bejc@pyrltd.UUCP (Brian Clark) (01/08/87)
I am looking for some bulltein board software, something like the BIX
software to enable /usr/group/UK to establish an information service
for its members. Can anyone point me at such software
--
-m------- Brian E.J. Clark, Strategic Systems Engineering (Europe)
---mmm----- Pyramid Technology Ltd
-----mmmmm--- Phone: +44 276 63474 Fax: +44 276 685189 Twx : 859056
-------mmmmmmm- {ukc,pyrnj,lammpyr,lucifer}!pyrltd!bejc berger@datacube.UUCP (01/12/87)
May I suggest Notes. This is a user i/f that I find much nicer to use
than these teletype style interfaces such as BIX and Compuserve (and news!)
PS. We run it on our Pyramid...
Here's the Man page, It includes a mail address for more info, or contact
me directly:
NAME
notes, autoseq, readnotes - a news system
SYNOPSIS
notes [ -sxin ] [ -o date-spec ] [ -a subsequencer ] [ -t
termtype ] [ -f file ] topic1 [ ... ]
autoseq [ -a subsequencer ]
readnotes [ -a subsequencer ]
DESCRIPTION
Notes supports computer managed discussion forums. It coor-
dinates access to and updates of data bases of notes and
their responses. A single notesfile contains an ordered
list of base notes, each of which may have an ordered list
of responses associated with it. A note string consists of
a base note and all of its responses. Separate notesfiles
contain discussions on separate subject matters; microcom-
puters might be discussed in a ``micronotes'' notesfile
while bicycling enthusiasts make their comments in a ``bicy-
cle'' notesfile.
The -s option signals notes to use the automatic sequencer.
With the sequencer enabled, notes shows the new notes and
responses since your last entry into that notesfile. With
the sequencer enabled by -s the notes program will not enter
notesfiles which have no new text. Specify -x to use the
sequencer and enter notesfiles even if they have no new
text. The -i and -n options are still more sequencing
modes, -i is similar to -s but shows the index page instead
of the first modified note. -n turns the sequencer off.
The -o option helps users find articles that are vaguely
remembered with terms such as ``some note in the last 3 days
in one of several notesfiles''. These can be found with a
command like:
notes -o "3 days ago" nf1 nf2 nf3
which sequences past all articles written in notesfiles
``nf1'', ``nf2'', and ``nf3'' in the last 3 days. The
user's timestamps are not updated.
The -a option specifies a subsequencer. This allows several
people sharing the same signon to maintain their own
sequencer file. The actual sequencer name is generated by
concatenating the user name and the subsequencer name. It
is recommended that subsequencer names be unique within the
first 6 characters.
Specify -t termtype to override the TERM environment vari-
able. This switch is primarily for V6 systems.
The -f option directs notes to read the contents of a file
for a list of notesfiles to scan. This file and the direc-
tories must be readable by the notesfile user id.
The topic list specifies which notesfiles are to be scanned.
The notesfiles are scanned from left to right; upon finish-
ing the first topic, the second is entered. The shell's
meta-characters are recognized within a topic but must be
escaped to prevent shell interpretation. Specifying
``net.*'' will yield all the notesfiles with the prefix
``net.''. Specify ``*unix*'' to read all notesfiles with
the string ``unix'' in their names. Bracket and question
mark constructs are also recognized.
Notesfile names are parsed such that a notesfile will be
entered only once no matter how many times it is listed on
the command line and in any files specified by the -f
option. Notesfiles can also be excluded by prefixing their
names with a `!'. Thus to see all notesfiles except ``gen-
eral'', one might type:
notes "*" !general
The autoseq and readnotes commands allow sequencing through
a list of notesfiles with the sequencer enabled using with a
single command. Autoseq and Readnotes function identically.
They are syntactically equivalent to ``notes -s $NFSEQ''.
The environment variable NFSEQ contains a comma separated
list of notesfile specifications. A typical NFSEQ defini-
tion for the Bourne shell looks like:
NFSEQ=``general,announce,net.*,bicycle,srg,:/usr/essick/nflist''.
Specifications beginning with a `:' specify a file to read
for more notesfile names. In the previous example, the last
specification reads the contents of the file
`/usr/essick/nflist' for more notesfile specifications.
Many of these can appear in the NFSEQ variable.
Notes and responses are entered by using an editor. The
default editor is ed(1). This can be changed by setting one
of the environment variables NFED or EDITOR. Notes looks for
NFED before looking for EDITOR, allowing users to use dif-
ferent editors for writing notes and for other tools.
Some commonly used commands within the notesfile system are
listed below:
space Show the next page of the note/response.
; Go the next response, if there are no more
responses go to the next note.
- Go to the previous page of the current
note/response. From the first page of a response,
go to the previous response (or the base note from
the first response). From the first page of a
base note, go to the previous note.
newline Go to the next note.
j Jump to the next unread note/response (when using
sequencer).
J Jump to the next unread note, ignoring any further
responses in the current note string (when using
sequencer).
w When issued from the index page enters a new note.
When entered from a note/response display enters a
response. A capital-W will include the text of
the currently displayed note/response in the new
response.
q Leave the current notesfile.
Q Leave the current notesfile without updating the
sequencer information.
control-d Return to the shell, ignoring any further notes-
files in the current invocation. No sequencer
information is updated.
x Search for a note with the (prompted for) string
in its title. Capital-X asks for a new search
string, otherwise the last entered string is used.
s Saves the currently displayed note/response at the
end of a (prompted for) file. Capital-S saves the
entire note string.
M Sends the text of the note/response displayed and
your comments to another user(s). The P command
routes the letter to the author of the
note/response.
t Issues a write(1) command to the author of the
currently displayed note/response. No action is
taken if the note originated on a remote system or
is anonymous.
! Forks a shell.
Only the notesfile owner can create new notesfiles. The
notesfile owner will create the notesfile and turn control
over to the person requesting the notesfile. This person is
the notesfile director; he may designate others to also be
notesfile directors. The notesfile director has special
privileges including: deleting any note, determining policy
for the notesfile, permitting anonymous notes, and determin-
ing accessibility of the notesfile.
An interface is provided to news(1). Transfers in both
directions are supported. See newsoutput(8) and the Notes-
file Reference Manual for more information on this facility.
Facilities for mailing to notesfiles ( nfmail(8) ), network-
ing notesfiles ( nfxmit(8) ), printing notesfiles (
nfprint(1) ), archiving old notes ( nfarchive(8) ), and
several user routines ( nfabort(3) and nfcomment(3) ) exist.
The concept of a notesfile was taken from the PLATO system
(a trademark of Control Data Corporation) designed at the
University of Illinois to provide automated teaching capa-
bilities.
FILES
/etc/passwd for the users
name
/etc/group for the users
group(s)
/etc/termcap for terminal
capabilites
/usr/spool/notes the default
notesfile data
base
/usr/spool/notes/.utilities utility pro-
grams and
online help
/usr/spool/notes/.sequencer/user Sequencing
timestamps for
user.
/usr/spool/notes/.sequencer/user:subsequencer
Sub-sequencing
timestamps for
user.
SEE ALSO
checknotes(1), ed(1), mknf(8), news(1), newsoutput(8), nfa-
bort(3), nfaccess(8), nfarchive(8), nfmail(8), nfpipe(1),
nfprint(1), nfstats(1), nfxmit(8), nfcomment(3), notes(8),
termcap(3), write(1),
The Notesfile Reference Manual
AUTHORS
Ray Essick (uiucdcs!essick, essick%uiuc@csnet-relay.arpa)
Department of Computer Science
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Urbana, IL
Rob Kolstad (kolstad@convex.UUCP)
CONVEX Computer Corporation
Richardson, TX
Bob Berger
Datacube Inc. 4 Dearborn Rd. Peabody, Ma 01960 617-535-6644
ihnp4!datacube!berger
{seismo,cbosgd,cuae2,mit-eddie}!mirror!datacube!bergercrayinc@mhuxi.UUCP (01/12/87)
> I am looking for some bulltein board software, something like the BIX > software to enable /usr/group/UK to establish an information service > for its members. Can anyone point me at such software > > > -- > -m------- Brian E.J. Clark, Strategic Systems Engineering (Europe) > ---mmm----- Pyramid Technology Ltd > -----mmmmm--- Phone: +44 276 63474 Fax: +44 276 685189 Twx : 859056 > -------mmmmmmm- {ukc,pyrnj,lammpyr,lucifer}!pyrltd!bejc The ACGNJ-BBS has On-Line about 10 BBS programs for various systems and OSes like CP/M, MSDOS and UNIX. They are mostly in source. That club also distributes the SIG/M(CPM) and PC-BLUE disks for about $6-9US. The address for the disks is : SIG/M PO BOX 97 Iselin, NJ 08030 The BBS number is (201) 753 9758, the programs are free there. This information came from Micro/Systems Journal, Dec 1986 201-522-9347. -- Rick Tillbrook ihnp4!mhuxi!crayinc I have no connection to the magazine or the disk sales, only a subscriber. !
chapman@fornax.uucp (John Chapman) (01/14/87)
. . > That club also distributes the SIG/M(CPM) and PC-BLUE disks for > about $6-9US. The address for the disks is : > SIG/M > PO BOX 97 > Iselin, NJ 08030 > The BBS number is (201) 753 9758, the programs are free there. > This information came from Micro/Systems Journal, Dec 1986 201-522-9347. > > -- Rick Tillbrook > ihnp4!mhuxi!crayinc > > I have no connection to the magazine or the disk sales, only a subscriber. > > ! I recently bought the entire 237 volume PC-BLUE collection of msdos pd and shareware software and while I do not wish to get into the business of distributing software (no time) I am willing to make a limited number of copies (say 2-4) of the complete collection available at a much more reasonable price (say $220 US including shipping) than any of the distribution points I have seen charge (how's that for a long sentence?). I arc'd each of the volumes and stuck them on my hard disk and then used BACKUP to put them on floppies (resulting in some savings in floppies). As I said I don't want to do this on a regular basis (it takes about a day to make a copy) but for 2-4 people (if there are that many interested) I wouldn't mind. If you are interested send email to the address below. {watmath,ihnp4,uw-beaver}!ubc-vision!sfucmpt!sfulccr!chapman p.s. I posted this followup then decided the subject line should be changed to a more appropriate one; I tried to cancel the original followup but apologies if it did get out. *** REPLACE THIS LINE WITH YOUR MESSAGE ***
sharp@usceast.UUCP (02/01/87)
[ What does a line eater look like, anyway? ]
{@@}
<>
Greetings,
Our chapter of the ACM here at USC is planning to start a RBBS and
is in need of BBS software. As I am they only one with access to USEnet I
get to be the one to ask for help. Any ideas or suggestions would be
appreciated. If possible we would like to get our hands on some code ASAP
as time grows short for our bank account.
Thanks in advance,
Harry Sharp
[=============================================================================]
Harry Sharp
USMail : Dept of Computer Science, USC, Columbia, SC 29208
BITNET : T170126 @ UNIVSCVM
E-mail : {from elsewhere!akgua | inhp4}!usceast!sharp
"Logic is not binding on a legislative body." Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass)
Disclaimer : My opinions are for sale. Licensing agreements can be arranged.
[=============================================================================]
--
[=============================================================================]
Harry Sharp
USMail : Dept of Computer Science, USC, Columbia, SC 29208
BITNET : T170126 @ UNIVSCVM
E-mail : {from elsewhere!akgua|inhp4}!usceast!sharp
"Logic is not binding on a legislative body." Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass)
Disclaimer : My opinions are for sale. Licensing agreements can be arranged.
[=============================================================================]