graham@venus.iucf.indiana.edu (JIM GRAHAM) (02/11/91)
I just got the latest version of VLT, which includes an AREXX script
file for a simple bbs.
I have managed to get the bbs to run locally, by running VLT,
turning off the serial.device, and selecting fifobbs.rexx from the
Arexx scripts menu, along with the parameter "local".
My question is, How do I get it to run remotely.
More specifically, what is the sequence of events that I must go
through in order to make fifobbs.rexx work in remote?
The docs aren't clear here.
Here's what I've tried....
1.) RUN VLT.
2.) Turn fifo pipe ON.
3.) Turn serial.device off.
4.) Open up the AREXX Scripts requestor and
a.) Select fifobbs.rexx.
b.) append the parameter "remote" to the end of it.
c.) Press return.
At this point, VLT screen is blank except for cursor.
Additionally, TR light on modem is OFF.
So, I don't see how this can work anyway, since the modem is not
ready.
This leads me to more questions about modem setup.
1.) How does fifobbs.rexx ANSWER an incoming call?
Must I set the modem myself for auto-answer?
Would someone help?
Willy?
Thanks,
-Jim
-> ->Disclaimer: I'm not ashamed of what I say. <- <-
Sorry if the above disclaimer is too long.
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|______________________________________________________________________|rmr@ccwf.cc.utexas.edu (Randy M. Roberts) (02/12/91)
In article <1991Feb10.235516.3828@bronze.ucs.indiana.edu> graham@venus.iucf.indiana.edu writes: [... stuff deleted ...] | |More specifically, what is the sequence of events that I must go |through in order to make fifobbs.rexx work in remote? | |The docs aren't clear here. | |Here's what I've tried.... | |1.) RUN VLT. |2.) Turn fifo pipe ON. |3.) Turn serial.device off. |4.) Open up the AREXX Scripts requestor and | a.) Select fifobbs.rexx. | b.) append the parameter "remote" to the end of it. | c.) Press return. | [... more stuff deleted ...] | |This leads me to more questions about modem setup. | |1.) How does fifobbs.rexx ANSWER an incoming call? | Must I set the modem myself for auto-answer? | |Would someone help? Well I'm not trying to help, I'm in a similar quandary. Here's what I did with "limited" success. First try: 1) run VLT (I did not close the serial port!) 2) issued ATS0=1 to my modem, which puts in AUTO-ANSWER MODE 2a) pressed the ANS/ORG button to ANS 3) run fifobbs remote 4) in VLT I open fifopipes (needless to say I already mounted FIFO:) 5) Then I typed a <cr> in VLT (big mistake) Here's what happened. VLT and FifoBBS (FB) began getting in an infinite loop with each other. FB would send something to VLT which would send it right bact to FB. FB thought that this was a new response and would send (usually bad) responses back to VLT, ad infinitum. Repair attempt: (Insert into above sequence) 2b) issued ATE0 to modem, This tells the modem not to echo what has been typed. That seemed to correct the problem, but now the only way I could monitor incomming sessions was to open a "REMCLI VLTR" (make sure the VLTR is in caps). Now I am left with what I believe is a more difficult problem. My friend's computer (not an Amiga) cannot convert <LF>'s to <CR><LF>'s for display, so my running FB is just about useless to him. I still have problems when somebody logs off. I get a bunch of "ERROR"'s from my modem, which FB interprets as attempts to logon. Another set of infinite loops. Questions: (finally :) 1) Is it necessary to press the ANS/ORG button to ANS? Shouldn't the modem do that automatically? (My friend's been to busy to continue experimentation.) 2) Should I modify FB to use a different FIFO: device and write a small C program "filter" to change all <LF>'s to <CR><LF> and then pass it to VLTR, or is there an easy way to just modify FB to automatically stick the <CR> in it? (Sticking <CR>'s after "say"'s doesn't help the "address commmand 'type' filename"'s) 3) At the risk of getting an RTFM, can you turn on the "fifopipes" menu item from a VLT-REXX (.scp ?) or .vlt script? I know I can issue the "ATE0" and the "ATS0=1" command from a script. 4) Should I modify FB to recognise the "ERROR" from my modem, just like it recognizes "NO CARRIER"? ADVthanksANCE, Randy -- Randy M. Roberts rmr@ccwf.cc.utexas.edu
WGLP09@SLACVM.SLAC.STANFORD.EDU (02/12/91)
Well, as you guessed correctly, FifoBBS can't possibly work remotely
if you turn the serial device off. So leave it on... Secondly, FifoBBS.rexx
has extension rexx to indicate that it is *not* a VLT ARexx exec, but runs
"in parallel" with VLT (in fact, it runs just fine without VLT too - try
leaving off the parameter local or remote: it will echo a bit funny but
it will work - and then you can try it together with "remcli VLTL" as well).
So start up FifoBBS from a shell like this: "run FifoBBS remote".
FifoBBS doesn't monitor the line for "RING" or anything, it assumes
you have set the modem to auto-answer. Of course, you could add this
feature yourself. Again, FifoBBS is not designed to be the be-all end-all
of BBS's, but rather something that just does enough to perhaps be useful
but still be small enough that you can figure it out and modify it yourself.
BTW the reason the docs specify to turn the serial device off for
Local operation is just because typically there's a modem that echos stuff
connected to your system, and this would interfere with local operation.
I know, I should have spelled it out in the docs...
Willy.
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Willy langeveld - Bitnet: WGLP09 @ SLACVM - BIX: langeveldWGLP09@SLACVM.SLAC.STANFORD.EDU (02/12/91)
1. As I said, FifoBBS assumes the modem to be in auto-answer mode. You
can change it to look for "RING" while it is idling, and then send the
"ATA" string to the modem.
2. Yes, FifoBBS, for simplicity, is made to run only with terminal programs
that can translate linefeeds to cr/lf's. Most terminal programs can, one
way or another. If the terminal emulates a VT100, for example, then the
escape sequence <esc>[20h should put it in that mode. (<esc>[20l should
reset it). Your suggested solution of putting in a filter-pipe might be the
easiest way to do it. Alternatively, you could change all "say" commands
from "say string" to "call writech('stdout', string||'0d'x||'0a'x)". This
does not fix the "address command" problems, of course. You'd have to fix
those by ExecIO'ing the result into a stem variable and writech'ing the
stem variable members the same way. But yes you can fix it inside FifoBBS,
and when done modularly it's not even that hard.
3. I guess I forgot the questions... 8)
Willy.
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Willy langeveld - Bitnet: WGLP09 @ SLACVM - BIX: langeveldWGLP09@SLACVM.SLAC.STANFORD.EDU (02/12/91)
3. Yes, you can switch on the pipes from a script. FIFO ON/OFF.
4. By all means, go and change FifoBBS to check for "ERROR" as well as
for "NO CARRIER". That's what FifoBBS is for, so you can change it.
In fact, I'm looking forward to see what people can do with this
thing...
Willy.
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Willy langeveld - Bitnet: WGLP09 @ SLACVM - BIX: langeveld