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. -
-
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. +
Spider allows the creation of local or remote databases. It supports +chained databases, allowing several different databases to be scanned +with one simple command. Importing of databases is limited at present +to the standard AK1A databases such as OBLAST and the DB0SDX QSL +database but will expand with time.
-
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 packclus. -Under this directory you can create files called news or newuser -for example. In fact you can create files with any names you like. These can -be listed by the user with the command .... +
Creating a database could not be more simple. All the commands are +sent from the cluster prompt as the sysop user. +
To create a database you use the command dbcreate. It can +be used in 3 different ways like so ..
-show/files
+dbcreate <name>
They can be read by the user by typing the command .... +
To simply create a database locally, you just tell the command the +name of the database. This does not create the actual database, it +simply defines it to say that it exists.
-type news
+dbcreate <name> chain <name> [<name>...]
If the file they want to read is called news. You could also set -an alias for this in the Alias file to allow them just to type news -
-
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 -bulletin. Now copy any OPDX or similar bulletins into it. These -can be listed by the user in the same way as above using the show/files -command with an extension for the bulletin directory you have just created, -like this .... +
This creates a chained database entry. The first database will be +scanned, then the second, the third etc...
-show/files bulletin
+dbcreate <name> remote <name>
-
An example would look like this .... +
This creates a remote entry. the first name field is the database +name at the remote node, then the remote switch, then the actual +node_call of the remote node, for example...
-sh/files
-bulletin DIR 20-Dec-1999 1715Z news 1602 14-Dec-1999 1330Z
+dbcreate buckmaster remote gb7dxc
You can see that in the files area (basically the packclus directory) there is a -file called news and a directory called bulletin. You can -also see that dates they were created. In the case of the file news, -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 -news you would simply issue the command .... +
Remote databases cannot be chained, however, the last database in a +chain can be a remote database.
-
-
-type news
-
-To look what is in the bulletin directory you issue the command .... -
-
-
-show/files bulletin
-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) >
-
-You can now read any file in this directory using the type command, like this .... +
The only databases that Spider can currently import are the standard +AK1A databases such as OBLAST or the DB0SDX qsl and address database. +This will be added to with time. +
To import such a database, first put the file somewhere useful like /tmp +and then issue the following command ...
-type bulletin/opdx391
-Ohio/Penn DX Bulletin No. 391
-The Ohio/Penn Dx PacketCluster
-DX Bulletin No. 391
-BID: $OPDX.391
-January 11, 1999
-Editor Tedd Mirgliotta, KB8NW
-Provided by BARF-80 BBS Cleveland, Ohio
-Online at 440-237-8208 28.8k-1200 Baud 8/N/1 (New Area Code!)
-Thanks to the Northern Ohio Amateur Radio Society, Northern Ohio DX
-Association, Ohio/Penn PacketCluster Network, K1XN & Golist, WB2RAJ/WB2YQH
-& The 59(9) DXReport, W3UR & The Daily DX, K3TEJ, KN4UG, W4DC, NC6J, N6HR,
-Press Enter to continue, A to abort (508 lines) >
+dbimport oblast /tmp/OBLAST.FUL
The page length will of course depend on what you have it set to! +
This will update the existing local oblast database or create it if +it does not exist.
-
You will find a file in /spider/cmd/ called Aliases. First, copy this file to -/spider/local_cmd/Aliases and edit this file. You will see something like this ... +
Once a database is created, you will want to check that it has been +added. To do this use the dbavail command. This will +output the available databases. For example ...
-
-#!/usr/bin/perl
-
-# provide some standard aliases for commands for terminally
-# helpless ak1a user (helpless in the sense that they never
-# read nor understand help files)
-
-# This file is automagically reloaded if its modification time is
-# later than the one stored in CmdAlias.pm
-
-# PLEASE make this file consistant with reality! (the patterns MUST
-# match the filenames!)
-
-# Don't alter this file, copy it into the local_cmd tree and modify it.
-# This file will be replaced everytime I issue a new release.
-
-# You only need to put aliases in here for commands that don't work as
-# you desire naturally, e.g sh/dx on its own just works as you expect
-# so you need not add it as an alias.
-
-
-
-package CmdAlias;
-
-%alias = (
- '?' => [
- '^\?', 'apropos', 'apropos',
- ],
- 'a' => [
- '^ann.*/full', 'announce full', 'announce',
- '^ann.*/sysop', 'announce sysop', 'announce',
- '^ann.*/(.*)$', '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' => [
- ],
-)
+dbavail
+DB Name Location Chain
+qsl Local
+buck GB7ADX
+hftest GB7DXM
+G0VGS de GB7MBC 3-Feb-2001 1925Z >
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.
-
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. -
-
To edit the colours, copy /spider/perl/Console.pl to /spider/local and edit the -file with your favourite editor. -
-
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 export command from the cluster prompt -as the sysop. For example ... +
To look for information in a defined database, simply use the dbshow +command, for example ...
-export 5467 /spider/perl/keps.in
+dbshow buckmaster G0YLM
would export message number 5467 as a file called keps.in in the -/spider/perl directory. -
Now login to a VT as sysop and cd /spider/perl. There is a command in -the perl directory called convkeps.pl. All we need to do now is -convert the file like so ... +
will show the information for the callsign G0YLM from the buckmaster +database if it exists. To make things more standard for the users +you can add an entry in the Aliases file so that it looks like a standard +show command like this ...
-./convkeps.pl keps.in
+'^sh\w*/buc', 'dbshow buckmaster', 'dbshow',
Now go back to the cluster and issue the command ... +
Now you can simply use show/buckmaster or an abreviation. +
+
To delete an existing database you use the dbremove command. +For example ...
-load/keps
+dbremove oblast
That is it! the kepler data has been updated. -
-
The command sh/qrz will only work once you have followed a few -simple steps. First you need to get a user ID and password from qrz.com. -Simply go to the site and create one. Secondly you need to copy the file -/spider/perl/Internet.pm to /spider/local and alter it to match your user -ID and password. You also at this point need to set $allow=1 to complete -the setup. Many thanks to Fred Lloyd, the proprieter of -qrz.com for allowing this access. +
would remove the oblast database and its associated datafile from the +system. There are no warnings or recovery possible from this command. +If you remove a database it ceases to exist and would have to be created +from scratch if you still required it.