File: help.djinn.newuser:document LDOC0001@wambly.com (Local FYI) Document: New user Introduction to Djinn-TSS v2.00 Subtitle: Overcoming "BBS Brain" Status: Current From: Sysop@Wambly.com (John J Borowski) Reply-To: Sysop@wambly.com Date: Mon May 30, 1994 15:10:00 PST -0700 Organization: Wamblyville, Los Angeles. 213-380-8090 This document is intended as an introduction to the command set for the Djinn Time Share System, which is in use on Wamblyville. It's purpose is to give you a general introduction to ALL of the features of Wamblyville in the shortest time possible, and with the least frustration on your part. (And more importantly, that of the SYSOP.) Since the major stumbling block to using Djinn seems to be that everyone tries to relate Djinn-TSS to a BBS, that is how this document will present the commands, in sectional order by usage. Each section will deal with a specific GROUP of commands, that relate to "BBS" style functions. (Hence this document's subtitle) Before you begin... Djinn was designed to deliver RAW POWER to it's users, and will not coddle you with "User Friendly" anything. There is no GUI, no Shell, No scripts, no shortcuts, not even menus. What it does have is access. Direct Access. RAW ACCESS. Probably more access than you can get anywhere else, on any other system. You can Directly access files and messages, Relaynet, and the entire Internet (Including Usenet and Bitnet.) But you have to learn how to use it. I've watched a LOT of users logon, pull up the command summary, a few tried a couple of BBS commands, like "F" and "R" then logged off or dropped carrier, and never returned. Their Loss. 컴컴컴컴컴횾FA컴컴컴컴컴� Since most functions in Djinn involve the Personal File Area, I better explain this FIRST. It is also one of the more confusing to many users, but is really very simple. Simply put, it's a 50k space on Wamblyville's main disk drives that is set aside for YOU. Only you have access to it. Djinn uses your PFA to store Configure files, Email, and Message editor files. YOU can also store files in this area, and you have full access to it. (You can create files, delete them, rename them, anything you want, with any file in it...) Your PFA will expand and contract to fit the files you place in it, up to a maximum of 80 Megabytes. (Beware though...This sucks credits to go over about 2 Megabytes.) From here you can TAR (Tape ARchive) files for long-term storage, and compose complex articles to release or publish. This is wonderful for storing important files, as the PFA is on "Critical Backup" ... Every 4 hours a backup is done! (If you're familiar with other Unix systems, this is also called the HOME directory...) 컴컴컴컴컴횱lectronic Mail컴컴컴컴컴� Commands used: EMAIL, READ, EDIT Email is probably the easiest thing to use in Djinn, and one of the more active functions, so we'll start here. Electronic Mail, as you might gather from the name, is similar to mail that you would hand to the postman to take to your friends and relatives. The difference here being that the text of the message is written on a computer rather than on paper. Another difference is that the postmaster is a bit smarter...if you send a letter to a neighbor, it's not sent to Piscataway, New York on the way! The simplest form of Email is one that is sent to one of the other users here on Wamblyville. (Referred to as a LOCAL user) and only requires that you know his/her logon name. As an example, we know that MY logon name is SYSOP, so to send electronic mail to me, you would type the command `EMAIL' which will load the Email program. This is what a typical Email session would look like: Ready >EMAIL Djinn Email Version 1.00 for Djinn-TSS v2 Send To: SYSOP Subject: I Uploaded a file for the libraries RJLEDIT-B Editor for Djinn-TSS Version 1.00.00 Compiled 01Jan93 (C)MCMXCIII Lapsus Linguae Labs Type HELP for a complete list of commands Editor_Ready >ADD 1: Hi! I just uploaded the file YYUUXXZZ.ZIP for you to 2: post to the libraries. I hope you get a chance to look at 3: it soon. It's a compression shell. 4: Editor_Ready >EXIT Message sent to SYSOP Ready > Easy enough, huh? You can also take a shortcut by typing the username at the main prompt. (EMAIL SYSOP) When someone sends you an Electronic Mail Message, you will be notified the next time you logon. ("You have new Email" will appear during the logon, just after you type your password.) To read Email that has been sent to you from another user, simply type the command READ and press enter. This is what a reply letter from me to your letter would look like: Ready >READ DjType Version 1.00.00 - Accessing pfa.username.0485:Email [100%] Message-ID: <9405301911.A894933@wambly.com> To: Your_Username From: Sysop [Local] (John Borowski) Date: Mon May 30, 1994 19:11:15 PST -0700 X-Mailer: Djinn.Email v:1.00.00 Subject: RE:I Uploaded a file for the libraries That was very nice of you to do, however, you should address messages like that to the file manager so HE knows the file is there waiting to be reviewed, and can give you credit for it... [End of File] Email Message is being compressed to your Chaeron file...Done! Email_Option >Q Ready > OK, Now for some explanation... I think most users can figure out the headers TO and FROM and so forth, and the message itself, but many users ask "What's a Chaeron file?!?" Answer: It is a compressed file where the system puts your Email after you read it... (DUH!) A better question is "What is it used for?" ... On BBS's, Email is actually part of the main message system, so any Email sent to you isn't deleted immediately when you read it. In Djinn however, Email is really private. It ONLY exists in your Personal File Area, and no where else. Once you read it, Djinn compresses it and places it in your Chaeron file, then erases the message. The Chaeron file is there to allow you to recover and reread old messages. I should also mention that every time you WRITE an Email, a file is also created in your Personal File Area that contains the BODY text of the message you are writing...Periodically Djinn "Sweeps" loose message files from the system, and these also will be placed in your Chaeron file for storage. I'll explain later in this document how to access, read, and download from the Chaeron file. The other thing I want to touch on is the "EMAIL_OPTION" prompt that appears at the end of the Message. This is Djinn asking "OK, Now What? Don't just sit there!" ... Type ? to list the options, which are really simple ... N for Next Message, Q for Quit, R to reply to the last message you just read....etc. If you want to send Electronic Mail to a someone that is not a member of Wamblyville, you can do that through one of the networks. It works the same as sending a message locally, except that you need to know the entire Email address for the person you are sending to. You can get more help on this by typing `HELP EMAIL' at the Djinn Ready Prompt, which will explain how to route mail. Djinn will know which network to send the message into based on the address you give it. Djinn also allows you to "Preprocess" message texts in your PFA, then send it. To do this, think up a filename to call the text in your PFA disk, something like "FORPIZZA:TEXT" is good..Then do this: Ready >EDIT FORPIZZA:TEXT RJLEDIT-B Editor for Djinn-TSS Version 1.00.00 Compiled 01Jan93 (C)MCMXCIII Lapsus Linguae Labs Type HELP for a complete list of commands Editor_Ready >ADD 1: Are you interested in going with me and a bunch of others 2: to Pizza Hut on Saturday? Email me back and let me know! 3: Editor_Ready >EXIT Ready >EMAIL DON_MARTIN Subject: Pizza Anyone? RJLEDIT-B Editor for Djinn-TSS Version 1.00.00 Compiled 01Jan93 (C)MCMXCIII Lapsus Linguae Labs Type HELP for a complete list of commands Editor_Ready >LOAD FORPIZZA:TEXT 2 line(s) loaded. Editor_Ready >END Message sent to Don_Martin Ready > You can then resend this EXACT same message to other users. This is REALLY handy if you are going to send a long message. You can also UPLOAD the message text into your PFA, and then Email it. (We'll cover that later...) There is also a Mailing List option in Djinn which allows you to send one message to a LOT of users, but I'll cover that in a separate document on advanced features... 컴컴컴컴컴횺essage System컴컴컴컴컴� Commands: REQUEST, READ, POST, SCAN In EMail, all messages are private. Only the sender and receiver can read them. There is also a "Public" message system, where messages placed by a user can be read by everyone. The public message system is divided into specific topics of discussion. The first thing you need to do in order to access the public message system, is to tell Djinn which topics you are interested in. This is done using the REQUEST program. You load it by typing REQUEST (or REQ) at the Ready Prompt. After the program loads, you will be shown a simple menu of choices, which include listing the available topics, and searching the topics for key-words. When you find a topic that you are interested in, use the [A]dd area option to add the topic to your configuration file. (Which will be created in your PFA, and is called NEWS:RC) Once you have created the News Run-Control file with the REQ program, you simply type the command READ at the Ready prompt. (Sounds vaguely familiar, doesn't it??) I do want to mention that on Internet, storage of message files is distributed around so that no one system is burdened by having to store the messages for over 6000 topics...so many times when you REQuest a message topic, the message texts will not be available immediately. If you want to know which topics are being stored here on Wamblyville, look at the ACTIVE listing...These will be IMMEDIATELY available to you. Also, you need to know that Message numbers refer to the LOCAL storage on Wamblyville...They will always start at #1. If you want to send a message that can be read by all the users, use the POST command. It works similar to the EMAIL command, except that you will not be asked who to send it to. (If you select a RELAYNET topic, you will be asked who to address it to, BUT the message can still be read by everyone.) If you are only interested in reading SOME of the messages in a topic, you can use the SCAN command. It will read the Headers for Author, To, and Subject for all of the messages in the topic you specify. For example: Ready >SCAN ALT.FAN.MADONNA Will list the information for all of the messages relating to the fans of Madonna. (For the benefit of the old folks, she's a pop singer, and the founder of Virgin Records Company.) :D You CAN specify any valid message topic, even if you have not REQuested it, however, you can only scan local messages. (The ones listed in the ACTIVE file in the REQ program) If the topic you select is not found on the local drives, you will receive the message ?NF Error, which means NOT FOUND... It's probably best that I also mention... When you reach the Message_Options prompt in the Reader, REPLYING will send an Email message to the user that wrote the last message you have read. This is the normal method of replying in internet. If you want to leave a message IN the public area addressing the message you have just read, use the P option. Remember, whenever you reach a ____Option: prompt you can type a question mark to list the possible options. 컴컴컴컴컴횭ulletins (Documents)컴컴컴컴컴� Commands: TYPE, CD, DIR, CAT, MORE Here we start getting into the power commands for Djinn, unfortunately, here also is where it starts getting to the point that you have to THINK about what you're doing... In a BBS, you have a section with Bulletins, or announcements that are left usually by the management with information that the users need, or might like to know, and are usually indexed, or stuck on a menu for you to find easily. In Djinn, we take this a few steps further, but it does make it harder to get at them. Instead of simple Bulletins, we use complete DOCUMENTS, or ARTICLES, and can contain quite a lot of detailed information. They can also be written by anyone, not just the Sysop. This file, the new user introduction, is a document. First, you need to know where you are going, then you need to know HOW to get there. The HOW is easy...`CD' If you use Unix or DOS, you know this command already. It means [C]hange [D]irectory. When you log in to Wamblyville, you are in your PFA directory. To change to another directory, you just type CD then the name of the path you want to change into. The "Where" is a different matter though...it depends on what kind of information you are looking for. All documents, articles, and texts are placed into directories that separate them into categories. For example, this file is located in HELP.DJINN (Note that we're using a DOT as the separator, although for the ease of Unix users, you can use a slash [/] and for the ease of DOS users, a Back-Slash [\], Djinn will translate for you...) Now we know there is a path called Help, and one below that called Djinn... so... type `CD HELP.DJINN' to change into it. To find out what all is in this path type `DIR' and you will be shown a list of the files in this path. OK, Lotsa stuff here, and since it's in HELP.DJINN, we know it's all about how to use Djinn... Here's your next command...TYPE. This is not quite like the DOS command of the same name, as it loads a typer program that reads the file out to your screen one page at a time. In DOS it would be like loading an editor to read it. Ok, lets try it.... Ready >CD HELP.DJINN Current default path is help.djinn Ready >DIR Directory of files in help.djinn Fin:Document Help:Document Newuser:Document Commands:Document Email:Document Files:List Ready >TYPE EMAIL:DOCUMENT [...Etc, Etc, Etc...] But...If there is a Help.Djinn, is there a Help.Something-else? Well, don't just sit there, try it! Ready >CD HELP Current default path is help Ready >DIR Directory of files in help djinn/ internet/ relaynet/ Ready > Any file that has a trailing slash [/] is a path, and you can CD into it. Dos users will probably try CD INTERNET, which WONT WORK... because there is no Internet/ directory ... there IS a HELP/INTERNET directory though. You either need to `CD HELP.INTERNET' or you can do `CD +INTERNET' like this... Ready >CD <<CD +INTERNET Current path is help.internet Ready >CD -Djinn Current Path is help.djinn To find out what's at the base of it all, you can `DIR $ROOT' although for security reasons, you can not CD onto the root level. This will give you an idea of where to look for documents. Although I should tell you that some of the paths are used to store messages. (The little light should come on above your head just about now... When someone on the Internet says to you to read an article they wrote, they might be referring to a message, which yes, you can read public messages this way too...) If you want to get back into your PFA, use the pathname of PFA.(YourUsername) ... And don't even think about going into other users PFA directories, you cant. Simple and pure. There are also a few things I should mention about the TYPE command. As I said earlier in this document, the TYPE command loads a Typer program that displays the file to you. There are, in fact, two typers available. Read HELP.DJINN.SET:DOCUMENT to find out how to switch to the other typer. Also, if you want to just dump the file to your screen, you can use the CAT command. Beware though, there is no pause in this command, it just dumps the file. If you want the file paused each screen use MORE. (These are exact duplicates of the CAT and MORE commands from Unix, although CAT does NOT support input) Like this.... Ready >CAT HELP.DJINN.NEWUSER:DOCUMENT This will dump the file to your screen as fast as your modem can take it. You can't stop it once it starts, or pause it. 컴컴컴컴컴횯ownloading컴컴컴컴컴� Commands: TRANSMIT, FIB Downloading files is actually far more straight-forward with Djinn than with other systems. First though, you have to find the file you want to download. Use the same process for finding the files you want as was discussed in the section on document reading. Anything you can get at, you can download. Files, Binaries, Text, Documents, Messages...in short, everything and anything you can get your hands on. I will give you a hint though, try looking in the paths LIBRARY, ARCHIVE, and CDROM. This is where you will find most of the binaries. Once you find a file you want to download, you use the TRANSMIT command to send it from Wamblyville to your system. The Transmit command consists of two parameters, being the protocol, and the name of the file. Like this... Ready >TRANSMIT Z HELP.DJINN.NEWUSER:DOCUMENT -or- Ready >CD HELP.DJINN Current path is help.djinn Ready >TRANSMIT Z NEWUSER:DOCUMENT This would start a ZMODEM download of THIS document. For Xmodem, use TRANSMIT X ... for Ymodem use TRANSMIT Y ... For a complete list of the protocols currently being supported by Djinn, look at help.djinn.transmit:document There is also the "cheater" ... the file browser, which is called FIB, and that is also the command. You start it by typing `FIB' simple enough, right? You can optionally type the path where you want to start. (Example `FIB LIBRARY') I won't go into this in detail here, since it contains it's own on screen help, but I will say that it REQUIRES you to have full ANSI/VT102 terminal emulation. You can also read documents and text while using it. (If you're familiar with Holonet, you've seen it before, but in B/W... we've colorized it a bit.) When you feel that you have the hang of this, Read the FTP info (djinn.help.ftp:document), or ask me about FTP in Email. FTP allows you to access files on other systems and BBS's via our network connections, giving you access to several MILLION files for all types of computers. 컴컴컴컴컴훃ploading컴컴컴컴컴� Commands: RECEIVE, SHARE Firstly, you need to know that there is a distinction between files you send into BBSs and Wamblyville. On a BBS, the files that you upload are automatically assumed by the system to be public files, that anyone can access. On Wamblyville, the opposite is true...All files that you send into the system are assumed to be PRIVATE. When you transmit a file to Wamblyville, Djinn-TSS will place the file in your PFA. No one else can access it there, unless you choose to allow it. Now that we're through that, let's get into the mechanics of actually transferring the file. The command to initiate a file transfer for uploading is RECEIVE. There are two parameters that have to be used with the receive command. They are the same as in the TRANSMIT command, being the protocol, and the filename. Like this: Ready >RECEIVE X FORMARK:TEXT which would start an Xmodem receive of the file FORMARK:TEXT. For Zmodem use `RECEIVE Z' (Note that there is no filename in the Zmodem version of this command, Zmodem will transmit the correct filename.) You'll kind of have to play with the receive command to discover which protocols will require a filename, but basically, if the protocol is able to send the filename, you don't have to include it with the command. Once the file is in your PFA, you can do several things with it. In the above example, the file FORMARK.TXT was created at home using word-perfect, saved in ASCII mode, then Uploaded to Wamblyville and sent to the user MARK as an Email message. You can also share the file with other selected users of Wamblyville using the SHARE command. For example, your good friend Mark is a fan of Madonna, and you have a picture file of her that you know he wants...lets call it MADONNA3.GIF, this is how you would send the file to him... Ready >RECEIVE X MADONNA3.GIF Ready to receive MADONNA3.GIF via Xmodem. [File transfer occurs here] Received 65394 Bytes, Stored as pfa.newuser.madonna3:GIF Ready >SHARE MADONNA3:GIF MARK pfa.newuser.madonna3:GIF has been spooled for copy to pfa.mark.madonna3:GIF Ready > Spooled??? Whatsat? Good question. Whenever Djinn can not perform a command immediately, it is "Spooled" Essentially the command is placed in a buffer and will be done when Djinn has the ability to do it. In this case, the file can not be copied into marks pfa, because YOU are not Mark, and Mark's PFA is his secured file area. The next time Mark connects to the system, he will be told that the file is waiting for him, and will ask his permission to copy the file into his PFA. The logon after he has either accepted the file, or rejected it, you will be told which he did, and when he did it. Files in your PFA can also be submitted to the files system manager to be included with the public access libraries and archives for other users to download. To do this, use PUBLIC (or Library) in place of the username. (Ie: SHARE MADONNA3:GIF PUBLIC) When you do this, you should also drop an Email to the File manager to let him know what is in the file, and that the file has been shared for inclusion in the libraries. (Email address is always "FILE_MANAGER", no matter who is doing it, it will be forwarded to the correct person.) 컴컴컴컴컴횯oors컴컴컴컴컴� Commands: RUN Doors, also called Jumpdoors, Gates, Multi-User Dungeons (or MUDs for short), etc...etc...etc... No matter what you call them they are programs written to be "Attached" to BBS's, and we do have them here. In order to use them, you have to know it's codename, which can be found in the file help.djinn.mud:document (Type HELP MUD for fast access to the index) They fall basically into two categories, being games, and Other. The Other category usually includes things like databases and magazine reader programs. Once you have gone through the index and found the doors that you want to use, simply use the RUN command with the code name for the door. For example, the game "Global War" has the code name "WAR" so you would load and start the door with this command: Ready >RUN WAR And our Magazine reader, which is Reading-Room is code named READER... Ready >RUN READER Should be simple enough to figure out...right??? 컴컴컴컴컴훇right Access BBS컴컴컴컴컴� While we're on the subject of doors...you ought to be told that the Doors on Wright Access BBS are actually being run here on THIS computer system, and are Gate/Linked to Wright Access BBS. You may find yourself playing a game of chess (or whatever) with a member of that board! The thing is, if you try to send Email to a game partner on Wamblyville, you may find that the user doesn't exist... If you do need or want to Email someone someone "Over there" ... you need to add >WRIGHT to the username. ("IGAME>WRIGHT" for example.) 컴컴컴컴컴횲inal Word컴컴컴컴컴� Well, If you've made it this far into this document, you should have at least a basic idea of what you're doing on Wamblyville, and a general idea of Why we're different. I Didn't intend this to be a complete user manual, I just don't have the time to lead users by the nose. That may sound harsh, but it's very true. I AM however available to answer questions, Always, and you will find that I am one of the few sysops who actually answers the Page bell, even after all these years of being a Sysop. (But I've gotten smart enough to put a "WHY DO YOU WANT TO CHAT WITH THE SYSOP?" into the pager routine to weed out the kids who only want to talk about some rock-star or their teacher...) And I do ALWAYS answer my Email. So if you have questions, you can reach me, and I will be more than happy to help you...just not do it ALL for you. If you're REALLY REALLY Stuck, you've been through this file several times, and the Help system, and can't figure out something SPECIFIC, you can call our customer support number...800-837-4765 Just remember that the Receptionist CAN NOT usually answer your questions, someone will have to call you back. Leave your Name, Phone number, and a description of the problem you are having with the receptionist. If you don't say what's wrong no one will call you back. Happy Computing! John J Borowski System Operator, Wamblyville BBS Author, Djinn-TSS