quality software in the years to
come.
Users may also download the reviews via the door. To utilize this option,
you will need a copy of DSZ/GSZ.EXE. You will need to create a CFG file
named "DSZCFG.x" (x=Node Number).
DSZ <-Line 1
2F8,3 <-Line 2
=========================================================================
This file requires *ONLY* 2 lines. I have included the instructions
here to enable you to locate them a bit easier.
With this release, users that enter an event may also
upload an ANSI display screen. This will require
creating a file named "DSZCFG.x", with the "x" being the
node number. If you have more than 1 node, you must
create a file for each node. The format is as follows:
Line 1: "DSZ" or "GSZ" (without the quotes) Place the
filename of whichever program you use.
Line 2: You will need to enter the BASE,IRQ of the node
you are operating on here. For example, If you
are using COM2, you should place "2F8,3" on
this line. See the enclosed DSZCFG.1 for a
sample.
COM1 3F8,4 ─┐ Standard
COM2 2F8,3 ─┘
COM3 3E8,<IRQ> ─┐Put correct IRQ number
COM4 2F8,<IRQ> ─┘instead of <IRQ>
You should read the DSZ/GSZ documentation and the
X00.SYS DOCs for further details. You should also have
DSZ.COM or GSZ.COM located in a directory that is in
your path. Users will be given a choice of ZMODEM,
XMODEM, XMODEM-1K, XMODEM-CRC, YMODEM and YMODEM-1K. I
wholeheartedly recommend that you register DSZ or GSZ
from Chuck Forsberg if you intend to use it.
If you wish, you may create a file named "DONOR.CL" and place it in the
OLR door directory. Place the user's name in this file that donated
OLR to your BBS. OLR will display a line:
OnLine Reviews courtesy of : <users' name>
If OLR does not locate the file, it will not display the donor line.
SUPPORT:
Support for OLR is available from several sources. Messages
may be left on The Parole Board BBS in the "PAROLE Software" conference
or the Mustang! BBS in the "PRIVATE" conference. If you feel that a
message is not satisfactory you may call me voice. (919) 965-3600
Please call before 9:30pm EST as I am an early riser and need to get my
"beauty sleep". <G> Remember, I am in North Carolina and we are three
(3) hours ahead of the west coast.
NOTE: *PLEASE* check your file name and paths very carefully. Ninety
percent of the calls I get, are due to an incorrect path or CFG file
setup. Read the following instructions carefully before calling. You
should also read the OLR.HIS file as it contains information that is
not included in this file.
UPDATES:
Updates are FREE to registered users and may be downloaded from The
Parole Board BBS, Mustang! BBS and various other BBS systems. Once
registered, OLR updates are free for life. If you wish an update on
disk, send $3 to the address listed above and specify the disk size.
If you are in a hurry and do not want to take the time to logon,
enter " PAROLE SOFTWARE NOW! " at the name prompt. It will give you
access to the PAROLE Software file & support areas. Don't forget the
"!" on "NOW".
You may also FREQ the current OLR update by requesting OLR
from 1:151/185.
LEGALITIES
__________
THIS SOFTWARE AND ACCOMPANYING MATERIALS ARE DISTRIBUTED "AS IS"
WITHOUT WARRANTY, EXPRESSED, IMPLIED OR STATUTORY, INCLUDING BUT NOT
LIMITED TO ANY IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS
FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. IN NO EVENT SHALL ANYONE INVOLVED WITH
THE CREATION AND PRODUCTION OF THIS PRODUCT BE LIABLE FOR INDIRECT,
SPECIAL, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, ARISING OUT OF ANY USE THEREOF
OR BREACH OF ANY WARRANTY.
DISTRIBUTION
____________
You may make this file available for downloading from your BBS or you may
upload it to any BBS of your choice, provided that you do not make any
changes to the contents of the archive (ZIP file). The archive and its
individual contents may not be used by any service that charges any money
whatsoever, without the written permission of the author.
This ZIP file was created using the -AV function of PKZIP. If
my AV is missing then this file may not be complete or has been
tampered with. Complete and current editions of this program
are always available for D/L on The Parole Board BBS. If the -AV
is missing please complain to your sysop to stop the practice of
removing AV's as this is your assurance from the programmer that
the file is complete and virus free.
INSTALLATION:
Installation of OLR is an easy straightforward operation. You
will need to create a directory to hold the OLR files. For
simplicity, we will use the directory "C:\DOOR\OLR" in this
documentation. Once you have created "\OLR", unZIP the OLR-xx.ZIP
archive into that directory. Create a sub directory named "\REVIEWS".
The Reviews will be ULed to this directory. You should then create
a sub directory called "C:\DOOR\OLR\SCREENS". UnZIP the file
"SCREENS.ZIP" into this sub-directory.
Any of these screens may be modified by the user but with some
restrictions. The OLRMENUx.xxx, and WELCOME.xxx screens must remain
the same physical size since some of the info on them is hard coded in
the OLR.EXE program.
You will then need to edit the OLR.CFG file(s) to suit your
individual WildCat! setup. You MUST use an ASCii editor to edit the CFG
file at all times. Some word processors leave hidden control codes that
could cause OLR to die a horrible and ugly death. The OLR.CFG
file must contain 9 lines.
C:\WC30\WCWORK\NODE1\USERINFO.DAT─┐
C:\PCB\USERS.SYS ├ <- Path to User file. I recommend
C:\SF\SFDOORS.DAT │ using USERS.SYS for PCBoard and
C:\BBS\DORINFOx.DEF │ USERINFO.DAT for Wildcat!
C:\BBS\CALLINFO.BBS │
C:\BBS\GTUSER.DAT │
C:\BBS\DOOR.SYS │
C:\BBS\PCBOARD.SYS │
C:\BBS\TRIBBS.SYS ─┘
The Parole Board BBS <- BBS Name
Dennis <- SysOp's first name
Maidon <- SysOp's last name
12345 <- Registration Serial number
100 <- Min. Sec level to access door
260 <- Min Sec level to Add listings
C:\WC30\ <- Your HOME dir - ACTIVITY.xxx log
90 <- Number of days for listings to
remain current. Non-registered
installations are limited to 30
days.
===========================================
NOTE: There are 2 additional lines necessary when using GTUSER.BBS.
Since this file does not provide the Comport and Node number,
You need to add the to the CFG file on lines 5 and 6. All
other lines in the CFG file move up accordingly. Instead of
9 lines, you will have 11 lines.
Line 1 This is where OLR will look to find USERINFO.DAT. It MUST
always point to the NODEx directory and NOT the \WC30
directory. You must use USERINFO.DAT, do not use DOOR.SYS for
a WC! BBS.
Line 2 Your BBS name
Line 3 Your First Name or the name you go by on the BBS (DO NOT use
"SYSOP")
Line 4 Your last name
Line 5 When you register OLR you will be given a serial number.
Place it on this line. Until then, you may put any number you
desire here or leave it blank.
Line 6 This is the minimum security level that you will allow to
enter the door. DO NOT use the Security Name In makewild.
Always use the Menu Access number.
┌──────────── MISCELLANEOUS ────────────┐
│ Menu access level 150 │<- Use this Number from the
│ Menu display set 6 │ EDIT PROFILE SCREEN in
│ Daily time limit 120 │ MAKEWILD. The cotton-picker
│ Maximum logon time 60 │ won't work if you use the
│ Maximum up/down ratio 50 │ Security Profile NAME.
│ Maximum daily downloads 15 │ Trust Me, I've been there.
Line 7 This is the minimum security level that may Add, Edit, Delete
or Update listings. Same procedure as Line 6
Line 8 Path where OLR will find you ACTIVITY.xxx files. This is
your Wildcat! home directory. OLR writes to the
individual Activity logs so that you can keep tabs on what
happens in the door.
Line 9 Number of days that reviews will remain current. Unregistered
OLR installations are preset to 30 days and may not be changed.
A "0" placed on this line will completely disable this
function.
Make sure that all your CFG files contain 9 lines. If you are
operating a Multi-Node setup, you must have a separate CFG file for
each node. Each CFG file must also have unique name such as:
BBS1.CFG BBS2.CFG BBS3.CFG
---------------
NOTE: You may now use one (1) CFG file for multi-node by using the
environment variables.
When specifying the location of the system file on line 1 of the doors .CFG
file, you may use the environment variables %pcbdrive%, %pcbdir%, %pcbnode%,
and %wcnodeid%. Some examples:
PCBoard:
USERS.SYS in C:\PCB - %pcbdrive%%pcbdir%\USERS.SYS
USERS.SYS in C:\PCB\NODE1 - %pcbdrive%%pcbdir%\NODE%pcbnode%\USERS.SYS
Wildcat!:
USERINFO.DAT in C:\WC30\WCWORK\NODE1 - C:\WC30\WCWORK\NODE%WCNODEID%
Non-PCBoard systems may use the PCB environment variables by setting them
in either AUTOEXEC.BAT or in the batch that runs the door. For example:
SET PCBDRIVE=C:
SET PCBDIR=\BBSDIR
SET PCBNODE=1
Create the CFG file(s) for you particular BBS. You will also need a DOORx.BAT
to run the door. This one is simple.
@ECHO OFF
CD \DOOR\OLR
OLR OLR.CFG /5 or OLR OLR.CFG /%WCIRQID%
──┬─
┌──────────────┘
└ If you are running non-Standard Com ports on your BBS, you will need to pass
the proper IRQ to the door. It doesn't hurt to pass the IRQ even if they are
standard. If a user enters the door and it just sits there acting sort of
stupid, it's probably looking for the correct IRQ. Always pass it on the
command line and there will be no question. Some networks have a problem
using the "/" symbol. OLR will now accept an asterisk "*" in place of
the "/". You may also use the environment variable in the DOORx.BAT file to
pass info to the door.
OLR OLR%WCNODEID%.CFG /%WCIRQID%
Make sure you DO have the variables set if you use this method.
NOTE: OLR supports COM 1-4 on the standard IRQ's - COM1/COM3 = IRQ4 and
COM2/COM4 = IRQ3. If you wish to use a non-standard IRQ, add the IRQ
number after the configuration filename. Let's assume your Door is
called FOOBAR and you want to use COM1 and IRQ5. The command line
passed to your Door would be:
FOOBAR FOOBAR.CFG /5
The /5 tells OLR to use IRQ5 rather than the standard IRQ4 that
is normally used with COM1. No /x parameter is needed for the standard
IRQ's. OLR supports IRQs 1 - 15.
OLR Files
_____________________
GOODBYE.NO If you do not wish to offer users the ability to
[G]oodbye from the door, create this file and place it in
the OLR directory. This may be a '0' byte file.
SPECIAL.TXT This is an ASCii file that is placed in the door directory. If
OLR detects it, it will be displayed to all incoming
callers after the welcome screen.
---REGISTERED SYSOPS ONLY!---
LASTCHK.DAT Created by OLR. DO NOT delete this file. This is
NOT an ASCii file. DO NOT try and edit it. This is used
by OLR to make sure the maintenance is run at the
proper time.
OLR.LOG Created by OLR. This contains the names of users
that have entered listings in OLR.
DSZCFG.x This is the config file to allow DSZ or GSZ to be used in
conjunction with OLR so that users may Download the
text file or upload ANSI ads to the BBS.
DONOR.CL If your Registered version of OLR was donated by a user,
you may place their name(s) in this file and OLR will
display the info to all incoming callers.
CATEGORY.CL This file contains the area names that are available in
OLR. It may contain a maximum of 30 area names of no
more that 33 characters each. DO NOT use a comma "," in
the area name. Place a blank line after the last area
you wish to define.
INTROxx.eee These files are used to introduce a user to a specific
category. For instance, if a user selects conference
#12, OLR will look for a file named INTRO12.eee and
display it to the user before he enters the Review
header information. You may create one for each
category and place them in the "\SCREENS" directory.
INTROxx.eee file name format:
The "xx" is the Category number. For Instance, If you
have "Music" specified as Category #4, the the filename
would be INTRO4.eee.
The "eee" is the file extension.
ANS = ANSI file
ASC = ASCii text file
It is recommended that you create one of each. If for
some reason you wish not to create both of them, you can get
by with creating only the "ASC" version. DO NOT create
just "ANS" file. BTW, you don't have to use any of them.
It's just a feature.
NOTE-> Creating a "0" byte file. At the DOS prompt, type the following:
COPY CON <filename> [CR]
press <F6> [CR]
[CR] = Enter
This will create a '0' byte file using the <filename> specified in the
command line above.
Fossil Driver Support
---------------------
OLR supports the use of Fossil drivers. To tell your Door to use the
Fossil driver instead of the standard COM ports, just put /FD on the command
line when running the door. For example:
MYDOOR MYDOOR.CFG /FD
MYDOOR MYDOOR.CFG *FD
indicates that a Fossil driver is present and should be used. If no Fossil
driver is detected, OLR will print a message to that effect and exit
the door gracefully.
If you have WC! set up to TERMINATE on Doors, you will need to add a
line to reload the BBS. I'm not sure about the exact way this is
set up since I do not use this method. Check your WC! Manual.
Wildcat! will pick up the [G]oodbye from the door as a normal
logoff. It is possible that Livecat! will see this as a Drop
Carrier and not pass it to WC! as a normal logoff. No damage is
done.
GOODBYE Option: ("tBernasconi" switch)
If you do not wish the users to [G]oodbye from the door, create a
file in the door directory named "GOODBYE.NO". OLR will look for
this file and if it exists, will disable the [G]oodbye option.
NOTE: You may edit any of the screens included in this archive for your
personal use. DO NOT distribute them in the OLR.ZIP archive.
You may distribute them separately. I recommend using TheDraw to
edit the screens. They should remain the same physical size as
the originals. Be sure to delete any trailing blank lines at the
bottom of the screens.
CREDITS:
Wildcat! BBS is Copyright 1985-1994, Mustang Software Inc.
PCBoard is a registered trademark of Clark Development Company.
OLR was written using the DoorFrame Door module for MicroSoft's
Visual Basic for MS-DOS, Professional Version.
DoorFrame is Copyright 1990-1993, Ted Freeman
NOTE- Ted Freeman passed away on July 13, 1993. If you ever had the
opportunity to meet or talk with him, you couldn't help but like him. He
will be sorely missed in the BBS world.
Visual Basic for MS-DOS is Copyrighted by Microsoft Corporation.
I wish to extend a very personal note of thanks to Laymon Curtis,
Byron Hill and Ron Doty for their participation in helping bring
you this door. Ron and I spent many a long hour on the telephone
and we have finally solved most of the world's problems.
Without the time and effort that was spent by the preceding BETA
team members, OLR would not have been possible.
Also, a special thanks to all of you that have called with
suggestions for OLR.
DSZ / GSZ Copyright Chuck Forsberg.
TheDraw Copyright 1986-1993, TheSoft Programming Services and Ian
E. Davis.
All other brand and product names are registered trademarks or
copyright of their respective companies.