|
|
| TeleMail - The Telegard Network Mail Interface
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| Copyright 1990-1991 by Martin Pollard. All rights reserved.
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| Version 1.50
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| Release Date: 15 Dec 1991
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|
___________________
TABLE OF CONTENTS
___________________
Introduction .................................................... 1
Required Software ............................................... 2
Installing TeleMail ............................................. 3
TeleMail Functions and Options .................................. 4
The TeleMail Setup Utility (TMSETUP) ............................ 9
System Data .................................................. 10
Mail Commands ................................................ 12
Twit Manager ................................................. 13
Using TeleMail .................................................. 15
GroupMail Top Star Conferences .................................. 17
The Message Deletion Feature (aka "Twit Filter") ................ 18
High-Water Marks ................................................ 19
ERRORLEVEL Values ............................................... 21
Recommended Software ............................................ 22
____________________________________
BORING (BUT NECESSARY) LEGAL STUFF
____________________________________
WARRANTY
This program is provided as-is, without warranty of any kind,
either expressed or implied, and is only guaranteed to occupy
disk space. In no event will the author be liable to you or
anyone else for any damages, including (but not limited to) any
lost profits, lost savings or other incidental or consequential
damages arising out of the use of, or inability to use, this
program.
In short: You're on your own. If it works for you, great; if
not, or if it breaks something, c'est la vie. As the saying
goes, "Use it at your own risk, but if it breaks, *YOU* have
the pieces."
COPYRIGHT
This program is provided at no cost to you. However, it is NOT
public domain; it is copyrighted by the author. You may dis-
tribute this program freely, so long as all files in the dis-
tribution archive remain intact, without any changes or modifi-
cations. The distribution archive is in ZIP format; however,
you may convert the archive to any format you choose, so long
as the above requirements are met.
CREDITS
All brand and product names referenced in this document are
trademarks, registered trademarks, or copyrighted works of
their respective holders.
I would also like to thank Donald Broadbent, whose original
work and concept provided the basis for TeleMail. His efforts
are gratefully acknowledged and appreciated.
TeleMail - The Telegard Network Mail Interface
______________
INTRODUCTION
______________
TeleMail is an interface between the Telegard bulletin board system
and FidoNet standard NetMail, EchoMail, and GroupMail messages
(hereafter referred to collectively as "network mail"). TeleMail
will:
* Read incoming network mail messages and store them in
Telegard's message bases.
* Scan Telegard's message bases for outgoing network mail mes-
sages, creating them for further processing and transmission by
your front-end mailer.
* Other functions, such as purging network mail messages that
have already been processed, and packing outgoing GroupMail
messages in Top Star bases.
The TeleMail package also includes a menu-driven configuration
utility, TMSETUP, which allows almost complete configuration of
TeleMail's operation, from function switches to DOS commands.
Bear in mind that this document is not a tutorial; although it tries
to present things in as uncomplicated a manner as possible, it does
assume that you are at least familiar with the concepts of FidoNet-
style networking and mail processing. It's a lot of fun, but it's
NOT for the faint-of-heart.
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TeleMail - The Telegard Network Mail Interface
___________________
REQUIRED SOFTWARE
___________________
You will need the following software:
--- The Telegard BBS software version 2.7.
--- A front-end mailer program. Front-end mailers take care of
everything that has to do with transmitting and receiving
mail and files.
--- If you will be receiving EchoMail conferences, you will need an
EchoMail processing program (which will pack and unpack message
bundles and processing messages).
--- If you will be receiving GroupMail conferences, you will need a
GroupMail processing program and the ARC archiving program
(from System Enhancement Associates). Like its EchoMail cous-
in, a GroupMail processor will process incoming and outgoing
GroupMail bundles. It also performs other duties specific to
GroupMail.
Some of the more popular variations on the above programs are listed
at the end of this document. However, it is beyond the scope of
this document to provide detailed instructions on the configuration
and use of these programs.
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TeleMail - The Telegard Network Mail Interface
_____________________
INSTALLING TELEMAIL
_____________________
Installing TeleMail is a relatively simple job (compared to setting
up network mail itself!). As this document is more of a reference
manual than a "how-to" book, this installation procedure will only
attempt to cover the installation of TeleMail itself.
If you haven't already done so, unpack the TeleMail distribution
archive into your main BBS directory. The only files that are
ABSOLUTELY required are TELEMAIL.EXE (the TeleMail program itself)
and TMSETUP.EXE (the TeleMail setup utility); all other files may be
deleted. Also note that the .EXE files can be placed in any direc-
tory specified in your PATH statement, but TeleMail *MUST* be exe-
cuted from the main BBS directory (this is because it needs to find
Telegard's STATUS.DAT file in order to obtain necessary
information).
TeleMail requires a configuration file, TELEMAIL.DAT, in order to
run; thus, you should run TMSETUP from the main BBS directory.
Don't worry about using the program for now; since the default
options will serve for now, just press ESC and answer "Y" to the
"Save configuration?" question. TMSETUP will be covered in detail
in the next section.
That's it for installation! (That wasn't so hard, was it?)
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TeleMail - The Telegard Network Mail Interface
________________________________
TELEMAIL FUNCTIONS AND OPTIONS
________________________________
If you are already familiar with network mail processing, using
TeleMail will not be difficult at all. Its command line parameters
are patterned after most mail processing utilities, for ease of use
and understanding. The command line syntax is:
TELEMAIL functions [options]
Functions tell TeleMail what operations to perform. AT LEAST ONE
function must be specified in order for TeleMail to work.
TOSS
Takes messages stored in the message directories and inserts
them into Telegard's message base files (BRD and MIX). This
function must be done AFTER EchoMail and/or GroupMail has been
processed. While tossing, TeleMail follows these criteria:
--- 1.MSG files, which are used to store the high-water mark
(explained later), are skipped, if they exist. (This is
necessary only for EchoMail bases, as 1.MSG is a valid
message with NetMail and GroupMail.)
--- As per FidoNet specifications, all linefeeds (ASCII 10
decimal, 0A hexadecimal) and soft carriage returns (ASCII
141 decimal, 8D hexadecimal) are removed. Hard carriage
returns (ASCII 13 decimal, 0D hexadecimal) and all other
characters are preserved.
--- ANSI and 8-bit ASCII characters are converted to "*" if
the message base is flagged to strip them. (Technically,
network mail messages should not have ANY such characters,
but in practice, it's an all-too-common occurrence,
particularly in countries which use non-standard ASCII
characters in their alphabets.)
-- All control lines, tear lines, and origin lines are
preserved.
--- To prevent the MCI system from inadvertently showing the
user's personal information, all "@" characters in the
FROM, TO, and SUBJECT fields are replaced with "*" charac-
ters.
--- Messages in GroupMail bases defined as Top Star confer-
ences are not tossed unless TeleMail is told to do so.
This feature is explained in the "GroupMail Top Star
Conferences" section.
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TeleMail - The Telegard Network Mail Interface
--- Inbound NetMail messages are not deleted after they have
been tossed, unless the "-P" command line option is speci-
fied (or the "Delete Inbound NetMail" option is enabled in
the configuration file).
--- TeleMail will ONLY toss non-local NetMail messages (i.e.
ones which have been received by remote systems).
Messages that are tossed by this function are marked as "sent,"
so that the SCAN function doesn't pick them up (which would
create duplicate messages).
SCAN
Scans the Telegard message files for outgoing messages, creat-
ing *.MSG files in the message directories. This function must
be done BEFORE any outbound mail processing.
--- Outgoing EchoMail messages are numbered starting from
2.MSG, as 1.MSG is used to store the high-water mark
(explained later). NetMail and GroupMail messages don't
have this restriction; therefore, they are numbered start-
ing from 1.MSG.
--- Messages that are marked as "deleted," "not validated," or
"sent" by Telegard are skipped. The former are skipped
because, obviously, the message was deleted or not vali-
dated for a reason; the latter are skipped to avoid creat-
ing duplicate messages.
--- The conversion of the "center line" and "box line" codes
is handled according to the options specified for each
message base.
--- MCI color codes are removed from all outgoing messages.
--- If a message doesn't contain a tear and/or origin line,
TeleMail will add them (depending on the status of the
"add tear/origin lines" flag for the message base).
--- If a base is flagged "real names only," real names are
used in the FROM and TO fields.
--- If a base has an address defined that is different from
the default address, the defined address is used in the
message header and the origin line. Otherwise, the de-
fault address is used.
--- GroupMail bases defined as Top Star conferences are not
scanned unless TeleMail is told to do so. This feature is
explained in the "GroupMail Top Star Conferences" section.
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TeleMail - The Telegard Network Mail Interface
Messages that are scanned by this function are marked as
"sent," so that they will not be re-scanned (which would create
duplicate messages).
PACK
Performs all the functions of the SCAN command, but includes
bases defined as GroupMail Top Star conferences, in addition to
all other bases. This function is discussed in more detail in
the "GroupMail Top Star Conferences" section.
PURGE
Removes all messages stored in the message directories and
resets the high-water marks for each base. (High-water marks
are explained later.) Unless you are using a program that
manipulates EchoMail and GroupMail messages (such as an offline
message system), the message directories should be purged ONLY
AFTER THE BASES HAVE BEEN SCANNED FOR OUTGOING MESSAGES WITH
YOUR ECHOMAIL AND/OR GROUPMAIL PROCESSORS! (If you purge the
directories before this is done, you will lose ALL of your
outgoing messages.) There is NO WAY that TeleMail can safe-
guard against this, so use the PURGE function with care!
RESET
Resets the high-water marks of each base to the highest exist-
ing message in the message directories. As updating of the
high-water marks is done automatically by TOSS, SCAN, and
PURGE, this option is not normally needed. It is provided for
use in very rare cases, and should not be used unless you know
*EXACTLY* what you are doing!
ALL
Performs the TOSS, SCAN, and PURGE operations in one shot. ALL
provides an alternative to having to specify those three com-
mands on the command line. (This function does NOT include
PACK.) Note that this function should be used ONLY if EchoMail
and/or GroupMail processing commands are defined in the config-
uration file (explained later).
Options tell TeleMail how to perform its functions. As the name
suggests, they are optional. The current available options are:
-B Normally, TeleMail's video output will be sent directly to
video memory (except when displaying the help screen). This is
done to provide fast screen output. If your computer doesn't
work properly with direct screen writes, use "-B" to force
TeleMail to use the BIOS video output functions (they provide
better compatibility, but they are much slower).
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TeleMail - The Telegard Network Mail Interface
-D Enables the "message deletion" feature (also known as a "twit
filter") when performing the TOSS function. This feature will
prevent messages from selected individuals from being tossed.
(Note that this function DOES NOT remove the actual messages
themselves; it merely prevents the messages from showing up in
Telegard's message bases.) Refer to the "The Message Deletion
Feature" section for more details.
-E Prevents TeleMail from operating on EchoMail bases, useful in
situations where you do NOT want EchoMail to be processed.
-F Forces the EchoMail and GroupMail scanning commands (defined in
the configuration file, discussed later) to be executed, even
if TeleMail could not detect any messages that need to be
exported. Note that this command does NOT override the "-S"
option.
-G Prevents TeleMail from operating on GroupMail bases, useful in
situations where you do NOT want GroupMail to be processed.
-K During a PURGE operation, TeleMail will attempt to use low-
level DOS functions in order to quickly purge a message direc-
tory. This is known as the "fast" method. If your system does
not respond well to the "fast" method, you can use this option
to force the "slow" method (used in previous versions of
TeleMail, and which should work in ALL circumstances).
-L During processing, TeleMail will keep a constantly updated log
file (defined in the configuration file) detailing every activ-
ity performed (the log file is essentially a reproduction of
what is normally displayed on the screen). This option will
suppress the creation and/or updating of the log file.
-N Prevents TeleMail from operating on NetMail bases, useful in
situations where you do NOT want NetMail to be processed.
-P Normally, TeleMail will simply mark inbound NetMail messages as
"received" after they have been tossed. This option will force
TeleMail to delete these messages instead.
-Q TeleMail normally displays very detailed information about what
it is doing. The disadvantage to this is that it slows down
the processing of messages somewhat. This option will suppress
all but essential messages (it does NOT affect log file
output), resulting in faster processing.
-S Prevents TeleMail from executing the DOS commands defined in
the configuration file (discussed later). Useful for perform-
ing tests of the message system without disturbing already
existing EchoMail and GroupMail bundles. (If mail processing
commands have not been defined in the configuration file, this
option is ignored.)
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TeleMail - The Telegard Network Mail Interface
-T Normally, TeleMail will not touch message bases designated as
GroupMail Top Star conferences. (This allows the SysOp to take
advantage of the full moderation facilities of GroupMail.)
This option tells TeleMail that it's okay to work on Top Star
bases. (Refer to the "GroupMail Top Star Conferences" section
for more details.)
-V# This option controls how detailed TeleMail's log file will be.
"#" can be 0 (minimal), 1 (normal), or 2 (maximum). Level 1
(normal detail) is the default, and is the best choice for
everyday use. Note that this option has no effect if the log
file is disabled (via the "-L" option).
-X Instructs TeleMail to ignore the high-water mark when tossing
messages. Note that this option is rarely used, as it may
cause duplicate messages in your Telegard message bases.
If no functions are specified, or an incorrect function and/or option
is specified, TeleMail will display a help screen, showing abbreviated
descriptions of all available functions and options (as well as the
proper command line syntax).
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TeleMail - The Telegard Network Mail Interface
______________________________________
THE TELEMAIL SETUP UTILITY (TMSETUP)
______________________________________
The TeleMail setup utility (TMSETUP) configures most of TeleMail's
operating parameters (DOS commands, program options, etc.). It is
completely menu-driven for ease of use.
Simply type "TMSETUP" at the DOS prompt to start the program. Note
that you must be in the main BBS directory, as TeleMail requires
that the TELEMAIL.DAT file created by TMSETUP be in the main BBS
directory (along with the Telegard STATUS.DAT file). Several
command line switches may be specified with TMSETUP to alter how the
program operates:
/BIOS Forces the use of BIOS video routines instead of
direct screen writes, useful for computers that
aren't 100% IBM PC compatible. (Do not use this
switch otherwise, as it slows down display output.)
/SNOW Enables elimination of "snow" that some CGA video
cards produce. If you see snow on the screen when
using TMSETUP, this switch will usually eliminate it.
(Do not use this switch if your display is unaffect-
ed, as it slows down display output.)
/MONO If you are using a monochrome video monitor with a
CGA video card, this switch will map all display
codes to black and white so that the output produced
by TMSETUP is more readable.
More than one switch may be used by separating them with spaces,
i.e. "TMSETUP /BIOS /MONO".
Once the program is started, the screen will show a copyright notice
at the top, a line of text at the bottom, and a menu window in the
middle. This is the Main Menu, as evidenced by the word "Main" at
the top of the window (all menu windows are similarly titled). The
options available at the Main Menu are:
System Data
Mail Commands
Twit Manager
Save and Exit
Exit
Use the arrow keys to move the cursor bar to the desired option, and
press ENTER to select that option. To exit the program, you can
select "Save and Exit" (which will save all configuration options),
or "Exit" (you will be prompted to save any changes if necessary).
Also, pressing ESC is the same as selecting "Exit".
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TeleMail - The Telegard Network Mail Interface
SYSTEM DATA
This is where most of TeleMail's options are configured. Use the
arrow keys to move the cursor bar to the desired option, and press
ENTER to select that option. To return to the Main Menu, press ESC.
On almost all options, pressing ENTER will instantly change that
option to the next available value. Others will require keyboard
input.
Name of Log File
Defines the name of the file to which TeleMail will write
its logging information. The format is identical to the
FrontDoor version 2.x log file; thus, if you like, you can
specify the name of FrontDoor's log file instead of a
separate file. This way, all of TeleMail's logging infor-
mation will be appended to the FrontDoor log to consoli-
date the information.
If you want to disable the generation of a log file,
simply erase (blank out) this field completely. (The
default filename is "TELEMAIL.LOG", prefixed by the path
of your main BBS directory.)
Log Detail Level
Selects the amount of detail written to the log file:
minimal, normal, or maximum. Minimal will only write
cumulative totals for inbound, outbound, and other opera-
tions; normal includes status lines only for affected
areas (the default mode); maximum includes status lines
for EVERYTHING.
Note that this field cannot be changed if the log file
name is blank. Also note that this value can be overrid-
den by the "-Vx" command line option.
Video Output Type
Tells TeleMail how to write video output: via direct
writes to video memory (the default mode), or via BIOS
video display routines. The use of BIOS routines is not
recommended unless your system is not 100% IBM PC compati-
ble, as video output will be noticably slower.
Note that this setting can be overriden by the "-B"
command line option.
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TeleMail - The Telegard Network Mail Interface
Video Output Level
Selects how much information is written to the video
display. Two modes are available: normal (the default
mode) and minimal. In normal mode, the status of each
message area being processed is shown; in minimal mode,
only totals are displayed. The advantage of minimal mode
is faster processing, since TeleMail will not spend time
writing information to the video display.
Note that this setting can be overridden by the "-Q"
command line option.
Twit Deletion
Enables or disables the message deletion function (the
"twit filter"), used to filter out messages from and/or to
certain individuals. This option is disabled by default.
Note that this setting can be overridden by the "-D"
command line option.
Process Top Star Bases
Enables or disables processing of GroupMail Top Star
bases. If you are the Top Star of one or more GroupMail
conferences but operate them in purely automatic mode,
enabling this option will save you a considerable amount
of work, as TeleMail will take care of processing automat-
ically. (This option is disabled by default.)
Note that this option can be overridden by the "-T"
command line option.
Delete Inbound NetMail
Selects whether or not to delete inbound NetMail after it
has been tossed into your Telegard NetMail message base.
If you do not use an external message editor, enabling
this option will clean up your NetMail message area by not
leaving any inbound mail there. If you prefer to use an
external editor, or do not have a NetMail message base
defined in Telegard, you should disable this option (the
default mode).
Note that this option can be overridden by the "-P"
command line option.
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TeleMail - The Telegard Network Mail Interface
Force Slow Purge Method
Selects whether or not to force TeleMail to use the "slow"
method of purging inbound network mail messages. If the
default "fast" method is causing problems on your system
(or if it simply doesn't work), enabling this option will
usually solve the problem, at a cost of substantially
increased processing time. This option is disabled by
default, as the "fast" method will usually work on most
systems.
Note that this option can be overridden by the "-K"
command line option.
MAIL COMMANDS
To run TeleMail in a totally automated fashion, you can define here
the DOS commands used to process inbound and outbound EchoMail and
GroupMail messages, as well as a command to execute after mail
processing is complete and a command to pack GroupMail Top Star base
messages for distribution.
Use the arrow keys to move the cursor bar to the desired option and
press ENTER. Type the appropriate command line (full pathnames are
recommended), then press ENTER to save it. Press ESC to return to
the Main Menu.
EchoMail Toss
This is the command used to process inbound EchoMail (and,
in some cases, inbound NetMail) message packets. It is
executed during the TOSS function, just before inbound
messages are imported into the Telegard message bases.
This command is always executed, regardless of whether or
not any inbound mail packets are present (as TeleMail has
no way of determining such a condition).
EchoMail Scan
This is the command used to process outbound EchoMail
(and, in some cases, outbound NetMail) message packets.
It is executed during the SCAN function, just after mes-
sages are exported from the Telegard message bases. This
command is executed ONLY if TeleMail detects pending
messages in the EchoMail message directories and/or if
TeleMail exports messages from the Telegard message bases.
GroupMail Toss
Same as EchoMail Toss, but applies to GroupMail message
packets.
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TeleMail - The Telegard Network Mail Interface
GroupMail Scan
Same as EchoMail Scan, but applies to GroupMail message
packets.
GroupMail Pack
This is the command used to pack messages in GroupMail Top
Star bases into packets for distribution. It is executed
during the PACK function, just after messages are exported
from the Telegard message bases (as PACK forces the SCAN
function). As with the SCAN function, this command is
executed ONLY if TeleMail detects pending messages in the
GroupMail message directories and/or if TeleMail exports
messages from the Telegard message bases.
Post Processing
This command is executed after all mail processing is
complete, just before TeleMail exits to DOS. It can be
used for just about anything you require, from creating
GroupMail update requests to packing outbound NetMail
messages. This command is always executed.
Note that all of these commands can be suppressed by the "-S"
command line option. Also, the EchoMail and GroupMail scan commands
can be forced (i.e. executed whether or not any pending or exported
messages are present) with the "-F" command line option.
TWIT MANAGER
TeleMail's message deletion facility (or "twit remover") is used to
prevent messages addressed to and/or from specified individuals from
being imported into Telegard's message bases. This feature is quite
helpful in preventing messages to/from obnoxious individuals from
ever reaching your system.
TMSETUP's Twit Manager is used to add, change, or delete entries in
TeleMail's "twit list". Up to 50 entries can be stored in the list
in this release.
Once this option is selected, you will be shown a window with the
first entry's information. (If there are no entries, the window
will be blank.) The following keys may be used:
LEFT ARROW Display the previous entry in the list. If you
are currently at the first entry, pressing this
key will move to the last entry.
RIGHT ARROW Display the next entry in the list. If you are
currently at the last entry, pressing this key
will move to the first entry.
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TeleMail - The Telegard Network Mail Interface
HOME Display the first entry in the list.
END Display the last entry in the list.
INSERT Insert a new entry in the list. This facility
is presented in more detail later.
DELETE Delete the current entry.
F1 Modify the current entry. This facility is
presented in more detail later.
ESC Return to the Main Menu.
Inserting a new entry and modifying an existing entry are virtually
identical in operation; the only difference is that inserting a new
entry is like modifying a blank entry. (Think about it for a minute
and it will become less confusing...) Thus, both will be discussed
simultaneously.
Once you choose to insert or modify an entry, a cursor bar will be
shown at the first field in the window. Use the arrow keys to move
between fields; press ENTER to modify a field. Once finished, you
can press F10 to save the updated information, or ESC to abandon the
changes you made.
Name of Twit
Specifies the text to compare against the specified
field(s) of inbound messages. Case is not important, as
TeleMail ignores case during comparisons.
Area Tag
Specifies the Telegard message area to which this entry
applies. This allows you to remove messages based on
individual message bases. (If you want messages deleted
in ALL bases, specify "*ALL*" for the area tag.)
Field to Compare
Specifies which field(s) to which TeleMail will compare
the text: From, To, or From/To (i.e. both). Pressing
ENTER at this option will cycle between all three values.
Partial Comparison
Specifies whether or not a partial comparison is to be
performed with the specified text. For instance, if
partial comparison is enabled, "MORAVSIK" is specified for
the text, and From/To is specified as the comparison
fields, all messages to and from persons whose names
include the text "MORAVSIK" will be deleted.
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TeleMail - The Telegard Network Mail Interface
________________
USING TELEMAIL
________________
As stated above, TeleMail is designed to be used in conjunction with
other EchoMail and GroupMail processing software. This is because
TeleMail is only a translator; other software must be used to proc-
ess incoming and outgoing mail bundles (also called "packets").
The best way to accomplish this is with batch files. For the exam-
ples that are about to be shown, it is assumed that an EchoMail
processor is set up to process messages in your BBS directory. The
software used is ConfMail, whose manual contains excellent discus-
sions on the topics of EchoMail (any other EchoMail processing
program can be used; ConfMail is used as an example because it's the
simplest). Please consult the documentation for your EchoMail
processor for information on how to properly configure it for Echo-
Mail processing.
Our first example is for incoming mail:
ECHO OFF { turn off command echoing }
CD C:\BBS { change to BBS directory }
CONFMAIL IMPORT -A PKUNPAK { process incoming messages }
TELEMAIL TOSS { put messages into Telegard }
Pretty simple, wasn't it? ConfMail takes care of placing incoming
messages into their proper spots, and TeleMail takes care of putting
them into Telegard's message bases. (The "-A PKUNPAK" in the Conf-
Mail command line tells the program to use PKWARE's program to
unpack any incoming ARCmail bundles. Refer to the ConfMail documen-
tation for more details on ARCmail.) This batch file should be
executed every time a bundle of mail is received; consult the docu-
mentation for your front-end mailer on how to do this.
Now, let's see how to process outgoing messages:
ECHO OFF { turn off command echoing }
CD C:\BBS { change to BBS directory }
TELEMAIL SCAN { scan Telegard for outgoing }
CONFMAIL EXPORT { process outgoing messages }
TELEMAIL PURGE { purge remaining messages }
This one's a little more involved. As you can see, TeleMail is used
FIRST this time, because Telegard's message bases need to be scanned
for outgoing messages before ConfMail takes over. (Otherwise, they
will be missed entirely by ConfMail.) After ConfMail processes the
outgoing messages, they are purged from the message directories by
TeleMail. This is done mainly to save disk space; you can leave
them alone, if you wish, since both TeleMail and ConfMail will not
touch them in future processing. (This feat is accomplished through
the use of high-water marks, explained later.) This batch file
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TeleMail - The Telegard Network Mail Interface
should be executed before your front-end mailer's "mail events" are
performed; consult the documentation for your front-end mailer on
how to do this.
Note that the ConfMail command line in the above example doesn't
create ARCmail bundles. This feature can be added quite easily
using the "-D" and "-A" command line options (discussed in detail in
the ConfMail documentation). Note that if you use PKWARE's PKPAK
program for creating ARCmail, you should use the "compatibility
mode" option "-OCT" so that other archive processors -- such as
SEA's ARC -- can handle the ARCmail you create. (Consult the docu-
mentation for PKPAK/PKUNPAK for more details.)
Adding GroupMail processing to the above batch files is easy. Just
place the command lines required for GroupMail processing after the
commands for EchoMail processing (or before them; it doesn't
matter). You don't need separate TeleMail commands for each; Tele-
Mail handles both at the same time.
Note that these are the simplest of examples; more complicated
message processing can be accomplished, if needed, and other Echo-
Mail processing programs can be used besides ConfMail. Also, as
stated earlier, you can define the external EchoMail and GroupMail
processing commands in the configuration file (to simplify your
batch files, and to simplify your message processing in general).
To help you along, two sample batch files -- MAIL1.BAT and MAIL2.BAT
-- are included in the distribution archive. MAIL1.BAT is an exam-
ple of mail processing without commands defined in the configuration
file, while MAIL2.BAT is an example of mail processing with
commands defined. (You will notice that MAIL2.BAT is *MUCH* sim-
pler!) You should examine these batch files and make any necessary
modifications before using them with your setup.
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TeleMail - The Telegard Network Mail Interface
________________________________
GROUPMAIL TOP STAR CONFERENCES
________________________________
One of GroupMail's biggest advantages is its ability to allow the
moderator of a conference (the "Top Star") to fully moderate the
messages passing through the conference (i.e. messages can be delet-
ed if they are deemed offensive or a violation of conference policy;
thus, since these messages are deleted before they are packed, the
downstream nodes will never see them). However, since Telegard
doesn't use FidoNet standard messages, this capability is severely
curtailed... or is it?
TeleMail solves this problem in the following manner. If a Group-
Mail Top Star conference is detected, TeleMail will skip over it
during the TOSS, SCAN, PURGE, or RESET functions. Thus, both in-
bound and outbound messages can be examined and acted upon, if
necessary, before they are processed. But, how do we do that, if
TeleMail won't touch them? That is where the "-T" option comes in.
When "-T" is specified on the command line (or the Process Top Star
Bases option is enabled in the configuration file), TeleMail will be
allowed to process Top Star bases, allowing both import and export
of messages.
There is one other aspect of Top Star conferences that we haven't
touched, that of packing them up for pickup. If the messages aren't
packed, systems requesting the conference(s) can't pick them up.
That is where the PACK function comes in. PACK -- which implies the
SCAN function and the "-T" option -- will scan the message bases for
outbound messages, including Top Star bases, and execute the Group-
Mail Pack command (if defined in the configuration file) to pack up
the messages. Note that SCAN and "-T" need not be specified on the
command line when the PACK function is used, since they are implied
by PACK.
As those of you who are familiar with GroupMail Top Star conferences
can see, PACK and "-T" allow complete control over moderation of
these types of conferences.
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TeleMail - The Telegard Network Mail Interface
__________________________________________________
THE MESSAGE DELETION FEATURE (AKA "TWIT FILTER")
__________________________________________________
When dealing with network mail conferences, you're inevitably going
to come across this situation. In one of your favorite conferences
(TREK, for example), there is someone who is so rude, offensive, or
obnoxious, you don't even want his messages on your system. (This
person is generally referred to as a "twit.") Unfortunately, since
he's on a system halfway across the country, there is no way to
prevent the twit from posting in the conference. How do you handle
such a situation?
The answer is the message deletion feature (also known as a "twit
filter", as it keeps messages from "twits" out of the system). When
this feature is used, TeleMail will compare a list of names defined
in the configuration file to inbound messages encountered during the
TOSS function. If any entry matches the criteria you set up (con-
ference name, from and/or to), that message will not be placed in
the Telegard message base. In effect, you've just prevented the
person from posting on your system!
Note that this feature does *NOT* delete the original message, as
deletion of messages (other than by the conference moderator of
GroupMail conferences) is against FidoNet policy, and presumably
against the policies of other FidoNet-style networks. The messages
are still intact; they've just been prevented from being imported
into Telegard's message bases. They will still be packed up and
sent to other systems, if the conferences are being fed to other
nodes.
To use this feature, you must first use the Twit Manager in TMSETUP
to enter the name(s) you wish to filter from inbound messages. (See
"The TeleMail Setup Utility" section for more details on how to use
the Twit Manager.) After you define the desired names, you can
either enable the Twit Deletion option in the configuration file
(under System Data in TMSETUP), or use the "-D" option on the com-
mand line. From now on, whenever the TOSS function is used, Tele-
Mail will examine every incoming message and check the criteria of
the deletion file; names that match the criteria will not be placed
in Telegard's message bases.
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TeleMail - The Telegard Network Mail Interface
__________________
HIGH-WATER MARKS
__________________
A high-water mark is simply a file that stores the number of the
last message that was processed. This is done to prevent the toss-
ing and scanning operations from processing duplicate messages
(which are not looked upon favorably by SysOps OR conference modera-
tors). TeleMail stores its own high-water mark file, HI-WATER.MRK,
in each message directory, and uses it to base its own conclusions
about tossing and scanning messages. Thus, it doesn't conflict with
the EchoMail and GroupMail high-water marks. (High-water marks are
not necessary with NetMail, as TeleMail uses different criteria when
processing NetMail.)
EchoMail high-water marks take the form of a file called 1.MSG,
which is a FidoNet standard message. The only portion of the file
that matters is the REPLY TO field, which contains the high-water
message number; the rest of the file is ignored. (GroupMail handles
messages in a slightly different manner than EchoMail, and thus uses
a different high-water mark system.)
The EchoMail 1.MSG high-water mark is only modified by TeleMail
during the PURGE and RESET functions; it is not modified during
TOSS. This is because the EchoMail processor requires the high-
water marks to remain where they are in order for its scanning to
work properly.
Here's an example to illustrate what I mean. (This can get confus-
ing, so pay CLOSE attention...) Let's say that your system received
an EchoMail bundle that contained three messages for an echo that we
are also feeding to another system. The message directory already
contains three messages: 2.MSG, 3.MSG, and 4.MSG. Thus, both high-
water marks (1.MSG for the EchoMail processor, and HI-WATER.MRK for
TeleMail) for this echo are already set to 4.
Your EchoMail processor stores the incoming messages in the message
directory as messages 5.MSG, 6.MSG, and 7.MSG (messages 2.MSG
through 4.MSG already exist, as does the 1.MSG high-water mark).
The EchoMail high-water mark is left alone. TeleMail then scans the
directory and tosses 5.MSG through 7.MSG into the message base. The
TeleMail high-water mark is set to 7 (since it's the last one that
was processed). All is well.
Now, the bases are being scanned for outgoing messages. (Remember,
we are also feeding messages in this echo to another system, as well
as the system we obtained it from.) First, TeleMail is executed.
All bases are scanned, and it finds that our particular echo has two
new messages. Obeying the TeleMail high-water mark (which is cur-
rently set to 7... remember?), TeleMail stores them as messages
8.MSG and 9.MSG. The TeleMail high-water mark is then set to 9 (as
9.MSG is the last message processed by TeleMail).
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TeleMail - The Telegard Network Mail Interface
The EchoMail processor is then used to scan the message directories
for messages to be transmitted. It finds that our echo has five
messages that need to be sent out. This is why the EchoMail high-
water mark is NOT touched by TeleMail: Although the first three
messages don't need to be sent to the originating system, they DO
need to be sent to the system being fed. (The two new ones need to
be sent to BOTH systems, since they originated on your system.)
Thus, obeying the EchoMail high-water mark (currently set to 4), the
EchoMail processor sends 5.MSG, 6.MSG, and 7.MSG to the system being
fed, and 8.MSG and 9.MSG to that system and the originating system.
The EchoMail high-water mark is then set to 9 (as 9.MSG is the last
message scanned by the EchoMail processor). Thus, we are now right
back where we started!
If it all seems confusing at first, don't worry... you're not alone!
Every single FidoNet SysOp went through the same ordeals before they
understood the EchoMail system. GroupMail is processed in a similar
manner, but overall, it's much simpler than EchoMail. (The TeleMail
high-water mark, however, works the same way for both EchoMail and
GroupMail.)
For a discussion of the fundamental concepts of EchoMail, your best
bet is to consult the documentation for the ConfMail EchoMail proc-
essor. It contains a lengthy discussion on EchoMail and how it is
processed. (Your front-end mailer's documentation may also contain
a discussion of EchoMail.) For a discussion of GroupMail, your best
bet is to consult the documentation for the GROUP GroupMail proces-
sor from System Enhancement Associates. SEA created the GroupMail
system (as it applies to FidoNet), and is in the best position to
describe its details.
- Page 20 -
TeleMail - The Telegard Network Mail Interface
___________________
ERRORLEVEL VALUES
___________________
TeleMail will return an ERRORLEVEL of 0 to a running batch file if
all processing is completed smoothly. An ERRORLEVEL of 1 is re-
turned if a fatal error occurs (or if there is a command line syntax
error).
- Page 21 -
TeleMail - The Telegard Network Mail Interface
______________________
RECOMMENDED SOFTWARE
______________________
This list is by no means exhaustive. It is simply a reference to
some of the more popular software that is currently available for
EchoMail and GroupMail processing, as well as for FidoNet operations
in general. Note that this is NOT an endorsement of ANY of these
products. Also note that commercial products are not listed; only
programs available through BBSes (as Shareware, Freeware, or Public
Domain) are included.
The filenames shown below indicate the name of the archive file in
which the software can usually be found. Since different systems
may use different archiving programs (depending on the preference of
the SysOp), an "*" is used in place of a specific file extension
(i.e., ZIP, ARC, LZH, ARJ, etc., or even EXE for self-extracting
archives).
FRONT-END MAILERS:
BinkleyTerm 2.40 B???_240.LZH
D'Bridge 1.30 DB130*.ZIP
FrontDoor 2.02 FD202.ARJ
NETMAIL/ECHOMAIL PROCESSORS:
ConfMail 4.00 CONF_400.ZIP
Qmail 1.00 QM_100.ZIP
SquishMail 1.00 SQSH_100.LZH
Vpurge 4.09c VP409C.ZIP
GROUPMAIL PROCESSORS:
GROUP 2.23 GROUP222.ARC
Gmail 2.07 GMAIL207.ZIP
FILE ARCHIVING UTILITIES:
ARC 6.02 ARC602.EXE
ARCA*Simulator 2.20 ASIM_220.ZIP
ARJ 2.22 ARJ222.EXE
General Unpack Shell 1.40 GUS_140.ZIP
LHA 2.12 LHA212.EXE
PAK 2.51 PAK251.EXE
PKPAK/PKUNPAK 3.61 PK361.EXE
PKZIP/PKUNZIP 1.10 PKZ110.EXE
PolyXarc 2.10 PXDOS_21.ZIP
ZOO 2.01 ZOO201.EXE
- Page 22 -