This is for beginning users of this and other similar systems. It
assumes virtually no knowledge of computer communications and
bulletin boards, and only a little knowledge of the CP/M
operating system. You should be reading this before you do
anything else with this system.
1) What is a Remote Bulletin Board System (RBBS)?
You obviously have some idea of what an RBBS is: you connected
with this one. For the record, an RBBS (or BBS in the most
generic sense) is simply somebody else's computer (it could be
anything from an ATARI to an IBM PC) running a special RBBS
program. You can call an RBBS using your computer, modem, and
telephone line. As the term "bulletin board" implies, you can
use an RBBS to "tack up" your messages for others to read and you
can read messages left by others.
The above describes ONE of the two major uses for personal
computers and telecommunications, or "networking", as it is
popularly known. But not all, so read on.
So, why would you want to do this? Here are some possible
reasons:
You want to find others who have computers like yours.
You're having a problem with your brand new computer and
your dealer knows less about it than you do.
You want to sell your old printer (modem, drive), and get a
fancy new one.
You want some information about a terrific-sounding new
piece of software.
You want a clue to help you solve a problem in the latest
Infocom (copyright) game.
You want to find other people who share your enthusiasm for
stamp collecting, or play writing, or East Asian cooking.
Well, you can post messages about any one of these things--and a
thousand and one others-- on an RBBS.
RBBS systems exist all over the United States, as well as in
other countries. Most of them are for people who are interested
in computers and computing; others are for people who have
computers and who also have special interests, like, say,
tracking the Space Shuttle in orbit or translating Swahili to
Esperanto. You are basically unlimited in the kinds of messages
you can post on an RBBS (although good taste, Ma Bell, and Uncle
Sam--you're using Interstate Commerce, remember?--dictate that
you should keep it clean and, of course, legal).
The question of keeping your messages "legal" is an important
one: Copying copyrighted software (programs) for anything other
than backup purposes is ILLEGAL; it's also illegal to use an RBBS
to advertise the fact that you want to break the copyright law;
and it's also illegal to post obscene messages on an RBBS.
THIS BOARD DOES NOT ALLOW ANY SUCH MESSAGES! ANY THAT
ARE POSTED WILL BE REMOVED. ANY USE OF THIS BOARD FOR
SUCH PURPOSES WILL LIKELY RESULT IN YOUR ACCESS TO USE
THIS BOARD BEING REVOKED. (SEE THE SYSTEM "POLICY"
FILE, FOR FURTHER DETAILS)
Okay, so much for the basic behavior rules. Now, you have gotten
on (that's "logged on", in network-ese!), and you see something
staring back at you that looks similar to this:
COMMAND (B, C, E, G, K, P, Q, R, S, T, W, X) ?
Let's take these commands one at a time, but not in precisely the
order shown above. First, there are several "housekeeping"
commands.
"B" means "I want to read any special Bulletins on the
board."
"P" means "I want to change my Password." (Unfortunately,
some people think it's fun to screw up RBBS'. Consequently,
this one, and more and more others, are setting up Password
systems for security.)
"T" means "I want to Talk to the sysop, so Toggle (ring) the
bell on the RBBS computer and call him/her." (IF the sysop
is available, you can Talk with him/her keyboard to
keyboard. This function is also accessible from CP/M, called
"CHAT")
"X" means "I'm an eXpert at using the RBBS and I don't need
all these messages taking up my time, so just go into eXpert
mode."
"W" means "Show me the Welcome message again." (That's the
first thing you saw when you connected with the RBBS.)
"G" means "Goodbye, I want to disconnect from the RBBS."
(You'll be asked if you want to leave a private message for
the sysop; do so if you want. THIS is the place to pour out
your problems, without being overseen by the general public,
if needed.)
The next batch of commands relates to reading and posting
messages on the board.
"E" means "I want to Enter a message." (You'll be asked for
information about the addressee of your message and its
subject.) Then you just type it in. Once you're done, you'll
be presented with a short menu giving you the chance to
correct errors (Edit) in your message, to delete your
message--in case you change your mind--and/or to save and
post it on the board where the addressee will find it.
"R" means "I want to Read a message(s)." You'll be asked to
specify the number of the message you want to read.
"Q" means "I want a Quick summary of the message(s) on the
board. Again, you'll be asked for a message number.
"S" means "I want to Scan the message(s) on the board; I
want more information than "Q" gives me, but not as much as
'R.'" As with "R" and "Q," you'll be asked for a number.
"K" means "I want to Kill (erase) a message." You'll be
asked for a message number. For obvious reasons, you can
only kill a message you have posted, or one which is
addressed to you.
If you want to "R", "Q" or "S", a particular message, or do so
continuously, or just to begin with a specific message do this:
Follow the "R," "Q," and "S" with a semi-colon (";"), then a
number. For example, "R;135" means "I want to read message
number 135. For another example, "S;135+" means "I want to
Scan all the messages on the board beginning with number 135
and go on up continuously. (Substituting a minus ("-") sign
in the last example causes the Scan to run backwards, from
135 down.)
Private messages
Some RBBS systems allow a special password to be placed on
messages entered, for privacy. This is a "*" character, used as
the FIRST character entered at the "Password ?" prompt. Just
skip it with a RETURN, for a normal (public) message.
NOTE! THIS password has nothing at all to do with any system
access password, it is just a privacy measure, for messages ONLY.
In general, many systems do NOT encourage private messages
between users, since it is contrary to the open forum idea. If
you need privacy, pick up the handset, and voice-it, if you will.
Leave any necessary private info to the sysop as a comment--no
one else will see it.
Various other RBBS systems are in use for message exchange, and
perform the same basic functions as are described above. You may
for example, dial into another system with "RBBS" (or some
variant) in the name, arranged in somewhat different fashion,
with more or fewer commands. The important thing is that the end
goal is identical, the storing and retrieval of the messages
posted by the users. Indeed, this is ALL that some RBBS systems
do, that is they may have no provisions for any other basic
functions.
2) RCPM's: A Special Kind of RBBS System
On the other hand, the second major thing which
telecommunications brings to the personal computer has a exciting
flavor all its on. There is something very special about this
and other RCPM (Remote CP/M) boards. You can, of course, use them
for posting messages, but the main emphasis is much different,
and you will usually find the RBBS function a bit of a side show
on many RCPM's. Why? Because there is simply much, much, more.
(You probably have some idea of what, but for the moment let's
pretend you don't.)
The primary purpose of RCPM's is for sharing computer software
and information--that is software and information that is FREE
and not restricted by copyright. RCPM systems like this one have
some of this free "public domain" stuff "on line" and available
for you. In order to get it though, there needs to be some way
for you to tell the RCPM you want something it has, and some way
to handle the transfer.
Giving Commands to Somebody Else's Computer.
That in a nutshell is what a RCPM system is all about. Through
the use of your computer, modem, communications software, and
telephone, you can gain control of another computer on the other
side of town (or halfway across the country) and tell it to do
something--specifically, to send you something. (Of course, you
can also send something TO the RCPM-- and it is the people who
SEND things who support this and other RCPM boards.)
Commands versus menus
Since the RCPM is just what it says, that is a remotely operated
CP/M computer, it logically follows that YOU make it do its
thing, using (generally) the same standard CP/M commands you use
on your own CP/M computer at home. On an RCPM, you have the
computers commands available to you to do anything you want.
Some RBBS' (including some from which you can get free software)
work with a series of "Menus." On these systems, you generally
select the command you want from a list of possible commands on
the screen, and that may well lead you to another menu, then
another, then another. While these systems are a bit easier
(more "user friendly") to use for the novice, it generally takes
somewhat longer to accomplish a particular operation on one--you
have to go through a series of menus and this may become
important if you're calling long-distance. With an RCPM, you
simply give the system direct commands--but of course you have to
know the commands. Take your choice.
RCPM Commands
Okay, let's get right down to it. You're logged onto this system
and you want to see about "downloading" (having the RCPM send you
something). From the RBBS system, the first thing you do is to
select the "C" (for CP/M) option from the menu of choices you
have. (You did notice there's been no discussion of the "C"
option from the opening menu of command, didn't you?)
After a few seconds (where you may be played a few basic messages
about what is to come) you'll see something like the following on
your screen:
A0>
This is called the CP/M "prompt." It means the RCPM computer is
waiting for YOU to tell it what to do. What this means is that
you are (within certain limits) in control of the RCPM computer.
(At this point, if you feel totally confused, it is fair to warn
you that perhaps a brushup on the basic CP/M commands are in
order, THEN call back and pick it up here.)
Now that you're getting used to this feeling of power, let's look
at what you can do with it. Want to know what files the RCPM
computer has on line? Well, use the same command you use sitting
at your own CP/M computer:
DIR
(or DIR B:)
At this point, the main thing to understand is that it
matters not whether you are actually right AT the RCPM
computer, or sitting at home. Commands from either the
RCPM keyboard or from yours (via the modem/phone) tell
the RCPM what to do. It is as if you were at the
remote console!
Want to change the "logged" drive? Again, use the same command
you use with your own computer:
Want to see the contents of a text file? Just use the TYPE
command, as in:
TYPE SYSTEM.DOC
(This will "TYPE" the file "SYSTEM.DOC")
(Note: Most RCPM's--including this one--limit the length of files
you can TYPE, however, so this isn't always the best way to get
what you want.)
Want to run a program you see on the RCPM directory? Just enter
in the name of the COM file, that is the program you want to run.
In fact, that is just what you did above, when you entered "DIR",
and the RCPM gave you a directory of the files on the disc. Most
RCPM's use a more spiffy "DIR.COM", in lieu of the plain vanilla
CP/M built in "DIR", and that is why you see the files all neatly
sorted and sized for your display.
So, now it is apparent that you can use the standard CP/M
commands to control the RCPM computer as if it were really
sitting in your own living room instead of on the other end of a
telephone line. That's exactly what's happening.
(There are some standard CP/M commands that DON'T work on an
RCPM: Obviously, no one should be able to ERAse or REName files
on a RCPM; and--as we shall see--PIP seems irrelevant when you
have XMODEM to use. Don't try "ERA" on an RCPM, it will log you
off, and probably flag you as a "TWIT"--the arch-enemy of the
sysop and all the other users!)
There's one more thing you might not be familiar with. Most
RCPM's operate with "hard" disk drives, drives that hold vast
amounts of material. In order to have an organized way of finding
files on hard drive systems, the drives are divided up TWO ways--
this into the familar drives (A:, B:, C: etc.) but also what are
called "USER" areas. What this means is that the files on each
of the drives are divided up into a number of groups of file
directories, almost as if each group was a separate drive. (If
this wasn't done, the Directories would be so large that you
couldn't find what you were looking for without a special search
program. Remember, we are talking megabytes of storage--ever do
a DIR on a 1 megabyte directory, and feel lost?)
Moving about in drives and USER areas
At any given moment, your current drive and USER area is
indicated by the RCPM's prompt, such as "A0>", above. You can
log onto the separate USER areas of a hard disk drive, by simply
typing "USER" (don't type the quotation marks), followed by the
number for the USER area you want. For instance, suppose you
wanted to change from drive A, USER 0 to drive A, USER 1. Just
give the following command (from the A0> prompt):
USER 1
On this type of system you have basically TWO ways that the file
directories are arranged. One is "horizontally", or by the
familiar drives, A:. B:, etc. The other is "vertically", or by
USER areas. As just one example, 6 drives and 9 USER areas
allows 54 possible different directories. Each can hold
specialized file types, for varied interests. Think of it as a
big electronic program library--that's what it is!
You can also COMBINE the commands for (1) logging onto a
different disk drive and (2) changing the USER area, into one
SINGLE command. Say, you're logged onto drive A, USER 0 (your
CP/M prompt is A0>) and you want to log onto drive F:, USER 7. If
the system is running the "ZCPR2" style of drive/user selection,
give the following command:
F7:
and you will then see a new prompt, "F7>".
Or, if the system uses the "NZCPR" style of drive/user switch,
you would enter the equivalent command as:
F: 7
(note the space)
and again see the "F7>". Try both types on your RCPM, and see
which is being used. Either way, it will save time!
GETTING YOUR FREE SOFTWARE
Now that we've gone through all these preliminary technicalities,
how do you go about
getting to all this free software on a RCPM?
Actually, it's very simple. Virtually all RCPM's use a special
program made for transferring files from one computer to another
by way of a telephone and a modem. It's called "XMODEM" and it's
very simple to use.
Let's say you've gotten onto a RCPM and you've mastered all the
information you've read in this document so far. By now, you've
read the directories of the several drives and found a file you
want to have sent to you. Suppose, for the time being, this file
(which is the best computer game since ADVENTURE) is called
BESTGAME.OBJ. See below for an explanation of the "OBJ" part of
the filename.)
Here's the simple, three-part command that tells the RCPM to send
BESTGAME.COM to your computer (by the way, you'll generally want
to be logged onto the drive on which the program you want
resides):
XMODEM S BESTGAME.OBJ
The first part of the command is, of course, XMODEM (XMODEM is
the name of a CP/M COM, or COMmand, file). The "S" stands for
(you guessed it) "Send." The third part is the name of the file
you want sent.
That was easy. At this point a message will appear on your screen
telling you it will take a specified amount of time to send the
file. Also, it will tell you to begin receiving the file.
Obviously, the next thing you need to know is how to receive
BESTGAME.OBJ. You have to tell YOUR computer you want to RECEIVE
the file. Your computer and modem package will tell the RCPM
when it is ready to receive it, via special "handshaking"
signals. As far as what you do to tell your particular program,
there are a number of ways to do this, depending on what
communications software you're using-- the specific details you
have to figure this part out on your own, from your program's
instructions.
However, all is not lost. If you're using MODEM7 or a later
variant (which are all public domain--that is, FREE--programs),
your command (issued on the MODEM7 "Command Line"--to Receive a
file from an RCPM is very similar to the XMODEM command above:
RT BESTGAME.OBJ
"R" stands for (what else?) "Receive." "T" tells MODEM7 to return
to the "Terminal Mode" when the transfer is finished. After you
enter this command, and hit the RETURN key, XMODEM takes over,
and it's all automatic.
That's it. You've just "downloaded" your first piece of FREE
software, and the file will appear on your disc. "BESTGAME" is
ready to run, after you REName it to a COM type (below).
You can get a bit sophisticated--and save yourself a few seconds
of telepone time--if you know beforehand the drive and USER ares
where the file you want is located. Assume BESTGAME.OBJ is
located on Drive F, USER 0. Instead of first logging onto that
drive/USER area, simply type:
XMODEM S F0:BESTGAME.OBJ
* * * *
At this point it should be quite obvious that the standard file
transfer program used on RCPM's is XMODEM. Therefore, you MUST
have a program on your end which is compatible with this
protocol. If you are not sure, ask about this where you got your
program, or read your documentation. Be well advised that while
there are many commercial programs which do support this
protocol, there are simply a bounty of public domain (FREE!) ones
which do also, since the first CP/M modem program using this
protocol was originally devised by Ward Christensen and placed in
the public domain. If all you have is a simple terminal program,
but you CAN save ASCII text, ask the sysop about "MBOOT", a
program which can be used to get an XMODEM compatible program up
on your computer.
* * * *
RETURNING THE FAVOR--UPLOADING
Obviously, the files on a RCPM don't just appear out of thin air;
they come from somewhere. That somewhere is the users of the
system--which now includes you. Just as you can take from a RCPM,
you can give back by sending files TO it. Perhaps you're
learning to program in BASIC; or you're writing dBASE II files;
or you've figured out all the puzzles in Planetfall (a copyright
game by INFOCOM). Well, then, you can send your program or text
file (by the way, this piece was contributed by an RCPM user) to
the RCPM. Here are the commands to send MYFILE.BAS (a BASIC
program you've written) to a RCPM:
XMODEM R MYFILE.BAS
Simple, right? Again, XMODEM is the command to invoke the XMODEM
program; "R" stands for "Receive."
Again, what you do on your end depends on what software you're
using, but if you're using MODEM7, it's simple:
ST MYFILE.BAS
Of course, this command is issued on the MODEM7 Command Line. "S"
is for "Send;" "T" tells MODEM7 to return to Terminal Mode.
That's it. You've just contributed to your local RCPM. Before
you know it, your program will be on every RCPM in the country;
other people will be finding ways to improve it and sooner or
later it'll turn back up on your local RCPM in its new clothes--
but with your name still on it.
That, perhaps, is one of the most satisfying things about
contributing to an RCPM. YOUR program may very well work its way
all the way across the country and back, finding its way (with
your name on it) into the software libraries of who know how many
people out there.
SOME LAST TECHINICALITIES
Believe it or not, the 10, 20 and 30 megabyte hard disks on which
RCPM's run sooner or later get crowded with all these great
programs you have uploaded. In order to pack as many files as
possible onto them, our hacker friends have devised special
programs to conserve disk space. Many of the files on a RCPM have
been run through these space-saving programs and you have to know
a little about them in order to make the best use of the RCPM.
Squeezed files
The first thing you should know about are "SQUEEZED" files.
Without going into the technicalities, a "squeezed" version of a
file just takes up less space than an "unsqueezed" one--and it
takes less time to transfer by modem, saving you time and (if
you're calling long-distance, money. As you've undoubtedly
noticed in looking at the directories of this RCPM, many of the
files have funny-looking suffixes like "DQC" or "BQS" or "HQP."
Any file with a "Q" in the second position of its three-position
filename suffix has been squeezed, and you must "UNSQUEEZE" it in
order to use it. Fortunately, there is a program on all RCPM's
for "unsqueezing" files; it's called USQ.OBJ (the file name may
have a number in it--USQ15.OBJ, for example). USQ (and its
companion, SQ) should be one of the first few files you download;
it'll save you time and money.
Libraries
LIBRARIES are another space saver. Frequently, related files are
grouped together into a single "Library" file, identified by an
"LBR" extension, such as: "GAMES.LBR". The Library takes up less
space (and takes less time to transfer) than the individual files
do, even though they may already have been squeezed. For example,
most RCPM's have a bunch of miscellaneous WordStar (tm) related
files grouped into a library. RCPM's provide you a way of
looking into a library to see what's in it.
You can use the LDIR command (at the CP/M prompt) to see
what's in a particular library; or
You can use the LTYPE command to type a text file out of a
library.
You can save time by downloading an entire library instead of the
individual files one by one, but you can also download individual
files from a library if you want (say, if you don't know what the
library is all about and you want to download just the "DOC" file
to see).
Once you've downloaded a library of files, you'll need a program
to "extract" the files from it. You do this with a LIBRARY
UTILITY program. These are generally called LU.OBJ (sometimes
with an indentifying version number in the file name--say,
LU300.OBJ). This should be another of your early downloads.
Finally, there's the "OBJ" file thing. In order to avoid
activating undesirable CP/M command files stored in an RCPM,
system operators ("sysops") generally change the filename
extension of a "COM" file to "OBJ." For example, remember our
BESTGAME.OBJ file? Well, it's really a CP/M command file which
you'll have to REName BESTGAME.COM, once you've downloaded it.
Or, it is most simple to just use the "COM" extension with your
modem program's command for a filename (ie, "RT BESTGAME.COM").
Some "homework"
OK, that's the introductory piece on RBBS' and RCPM's. There's
lots more information here. The place to start is by downloading
some of the other "DOC" (or "DQC") files so you can learn more
about this system. Start with these, on A0: (some may also be on
B0:, don't overlook that area). What each will tell you is
obvious, from the names.
COMMANDS.DOC
SYSTEM.DOC
XMODEM.DOC
SYSTEM.MAP
You can also download a master directory of all the available
files on this system, from drive B0:, the file DISKMENU.DQC.
When you have all of that, and are still curious, feel free to
use the system's built in HELP facilty. Just enter "HELP BHEC",
and follow the menu selections which display, to get help on
system topics. Also, see the other files in the HELP directory
(C4:), which have the HLP (or HQP) extension. For help on any of
these, enter "HELP TOPIC", where TOPIC is the first part of
"TOPIC.HLP" (or TOPIC.HQP).
Of course, you can always ask questions, either directed to the
sysop, or to "ALL", and call on your fellow users. You'll be
surprised at how helpful this can be.
MODIFYING THIS DOCUMENT
Feel free to correct errors or make other necessary modifications
in this document, although the author asks that you bear in mind
its basic purpose of providing an easy-to-understand introduction
to RBBS' and RCPM's and not fill it up with technicalities. If
you make revisions, please upload it to the BHEC RCPM in
Baltimore, [(301) 661-2175, 300/1200 bps, 24 hours]
Have fun, and if you have questions, leave a message or comment.
