Brief *ALL RAM* BBS Operating Instructions:
       Documentation and Programs Copyright (C) 1983 by Allen C. Huffman
                           Public Release:  May 1988

The *ALL RAM* BBS System requires a 32k+ Extended Basic CoCo to operate and
consists of two programs:  EDITOR, and *ALLRAM*.  (An auto-answer modem, and a
remote driver such as REMOTE2 from The Rainbow, is also required for on-line
operation.)


STARTING UP:

The first thing you will have to do is create the userlog and message base
files that the BBS requires in order to run.  Load in the first program,
EDITOR, and run it. You will see some garbage on the top left of the screen for
a few seconds before the menu appears.  This is a short M/L routine temporarily
stored on the screen that does a PCLEAR 0 to clear out space for the system
files.

Select option #1 (Create Userlog), then enter the name of the SYStem OPerator. 
Next, enter the password you will use to access the system.  If you typed in
everything correctly, type "Y" at the verify prompt, otherwise type "N" and
retry.

You will now have to save the userlog to tape.  Do this by using option #3
(Save Userlog/Message Base) from the main menu.  Insert a blank tape, or use
the back side of the tape the BBS is on, and get it ready to save.  (IE, get
past the leader, press record and play.)  Then press ENTER and the userlog will
be saved to tape along with the empty message base.  Use option #8 to exit to
basic.


RUNNING THE BBS:

Load and run the second program, *ALLRAM*.  You will once again see the garbage
on the screen followed by a promt asking you to ready the data tape for
loading.  Rewind the tape with the system files on it and press play.  Now hit
ENTER and the BBS will load in the userlog and message base, then start up.


USING THE BBS:

The start up screen will display the name of the system, how many users are on
the system, how many calls have been made to the BBS, and a promt waiting for a
caller to logon and press ENTER.

Press the ENTER key and a short tone will sound alerting you that the system is
active.  The system will then identify itself and ask for a password.  If you
don't have a password, type in the word "NEW" or press ENTER, then fill out the
password application form.

If you want to logon as SysOp, type in the password you enetered when you were
creating the userlog.  The system will search for that password, and if it does
not find it, you will be asked to try again.  After three invalid entries, the
BBS will hang up on the caller and reset.

Once your password has been found, your user status will be displayed and you
will be sent to the main menu.


BBS FUNCTIONS:

Selecting "?" at the menu prompt will display all the BBS functions:

C-all SysOp:  alerts the SysOp that a user wishes to type to him.  (Pressing
    CLEAR will enter the chat mode, and typing BYE at the start of a line will
    exit back tothe main menu.)

G-oodbye:  bids the caller farewell, then resets the system.

U-serlog:  tells how many users are on the system, then displays their names
    and access levels.  (Novalidated users [level 0] cannot use this option.)

P-ost Message:  allows a user to leave a message to others.  You will be asked
    to whom the message is to, and if it is private.  If the message is not
    private, you will be asked for the subject, or title, of the message.  You
    will then be allowed to type in up to 10 lines/64 characters each.  If you
    want to stop before the 10 lines are up, hit ENTER on a blank line.  After
    this, you will be sent to the message editor, which is self-explanitory.
    (Nonvalidated users cannot use this option.)

R-ead Messages:  allows a user to read messages from others.  Enter the
    message number you would like to read or press ENTER to return to the main
    menu.  Private message can only be viewed by the sended, receiver, or
    SysOp.  (Nonvalidated users cannot use this option, either...)

S-can Titles:  lists the message titles and who they are to.


SYSOP FUNTCTIONS:

% - Entering "%" from the main menu will shut down the BBS.  Only the SysOp
(Level 9) can use this function.  You will be asked to enter a password.
Carefully type in "?DROWSSAP" and press ENTER.  If you enter the wrong
password, you will be sent back to the main menu.  If the password is entered
correctly, you will be asked if you want to abort the BBS.  Type "YES" and you
will be asked to ready the data tape.  Follow the same instructions as you did
with the editor.  After the files are saved, you will drop into basic.  (% MUST
be used in order to update the system files daily.)


EDITOR

Most of the editor functions are self-explanitory, but before you can do
anything, you must load in the system files by using option #2 (Load
Userlog/Message Base).

After the files have been loaded, you may kill individual messages by using
option #7 (Kill Messages), print out the userlog or messages by using option #4
(Print Messages) and #4 (Print Userlog), or edit and validate users with #6
(Edit Userlog).

Editing users is failry easy.  Use the up and down arrow keys to scroll through
the userlog.  When you get the user you want, you may D-elete him (the SysOp,
user #0, cannot be deleted), or E-dit him.  When editing, type in the new data,
or press ENTER to leave it unchanged.  J-unp allows you to go to a specified
user, and M-enu returns you to the editor menu.

Be sure to save (#3) the edited files back to tape before you quit (#8), or all
you editing will be in vain.


CONCLUSION:

That's about all you should need to know for now.  More detal will be included
on system commands and customization in the complete documentation.  Below are
some of the special features that I have not mentioned yet.

Auto Log-Off:  After 150 inputes, the system will display a message asking the
user to finish up soon.  After 200 inputs, the system hangs up on him then
resets.

System Levels:  Level 0 is assigned to new users.  (0=Nonvalidated.)  You may
validate users by giving them a level of 1, or make them a SysOp by giving them
a level 9.  It is, however, unwise to give any user level 9 since no special
features are installed for the SysOp to use on-line.  The only special
privillige would be the reading of private messages.

Lower Case Conversion:  A routine that converts lower case to upper case is
used from time to time to allow the BBS to respond to lower case input.

Upper/Lower Output:  Most of the output to the callers is in upper and
lowercase to enhance the look of the system to outside callers with terminal
programs that can handle lower case.

Future modifications to this system include software time, which will remain
accurate since no I/O is used during on-line operations, and chat mode toggle
(ON/OFF), as well as possible activity files written out to tape, and, last but
not least, disk adaptions to allow many message bases and extra disk commands.


SPECIAL NOTES:

This program requires a remote driver (not included) in order to operate
online.  REMOTE2 from Rainbow magazine is recommended since it does the job and
is free.  Simply clear memory (as the REMOTE2 instructions say) before loading,
then load and run the *ALLRAM* program and you will be set.  You will have to
add any special modem hang-up command in the logoff routine.


MORE SPECIAL NOTES:

This program was orignally written back in 1983 and would have been marketed by
a major software firm, but that deal never saw the light of day.  As a result,
I have kept the program stashed away over the years.  I tried to have it
distributed in 1985 through another software house, but they went out of
business shortly before a deal could be made.  Rainbow was another option, but
instead I decided to make it ShareWare to anyone who wants it!  This program
does prove, once and for all, that it IS possible to run a BBS without a disk
drive even though all the main sources say it isn't!

This program is ShareWare, but I do not require any kind of donation.  Just
write me a letter if you use this program, or write if you have any questions
or comments.  My current address is:

               Allen C. Huffman
               110 Champions Dr. #811
               Lufkin, TX 75901

By the way, a "registered" version of this BBS (1988) is being written that
will have a larger message base, more bells and whistles (New message read,
system clock, and much, much more!) as well as a souped up editor and expanded
documentation file.  When this is completed, it will be available for a small
fee, probably around $10-$15 and will be sent to you on tape with a printed
instruction sheet.  Interested?  Write me a letter and let me know!


I hope this program reaches at least one person that it can help.  I wrote it
due to a desire to run a BBS, and since I lacked the "3 to 4 disk drives" that
all of the systems required back then.  Unfortunately, or fortunately,
depending on how you look at it, drives are now so affordable that is is just
as easy to buy one a run a much larger system.  The reason I still persue this
software venture is because there still are requests to run a tape-based BBS
system from time to time in The Rainbow, and on other BBS systems.  Until now,
the anwer was a flat "NO, is just ain't possible".  I can finally change that.

Enjoy, and let me know what you think of my bare-bones, very limited, but at
least it works on tape, BBS.