AmigaPoint version 2.1 ---------------------- Stuart Grier ------------ AmigaPoint.FAQ -------------- FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ON.... Setting up a point system at a Bulettin Board with an Amiga home Šcomputer using April and TrapDoor... Section 1. - Setting up your system and the BBS so as both systems ---------- can communicate. 1. Is April / TrapDoor the only software available which I can use to set up a point system on my computer ?? - No, there is a lot of different software which can do this, there are Off Line Readers (O.L.R.) in which you log on to the BBS as normal, and ask the system to prepare all the mail packets which you requested. Once prepared, the mail packet is downloaded as you would normally do. The O.L.R. separated the mail packet into individual messages and presents them to the editor / tosser so as you can read your mail, and write any messages. There are similar programs available to April, namely SPOT. April and Spot do the same basic job, they are a combined Editor / tosser, this makes the need for an O.L.R. unnecessary, although some people prefer to use O.L.R's other than this method. 2. Ok, I've got AmigaPoint_2.1, so what do I do now ?? - You'll find the following files and directories : AmigaPoint_2.1 ---+--- C---+--- Installer I I I I I +--- LhA I I I I I +--- PPMore I I I +--- Docs ---+--- AmigaPoint.FAQ (icon) I I I +--- AmigaPoint_Install.DOC (icon) I I I +--- Compatibility.TXT (icon) I I I +--- Changes.DOC (icon) I I I +--- Important.Readme (icon) I I I +--- Registration.TXT (icon) I I I +--- Scottish_BBS.TXT (icon) I I I +--- Setup.DOC (icon) I +--- AmigaPoint.Install (icon) I +--- April.lha I +--- Fido.cfg I +--- Nodelist.322 I +--- Readme.First (icon) I +--- SGTrapDoor.config I +--- TrapDoor.lzh Read the file 'Setup.doc', this details the basic operations required to install the software, and make the appropriate changes where they are required, and what directories to make, and where. You are advised to follow the documentation in the same order, it will save you from getting lost half way through. 3. I've dearchived TrapDoor and April, I've made the assigns, I now want to start sending messages, how do I do that ?? - Before you start sending messages, you have to enter the database on your choice of BBS of your particular options. To start with, your session password will be in the format : ABMAIL A - Initial of your first login name B - Initial of your second login name REMEMBER TO SPECIFY THE SESSION PASSWORD IN YOUR TRAPDOOR.CFG FILE, OTHERWISE THIS WILL NOT WORK !! You need to send a NETMAIL message to AREAFIX, the message format will be in the format below : TO : AREAFIX AT : FROM : AT : SUBJ : ------------------------------------------------------------ %HELP --- This is only a one line message, it is %HELP The --- is used by AREAFIX to signify the end of your message. The lines TO, FROM, and SUBJ, are all added in the header which will appear after the message has been saved, and the editor has been quit. You must enter all the information in the appropriate spaces. Once you have done this, click on and the message will be saved in the NETMAIL area. Now you must select the EXPORT option in the main menu, this will transfer the message to the appropriate directory ready to be sent to your Boss system. 4. I've got a message to be sent to my BBS, how do I actually do that ? - Easy, All you do is exit from April, open up a shell, move to the directory SYS:MAIL/TRAPDOOR/BIN, and enter : trapdoor call boss This will only work if the trapdoor.cfg file has been modified with your appropriate information, NAME, NODE, PASSWORD, etc and the nodelist has been compiled with TRAPLIST. - - YIPEE! You've sent your first message !!!! 8-))))) Now wait for about 30 seconds (1 minute usually guarantees it) for the reply from AREAFIX to be generated and be available to be picked up. To get the reply enter : trapdoor call boss Here, a message is received. 5. How do I read this message ? - reload April, and select IMPORT from the main menu, the reply will be found in the NETMAIL area, it will be from GECHO. To read this message, double click on the NETMAIL area and then double click on the message. ***** NOTE: How to do Q4 & Q5 automatically is described later... ***** 6. How do I change my options ? - To change your options, write a message to AREAFIX in the following format : TO : AREAFIX AT : FROM : AT : SUBJ : ------------------------------------------------------------ %PWD %COMPRESS LZH --- For compression LZH you must have program LHA in your C directory other compressors available are ZIP, ARC, ZOO. send this mail and receive the reply as described before Q4 & Q5. NOTE : DO NOT CHANGE THE PASSWORD IN THE TRAPDOOR.CFG TO YOUR NEW PASSWORD UNTIL YOU HAVE RECEIVED THE REPLY INDICATING THE CHANGE OF PASSWORD. 7. But I don't want to just write messages like this, how do I get to all the areas ?? How do I join them ?? - To join them, you first need a list available, to do this sent a NETMAIL to AREAMGR in the following format : TO : AreaMgr AT : FROM : AT : SUBJ : ------------------------------------------------------------ %LIST --- Send this off, and in reply there will be a list of areas which can join. To join the Areas of your choice, send a NETMAIL to AREAMGR in following format : TO : AreaMgr AT : FROM : AT : SUBJ : ------------------------------------------------------------ %RESCAN +AMIGA +WORKBENCH --- This message joins you to areas AMIGA and WORKBENCH and also does a RESCAN, that means that the current messages in these areas will be sent to you when you next call the BBS. SECTION 2. - Specific April Queries... ---------- NOTE : When you ever change the configuration of April, remember to save the new configuration, because April will not do save it automatically. To save the configuration, select SAVE CONFIG in the Config Menu. 1. When I first run April, I get a lot of requesters, and I've to answer a lot of questions, I don't know what to enter, help ! - When you first run April, a requester will come up informing you that the internal default settings will be used, on that click . Also click on the requester. Another screen will come up, telling you that you have to enter your own settings, etc. These settings are for you NOT the Boss sytem. UserName - BBSName - PointNet - Leave alone, if blank leave alone also. Editor - Choose your favourite editor, Use Memacs, Ed, Ced etc. ConfigDir - If it says 'S:' leave alone. NOTE : The UserName and BBSName have to be the same as indicated in the TrapDoor.cfg file. Now, you are ready to edit the AreaList part of April 8-). 2. How do I get the AreaList in April the same as I have chosen ? - There are two ways of doing this : a. Just Poll the BBS and the Arealists will be created automatically when April reads the Mail Packets. - NOT a good way of doing things !!!!! b. Enter The AreaList option in the Config Menu of April, Select NEW, to indicate that you wish to create a new Area. In the AREANAME box, you MUST enter the name of the area EXACTLY as it appears in the Areas you have joined Message generated by your Boss system. In Domain there should be FIDONET, do not change this. In UserName There should be your name, if not change it. In Directory, it should read MAIL: Click on the BBSinfo requester, Here is info about the BBS where the Mail comes from / goes to - It should read info on Guru-ten : BBSName : Boss Name : | AREAFIX : AREAFIX \|/ PointNet : + PointNr : { 2:250/364.a } Pack : UnPack : Click on the indicator for '4D Filenames'. After you have done this for all your Areas, DO NOT FORGET TO SAVE YOUR CONFIGS - LAST OPTION ON THE CONFIG MENU !!! 3. How do I send mail to someone but not through the public echo areas ?? - Doing this is called NetMailing someone, it is done in the same way as sending the messages to AreaMgr or AreaFix for changing your configuration. If, for example you wanted to ask me a question about April or setting up a point system, then the message format would be as follows :- my address | | your address TO : Stuart Grier AT : 2:250/364.4 <-+ | FROM : AT : <------+ SUBJ : Help on using April... ------------------------------------------------------------- Hia Stuart, Help me, I can't get April to work properly. Cheers, This message would get to me, and I would send a reply once I've sorted out how to fix your problem. What I will ask is try and be as specific as possible on the problem :- What you were trying to do, etc. 4. You mentioned that I can call the BBS automatically, how do I do that ?? - In the CONFIG menu in April, there is an option 'EXTERNAL PRG' This option allows you to call your Boss system automatically. a. Select EXTERNAL PRG from the Config menu b. Select NEW. c. Enter 'Poll ' in the MENUNAME box d. Leave blank SHORTCUT box e. In the COMMAND box enter : RUN MAIL:TRAPDOOR/BIN/TRAPDOOR CALL BOSS f. Select the box for 'program uses Custom Screen' This method can be used for a number of other options, eg, viewing the trapdoor.log file and the April.log file etc. Now to call your BBS, all you have to do is select 'Poll ...' from the External menu, there is now no need to quit April and call from the shell. 5. Hey, Thanks for this help, but what do I do If I need any more help ?? - All you have to do is send me a netmail, and I'll try and sort out your problem. Alternatively you can call either of the authors of the main packages (April and TrapDoor) for specific queries. - Both April and TrapDoor have public areas in which people will be willing to help you, the authors are present also, so you can contact them this way also. Ask your Boss if he / she can tag onto these FidoNET areas. Contact address for help - Stuart Grier AT 2:250/364.4 - Nick de.Jong AT 2:285/404.31 - Maximilian Hantsch AT 2:310/6 REMEMBER : April and TrapDoor are Shareware, do us all a favour and register these packages when you can afford to. The next version of April will be released in a few months, and the newest version of TrapDoor is already available from most BBS's. BTW : If it can't be found, then you probably never had it.