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+ <TITLE>The DXSpider Installation and Administration Manual : Mail</TITLE>
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-<H2><A NAME="s9">9. Information, files and useful programs</A></H2>
-
-<H2><A NAME="ss9.1">9.1 MOTD</A>
-</H2>
-
-<P>One of the more important things a cluster sysop needs to do is to get
-information to his users. The simplest way to do this is to have a banner
-that is sent to the user on login. This is know as a "message of the day"
-or "motd". To set this up, simply create a file in /spider/data called motd
-and edit it to say whatever you want. It is purely a text file and will be
-sent automatically to anyone logging in to the cluster.
-<P>
-<H2><A NAME="ss9.2">9.2 Downtime message</A>
+<H2><A NAME="s9">9. Mail</A></H2>
+
+<P>DXSpider deals seamlessly with standard AK1A type mail. It supports both
+personal and bulletin mail and the sysop has additional commands to ensure
+that mail gets to where it is meant. DXSpider will send mail almost
+immediately, assuming that the target is on line. However, only one
+mail message is dealt with at any one time. If a mail message is already
+being sent or recieved, then the new message will be queued until it has
+finished.
+<P>The cluster mail is automatically deleted after 30 days unless the sysop
+sets the "keep" flag using the <EM>msg</EM> command.
+<P>
+<H2><A NAME="ss9.1">9.1 Personal mail</A>
</H2>
-<P>If for any reason the cluster is down, maybe for upgrade or maintenance but
-the machine is still running, a message can be sent to the user advising them
-of the fact. This message lives in the /spider/data directory and is called
-"offline". Simply create the file and edit it to say whatever you wish.
-This file will be sent to a user attempting to log into the cluster when
-DXSpider is not actually running.
+<P>Personal mail is sent using the <EM>sp</EM> command. This is actually the
+default method of sending mail and so a simple <EM>s</EM> for send will do.
+A full list of the send commands and options is in the <EM>command set</EM>
+section, so I will not duplicate them here.
<P>
-<H2><A NAME="ss9.3">9.3 Other text messages</A>
+<H2><A NAME="ss9.2">9.2 Bulletin mail</A>
</H2>
-<P>You can set other text messages to be read by the user if they input the file
-name. This could be for news items or maybe information for new users.
-To set this up, make a directory under /spider called <EM>packclus</EM>.
-Under this directory you can create files called <EM>news</EM> or <EM>newuser</EM>
-for example. In fact you can create files with any names you like. These can
-be listed by the user with the command ....
-<P>
-<BLOCKQUOTE><CODE>
-<PRE>
-show/files
-</PRE>
-</CODE></BLOCKQUOTE>
-<P>They can be read by the user by typing the command ....
-<P>
-<BLOCKQUOTE><CODE>
-<PRE>
-type news
-</PRE>
-</CODE></BLOCKQUOTE>
-<P>If the file they want to read is called <EM>news</EM>. You could also set
-an alias for this in the Alias file to allow them just to type <EM>news</EM>
-<P>
-<P>You can also store other information in this directory, either directly or
-nested under directories. One use for this would be to store DX bulletins
-such as the OPDX bulletins. These can be listed and read by the user.
-To keep things tidy, make a directory under /spider/packclus called
-<EM>bulletins</EM>. Now copy any OPDX or similar bulletins into it. These
-can be listed by the user in the same way as above using the <EM>show/files</EM>
-command with an extension for the bulletins directory you have just created,
-like this ....
-<P>
-<BLOCKQUOTE><CODE>
-<PRE>
-show/files bulletins
-</PRE>
-</CODE></BLOCKQUOTE>
+<P>Bulletin mail is sent by using the <EM>sb</EM> command. This is one of the
+most common mistakes users make when sending mail. They send a bulletin
+mail with <EM>s</EM> or <EM>sp</EM> instead of <EM>sb</EM> and of course
+the message never leaves the cluster. This can be rectified by the sysop
+by using the <EM>msg</EM> command.
<P>
-<P>An example would look like this ....
+<P>Bulletin addresses can be set using the Forward.pl file.
<P>
-<BLOCKQUOTE><CODE>
-<PRE>
-sh/files
-bulletins DIR 20-Dec-1999 1715Z news 1602 14-Dec-1999 1330Z
-</PRE>
-</CODE></BLOCKQUOTE>
-<P>You can see that in the files area (basically the packclus directory) there is a
-file called <EM>news</EM> and a directory called <EM>bulletins</EM>. You can
-also see that dates they were created. In the case of the file <EM>news</EM>,
-you can also see the time it was last modified, a good clue as to whether the
-file has been updated since you last read it. To read the file called
-<EM>news</EM> you would simply issue the command ....
-<P>
-<BLOCKQUOTE><CODE>
-<PRE>
-type news
-</PRE>
-</CODE></BLOCKQUOTE>
-<P>To look what is in the bulletins directory you issue the command ....
-<P>
-<BLOCKQUOTE><CODE>
-<PRE>
-show/files bulletins
-opdx390 21381 29-Nov-1999 1621Z opdx390.1 1670 29-Nov-1999 1621Z
-opdx390.2 2193 29-Nov-1999 1621Z opdx391 25045 29-Nov-1999 1621Z
-opdx392 35969 29-Nov-1999 1621Z opdx393 15023 29-Nov-1999 1621Z
-opdx394 33429 29-Nov-1999 1621Z opdx394.1 3116 29-Nov-1999 1621Z
-opdx395 24319 29-Nov-1999 1621Z opdx396 32647 29-Nov-1999 1621Z
-opdx396.1 5537 29-Nov-1999 1621Z opdx396.2 6242 29-Nov-1999 1621Z
-opdx397 18433 29-Nov-1999 1621Z opdx398 19961 29-Nov-1999 1621Z
-opdx399 17719 29-Nov-1999 1621Z opdx400 19600 29-Nov-1999 1621Z
-opdx401 27738 29-Nov-1999 1621Z opdx402 18698 29-Nov-1999 1621Z
-opdx403 24994 29-Nov-1999 1621Z opdx404 15685 29-Nov-1999 1621Z
-opdx405 13984 29-Nov-1999 1621Z opdx405.1 4166 29-Nov-1999 1621Z
-opdx406 28934 29-Nov-1999 1621Z opdx407 24153 29-Nov-1999 1621Z
-opdx408 15081 29-Nov-1999 1621Z opdx409 23234 29-Nov-1999 1621Z
-Press Enter to continue, A to abort (16 lines) >
-</PRE>
-</CODE></BLOCKQUOTE>
-<P>You can now read any file in this directory using the type command, like this ....
-<P>
-<BLOCKQUOTE><CODE>
-<PRE>
-type bulletins/opdx391
-Ohio/Penn DX Bulletin No. 391
-The Ohio/Penn Dx PacketCluster
-DX Bulletin No. 391
-BID: $OPDX.391
-January 11, 1999
-Editor Tedd Mirgliotta, KB8NW
-Provided by BARF-80 BBS Cleveland, Ohio
-Online at 440-237-8208 28.8k-1200 Baud 8/N/1 (New Area Code!)
-Thanks to the Northern Ohio Amateur Radio Society, Northern Ohio DX
-Association, Ohio/Penn PacketCluster Network, K1XN & Golist, WB2RAJ/WB2YQH
-& The 59(9) DXReport, W3UR & The Daily DX, K3TEJ, KN4UG, W4DC, NC6J, N6HR,
-Press Enter to continue, A to abort (508 lines) >
-</PRE>
-</CODE></BLOCKQUOTE>
-<P>The page length will of course depend on what you have it set to!
-<P>
-<H2><A NAME="ss9.4">9.4 The Aliases file</A>
-</H2>
-
-<P>You will find a file in /spider/cmd/ called Aliases. First, copy this file to
-/spider/local_cmd/Aliases and edit this file. You will see something like this ...
-<P>
-<BLOCKQUOTE><CODE>
-<PRE>
-
-#!/usr/bin/perl
-
-# provide some standard aliases for commands for terminally
-# helpless ak1a user (helpless in the sense that they never
-# read nor understand help files)
-
-# This file is automagically reloaded if its modification time is
-# later than the one stored in CmdAlias.pm
-
-# PLEASE make this file consistant with reality! (the patterns MUST
-# match the filenames!)
-
-# Don't alter this file, copy it into the local_cmd tree and modify it.
-# This file will be replaced everytime I issue a new release.
-
-# You only need to put aliases in here for commands that don't work as
-# you desire naturally, e.g sh/dx on its own just works as you expect
-# so you need not add it as an alias.
-
-
-
-package CmdAlias;
-
-%alias = (
- '?' => [
- '^\?', 'apropos', 'apropos',
- ],
- 'a' => [
- '^ann.*/full', 'announce full', 'announce',
- '^ann.*/sysop', 'announce sysop', 'announce',
- '^ann.*/(.*)$', 'announce $1', 'announce',
- ],
- 'b' => [
- ],
- 'c' => [
- ],
- 'd' => [
- '^del', 'kill', 'kill',
- '^del\w*/fu', 'kill full', 'kill',
- '^di\w*/a\w*', 'directory all', 'directory',
- '^di\w*/b\w*', 'directory bulletins', 'directory',
- '^di\w*/n\w*', 'directory new', 'directory',
- '^di\w*/o\w*', 'directory own', 'directory',
- '^di\w*/s\w*', 'directory subject', 'directory',
- '^di\w*/t\w*', 'directory to', 'directory',
- '^di\w*/f\w*', 'directory from', 'directory',
- '^di\w*/(\d+)', 'directory $1', 'directory',
- ],
- 'e' => [
- ],
- 'f' => [
- ],
- 'g' => [
- ],
- 'h' => [
- ],
- 'i' => [
- ],
- 'j' => [
- ],
- 'k' => [
- ],
- 'l' => [
- '^l$', 'directory', 'directory',
- '^ll$', 'directory', 'directory',
- '^ll/(\d+)', 'directory $1', 'directory',
- ],
- 'm' => [
- ],
- 'n' => [
- '^news', 'type news', 'type',
- ],
- 'o' => [
- ],
- 'p' => [
- ],
- 'q' => [
- '^q', 'bye', 'bye',
- ],
- 'r' => [
- '^r$', 'read', 'read',
- '^rcmd/(\S+)', 'rcmd $1', 'rcmd',
- ],
- 's' => [
- '^s/p$', 'send', 'send',
- '^sb$', 'send noprivate', 'send',
- '^set/home$', 'set/homenode', 'set/homenode',
- '^set/nobe', 'unset/beep', 'unset/beep',
- '^set/nohe', 'unset/here', 'unset/here',
- '^set/noan', 'unset/announce', 'unset/announce',
- '^set/nodx', 'unset/dx', 'unset/dx',
- '^set/nota', 'unset/talk', 'unset/talk',
- '^set/noww', 'unset/wwv', 'unset/wwv',
- '^set/nowx', 'unset/wx', 'unset/wx',
- '^sh$', 'show', 'show',
- '^sh\w*/buck', 'dbshow buck', 'dbshow',
- '^sh\w*/bu', 'show/files bulletins', 'show/files',
- '^sh\w*/c/n', 'show/configuration nodes', 'show/configuration',
- '^sh\w*/c$', 'show/configuration', 'show/configuration',
- '^sh\w*/com', 'dbavail', 'dbavail',
- '^sh\w*/dx/(\d+)-(\d+)', 'show/dx $1-$2', 'show/dx',
- '^sh\w*/dx/(\d+)', 'show/dx $1', 'show/dx',
- '^sh\w*/dx/d(\d+)', 'show/dx from $1', 'show/dx',
- '^sh\w*/email', 'dbshow email', 'dbshow',
- '^sh\w*/hftest', 'dbshow hftest', 'dbshow',
- '^sh\w*/vhftest', 'dbshow vhftest', 'dbshow',
- '^sh\w*/qsl', 'dbshow qsl', 'dbshow',
- '^sh\w*/tnc', 'who', 'who',
- '^sh\w*/up', 'show/cluster', 'show/cluster',
- '^sh\w*/w\w*/(\d+)-(\d+)', 'show/wwv $1-$2', 'show/wwv',
- '^sh\w*/w\w*/(\d+)', 'show/wwv $1', 'show/wwv',
- '^sp$', 'send', 'send',
-
- ],
- 't' => [
- '^ta$', 'talk', 'talk',
- '^t$', 'talk', 'talk',
- ],
- 'u' => [
- ],
- 'v' => [
- ],
- 'w' => [
- '^wx/full', 'wx full', 'wx',
- '^wx/sysop', 'wx sysop', 'wx',
- ],
- 'x' => [
- ],
- 'y' => [
- ],
- 'z' => [
- ],
-)
-</PRE>
-</CODE></BLOCKQUOTE>
-<P>You can create aliases for commands at will. Beware though, these may not
-always turn out as you think. Care is needed and you need to test the
-results once you have set an alias.
-<P>
-<H2><A NAME="ss9.5">9.5 Forward.pl</A>
+<H2><A NAME="ss9.3">9.3 Forward.pl</A>
</H2>
<P>DXSpider receives all and any mail sent to it without any alterations needed
<P>
<P>To force the cluster to reread the file use load/forward
<P>
-<H2><A NAME="ss9.6">9.6 Distribution lists</A>
+<P>
+<H2><A NAME="ss9.4">9.4 The msg command</A>
+</H2>
+
+<P>The <EM>msg</EM> command is a very powerful and flexible tool for the
+sysop. It allows the sysop to alter to and from fields and make other
+changes to manage the cluster mail.
+<P>Here is a full list of the various options ...
+<P>
+<BLOCKQUOTE><CODE>
+<PRE>
+ MSG TO <msgno> <call> - change TO callsign to <call>
+ MSG FRom <msgno> <call> - change FROM callsign to <call>
+ MSG PRrivate <msgno> - set private flag
+ MSG NOPRrivate <msgno> - unset private flag
+ MSG RR <msgno> - set RR flag
+ MSG NORR <msgno> - unset RR flag
+ MSG KEep <msgno> - set the keep flag (message won't be deleted ever)
+ MSG NOKEep <msgno> - unset the keep flag
+ MSG SUbject <msgno> <new> - change the subject to <new>
+ MSG WAittime <msgno> - remove any waiting time for this message
+ MSG NOREad <msgno> - mark message as unread
+ MSG REad <msgno> - mark message as read
+ MSG QUeue - queue any outstanding bulletins
+ MSG QUeue 1 - queue any outstanding private messages
+</PRE>
+</CODE></BLOCKQUOTE>
+<P>These commands are simply typed from within the cluster as the sysop user.
+<P>
+<H2><A NAME="ss9.5">9.5 Message status</A>
+</H2>
+
+<P>You can check on a message from within the cluster by using the command
+<EM>stat/msg</EM>. This will give you additional information on the
+message number including which nodes have received it, which node it
+was received from and when etc. Here is an example of the output of
+the command ...
+<P>
+<BLOCKQUOTE><CODE>
+<PRE>
+G0VGS de GB7MBC 28-Jan-2001 1308Z >
+stat/msg 6869
+ From: GB7DJK
+ Msg Time: 26-Jan-2001 1302Z
+ Msgno: 6869
+ Origin: GB7DJK
+ Size: 8012
+ Subject: AMSAT 2line KEPS 01025.AMSAT
+ To: UK
+Got it Nodes: GB7BAA, GB7ADX
+ Private: 0
+Read Confirm: 0
+ Times read: 0
+G0VGS de GB7MBC 28-Jan-2001 1308Z >
+</PRE>
+</CODE></BLOCKQUOTE>
+<P>
+<H2><A NAME="ss9.6">9.6 Filtering mail</A>
+</H2>
+
+<P>This is described in the section on <EM>Other filters</EM> so I will not
+duplicate it here.
+<P>
+<H2><A NAME="ss9.7">9.7 Distribution lists</A>
</H2>
<P>Distribution lists are simply a list of users to send certain types of
</CODE></BLOCKQUOTE>
<P>Any mail sent to "sysop" would only be sent to the callsigns in this list.
<P>
-<H2><A NAME="ss9.7">9.7 Console.pl</A>
-</H2>
-
-<P>In later versions of Spider a simple console program is provided for the sysop.
-This has a type ahead buffer with line editing facilities and colour for spots,
-announces etc. To use this program, simply use console.pl instead of client.pl.
-<P>
-<P>To edit the colours, copy /spider/perl/Console.pl to /spider/local and edit the
-file with your favourite editor.
-<P>
<H2><A NAME="ss9.8">9.8 BBS interface</A>
</H2>
Make sure you only send mail to the clusters that want it by using the
Forward.pl file very carefully.
<P>
-<H2><A NAME="ss9.9">9.9 Updating kepler data</A>
-</H2>
-
-<P>Spider has a powerful and flexible show/satellite command. In order for
-this to be accurate, the kepler data has to be updated regularly. In
-general, this data is available as an email or via cluster mail.
-Updating it is simple. First you need to export the mail message as a
-file. You do this with the <EM>export</EM> command from the cluster prompt
-as the sysop. For example ...
-<P>
-<BLOCKQUOTE><CODE>
-<PRE>
-export 5467 /spider/perl/keps.in
-</PRE>
-</CODE></BLOCKQUOTE>
-<P>would export message number 5467 as a file called keps.in in the
-/spider/perl directory.
-<P>Now login to a VT as sysop and cd /spider/perl. There is a command in
-the perl directory called <EM>convkeps.pl</EM>. All we need to do now is
-convert the file like so ...
-<P>
-<BLOCKQUOTE><CODE>
-<PRE>
-./convkeps.pl keps.in
-</PRE>
-</CODE></BLOCKQUOTE>
-<P>Now go back to the cluster and issue the command ...
-<P>
-<BLOCKQUOTE><CODE>
-<PRE>
-load/keps
-</PRE>
-</CODE></BLOCKQUOTE>
-<P>That is it! the kepler data has been updated.
-<P>
-<P>
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