Date : Wed, 04 Nov 1987 11:16:38 am
From : pplace!kentucky!Pencin@Sun.COM
Subject: PBBS-4.0 Released
Finally !
The latest version of the Public Bulletin Board System ( PBBS) is now
available from several systems nation wide. It may be obtained from
the official release point system The Dallas Connection in Mt.View, Ca.
by calling (415) 964-4356 ( 3/12/2400 baud). Following is an excerpt
from the update file in the PBBS-04.LBR.
Name Length Method Date CRC Comments
============ ====== ======== ========= ==== ===================
ACKNOWLG.PZS 2.00k Crunched 01 Nov 87 8231 Acknowledgements
BDOSHDR .MZC 1.50k Crunched 01 Nov 87 F965 Time and date interface
PBBS04 .MZC 73.62k Crunched 01 Nov 87 E026 Pbbs 4.0 main module
PBBS04 .UZD 3.62k Crunched 01 Nov 87 C6FD Pbbs 4.0 updates
PBBSHDR .MZC 16.37k Crunched 01 Nov 87 CDD0 Pbbs 4.0 definition modul
PBBSUBS .REL 6.00k -- 01 Nov 87 D100
PBYE04 .MZC 24.00k Crunched 01 Nov 87 36BA Pbbs 4.0 signoff module
PCHAT04 .MZC 5.62k Crunched 01 Nov 87 E583 Pbbs 4.0 chat module
PMNT04 .MZC 33.12k Crunched 01 Nov 87 2D73 Pbbs 4.0 maintenance modu
PNOTE04 .MZC 14.12k Crunched 01 Nov 87 93FB Pbbs 4.0 note module
PBBS version 4.0
Changes from Previous Versions
This release fixes all known bugs in version 3.0.
PBBSHDR:
ZCPR3 compatiblity/enhancements from Ron Hilgert and others.
Added equates to support the DISKLOG feature of BYE510. This
also requires a new location in low memory (DSKFLG:) to
allow the DISKLOG to be turned on and off. A new flag
(DSKLOG:) was added to allow the sysop to disable the
disklog code if he is not using it.
Added DSPCLR flag to allow/disable displaying the last 13 callers
when PBYE logs the caller off of the system. Only 13
callers are displayed, since this is all that will fit on
the screen with the rest of the messages between callers.
Added support for separate DUs for new CP/M and MS-DOS uploads.
If the MSDOS: equate is yes, then the system will ask each
user (level 3 and up) which operating system he prefers.
Then, when he jumps from PBBS to CP/M, he will be sent to
the appropriate DU. This question is only asked one time.
Added equates to allow the BULLETIN.PBS file to be displayed at
login (BULTIN:) and to allow a different welcome file for
each user level from 2 to 7 (WELCUM:).
Added equate to allow the sysop to display system usage stats at
each login (DSTATS:). See PBBS section for details of
stats.
Sysop may now choose whether he wants to ask each user for
comments at signoff by setting the EXCMT equate.
Added equate to allow 2 methods of displaying messages during a
READ comand (SKPHDR:). Sysop may choose whether to show the
header and the message at one time or to show just the
header and then ask the user if he wishes to read the
message.
Added necessary EXT's to header to take advantage of new PBBSUBS
routines suggested and provided by Ian Cottrell.
Added new hash table to more closely follow the normal
distribution of last names throughout the alphabet.
PBBS:
Included the "U" by user level into the standard command. Any
user may scan users by access level - up to own level only.
Fixed the YAK problem of loosing unlimited time users when
Yakking.
Fixed the message pause counter problem seen when listing a long
message during the message entry/edit section.
Added the capability to ask for NEW+ or N+ and get a non-stop
dump of all of the new messages since you were last on.
New auto wrap routines during message entry, thanks to Irv Hoff.
When a user uses the WHATSNEW feature to view new uploads, the
system now shows him where in the list his last log-in
occurred. Super new routines from Dick Roberts.
PBBS now uses a new hash routine to improve the effectiveness of
the user lookup routines.
System now prompts new users for a desired screen width (from 39
to 78) and uses this width when displaying messages, etc.
From Irv again.
Dick Roberts added routines to keep track of the number of users
and total active time for the system each day. The number
of users for the current day and the percentage usage of the
system for the current day and the previous day may
optionally be displayed to each user at login.
Syste deposit users into the appropriate area when they leave
PBBS.
Each time the [more] prompt is displayed, users may enter a space
(space bar) to advance the screen 1 line (and display the
[more] prompt again). Entry of any other character causes
another full screen to be displayed.
Changed the prompts on the message headers to R)ead, P)revious,
N)ext or E)xit.
Changed the prompts after a message display to .........
PMAINT:
Added a feature that was submitted by Terry Pinto that displays
the record number of the user next to his name when
displaying user records from PMAINT.
Defeatured the (8) command to only show the users that are going
to be deleated on the next PBYE user purge. I did this to
allow you to recover from catastrophic clock failures
without destroying your user and message bases.
Ian Cottrell added the complete sort routine for the user rehash
selection. Now there is no need for an external program to
do this. Thanks IAN.
New hash routines also used here.
When the sysop renumbers the message base, each user's previous
high message counter is translated to the appropriate
message in the new numbering scheme. Users no longer lose
their place in the message base whenever the messages are
renumbered.
PBBSUBS:
In the process of cleaning up some code in PBBSUBS, I discovered
that they have never checked for DISK FULL condition when
writting to the disk. I suppect that much of the strange
behavior that was un-trackable was in fact due to this
problem. Please use only the new version of PBBSUBS.REL
from now on. The error messages have been expanded to give
you a better idea of what may have caused the problem.
All hardcopy support routines have been moved to the SUBS, and
eliminated from the PMAINT program. Several routines were
re-coded to take advantage of new techniques for moving data
- Thanks Ian.
Added several new routines and cleaned up much of the code to
streamline the 'subs' routines.
ALL OTHERS
Added necessay code to take advantage of new PBBSUBS
routines and new flags in PBBSHDR.
Installation Notes for PBBS 4.0
All previous PBBS utilities are obsoleted by this release. None
of them will work after installing this system. All of the PBBS
message and users files are fully compatible, BUT, you must pack
the message base using your old PBBSMNT prior to installing the
new system. You MUST use the new PBBSUBS.REL file provided.
INSTALLATION:
1) Using your old PBBSMNT, pack the message base to remove
all deleted messages. The old way of deleting messages is
incompatible with the (R),(D) flags.
2) Go through the PBBSHDR.MAC file and set the equates for
your system. All previous hdrs are obsolete and cannot be
used. Then assemble and link all PBBS 4.0 files.
NOTE: If you decide to use the WELCUM equate, you will need
to build text files for user levels between 2 and 7.
These files are named WELCOM#.PBS, where the # is
replaced with the user's level.
3) Rehash your users file with the new PBBSMNT. This will
set the new hash order and allow the rest of the programs to
function.
Russ