WHAT THIS SYSTEM IS AND HOW TO USE IT by Tim Evans (07/14/84) 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: B: (or C:, etc.) Now, you're logged onto drive B: (or C:, whatever). 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.