                  Configuring TerMail for QWK Packets

                       Tue  09-05-95, 11:30 pm

                _____________________________________
                     from the State O' Maine, USA
                lmckimmy@wa2000.winarea.biddeford.com
                             1:109/921.2


TerMail _does_ work with QWK packets, and does a reasonably good job
--  but, you need to configure TerMail to be called by a batch file
that stipulates a PARTICULAR CONFIGURATION FILE for _EACH_ BBS you
download QWKmail packets from.

The *.CFG and *.BBS files for the QWK packets on my system are
in the \terminat\termail\ directory, and that is the way the BAT
files included are structured.

Each QWK packet database is maintained in its own subDIR structure,
separate and apart from the FIDO part of TerMail, and separate and
apart from any other QWK packet.

Such structure is required in order to maintain separation of the MAIN
BOARD Conference, Conference names that are duplicated one QWK packet
to another, and so that Personal Mail can be 'tossed' to the SAVEAREA.

In the enclosed example .CFG and .BBS and .BAT files, I show how I've
configured TerMail 3.x to work with three different QWKmail systems.
Of course, the only difference, one to the other, is the designated
DIRs and Conference names and some Files names configured in the *.CFG
file, but I felt multiple examples would be a help.

Note that Conference names, as designated in the Control.Dat file
present in the QWK packet, must be exactly the same as the name at the
proper place in the .CFG and .BBS files.

More descriptive names can be used elsewhere, including the name of
the DIR where you put your QWK messages.

For new(er) users that may not know, be aware that the file name
CONTROL.DAT is universal to QWK packets.  That means a QWK packet from
any BBS will have a file named CONTROL.DAT, no matter its source.

           (It's all rather like a puzzle, ain't it... ;-))

Actually, the details of all of this, but for one, are there in the
distributed TM.CFG and TM.BBS files, if you read closely enough.  The
missing detail is one that goes missing because of semantics... see
below.

All of this configuration of *.CFG and *.BBS files is not difficult,
but it is a bit tedious.  Just work carefully, as QWK takes more than
a bit of 'hand-editing' of those *.CFG and *.BBS files in regard to
paths and names, etc., so look over the files enclosed. Note that a
misspelling can spoil the mix no end, so be meticulous.

                      <<<<<<<<<<     >>>>>>>>>>

                        Some additional notes:

                      <<<<<<<<<<     >>>>>>>>>>

    Control.DAT / *.lst  files.

        In each *.CFG file, under the section that defines the USER,
        your are asked to designate an AreaList.  What I have done is
        edit a copy of the Control.DAT for the particular BBS, and
        renamed it as designated in the *.CFG USER section.  See the
        appropriate area in each .CFG

        Actually, I'm not sure the *.LST file is required, but it
        was easy enough to create, so I figured 'what the hell.
        Appease the gods....'  I created it and stuck it in the
        appropriate DIR as specified in the .cfg file.


    Personal Mail and the SAVE area.

        This about drove me crazy, but I did finally sleuth it out.

        Note this section copied from the *.BBS file... edited to
        fit the document width were working with in this message...


 % Path                       EchoID       Flags
 %--------------------------- ---------> |-----------------------------|
 @LINE Messages To/From Me
 PB\SAVEMAIL\SAVEAREA         SAVEAREA   JAM QWK PB PERSONAL HOLD NOLINK
 PB\SAVEMAIL\YOUWROTE         YOUWROTE   JAM QWK PB HOLD NOLINK

        Note the FLAGS in the SAVEAREA...  This is the key that
        makes it work.  Configured as shown, your personal mail
        is 'tossed' into the SAVEAREA, no matter the Conference
        of origin in the QWK packet.

        You designate on the FLAGS section of this line, in order

            1) the type of message base... JAM or .MSG

            2) In the case at hand, specifying a QWK packet format

            3) The name of the QWK packet file AS DOWNLOADED from
                    the BBS.

            4) The Conference ___ NUMBER ___, which in this case
                    is *not* a number, but the *name* given to
                    this Conference in the Control.DAT file.
                    This was the 'hidden' 'semanticly missing
                    detail I mentioned above.

            5) You must designate this a HOLD area, else TerMail
                    will not transfer the message to SAVEAREA.

            6) Instructing TerMail to not bother trying to LINK
                    these message, as it is impossible to do at
                    any rate, as the messages transferred to the
                    SAVEAREA are from numerous, changing and
                    different Conferences.

        Documentation in TerMail indicates that you _may_ be able
        to reply to a message while in the SAVEAREA, but I found
        it maddening to do so.  The problem, I believe, is in the
        designation HOLD, which must be there for your Personal
        Mail to show up in SAVEAREA, while at the same time, HOLD
        prohibits the _export_ of your REPly message... Catch 22.

        Easiest to just read your accumulated (and saved) Personal
        Mail in the SAVEAREA, and go to the appropriated Conference
        noted at the top of each message if and when you want to
        REPly.


    The DIRECTOR.TXT file enclosed...

        This is my Directory structure at the time I created the
        enclosed *.CFG and *.BBS files.

        This structure is of course easy to duplicate on your hard
        drive, but it not necessary at all.  You may use the names
        for files and DIRS that tumble from you own fertile mind.
        But if we start exchanging net or echo mail about this, I'm
        going to get confused really fast if you change too much
        on this...  and you'll have to make all the appropriate
        changes in you own implementation of the *.CFG and *.BBS
        file examples included here...

        (Of course, you have to change them anyway, since your
        QWK/BBS is no doubt different than the ones I've used
        here... <BG>)


    The BATch files enclosed..

        They work on my system, they will or they won't work on
        yours.  Computers are like that...

        Edit the BATch files to do their work as required on your
        own system.


    *.QW? Packets...

        I download mine to a \QWKIN subdirectory that TerMail
        knows nothing about.  After the QWK packet is on my
        hard drive, I use a DOS shell to copy the required
        packet to the \[qwkin] directory specified in the
        *.cfg file included here.

        A lot can be done with a BAT or BTM files in regard
        to manipulation of your QWK packets, if you are so
        inclined.  You can move packets around, save BBS
        files lists and Bulletins and so on.  If you come up
        with something great (or something that works without
        creating lost clusters or some such), let me know so
        I can steal it. ;-)

                                    Have a pleasant Autumn,
                                    it's my favorite time of
                                    year...  Hope it works
                                    for you.

                                    Take care...  Larry

    ps  If something here doesn't work, it ain't my fault. But if it
        doesn't work, and you get it to work, share what you learned.
        If it doesn't work, and you can't get it to work, post a
        message and someone in this big world will help.

    pps  There are a lot of lines removed that were in the original
         distribution of TM.CFG and TM.BBS -- you may leave them
         in or take them out as you see fit, I suppose, as long as
         you honor the request of Bo Bendtsen to _not_ alter the
         TM.CFG and TM.BBS files as distributed with TERMINATE
         except as required for system configuration.

