Fido's Complete Operating Manual        Page  OPERATE-1
Table of Contents


Sysop Only Commands ____________________________ Page 2

1 -- Paths _____________________________________ Page 3

2 -- Purge Messages ____________________________ Page 5

3 -- Command Privilege Levels __________________ Page 6

4 -- Fidonet Parameters ________________________ Page 7

5 -- List scheduled events _____________________ Page 8

6 -- Enter/change events _______________________ Page 9

7 -- Enable/disable/remove an event ____________ Page 11

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Table of Contents


8 -- Renumber Messages _________________________ Page 12

0 -- Terminate to DOS __________________________ Page 13

Special Local Console Features _________________ Page 14

Questionnaires _________________________________ Page 16

The SYSOP Utility ______________________________ Page 19

TIMELOG -- The Time Log Utility ________________ Page 23

Fido callers log file: SYSOP.LOG  ______________ Page 24

Fido's Users Manual: Main Section ______________ Page 25

Fido's Users Manual: Message and Mail Section __ Page 29

Fido's Users Manual: File Section ______________ Page 33

Fido's Users Manual: Control Characters ________ Page 35

Maintenaince and Backup ________________________ Page 36

Fido's Internal Files __________________________ Page 37

Operate Index __________________________________ Page 39

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Sysop Only Commands


     The sysop commands are all single digits, and do not
show up in any prompts nor in any of the supplied help
files. Most are "dangerous", in the sense that they set and
change Fidos environment, and are not for general use.

        With one exception, all sysop commands are available
at all prompts. This exception is at the "Read Command"
prompt; entering numbers specifies a message number, not a
command! Therefore, the 3 command (see below) is accessed
only there as "#".

        These commands are hardcoded for SYSOP privilege;
this cannot be changed. This also means it is not possible
for a NORMAL user to ever access these commands.

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1 -- Paths


     Sets paths, select and create new system files
(SYSTEMn.BBS) and change the privilege level for each area.

        The Installation Section walks you through setting
up Fido with the 1 command, and provides many real life
examples.

     Entering 1 by itself lists the contents of the current
system file. Changing and setting system file parameters is
done by entering them after the 1, in a slightly peculiar
way. The 1 commands are:

     1                  List the current set of paths
(a)  1 <number>         Select or create a system file.
(b)  1 <pathname>\M     Set the MSG Path
(c)  1 <pathname>\F     Set the FILE Path
(d)  1 <pathname>\U     Set the UPLOAD Path
(e)  1 <pathname>\H     Set the HELP Path
(g)  1 <privilege>\V    Set the Area privilege level
(h)  1 <number>\A       Set Attributes
(i)  1 S                Save the changes
(j)  1 ?                Get HELP! With the 1 command

     If (a) is not done, then the system file is the one
last selected when in a Message Section or File Section. You
can always find out by just entering 1 by itself; it lists
which system file and all its contents. (You could do the
same thing by using the A)rea command in the Message or File
Section.)

     To create a new system file, enter 1 <number>, where
<number> is one higher than the highest one. Fido will not
allow creating SYSTEM99.BBS, for instance, when the current
highest is only 8. When a new one is created, it copies the
contents of the current one into the new one.

     For (b) through (e), the specified path is selected.
You can check your changes by entering 1 by itself.

     (g) sets the privilege level for the Message and File
areas in this system file. The default is DISGRACE. (This is
not copied from the previous one; it is always set to
DISGRACE.) To change it, enter as shown. The privilege
levels are:

     TWIT
     DISGRACE
     NORMAL
     PRIVEL
     EXTRA
     SYSOP

     You must spell fully the privilege level name.

     Each system file has an attribute word. Currently, only

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1 -- Paths

one bit of it is used, so the method of changing it is
crude. The 1 bit determines whether the MSG Path is a
regular Message area or a FidoNet Mail area.

     1 0\A          Set normal Message Area
     1 1\A          Set Fidonet Area

     This should be set on only one MSG Path; the one you
use for Fidonet mail.

NOTE:
     Any changes you make are not permanent until you save
them with (i). If you make changes, then select another area
with (a), then the changes are lost.

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2 -- Purge Messages


        The 2 command is helpful to manage your message
areas. It is used to delete messages by age or (RECV'D)
status.

        The first option is to delete messages by age. YOu
enter the number of days old, and Fido kills messages older
than that many days. Message numbers are listed as they are
deleted; you can Control-C to stop it at any point.

        The second option is whether messages that have been
received by the addressee (the message will be listed
(RECV'D)) should be deleted. If you answer Yes, then any
message with (RECV'D) in the header will be deleted,
regardless of it's age.

        Note that if you answer No to both questions, Fido
is stupid enough to read all the messages anyways; no harm
will be done. Just Control-C to abort it at any time.


HINT:
        Try not to use this command when you are not in the
Message Section. Until you enter the Message Section, Fido
hasn't selected a set of paths, etc. and I have no idea what
happens if you try to use this command then.

        The same applies to the 8 command.

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3 -- Command Privilege Levels

# -- IN THE READ COMMAND PROMPT ONLY

NOTE:
        The "3" command is the "#" command while in the
R)ead Message prompt, because "3" is a message number.

     The 3 command is used to change and list the privilege
levels for each command in each Section. 3 by itself lists
the command names and the privilege level needed to be able
to use it. If the users privilege level isn't high enough,
then the command will not show in the prompt.

     To change a privilege level, you enter:

     3 <cmd> <privilege>

     Where <cmd> is the command letter as normally entered
(for instance, in a Message Section, K for Kill message,
etc) and <privilege> is the name of the privilege level, as
listed under the 1 command. The change is stored
immediately.

     The following are considered separate areas, as far as
the 3 command goes:

        Main Section,           MAINPRIV.BBS
        Message Sections,       MSGPRIV.BBS
        Mail Sections,          MAILPRIV.BBS
        File Sections,          FILEPRIV.BBS
        Read Command Prompt     READPRIV.BBS
        CHANGE Command Prompt   CHGPRIV.BBS

     Though FidoNet message sections are almost identical to
regular Message Sections, it has it's own set of privilege
levels for the commands.

HINT:

        If you really mess up, you can start over by
deleteing the PRIV file, or all of them. Next time you run
Fido, it will start over with all of it's orignal defaults.

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4 -- Fidonet Parameters


        If you haven't yet, read the FidoNet Manual first,
otherwise this may be meaningless.

     The 4 command sets and displays FidoNet parameters.
These parameters are used mainly by FidoNet, and possibly
external programs.

        4 ?             Get help!
        4 <number>\N    Set Node Number
        4 <number>\T    Set Net Number
        4 <number>\H    Set Alternate Node number
        4 <number>\A    Set Alternate Net number

        4 <pathname>\P  Set Mail Path
        4 <pathname>\F  Set Mail File Path


     The Mail Path is the message directory you want to use
for the FidoNet mail area. It must be the same as one of the
message paths set with the 1 command, and the one that has
the MAIL attribute set with "1 1\A".

     The Mail File Path is where files received via FidoNet
are placed. Generally a good place is the same as where you
put uploaded files, or a seperate directory only for mail
files.

     The node number, net number, and the alternate net and
node numbers are the way that your Fido system is identified
to others on the Net. These numbers must be unique, and
known to everyone else in the Net. Please refer to the
FidoNet section for details. Use this command to set your
node and net numbers once you have figured out what they
are.

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5 -- List scheduled events


     Lists all of the scheduled events that Fido can
execute. Events are added, changed, enabled, disabled, etc
with the 6 command and the 7 command. The default is one
event enabling the Y)ell command.

     The actual scheduler operation is covered in the
Scheduler chapter of the FidoNet section. Basically, these
events are things like when to execute FidoNet, days and
times when the Y)ell command is allowed, and with additional
work, when external programs are to be executed.

        See the 6 -- Enter/Change Events section (next page)
for details on what events mean and how to change them.

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6 -- Enter/change events


     This command allows entering and changing events. There
is room for up to 35 events. You are asked for an event
number, then you are asked for each of the components that
make up an event. These are:

Event # [0 - 35]:

     Which event to work on. Events can be in any order;
Fido executes them according to the day and time. If you
enter a number that is already used, you will replace it
with the new one you are entering. Hitting RETURN will exit
the 6 command.

Day of week [All, 0=Sun, 1=Mon ...]:

     The day of the week that this event should be run on.
Entering A (for ALL) means run it every day. For example,
FidoNet gets run every day; enter A. An alternative (just
for an example) would be to enter seven events, one for each
day of the week. This is just for convenience.

Start Time: [hh:mm]:

     The time this event is to start. Enter as 10:44, etc,
or use a space instead of the colon. Entering just 10, for
instance, is the same as entering 10:00. 00:00 (or just 0)
is midnight; 23:59 is one minute til midnight.

Window width, Minutes:

     How long the specified event should be run. This can be
from 1 to 1440, the number of minutes in a day. If you had
entered A for the day of the week, 10:00 for the start time,
and 60 for window width, then the event would be run from
10:00AM to 11:00AM.

     For external events, you should enter one minute; Fido
cannot "call back" an external program when it's time is
over, it is up to that program (and your batch file) to
return to Fido.

Schedule Tag [A - W, X, Y, Z]:

     This tells Fido what event it is you are running. A - W
are FidoNet events; Fido's FidoNet Manual describes this in
detail. Tag A is the normal, nation wide FidoNet time slot.
If in doubt, or for new systems, enter A. This will then be
compatible with older FidoNets.

     Y is the yell command. The Y)ell command (which rings
the bell annoyingly on the console) can be enabled for any
time of the day, by setting it up as an "event". Fido will
not terminate or do anything different; it will just allow
the yell command to be used while the event is running. The
default is to allow the yell command from 10:00AM til

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6 -- Enter/change events

10:00PM.

     Tag X is the external event; with these, you can run
other DOS programs through a specially modified batch file.
X terminates with DTR low (the modem hung up, and auto-
answer disabled).

ERRORLEVEL [4 - 255]:

     Asked ONLY if Tag X is entered, above. This is the
ERRORLEVEL code passed back to DOS, where it can be detected
by the batch file, for selectively running programs.

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7 -- Enable/disable/remove an event


     This is used to enable, disable and remove set events.
You are asked for an event number (as entered above) and
then what to do with it. If you enter an event number that
does not exist, it will tell you so.

     Enable "turns on" that event, that is, allows it to
run. Disable causes it to be ignored, though it will still
exist, so you can enable it later if you want. Remove
deletes it entirely.

Fido's Complete Operating Manual        Page  OPERATE-13
8 -- Renumber Messages


        The 8 command will renumber all the messages in the
current message area, so that they start at 1, and increase
by 1. It will preserve Replies and See Alsos.

HINT:
        It is recomended that you use the 8 command when you
have either a lot of messages, or lots of "holes", ie.
groups of numbers that are missing. When searching for
messages, Fido searches through the missing message numbers,
which takes time. Use of the 8 command regularly (try once a
week at first, adjust accordingly) will speed up your
system.


        Renumbering causes temporary great upheaval to the
messages themselves; interrupting the 8 command (by powering
off or resetting) is not reccomended. To prevent losing the
connection (and disconnecting) from aborting the renum,
nothing is displayed to the modem while the command is
working. The local console will show 8 command status.

Fido's Complete Operating Manual        Page  OPERATE-14
0 -- Terminate to DOS


        This is a highly specialized command, that works
only when a /W value is specified on the command line.
Please note that Fido does *NOT* run programs through the
modem; all the 0 command is for is terminating Fido in an
orderly way so that yo can use OTHER programs, not suppiled
with Fido, for running other programs through the modem.


        When set, the 0 command causes a immediate
termination to DOS with the ERRORLEVEL specified by the /W
switch. It is assumed that your RUNBBS batch file will trap
this errorlevel, and do something appropriate.

        Note that it is NOT adequate to just use CTTY to
redirect the console; you must have a special "watchdog"
program to monitor the Carrier Detect line from the modem,
and reboot the system if carrier is lost. Otherwise, if the
connection is lost, the next person that calls in has
control of your system, from the DOS level.

Fido's Complete Operating Manual        Page  OPERATE-15
Special Local Console Features


     There are a number of commands that can be used from
the system's local console while a user is on. This is
sometimes called "spy mode", as the user does not have any
indication that you are spying on them. The commands are:


     ?
     /
          Displays the name of the current user, and how
long he has been on. It lists a small menu of other things
that can be done, described here.

     C
         Chat with the caller. (Also see the Y)ell command.)
The user will get an appropriate message, and you will then
be in terminal mode with the caller, allowing you to type
back and forth. The chat mode is terminated by typing
Control-Z, at which point the user is back in normal Fido
operation.

     Z
          Clear the current users limits. This clears the
accumulated download, time on system, and accumulated time
on system. (same as user calling back in 48 hours.) This is
useful for extending someones time limits temporarily.

     ^A (Control-A)

     Simultaneous keyboards. All keystrokes typed are
treated as if they were from the callers modem. Terminated
by ^Z, Control-Z, below. This can be used for intensive
handholding of terrified users.

     ^Z (Control-Z)

     Terminates both Chat mode (or the Y)ell command) and
simultaneous keyboards.

        ^X (Control-X)

        Immediately terminate a call. The user is logged
off. Ignored during file transfers. To be used sparingly. If
you need to get into the system while a caller is on, refer
to ^T.

        ^O (Control-O)
        ^N (Control-N)

        These two are for special purposes only. They turn
off (^O) and on (^N) the local screen output. Normally, Fido
displays what the user sees, on the local screen.

        For use with a multi-DOS type program (XAP,
Multilink, etc) this console activity greatly slows down the
system. It can be disabled with ^O, or via the /I command

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Special Local Console Features

line switch. These two keys override and /I command line
switch.

        ^T (Control-T)

        When entered while a user is on, after the user
hangs up it causes Fido to disable the modem, and alert the
operator that the system is free. Fido rings the bell once a
second for ten minutes.

        When Fido is ready, type ^C to quit to DOS, or ^Z to
stop the terminate and resume normal operation. If there is
no response in five minutes, then Fido resumes normal
operation automatically.

    Space bar

     When a user has started a Y)ell, hitting the space bar
immediately causes the "sysop not available" message.

     The scheduler can be used to limit the hours in which
the Y)ell command can be used.

Fido's Complete Operating Manual        Page  OPERATE-17
Questionnaires


     A questionnaire is a pseudo-language file that is
interpreted by Fido. If someone invokes the A (Answer
Questionnaire) command in the Main Section, and there is no
questionnaire, it says:

   "No questionnaire today"

     Questionnaires are simple text files that are
interpreted by Fido. There is a very simple line oriented
pseudo language that interprets these scripts. There are
only a couple of "commands", and only two crude
conditionals.

     The answers to the questionnaire are put in a seperate
file, without the questions. They are also normal ASCII
text, but in a fixed field format with field characters, to
make post- processing of the questionnaire easier. (I do
not, and probably will not ever, provide a processor for the
answers files.)

     The questionnaire consists of two files:

QUESTION.BBS    The questionnaire script
ANSWERS.BBS     The answers

     Answers are appended to the end of the answer file; it
is create first if it does not exist.

     There is also a second questionnaire: QNOPWD.BBS. If
this  exists, users who forgot their password, or if the /M
(private system) is specified, they get to fill it in. You
can put in requests for passwords, address and phone
numbers, etc here.

     The first character of each line tells Fido what to do
with the line. This first character is a normal printable
character. If the first character is not one of the known
commands, the line is merely displayed.

HINT:
     Do not have blank lines in the questionnaire.
Interrogation will stop at end of file or a blank line.

     The questionnaire commands are:

/<prompt string>
     Display <prompt string>, then input a single line of
text. Maximum line length is 78 characters. The usual
editing is available. The inputted text is written to the
answer file.

*
     Put users info to the answer file: name and last
(current) signon time and date. Useful for the "what kind of
system ..." type questionnaires. Leaving this out allows

Fido's Complete Operating Manual        Page  OPERATE-18
Questionnaires

confidential questionnaires, as there is no other record of
which caller filled on in.

+N <prompt string>
     Multiple choice. The single digit number N is the
number of possible choices. (1 - 9) If an illegal number or
the number is missing, the number of choices defaults to
one, so at least it wont hang up. The choice entered by the
user is checked for in range 1 to N, and saved in the answer
file.

     There is a special feature of multiple choice: an
internal flag is set if the last choice (choice N) is
selected, that can be tested by the ? and ! commands, below.

? <prompt string>
     To be used ONLY immediately after a multiple choice
question. This command will be executed only if choice N is
made. This allows implementing "A, B, C, Other" type
questions. Put "other" as the last choice; if selected, then
the ? command following it will be executed. See the example
below. If any other selection was made, this line will be
skipped.

     The conditional flag is cleared by:  + command, ?
command, _ command. No other commands affect it.

!
     To be used ONLY after a multiple choice question,
similar to ? above. If the last choice of a multiple choice
was selected, this terminates the questionnaire. Allows
asking "Do you want to fill this out (1) yes (2) no".
_
     (Underscore) Unconditionally clear the conditional
flag.

Fido's Complete Operating Manual        Page  OPERATE-19
Questionnaires

Questionnaire Example

     The following is an example of an executable
questionnaire, though the questions are useless.

This is not a command, and will merely be displayed. This
can be used as a header or prompt for long questions.
* Insert user info (text after * is ignored)
Want to fill this out:
+2 (1) Yes (2) No
!
/Prompt, input a line of text:
+3Multiple choice: (1) green (2) blue (3) other:
?What other color?
?will never be executed; ? above cleared flag.
+2Multiple choice: (1) this (2) that
This is just plain text. Does not affect the flag.
?What is that?
Text can be used as a prompt for a long question, like this:
What time did you last jump out the window?
/


Example Answer File

   The answer file is a specially formatted text file. It
can (has to be for now) interpreted manually. (The answer
file for QNOPWD.BBS is ANOPWD.BBS) For the questionnaire
above, here's what the answer might look like: (manual
comments in parens)

* Some User 32 Jan 44 23:59:59
  1: A line of text   (text inputted by / command)
  2: 2                (choice 2; ? after it not executed)
  3: 2                (choice 2. == N, so ...)
? 3: the other thing  (conditional question, "other")
  4: at midnight      (ans to "when ... out the window?")


     Each question is numbered by BBS. Characters are 3
digits max, right justified.

Special Characters in Column 1:

*  User record info.

?  Answer to conditional question. Note that the number is
the same as the question that triggered the conditional
question, even if there was text inbetween.

(blank)   Normal answer.

Fido's Complete Operating Manual        Page  OPERATE-20
The SYSOP Utility


     The SYSOP utility is used to maintain the user list
file, USER.BBS. It is a simple data base type program, has
online help, and is fairly easy to use.

     First, a general description of the user list. The user
list is a variable number of records, with one record per
user end to end. New users get added to the end. SYSOP
allows going back and forth through the user list, changing
things such as names, passwords, privilege levels, and more
global things like purging old users from the list.

     It will be much easier to use this section while
actually running the SYSOP program. When first run, SYSOP
displays the first record in the list, usually the sysop.
You can get a brief description of each of the commands by
entering a ?, then the command key listed in the menu.

     SYSOP automatically saves any changes you make. To
change a password, for instance, use the P command (below)
and thats it. SYSOP will save any changes before exiting to
DOS or selecting another user record.

Selecting a User Record

     There are a number of ways to look at (and maybe
change) user records. You can use the following key to move
to the next and previous record:

     Next Highest       Previous
       >                   <
       +                   -
       .                   ,
       _                   =

     The last four don't appear to make any sense, but they
happen to share the same keytop, either shifted or
unshifted.

B -- Beginning of the User List

     B takes you directly to the first record.

Z -- End of the Users List

     Z takes you to the end of the list.

A -- Select Record Number

     You can also enter the record number directly with the
A command. This is handy only if you know the record number.

F -- Find a Record

     This works similar to the I command in Fido. You are
prompted for a string; SYSOP then searches for that string

Fido's Complete Operating Manual        Page  OPERATE-21
The SYSOP Utility

in the name portion of the user records, and stops at the
first one it finds.

     It starts searching from the next record; i.e. if you
are currently at #100, it starts looking at #101. When it
reaches the end, it wraps around, and continues from record
#1. It stops if a match is found, or until it reaches the
point where it started. Therefore, if no match is found, it
leaves you where you were.

     If you are searching for "John", you will probably get
more than one match. If it matches one you did not want,
then just repeat it; it will start searching again with the
next record. For speed, you can use the Control-R key as in
Fido, to recover the text you had entered ("John" in this
example, by typing:

     F         Find command
     ^R        Restore old line
     CR        Execute command

E -- Enter New User

     E adds a new user to the list. First, it goes to the
end of the list (may take a while) then makes a clear, empty
user record. You use the usual SYSOP commands (below) to
fill out the record.

     After doing an E, SYSOP will save the new user record
only if you change at least one field in it. If you just do
an E, then a command such as B or - it will not save the new
record. Once you have changed anything (name, password, etc)
it will save it automatically.

N -- Name

     N prompts you for a new name. You can enter one or two
words. Entering a blank line leaves the present name.

P -- Password

     Enter a new password.

V -- privilege Level

     Change users privilege level. You can enter only the
first letter of the privilege level name, or enter the whole
thing. The levels are listed by "? V". They are:

     TWIT
     DISGRACE
     NORMAL
     PRIVEL
     EXTRA
     SYSOP

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The SYSOP Utility

Q -- Quit to DOS

     Saves any changes, and returns to DOS.

O -- Mark Old Users

     This is used to mark old users that haven't called in
for a long time, to be later purged from the list. (One time
callers, etc) The user records are not deleted by this
command; you must use the ! command to do it after you have
them all marked.

     It starts at the current record, and if a caller hasnt
called within the specified number of days, that record is
marked as "deleted". Users within the number of days are
marked as "Un-deleted". You can use this if you change your
mind, for instance, to un-delete everyone use the O command
to mark all users that havent called in, say, 1000 days.
This will undelete anyone that has called in within 1000
days.

     A good number to use is 32; you will find that almost
all users that get deleted have called only once. SYSOP
displays each user record that it is marking.

D -- Mark Current User Record as Deleted

     This marks the current record as deleted, as if it were
marked by O.

! -- Purge deleted Users

     This does the actual deletion from the user list of any
marked records. First, it makes a backup copy of USER.BBS in
USER.BAK. As it deletes records, it puts the deleted ones
into USER.OLD, where they can be recovered from if a mistake
is made.

     You can recover deleted records by either renaming
USER.BAK to USER.BBS, or by appending USER.OLD to USER.BBS
by the DOS command:

     REN USER.BBS USER.WRK    rename for now,
     COPY/B USER.WRK+USER.OLD USER.BBS

     Note that SYSOP will not delete users that have a
privilege of EXTRA or above or any credit left.

$ -- Set Credit and Debit

     This is used for supplying users with credit for
sending FidoNet mail. It prompts you for a dollar value,
which is the added to the current credit, after subtracting
any debit from it. If there were already $5.16 credit left,
entering "10" would leave them with $15.16 credit.

Fido's Complete Operating Manual        Page  OPERATE-23
The SYSOP Utility

     To set the credit to a specific number, enter:

     =10

     This clears any remaining credit before adding the $10.

M -- Set Default Message Area

     Fido saves the message area that a user was in last.
Normally, new users end up in message area #1. For certain
types of systems, you might want to eliminate the A (Area-
Change) command, and lock users into particular areas. This
determines what area the user will end up in when entering
the Message Section.

     Note that if the specified area does not exist, or it's
privilege level is too high, Fido will automatically bump
them into area #1. Make sure you have these set up right.

K -- Set Default File Area

     Same as M, except it sets the default File Area.


Aborting a SYSOP Command

     Some of SYSOPs commands may take a while, such as
searching for a name or marking users. You can abort most
commands by hitting the ESCape key. It will stop at the
current record.

Fido's Complete Operating Manual        Page  OPERATE-24
TIMELOG -- The Time Log Utility


        Fido keeps a record of all callers in a simple log
that records the number of callers per hour, for every day,
for seven days. When it is seven days old, it gets renamed
to the current date, and a new one is started.

        The TIMELOG.BBS file contains 168 slots: one for
each hour of the day, for seven days, plus the date when
started and ended, etc. Every time someone calls in and logs
in succesfully, (enter their name, and guess their password)
Fido increments the appropriate slot. When all seven days
are used, it renames it to the current date (TIMELOG.BBS
becomes for instance, 01JUL84.TLG, or 21MAY84.TLG, etc) and
starts a new TIMELOG.BBS.

        These .TLG files are fairly small; 378 bytes each,
so you dont have to worry about them filling your disk for
quite a few months.

        Note that TIMELOG.BBS is not started on Sunday; it
starts whenever you first run Fido. If you want to
synchronize it to start on a particular day, delete
TIMELOG.BBS on that day of the week, and when Fido is run,
it will create a new one.

Running TIMELOG.EXE

        TIMELOG.EXE will run on any MSDOS machine, and is
not hardware sensitive. To run it, enter:

        TIMELOG <name>

        Where <name> is the name of a .TLG file. It will
display the contents as crude bar graphs. There are two
options:

        TIMELOG <name> /P       Pause
        TIMELOG <name> /F       Format

        /P tells TIMELOG to pause between each graph (so
they dont run off the screen). /F formats the output for a
printer, putting formfeeds in between each graph. (To send
to the printer, use redirection: TIMELOG <name> /F >PRN)

Fido's Complete Operating Manual        Page  OPERATE-25
Fido callers log file: SYSOP.LOG


        Fido keeps a running log of all system activity.
Every time a caller connects to Fido, information is being
logged. The log is added to whenever someone calls in, and
logging never stops, unless the disk fills up. (See the HINT
below ...)

        The log file is organized line by line. The first
character on the line defines what type of entry it is;
types defined so far are:

        + user name and time on
        ! errors of all sorts
        = download and upload info
        - line between entries


        When a call is logged, Fido installs a line of
dashes to make it readable. followed by the users name, time
of connect and baud rate.

HINT:
        The log files generate by Fido can get quite large.
If you don't want to keep the logs around, or if you want to
print or COPY them then delete them, you can do so
automatically with Fido's scheduler.

        Create an External Event, and in your RUNBBS batch
file, add the following or something like it. (Assume for
now that the X event's ERRORLEVEL is 10.)

:fido
        fido_ibm /switches ...
        IF ERRORLEVEL 10 GOTO LOGSTUFF
        ...
:LOGSTUFF
        copy *.log prn          print the log or whatever
        del *.log
        goto fido


        You can of course think of varioations on this
theme.

Fido's Complete Operating Manual        Page  OPERATE-26
Fido's Users Manual: Main Section


        FidoBBS is a Bulletin Board system that takes full
advantage of MSDOS version 2. Most of the features were
modeled after the usual CBBS and RBBS software, since the
command system is so popular and familiar.

        There are three help levels; the default for new
callers is NOVICE. This provides a small menu of commands,
and usually gives further description as commands are
executed.

        REGULAR is the command letter prompts, minus the
full words, and does not tell you what command you have just
executed. Useful for after you  understand the structure,
but have not memorized all the command mnemonics.

        EXPERT is just a very short command prompt; there
are no menus or other things; prompts are very small and
fast. Once you are very familiar with Fido, this will make
using it very fast.

        Regardless of help level, you can enter ? at almost
any  point for a list of the options at that point.

        From the Main Section, all of Fido's available
commands can be accessed. The actual commands are described
in detail below. Fido is arranged into three sections:


        +-----------------------+ Change User name, etc
        |                       | Bulletins, Questionnaire,
        |     Main Section      | Yell at Sysop, access to
        |                       | other Sections.
        +-----------------------+
        |                       |
        |                       |
        |                       |
+------------------+   +-------------------+
|                  |   |                   |
| Message Section  |   |    File Section   |
|                  |   |                   |
+------------------+   +-------------------+
Read, enter, delete     List, download,
messages, message       upload files, change
areas, etc.             file areas, etc.


Commands

        All commands in all areas are one letter, though
some require further arguments or options. Most command
allow entering the further arguments right after the command
key; if not, or if not supplied, each necessary component is
prompted for, usually with help available at each point.

        For instance, to download a file you must enter the

Fido's Complete Operating Manual        Page  OPERATE-27
Fido's Users Manual: Main Section

D command, the download method (one of seven) then the
filename. If you entered D, then Fido would ask for the
download method. After that, it asks for the filename. Once
you become familiar with it, you can enter it all as:

        D X FILENAME.EXE

        All on one line, skipping the prompts. This works
for most commands.

        All commands can be aborted with a Q or a blank
line.

All Sections

        The following are commands that are available in all
Sections.

G)oodBye

        Logoff the system, optionally leave a private
message to the sysop. If a message is left, it goes into the
special message area (in system area 0) that is accessable
only by the sysop. The usual message editor is available for
comments.

        If there is no message path set for area #0, then
Fido will not ask for a comment to the sysop.

S)tatistics

        This command lists the time on the system, time
remaining, etc. Also, depending on the area, it will list
further information.

Files Area
         Statistics also lists the free space left on the
default drive.

Message Area
         Optionally lists messages to or from you.

FidoNet Area
         As in Message areas, and also lists FidoNet
statistics.


                Main Menu

        This is the section you are in after signon, right
after the Bulletins and quotations. From here, the "system"
type commands are accessed, such as Change user settings,
etc. The commands accessible from here are described below.

        M    M)essage-Section
        F    F)ile-Section

Fido's Complete Operating Manual        Page  OPERATE-28
Fido's Users Manual: Main Section

        Y    Y)ell at the Sysop
        A    A)nswer a Questionnaire
        B    Get B)ulletin again
        E    Get the E)ditorial
        C    C)hange User settings
        S    S)tatistics
        U    Display U)sers List
        G    G)oodbye, logoff

M)essage-Area

        Enter the message section. From there, the message
areas can be accessed.

F)iles-Area

        Similar to Message-Area, but where the upload and
download commands are.

A)nswer-Questionnaire

        If there is a questionnaire in the system, you get
to fill one out with this command. A questionnaire is  an
text pseudo-language file, described in the Questionnaire
section.

C)hange User

        A small sub-menu of commands to change various user
settings, such as signon name, password, screen dimensions,
etc.
        U    U)sers name
        C    C)ity and State
        P    P)assword
        W    Screen W)idth
        L    Screen L)ength
        H    H)elp level
        M    "M)ore?" on and off
        T    T)abs On and Off
        N    N)ulls, 0 - 20

        You can change your name, password, city and state,
and anything else at any time. (Unless the options were
removed by the sysop.)

        NOTE: For security reasons, when your name is
changed, the entire users list is searched to make sure the
name is unique. This is to prevent having two or more people
with the same name.

        The screen dimensions are used by the page pauser
("More?") and the message system. Messages are listed to fit
within the set screen boundaries, and message entry is done
via a word wrap editor. If "More?" is ON, then Fido will
pause after each screenful. All of the command prompts are
made to fit within this.

Fido's Complete Operating Manual        Page  OPERATE-29
Fido's Users Manual: Main Section


        Help level is either NOVICE, REGULAR or EXPERT.
NOVICE is the default; it causes all prompts to be displayed
fully, and each command to be described with a one liner.
REGULAR is similar, but does not list the entire wordy
prompt. EXPERT is almost no prompt at all.

        "More?" on and off controls whenther Fido asks
"More?" every screenful.

        Tab expansion converts all tabs sent into spaces,
for those systems that cannot handle tabs.

        Fido can be set to send nulls after each linefeed.
It defaults to 0 nulls.

B)ulletin

        This just displays the signon bulletin, BULLETIN.BBS
again.

E)ditorial

        Similar to the Bulletin, (but displaying file
EDTORIAL.BBS) but not displayed automatically.

Y)ell at the Sysop

        By yelling, the caller can attempt to contact the
sysop. It beeps for 30 seconds, and if the sysop does not
respond by then, displays "Sysop not available".

        The sysop can chat with the user at any time.

U)sers List

        Lists the names of all current callers to the
system. Not very useful.

G)oodbye

        Terminates the call. It is not really necessary;
however, callers seem to get upset when they cant figure out
how to log off, so there it is. (Its OK to just hang up.) It
also allows entering a private message to the sysop. After
(optionally) entering a message, it causes a disconnect,
exactly what would have happened if the caller just hung up.

Fido's Complete Operating Manual        Page  OPERATE-30
Fido's Users Manual: Message and Mail Section


        The Message Section is accessed by the M command
from the Main Menu. All message commands are available here.
Return to the Main Menu is via the M command.

M    Return to M)ain Section     G)    Goodbye
A    A)rea-Change                R    R)ead messages
E    E)nter a Message            K    K)ill a message
L    L)ist Messages              S    S)tatistics
I    I)nquiry

A)rea-Change

        Change the current message area. If an area number
is  entered after the A, that area is selected if available.
If not, a list of areas is displayed, from which you may
choose one.

        If a new area is selected, then the messages there
are  counted (why it says "Wait ...") and if it's the first
time you've selected that area, asks if you want to list
mail addressed to you. Nothing happens if you select the
same area, or blank line or Q.

        The mail search searches all messages, newest to
oldest, and lists: New message to you (ones you haven't
read yet) Old messages to you (ones you have read) and
messages you have entered. Typing Control-C or Control-K
aborts the search. If there are lots of messages in any of
the above catagories, it reminds you to Kill some.

        The message area numbers displayed may not be
sequential. Each area has an associated privelege level and
if the your privelege is not high enough, that area will not
be displayed nor available.

L)ist Messages

        Only the message headers are listed. A starting
number is requested; this can be:

        An ordinary number
        A number followed by + or -
        - itself.

        If just a number is entered, messages are listed
starting at that one, towards the highest message.

        A number followed by + or - controls the direction
messages are listed in. + is redundant. - means list
backwards; 100- then  means start listing at 100, list
towards 1.

        - means list from the highest message towards the
lowest. This is the most useful, and for some reason the
least used. If you have called before, this is the easiest

Fido's Complete Operating Manual        Page  OPERATE-31
Fido's Users Manual: Message and Mail Section

way to see any new messages.

R)ead

        Actually a small menu by itself. From here messages
can  be read, entered, killed, replied to, etc. See the
descriptions of the Kill and Enter commands for details on
those.

        Entering a message number reads that message. N
(Next) reads the next highest message, and P (Previous)
reads the next lowest message. Hitting CR repeats the
previous N or P; if neither was used, then it defaults to P.

        * is a special message number. It means the highest
message number.

        + and - are little used keys, but one of the most
powerful message features. Messages can have, and be,
replies. (See R command below.) Messages created with R are
linked to other messages. For example, a message about an
item for sale may have a reply. If you come across the
original for sale message, it will say "See also #nnn, use +
key" if it has a reply. Entering a + at this point will take
you directly to that message. This message will say "Reply
to #xxx, use - key". Entering - will take you back to the
original message.

        There is no limit to the number of messages that can
be linked this way. Further replies are added to the end,
and if one in the middle (or either end) is Killed, the
string of  messages is "patched" to maintain continuity.

        This is my favorite feature (dreamed up by John
Madill)  and I am slightly annoyed that no one uses it.

        R Replies to the current message. It acts basically
like Entering a message, but automatically fills in the
"To:" field, and links it into the original message.

        You can enter "RK" to reply to a message, and kill
it afterwards. This is extremely useful while reading your
mail.

        If you are replying to a message in the Mail area,
it also fills in the destination system. The message will be
mailed out that night.

        Please read about Entering messages, further below.

        E enters a message in the normal fashion.

Fido's Complete Operating Manual        Page  OPERATE-32
Fido's Users Manual: Message and Mail Section

E)nter a Message

        You fill in the To:, From:, Subject: fields, etc,
then the main body of the message. After terminating the
message, commands can be used to save, abort, edit, etc.

        If the area is a FidoNet Mail area, then in order to
enter a message, you must select the system to send it to at
the prompt. If you do not have enough credit, then Fido will
not let you send a message to that system. If you do, then
Fido will deduct the cost of the message from your credit.

        Message text entry is done with a word wrap editor.
If the screen width is set properly (C command in Main Menu)
then this is about as close to a full screen editor as you
can get through a modem (on current DOSs anyways.)

        Like WordStar, text is entered continuously without
carriage returns. Words that would go past the left edge are
wrapped to the next line. Carriage returns can be used to
form paragraphs as in WordStar. When entered this way,
later reading of a message will conform to the callers
screen width.

        At the Enter Message command prompt, the options
are:

        C for continue. Add more to the message, adding to
the end.

        L lists the message so far.
        T lets you change the To: field.
        J lets you change the subject.
        D Deletes a line
        I Inserts a line

        E  edit a line. You enter the line number, then you
are prompted for the Old string (what to change) then the
New string (what to change it to). Both old string and new
string can be anything that you can enter, except a carriage
return.

        NOTE: it is possible to edit a line such that it
goes beyond the edge of the screen. It will list correctly
after it is saved.

        A aborts the message. You will be asked yes or no.

        S saves the message. The message is written out to
disk, and the highest message number, etc is updated.

Fido's Complete Operating Manual        Page  OPERATE-33
Fido's Users Manual: Message and Mail Section

K)ill

        Deletes the message. Will not let you delete
messages that are not To: you or From: you, unless you are
the sysop. If the message you killed was mail to a remote
system and it was not sent yet, you get your credit back;
you are not charged for that message.

I)nquiry

        Prompts you for a string. It then searches all
messages, newest to oldest for the thing you enter. It looks
in the "To:", "From:", or "Subject:" fields. If the string
you enter is in any one of those parts of the message, the
header of the message will be listed.

        Typing Control-C aborts the search. An insensitive
sliding match is done; ON matches TONY or PITON, etc. Each
message header matching is listed, then a list of all
matching message numbers.

        ? will match any character. For example, if there
are the following messages in the system:

#100 From: Joe Bungpop To: All Subject: Musical Instruments

#102  From: No Body To: W.S. Burroughs Subject: Guns

#200 From: All To: Board Subject: Music

         If you enter MUS, it will list messages 100 and
200, as MUS is contained in the Subject: fields of both. If
you had entered BU, then it would list messages 100 and 102,
as it would match "Bungpop" and Burroughs". Entering B??R
would cause #102 and #200 to be listed, as B??R matches
BURRoughs and BOARd.

Fido's Complete Operating Manual        Page  OPERATE-34
Fido's Users Manual: File Section


        The file Section contain all the file oriented
commands for downloading, uploading, etc. The M command
returns to the Main Menu.

         M    M)ain Section
         G    G)oodbye
         A    A)rea-Change
         F    L)ist Files
         L    L)ocate specific Files
         D    D)ownload
         U    U)pload
         R    R)aw-List
         K    K)ill a file
         T    T)ype a file

A)rea-Change

        Similar to the Message Area-Change. If a valid area
number is entered, it is selected directly, otherwise a list
is displayed.

        Like the message areas, there may be numbers missing
from the sequence. These are either blank paths or high
privelege areas.

L)ocate

        Given a file specifier (wildcards reccommended) it
searches through all file directories for the filename, and
lists all occurences of it. L;*.ASM lists all .ASM files in
all areas, etc. L;*.* lists all files everywhere.

        This is not the general purpose list-files command.

F)iles

        Lists the files in the current directory. If no
specifier is given, it lists all files, otherwise only
matching ones. The size of the file and the description is
displayed after the filename.

        If "MISSING" is displayed instead of the file size,
then the file is not there, even though it is listed.

T)ype

        Very simple. Displays an ASCII file on the screen.
It  statistically checks the file to make sure it is a text
file.

U)pload

        Upload a file or files to Fido. I will not even
attempt to document all the upload methods. Suffice to say
you select the upload method and do it.

Fido's Complete Operating Manual        Page  OPERATE-35
Fido's Users Manual: File Section


        The total uploads made is kept in the user record.
These count towards further downloads, by effectively
raising the download limit on a 1 for 1 basis. It will not
give you credit however. There is no limit on uploads.

        After all files are uploaded, you are asked to
describe each one; this is added to the list of files. (You
may not be able to see the newly added files though.)

D)ownload

        Again, pick the method and do it. Before the
download starts, Fido checks time limits and K byte limits,
and prevents too long downloads. Uploading will remove some
of the download limit.

Fido's Complete Operating Manual        Page  OPERATE-36
Fido's Users Manual: Control Characters


        Control characters are used by Fido for editing
command lines, pausing and aborting commands. Control- C and
Control- K always are identical and have the same effect:

        Control-C Aborts anything
        Control-K Aborts anything

        Control-S pauses the display. Any key except a
second Control-S will let it continue.

        When not using the word wrap message editor, Fido
allows simple editing of command lines. It assumes the your
or computer terminal can support at least backspace. It
supports:

        ^C, ^X, ^U, ^Y

         Delete the entire line.

        ^R

        Restore the previous line, from last use or
deletion. (Most useful.)

        ^S, ^G, ^H, DEL

        Delete one character to the left.

        ^D

         Restore one character.

        ESC, CR, LF

         Enter the line.

Fido's Complete Operating Manual        Page  OPERATE-37
Maintenaince and Backup


        Once the system is up and running, you will need to
look at messages, put files in the download display, etc.
This should be done daily or so.

TIMELOG.BBS and *.TLG FILES:
        These record the number of calls to your Fido.
Please read the section on the TimeLog.

SYSOP.LOG
        This is a record of callers and any messages they
leave at the Goodbye command. Also in here go error
messages (missing files, disk full, etc) These can be
printed or whatever, then deleted. Fido will create a new
one if it does not exist, otherwise it adds new info to the
end. This is the most useful way to watch system activity.

MAILER.LOG
     This is a record of all FidoNet activity.

USER.BBS
        This is your list of users. It grows with every new
caller, and the SYSOP utility program can be used to
maintain it.

NEW FILES
        If you use a separate upload directory, look in it
once in a while. Copy desireable files into a download
directory, and update FILES.BBS accordingly. Deleting them
afterwards makes it easy to keep track of uploaded files.

MESSAGES
        Log on to the system (via test mode or calling in)
and read and prune as necessary. SYSOP level users can read
all messages, private or not, and can delete anyones
messages.

Fido's Complete Operating Manual        Page  OPERATE-38
Fido's Internal Files


     This is a brief accounting of some of the internal only
files that Fido can create. These are managed automatically;
you do not need to worry about them. They are included here
for the curious.

NODELIST.SYS
NODELIST.IDX

        Fido creates these files from NODELIST.BBS whenever
they are missing or NODELIST.BBS has changed. The .SYS file
is a formatted version of the .BBS file, and .IDX is an
index to make accesses faster.

        Never delete or modify any of these files from
within Fidop by U)ploading, K)illing, etc.

ROUTE.BBS
ROUTE.A
ROUTE.B
ROUTE.etc

        These files control where and how FidoNet mail is
sent. They are described in the FidoNet section.

MAIL.SYS

     Created and maintained by the 4 (sysop only) command,
this is where FidoNet related info is kept. If you delete
this, you will need to reenter the node number and mail
paths.

MSGPRIV.SYS
MAILPRIV.SYS
MAINPRIV.SYS
FILEPRIV.SYS
READPRIV.BBS
CHGPRIV.BBS

     Each of these contain the names of all the normal user
commands, and the privilege levels necessary to access them.
One or more of these files may not exist; they are created
only if a command privilege level is ever changed.

     Deleting these files causes the command privileges to
revert to their default settings.

*.IN
*.OUT
*.FLO
*.FLI

     These are working files created and usually deleted by
FidoNet. You will never see these files, except when you
reset or reboot in the middle of FidoNet operation.

Fido's Complete Operating Manual        Page  OPERATE-39
Fido's Internal Files

     The .IN files are packets received from other FidoNet
systems; they contain messages which are unpacked. The .OUT
files are packets sent to other remote FidoNet systems. .FLO
files are the list of files to be attached to that node; it
may be empty. .FLI is the list of files received from a
remote system, and may be empty or non-existent.

Fido's Complete Operating Manual        Page  OPERATE-40
Index


        #....................................... 6

        *.FLI................................... 37
        *.FLO................................... 37
        *.IN.................................... 37
        *.OUT................................... 37
        *.TLG................................... 36

        .TLG.................................... 23,23

        /I...................................... 14,14

        6 command............................... 8

        7 command............................... 8

        8 command............................... 5

        ?....................................... 14

        A)nswer-Questionnaire................... 27
        A)rea-Change............................ 29,33
        Attribute word.......................... 3

        B)ulletin............................... 28

        C....................................... 14,27,14,6,37,20,14
        Credit.................................. 21

        D)ownload............................... 34
        Debit................................... 21
        Digits.................................. 2
        DISGRACE................................ 3
        Download directory...................... 36

        E)ditorial.............................. 28
        E)nter.................................. 31
        Error messages.......................... 36
        ERRORLEVEL.............................. 10
        ESCape.................................. 22
        Event number............................ 9,11
        Events.................................. 8
        External events......................... 9
        External program........................ 9
        EXTRA................................... 3

        F)iles-Area............................. 27,33
        Fidonet Area............................ 4
        FidoNet mail............................ 21,7,7
        File Section............................ 3
        FILEPRIV.BBS............................ 6
        FILEPRIV.SYS............................ 37
        FILES.BBS............................... 36
        Free space.............................. 26

Fido's Complete Operating Manual        Page  OPERATE-41
Index

        G)oodBye................................ 26,28

        HINT:................................... 24,12,6,5,16

        Internal only files..................... 37,19
        I)nquiry................................ 32

        K byte limits........................... 34
        K)ill................................... 32

        L)ist................................... 29
        L)ocate................................. 33
        Local console........................... 14

        M)essage-Area........................... 27
        Mail File Path.......................... 7
        Mail Path............................... 7
        MAIL.SYS................................ 37
        MAILER.LOG.............................. 36
        MAILPRIV.BBS............................ 6
        MAILPRIV.SYS............................ 37
        MAINPRIV.BBS............................ 6
        MAINPRIV.SYS............................ 37
        Message area............................ 22
        Message path............................ 26
        Message Section......................... 3
        Messages................................ 36
        MSGPRIV.BBS............................. 6
        MSGPRIV.SYS............................. 37
        Multilink............................... 14

        Net number.............................. 7
        New user................................ 20
        No questionnaire today.................. 16
        Node number............................. 7
        NODELIST.IDX............................ 37
        NODELIST.SYS............................ 37
        NORMAL.................................. 2,3

        PRIVEL.................................. 3
        Privilege level......................... 3,20

        Questionnaire........................... 16

        R)ead................................... 30
        READPRIV.BBS............................ 37,6
        Record of callers....................... 36
        ROUTE.A................................. 37
        ROUTE.BBS............................... 37,37
        ROUTE.etc............................... 37

        S)tatistics............................. 26
        Scheduler............................... 15,8
        Screen output........................... 14
        Simultaneous keyboards.................. 14
        Space bar............................... 15

Fido's Complete Operating Manual        Page  OPERATE-42
Index

        Spy mode................................ 14
        SYSOP................................... 2,3,2,15,36
        SYSTEMn.BBS............................. 3

        T)ype................................... 33
        Tag X................................... 10
        Terminate a call........................ 14
        Time limits............................. 34
        TIMELOG.BBS............................. 36,23,23
        TIMELOG.EXE............................. 23
        TWIT.................................... 3

        U)pload................................. 33
        U)sers.................................. 28
        Upload directory........................ 36
        User list............................... 19
        USER.BAK................................ 21
        USER.BBS................................ 19,36
        USER.OLD................................ 21

        Window width............................ 9

        XAP..................................... 14

        Y)ell................................... 14,8,28,15

        Z....................................... 14

        ^A (Control-A).......................... 14
        ^N (Control-N).......................... 14
        ^O (Control-O).......................... 14
        ^T (Control-T).......................... 15
        ^X (Control-X).......................... 14
        ^Z (Control-Z).......................... 14