BOBCAT- readme.doc SETUP NOTES TO INSTALL: You should have unpacked BCAT-E0?.EXE /y in the c:\dialnet directory And note, you should have used the /y switch to unpack. READ quickbob.doc Next RUN newuser.bat which is a semi automated setup for Bobcat To DIAL and run Bobcat to browse the 'net... run bcatdial.bat. To BROWSE local files ... run lynx.exe If you have PROBLEMS with the setup in newuser.bat it usually means you have not used our suggested directory names or our standardized logon script does not work without manual modification on your provider. If you have these or other problems you might try the instructions for a manual setup below. See "Problems" below Scripit is the setup program included in this package. It makes global changes to the bcatdial.bat and netdial.scr for each update. This rest of this file contains the manual setup information for Bobcat. Bobcat is a text-based WWW browser, very similar to Unix Lynx. It is freeware converted from Unix to Dos by Wayne Buttles as a hobby. Like Lynx, Bobcat is based on keystroke commands rather than having a mouse or menu interface (hitting "k" in Bobcat displays the key commands). It is highly configurable, relying on various "helper apps" to handle and display different URL's. The configuration is fairly involved, because the package cannot be preset for all the different providers throughout the world. However the installation is only done once and once finished you will understand how the internet works a lot better than with other browsers. By eliminating time spent downloading graphics it is a lot faster than other browsers. If you are interested in the internet as a source of information, this is the way many users are going to avoid the trash. It supports any standard video card (CGA, EGA, VGA, SVGA, MDA, or Hercules), Bobcat requires a class 1 packet driver for internet connections (included), and dos 3.3 or later to run. Some of the batch files may need to be modified with versions of dos before dos.5.0, but it will run on an 8088 (slow), 286, 386, 486 or even a Pentium. Bobcat comes as a self-extracting archive, which creates several subdirectories. (Be sure to answer "y" during extraction when you are asked whether to create new directories.) The suggested Directory tree as batch file has been written is shown below. You may choose another directory setup , but it will make your installation more difficult. (If you change this structure to match your installation be sure to revise the dialer and helper batch files) C:\DIALNET--| top level - contains Packet drivers and dialer | |-- BOBCAT - Web Text Browser and files | |-- MINUET - Internet accessory (Shareware, not included) | |-- FTP - WATTCP Text based FTP (Freeware, included) | |-Ä MINITEL - WATTCP Text based Telnet (Freeware , included) | |-Ä Gopher2b - WATTCP Text based Gopher (Freeware , included) | |-- other Internet programs of your choice. SETUP INFORMATION: You must complete sections 1-4 of the readme.doc to run Bobcat. Sections 5 & 6 are for advanced setup after you get the program running. 1a. NEW USERS: To use it unpack in C:\DIALNET .. The programming has been written so that relative addressing is used. Thus the actual root directory name should not matter..). If you run into problems with the dialer not hanging up properly on exit, change the hangup cd .. line in the batch file to point to the actual directory of your dialer ( cd c:\dialnet). ####################################################################### # NOTE: # # IF YOU ARE A FIRST TIME USER you should next run NEWUSER.BAT # # # # This will install the necessary sample configuration files for # # you to insert your personal information, as described below. # # It will not run if these files do not exist # # # ####################################################################### Continue with sections 2, 3 & 4 of this file. 1b. UPDATE of existing installation: If you are a previous user who is updating his installation, you may safely unpack the self extracting archive in the c:\dialnet directory with the -y switch. This automatically answers yes to all queries. If you do not use the -y switch then you must answer YES (y) to all the queries. Either way will get you the full update without destroying the config files. You will get two types of queries: "Files exist" means the old version is older than what you are unpacking, and over copying will update with a newer version. "Files same or newer" means that the old file is the same or newer than what you are unpacking, meaning that over copying will do nothing but replace the existing file with a new copy of the same thing. By sending the package out with all the config files together in another directory, it will not damage anything when you unpack the package in your existing directory . And then anything MISSING is put into its correct place when you run newuser.bat See newuser.bat for an idea of what is protected by putting in a separate directory. Protected files, if they exist in your existing installation will not be over copied. For example a new version of netdial is provided in this package. If the newuser.bat finds an existing version of netdial, the new version will not be installed. If you are presently using Klosppp, net.cfg and the existing complete installation would be preserved too. This means that if Bobcat is previously set up the newuser.bat identifies the files that are in their correct place already and so does not install a copy from the config directory. And this gives you an automatic full update, without damaging existing setup. New versions of the following files will NOT be automatically updated in an update of an existing installation. If you want any of them to be updated, they must be copied manually from the .\config directory to the ..\bobcat directory: www.htm,telnet.htm, gopher.htm, ftp.htm, irc.htm and forms.htm. This is done to protect those that have made their own changes to the above files on an existing installation. (something we cannot predict) If you don't do the above you will have to find and manually install the necessary config files yourself. Your choice. My suggestion, in case you do not want to follow the above is a lot more time consuming: In this case unzip in another directory then update lynx.exe in your working directory. Look at the top of lynx.cfg to see if I have added any new items. The listing of everything that has changed is in Changes log. Then make a decision on the other changes listed in changes.log as to whether you need them. Either way, that's all required for an update, assuming you had Bobcat working before you started. If you have problems see section 6.( PROBLEMS) or section 7. ( LIST SERVER) for help. 2. SET TEMPORARY working directory: Then set the TEMP or TMP directory set in your AUTOEXEC.BAT file. Bobcat will use that directory to store pages it has retrieved (if both are set, TEMP is used in preference to TMP). Note that the program does *not* delete its temporary files when it terminates. If you do not specify TEMP or TMP, the temporary files will go into the Bobcat directory. Add the command SET TEMP=C:\TEMP to your autoexec.bat, and create the directory C:\TEMP. 3. SETUP DIALER (BCATDIAL.BAT & NETDIAL.SCR) Thanks to Marc Ressl for writing netdial and allowing its use as a package with Bobcat. Netdial as a program has been sorely needed by the internet community for years. To make things simpler for new users we have selected only the needed files to get on line The dialdoc directory contains all the pertinent docs and information on how to create a working NETDIAL.SCR and how to modify BCATDIAL.BAT If you have ever set up an application using etherppp (Merit) just copy the file dial.ppp to netdial.scr, as the format is the same. The entire netdial package is available at any simtelnet ftp site in directory .../msdos/internet/nd130.zip We have added a batch file and a simple means to redial on busy via a freeware delay utility. There is also an example of how to use ipread with Bobcat and Slip to pass the IP address. 3a. PPP Simple Setup: Thanks to Antonio Lopez Molero we have a new no-compromise freeware ppp packet driver for use with internet programs. The latest complete package of dospppd software will be available shortly from any simtelnet site. ftp://oak.oakland.edu/pub/simtelnet/msdos/pktdrvr/dosppp06.zip ftp://ftp.simtel.net/pub/simtelnet/msdos/pktdrvr/dosppp06.zip (335k) We have included from that package , the program epppd.exe and docs necessary to understand the setup in detail. An example of how to set up epppd with netdial is shown in the batch file bcatdial.bat. This method we feel is even easier than the chat dialer included in the dospppd package. You have to set up dial and login strings in netdial.scr for your provider in addition to information in wattcp.cfg for Bobcat. The package dosppp06.zip contains additional helper programs, notes and now a version of epppd which will make a chap connection (not included with Bobcat because of space). If your server requires chap then this is the package to get. If you require a pap connection the detailed instructions are in .\dialdoc\readpppd.doc and changelo.txt in this Bobcat package. Use the file change check list 3c. below to complete ppp setup. 3b. Slip/Cslip Simple Setup: You have to set up dial and login strings in netdial.scr for your provider in addition to information in wattcp.cfg for Bobcat. Select the correct packet driver Slip or CSlip. If you have a slip bootp server use my_ip=bootp in wattcp.cfg. If using slip/cslip and server does not have bootp, get ipread from Simtelnet ipcfg010.zip (See helper Page). Use the File change check list 3c below to complete slip setup 3c. File Change Check List : ( Thanks to IS, 5 May 1997 ) Batch file - ( File BCATDIAL.BAT ) 1. Change, if necessary, the comport value in *both* netdial lines and the pktdrvr line. 2. Change, if necessary, the speed value in the first netdial line and the pktdrvr line. 38400 will be OK for 14400 (V32bis), but it's marginal for 28800/33600 (V34) and totally useless for the so-called 56k speed (if it actually works at anything like that). 57600 is better for V34 and 115200 for 56k. 57600 might, and 115200 will, need a 16550 UART. 3. Change, if necessary, the vector value in both the pktdrvr line and the termin line. EPPPD requires 66400 bytes now, and EPPPDD requires 82672. The increase is due the VJ code and buffers, which are quite big (about 4 Kb). Netdial script - ( File NETDIAL.SCR) 1. Change, if necessary, the modem set-up string. 2. Change the phone number, if necessary. 3. Change the login name. 4. Change the password. 5. Change the last recv statement to wait for the last word in your connect exchange with your server. This makes sure everything appears on the screen. Especially important if using IPREAD. A collection of sample scripts has been started and saved in the /scripts directory. Send us your samples and they can be included to help others. 4. SETUP TCPIP: In the BOBCAT directory, you will find two .CFG files: LYNX.CFG, and WATTCP.CFG. WATTCP.CFG must be edited before you can use it to browse the 'net, The information is filled in as obtained from your internet provider. See below. LYNX.CFG may need to be refined before Bobcat will work exactly as you wish, but Bobcat should run as it is supplied Look at the file WATTCP.CFG. This file is how I setup my Bobcat, and must be changed for your provider. There is another file called sampwtcp.cfg which contains more details on what each line means. Revise the wattcp.cfg. Each one of the items if incorrect will prevent communications with the name server and therefore cause you not to be able to look up an address. Both Minuet and Bobcat use the variable MYIP to pass your IP address when running over an internet connection. In the default setup, Bobcat sets MYIP by running IP-UP.BAT, which is created by the Dospppd packet driver at connect time. IP-UP.BAT looks like this: set myip=127.0.0.1 set remip=127.0.0.2 set netmask=255.255.255.0 set peermru=1500 The only one of these that is really needed by Bobcat is MYIP. If you get a message, "Out of environment space", when you try to set an environment variable, you can increase the environment size using the SHELL= line in CONFIG.SYS - see your DOS manual. As always, be careful when modifying CONFIG.SYS. Another better way is to load lynxdial.bat with another batch file which creates a larger environment. Create a new batch file called ld.bat which has the single line to load a new command.com , increase the environment to 1024, and loads lynxdial. ie: command /e:1024 /c lynxdial.bat The WATTCP.CFG file starts with the line "include=..\path.cfg". It is not necessary to change this line as discussed below. This wattcp application uses a file named path.cfg in the c:\dialnet directory to determine the dynamically assigned Ip address, your gateway, netmask and nameservers. Path.cfg then contains the exact ip address wording which allows use of the statement include=..\path.cfg in most wattcp applications. If you have a fixed IP address just enter it in wattcp.cfg Set the nameserver to the IP address of your nameserver. Again, do not leave this at the default - ask. domainslist should be left blank as it really slows nameserver operations Set mailserver to the name of your SMTP server as assigned. For mailaddr, give your email address, ex., "me@mypc.foobar.net". The defaults for sockdelay and domainto should be fine for most people, but you might want to make them longer if you have a slow modem. At 2400 baud, try "sockdelay=60" and "domainto=60". When using epppd the maximum value of mss should be 1460 . Reduce this to 1024, 512 or 256 if you are having problems staying connected. 5. SETUP BOBCAT (LYNX) The following information is for advanced setup. Bobcat should run on most computers with sections 1-4 completed only. Additional setup information for BOBCAT is in the bobc_hlp.htm file. It is suggested you first read the BOBCAT help file by running "lynx" without dialing and going to "Read This First". (bobc_hlp.htm). "Q" or "q" is the standard command to exit lynx and will also exit BOBCAT. "ALT-X" has been added to Bobcat as an additional exit to match other DOS programs Also look in the docs directory for more detailed Help Documentation. If you want to have an ascii version of any of the html documentation from this or any other html program it may be produced by running Bobcat with the -dump command option. Command form is: lynx -dump file:///bobc_hlp.htm > help.txt which will produce an ascii file called help.txt. A summary sheet for the BOBCAT hot key commands is in the file keys.doc. Before going on line for the first time it may be helpful to print keys.doc and have it handy. The following changes are made in LYNX.CFG which contains additional information.. First look at LYNX.CFG; Do not worry about the colors for now; the default colors should work fine on any supported video card, including MDA. If you want, you can go back and change them later, after you have Bobcat running. Leave the "AUTO_EXTERN" lines for now. You may go back and revise them later if you want other external TCP applications. Leave FAKE_VERSION and MAKE_LINKS_FOR_ALL_IMAGES at the default. You may wish to specify an INCOMING directory; as noted, it defaults to the current directory (i.e., the BOBCAT directory). For SMTP_SERVER, give your SMTP server's name; STARTFILE, HELPFILE, DEFAULT_INDEX_FILE, BOLD_HEADERS, CASE_SENSITIVE_ALWAYS_ON, DEFAULT_BOOKMARK_FILE, and SYSTEM_EDITOR should be fine for now. I'm assuming you're connecting to the Internet via a dial up connection to a local ISP, so you won't need to set proxy variables. If you have a printer attached, you probably want to enable it by setting PRINTER. For a regular printer attached to the first parallel port, the default should work. If your printer is on another port, you should leave PRINTER alone in LYNX.CFG edit the file PRINTIT.BAT to specify another port. Note: do *not* use the DOS PRINT command as your print command in LYNX.CFG. PRINT.COM is TSR, and you cannot load TSR's from inside Bobcat. One way around this problem is to load print.com in the early part of the lynxdial.bat, before epppd. If you do not have a printer, comment out the PRINTER line. Next we come to "Downloader definitions". "DOWNLOADER" is kind of a misleading name, since as the comments in LYNX.CFG note a "downloader" is actually *any* program that operates on a file. You could define programs here to display pictures or videos, play sound files, or essentially anything you might want to do with a file you get off the 'net. There is one "downloader" defined, a GIF/JPEG viewer. What that means is that if you hit "d" when the highlight is on a link, you get a choice of either actually downloading the file (or HTML source), or, if it's a picture, displaying it. LXPIC is a GIF/JPEG viewer for 386+ with CGA or better Vern Buerg's LIST utility can be setup as a downloader, but not as a viewer (see below). Here is a sample: DOWNLOADER:View text file:list %s:TRUE To make this work, make a batch file called LIST.BAT, in the BOBCAT directory, consisting of a single line: C:\UTILITY\LIST %1 Alternately, I could have simply copied LIST.COM into the BOBCAT directory. Bobcat uses three different types of external plug-in programs: downloaders, viewers, and external Internet applications. External Internet applications are invoked when Bobcat encounters a particular URL type (ftp, gopher, etc.). To use them, you have to make a batch file with the URL name (ex., FTP.BAT) in the BOBCAT\EXTERNAL directory. They can be invoked either automatically via an AUTO_EXTERN line in LYNX.CFG, or by hitting -A on the link. Viewers are invoked automatically when Bobcat encounters an http or type less URL with a given file extension, specified by a SUFFIX and a VIEWER entry in LYNX.CFG. Downloaders are invoked when you hit "d" on a link and select the program from the downloader list; they are never invoked automatically. All three types of external programs must be in the BOBCAT directory or below; Bobcat will not run a program in another directory. To get around that restriction by create a batch file in the BOBCAT directory for external viewers and downloaders. NO_DOT_FILES is not important. ( a leftover from unix) Next you come to SUFFIXes. You don't need to change these right now. These are your MIME types. MIME types are a list of file extensions that Web browsers use to determine the type of a file so that it can be displayed correctly. Every browser (including Bobcat) has a built-in list, and most every browser allows you to change or add to the list. GLOBAL_EXTENSION_MAP and PERSONAL_EXTENSION_MAP can be left alone. VIEWERs are next. This is where you assign viewers for the MIME types you created under SUFFIXes. Bobcat (like other WWW browsers) can display some MIME types internally. If Bobcat can't display some file types (like pictures) that you want to see, or hear. You can define any external viewer to see/hear those types of files. With an external viewer defined here, that program will be called to display the file when you select the link. Leave GLOBAL_MAILCAP and PERSONAL_MAILCAP alone. The situation here is analogous with MIME types. You don't need mailcap files on a single-user system that's not on a LAN since you can just set your viewers here in the LYNX.CFG file. If you modify any of the KEYMAPs, remember to un comment them :-). Much of the documentation is in HTML format, so the most convenient way to read it is to run Bobcat (without connecting to the Internet). If you accidentally try to reach a remote link without a packet driver loaded, Bobcat will just drop to dos, but the documentation files are all local so it is not required to be online to read them. Before running Bobcat, you should print out the file BOBCAT\DOC\KEYS.DOC, which lists the default key map commands; you can also view them on line by hitting "k". 6. SETUP HELPERS: The following information is for advanced setup. Bobcat should run on most computers with sections 1-4 completed only. Additional setup information for Helper programs is in the external.htm file. External ftp and telnet helper programs have been provided and should work if you have set up your wattcp.cfg file correctly for Bobcat. If you want to use Minuet or any other helper programs they must be setup to work too. If you do not want to run any particular external function comment out the appropriate AUTO_EXTERN line in lynx.cfg Successful use of this program for telnet and ftp presently requires the use of the provided helper programs. There is information on the setup for helper programs in the file external.htm. One way suggested is that Minuet be one of the main helper programs where BOBCAT fully replaces the limited web browser in Minuet. and Minuet is used for the functions it does well. (ftp, gopher, telnet, mail and news.) Persons with Minuet 19a will have to use version 18a to use the supplied method. An address for Minuet which allows http downloads is on the helper page. This does not mean that you must use Minuet. The external interface has been set up so any program that has an ethernet interface will work provided it is set up properly. In this issue we have included a method to use a text based ftp client and a text based telnet client which has been requested by several users. We have setup each program with its own wattcp.cfg or if using Minuet the appropriate information should be entered into the Setup Menu. 6. PROBLEMS: These are some of the problems we regularly run in to with persons trying to set up Bobcat for the first time. 1. Incomplete logon. 2. Bad Ip address 3. Incorrect gateway 4. Incorrect nameserver 5. Proxy server incorrect if needed 6. Proxy server used when none needed The most common problem encountered is the inability to complete the dial and logon properly, which is usually caused by an error in netdial.scr Many persons have had problems because their server says "login" and the script is looking for "username". Check carefully. If you are using the batch file bcatdial.bat provided you will get a short message saying IP address set to...followed by an IP address, . when the login is complete and just before Bobcat is loaded. If that is seen, then you got the login script right, and your problem is in wattcp.cfg. If the above message is received showing the Ip address is set and PPP is working , then look for possible address errors in gateway and/or nameserver . If not, then the problem is probably still in the login script. If you use an external high-speed modem, and experience problems with NetDial, try leaving some time (200 ms) after each sent AT command. If you are using a proxy server and only mailto works, then the problem is the address of the proxy server. Make sure everything is correct including the port number. If your connection seems to die after a few minutes of being online then the problem may be fragmented packets. The internet may be breaking up the packets sent back to you into small chunks which are being received out of order. Try reducing mss to 512 or even 256 and see if there is an improvement. Use the largest size that works. If you are using PAP you may use the version of Epppd in the package and need to prepare an information file pap.dat as follows: > Loading epppd with options on the command line to login to an IP > server which requires Password Authentication Protocol. > > epppd com3 38400 crtscts pktvec 0x60 asyncmap 0 +ua pap.dat > where file pap.dat contains > username > password Or the Following: > > Loading epppd.exe with options in a configuration file also works: > epppd file myppp.cfg or simply: epppd > where file myppp.cfg for default: pppd.cfg (not epppd.cfg) > contains > com3 > 38400 > crtscts > pktvec 0x60 > user myname > passwd mypass > Problems with BOOTP: The EPPPD.EXE emulation of BOOTP does not get the nameserver address unless it is specified on the command line. In order for Dospppd to be able to provide nameserver addresses through BOOTP emulation, you must include the 'namsrv xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx' option in Dospppd configuration. You can specify up to two 'namsrv' options, the README.TXT and PPPD.MAN files contain detailed instructions. The Minuet related problem was corrected also, it happens that Minuet issues a BOOTP request packet larger than the standard BOOTP. Dospppd code is looking for an exact BOOTP packet length, so it used to fail with Minuet. Now it has been fixed to accept BOOTP packets larger than the standard. So Minuet now works fine. For non usual COM configurations: Simply remove any COM? specification from Dospppd configuration and give it both 'base xxx' and 'irq y' COM setup information. This way Dospppd skips the BIOS data area check and will make use of 'base' and 'irq' information for COM access. If you require Chap access then you need to get the whole version dosppp06 from simtelnet. The Chap version of EPPPD is in a zip file inside the package. See the download page (download.htm). ################################################################### # Sample # Wattcp Configuration file # for BOBCAT # # stick with the one provided until you get everything working. #Only then make adjustments to wattcp.cfg #include=..\path.cfg netmask=255.255.255.0 gateway=192.169.33.11 nameserver=192.169.33.3 domainslist="sample.net" hostname=Bobcat mailaddr=user@sample.net mailserver=smtp.sample.net domainto=20 sockdelay=30 mss=1024 #http_proxy=http://proxy.sample.net:8080/ #ftp_proxy=ftp://proxy.sample.net:8080/ ###End of File 7. LIST SERVER: If you are still having problems reaching any URL's don't be afraid to ask. University of Kansas continues to provide a listserv for dos-lynx programs. Questions and help inquiries may receive faster or wider response if you post them there. It is not a high traffic list and to post, you must be subscribed. There is an explanatory note called listserv.doc in directory .\bobcat\doc which explains how this is done. Even if you get it going without help, let the list serv know how. Your feedback can help others. 8. CREDITS: This is a world wide user supported program and a lot of what you have received in this package has been added by the users or has been suggested by users for addition to the package. It is a real example of what the WORLD can produce when linked by the internet. Wayne Buttles who is the creator of Bobcat lives in USA. Marc Ressl in Argentina has contributed a phone dialer which allows easy scripting of the connection and removes itself after completion. Antonio Lopez Molero in Spain has contributed the ppp program. Gregory Rosmaita in USA contributed the excellent tutorial. John Lewis in Canada has prepared the help files, these installation instructions, developed the software for using external programs and assembled all the packages for public release. Others worldwide have contributed their ideas on what should be in the package and have added improvements to the documentation. All are appreciated and more are always welcome. If you have comments or suggestions you can send them to bobcat@fdisk.com. Please remember that this is a hobby and done solely for fun. Bobcat has been created for Wayne's own personal enjoyment. It will never be as good as the Unix version of Lynx, but at least it is better than nothing. Do not flame anyone for bugs or missing features. Be constructive. He did not create the original code. We are just releasing changes to the general public in hopes that it will help some other Dos User or programmer. We have made every attempt to keep it compatible with the lowest IBM-Compatible computer so that the greatest number of people can benefit. We will endeavor to do so as long as he plays with the code. Good luck, and happy browsing. John