+----------------------------+-----------------------------------------+ | A newsletter of the | Published by | | | The FidoNews BBS | | FidoNet BBS community | | | _ | | | / \ | | | /|oo \ | Southeast_Texas_BBS | | (_| /_) | 1:1/1 | | _`@/_ \ _ | | | | | \ \\ | | | | (*) | \ )) | Editor : | | |__U__| / \// | Gary Perkins 1:393/31 | | _//|| _\ / | | | (_/(_|(____/ | | | (jm) | Newspapers should have no friends. | | | -- JOSEPH PULITZER | +----------------------------+-----------------------------------------+ Table of Contents 1. EDITORIAL ................................................ 1 2. FIDONET BIOGRAPHIES ...................................... 3 3. GETTING TECHNICAL ........................................ 4 4. FIDONET SOFTWARE LISTING ................................. 6 5. FIDONEWS INFORMATION ..................................... 12 FIDONEWS 28-31 Page 1 1 Aug 2011 ================================================================= EDITORIAL ================================================================= ---------------------------------------------------------------------- EDITORIAL ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Hello Fidonet! My name is Gary Perkins. As many of you have probably heard by now, Bjorn Felton is no longer the official Fidonews Editor. For historical reasons, I will be attaching the notice previously posted in the Fidonews echo to this edition, which goes into greater detail on this change. I'm somewhat of a newcomer to Fidonet. While I've been involved in BBSing and the Internet since the 1990's, I never really got into Fidonet. At the time, I thought it was something you had to pay for. None of my friends were interested in it, as we were all teenagers, and they were more into the underground aspects of BBSing, and the topic just never really came up between me and my fellow BBSers. We had our local echoes, and that fulfilled my sense of social connections online. I was rather surprised when I was asked to step in as Editor. I had thought about it; I've been asked to moderate a few things over the years, but then I kicked my ego. I figured someone a little more seasoned would fulfill the role. However, maybe, just maybe, someone LESS seasoned will fit perfectly at this time, for this position. I have no agenda. I could care less about "politics" -- indeed, I don't really understand politics in positions online and offline. I'm very technical- and logical-minded; just get the work done. I plan on trying to help get Fidonews the publication and Fidonews the echo cleaned up and back on track. At some point in the near future, possibly a year from now but hopefully sooner, I hope to nominate a replacement. As exciting as it is to be in, what I consider to be, a rather unique and historical position in BBS networking history, it is not something I particularly enjoy. In fact, I initially turned it down. I got heavily back into BBSing about six or seven years ago, and especially in the last several years have spent quite a bit of time on Rob Swindell's DOVEnet, so a few of you know me quite well from there as "Dreamer" (a handle I've had from my CB days, and still quite apt, if I do say so myself!). For those who don't know me so well, read more about me in the "Fidonet Biographies" section. I look forward to working together with many of you to bring Fidonews back to the publication it should be. I invite each and every one of you to PLEASE send in articles. I'm a rather boring individual, and it would kill me to try to come up with things to write about.... :) Some good examples would be biographies -- share some things about yourself that your fellow fidonetters may not know but may be interested in; questions for the coordinators or other notable FIDONEWS 28-31 Page 2 1 Aug 2011 figures, even outside the network (so long as it pertains at least with BBSing, of course); and I would LOVE to see some fiction and humor sent in. Most especially, we need COLUMNISTS. Now, I know the BBS and Fidonet world isn't exactly moving along at the pace it used to, but I'd like to at least see two monthly columns, and one weekly column. These would be ANYTHING computer related. That's all for now. Happy Fidonetting, guys and girls! ----------------------------------------------------------------- FIDONEWS 28-31 Page 3 1 Aug 2011 ================================================================= FIDONET BIOGRAPHIES ================================================================= About Gary Perkins: I was born in Nederland, TX, a quaint little town sandwiched between Beaumont, Port Arthur, Port Neches, and Groves. Our town has a rich history and culture distinct from the rest of the area, which was passed down from its founding settlers from the Netherlands. I've lived in larger areas such as Corpus Christi and Dallas, but I always wound up coming back home. I'm very proud of my hometown, and you can read more about it and the surrounding areas online. Plus, I'm sure I'll get around to writing up an article on the unique history and culture of my hometown; I suggest others with the same feeling of their hometowns do the same! I'm presently 34 years old, and got into BBSing between 1990 and 1992. I started out on a Commodore Amiga 500 (my only other computer before that was a quirky Texas Instruments 99/4A), using some kind of term software that came with the modem that didn't support ANSI or transfer protocols. It wasn't long before I was able to download a new term program via capture (took many tries), and found a few more numbers. By the next year, I was a seasoned BBSer, and hooked! Not long after that a coworker, who was also a BBSer, told me about a number at the local university that was a dialin to the Internet. The way it worked was you dialed in, and was presented with a simple prompt for the IP address you wished to connect to. It did not support DNS. With a small list of sites to try, I hacked around until I found a BBS in China that was on the Internet, and got into IRC. Eventually I met someone with a UNIX account to spare. Basically, I learned all about the Internet in the oldschool way, before WWW was even popular. My experiences between BBSes and the Internet have given me some unique perspectives on the technologies, and the social experiences have made me who I am today. I believe in openness and tolerance with boundaries. At present, I am residing in Beaumont, TX, with my two young children, a girl 7 years old and a boy 5 years old. My daughter suffers from a condition known as Ausperger's, which is considered to be a form of Autism. She can be tremendously sweet one moment, and a pure terrorist the next. I'm an unemployed restaurant manager. I'm trying to write a book for young readers. In the early 90's I was the founder and moderator of a popular IRC channel, and a cosysop of a local BBS.I'm also a computer technician and system operator of Southeast Texas Chat and BBS, which is still relatively new. ----------------------------------------------------------------- FIDONEWS 28-31 Page 4 1 Aug 2011 ================================================================= GETTING TECHNICAL ================================================================= Helpful Downlink Information ============================ By Janis Kracht, 1:261/38, janis@filegate.net We've got a several new and returning SysOps in Fidonet in the last few weeks, which is great.. even now Zone 2 is expecting at least one new node in Milano, Italy who sent me information regarding getting connected again. Here is some information that may be helpful to you: 1. Latest Nodelist: If you are in Zone 1, you will probably want a Zone 1 nodelist located at http://www.filegate.net/nodelist/nodelist.z??, where ?? is the last two digits of the julian day number. Don't let the .z?? extension confuse you.. these are zip archives which contain NODELIST.???. Just unzip it to extract the file, put in your nodelist directory and run your bbs nodelist database generator if your mailer uses one (like BBBS's ./bbbs bndiff). Other Zones maintain their own nodelist with their nodelists organized with their own zone first. Contact your RC or NC to find out where you can pick up this file. 2. Backbone Echo List: The list of all echos available on the Zone 1 North American Backbone is available at http://www.filegate.net/backbone/backbone.na Of course other Zones also maintain a list of echos that are normally in the language of the Zone. Again, contact your RC or NC to find out where you can pick this file up. Some countries do not maintain a formal list of echo tags, but if you query your uplink with an areafix command, you can find the list of echo areas. The command you would give to your uplink's areafix is: ====================================================== To: Areafix @(your uplink's fido address) Subj: -L ====================================================== -L sends you a list of echo areas. The uplink Sysop may make a list of available areas in a file; if this has been done the -L command will cause AreaFix to send it to you as a file attach. -Q also sends you a list of echo areas. However, unlike the -L command, it will scan through the Area Control files to see what areas are available to you and send a list back in a message. FIDONEWS 28-31 Page 5 1 Aug 2011 AreaFix will put an asterisk (*) next to each area that you are receiving. -R is a rescan command. This causes AreaFix to force a rescan of the echo area by removing the high-water mark. The next time the area is scanned, any messages in that area that you did not receive will be packaged up and sent to you. Note that if your uplink has an area as a passthrough, there will not be any messages to rescan. Also, not all versions of areafix type programs will support a -rescan command. For instance, BBBS does not. Sometimes if you leave the body of your areafix message blank. Areafix will get confused. Q option will not send back a list if you send a blank message. However, just having the tear line (---) will be enough. There are many more options to areafix. I'll cover those in another article. 3. File Area Distribution: You'll want to connect to your uplink's file areas for at least some file echos, so that they come into your system automatically.. Examples would be the NODELIST file echo in your Zone, and in Zone 1, the BACKBONE file echo so that you get the latest backbone.na available. To process or toss the files you receive in your inbound directory, you will need a tick compatible program. There are a number of these programs available for different operating systems. Allfix http://www.allfix.com/ NEF/pk http://nefpk.8m.com/ TinyTIC http://ftnapps.sourceforge.net/ VIReq http://ftnapps.sourceforge.net/ Of course, you can use the grandaddy of all tick programs (the very first), tick 2.10. It's available at http://www.filegate.net/mail/tick210.zip. If you need help with the .cfg file, check the example I've posted at filegate.net: http://www.filegate.net/zone1/filehelp.htm#tick ----------------------------------------------------------------- FIDONEWS 28-31 Page 6 1 Aug 2011 ================================================================= FIDONET SOFTWARE LISTING ================================================================= BBS Software List Updated 29 July 2011 Maintained by Sean Dennis (1:18/200) Editors Emeritus: Robert Couture, Janis Kracht M=Mailer T=Tosser B=BBS D=Door C=Comm/Terminal P=Points E=Editor I=Internet U=Utility #=Info F=TIC/SRIF Processor *=Software is available and may be registerable, but no longer supported or updated. @=Website is operating but is no longer updated. ?=Software's updating/support status is unknown. O=Software is open source. This list contains BBS-related software that is available for registration (not necessarily supported), open source software and actively developed/supported software by its author. Software listed may be available for DOS, Linux, OS/2 (eComStation), Windows (16 or 32 bit) and OSX. .- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -. |Software: Author |Type |URL, Contact, Ver, Notes Help Node| `- - - - - - - - - - -+- - -+- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -' ==> FRONT-END/INTERNET MAILERS Argus |MI*? |http://www.ritlabs.com/en/products/argus/ | | v3.210 on Mar 29 2001 BinkleyTerm XE |MO* |http://btxe.sourceforge.net | | 2.60XE Beta-XH7 on Oct 22 2000 BinkD |MI? |http://2f.ru/binkd/ | | maloff@corbina.net | | v0.94 on Jul 24 2000 (Outdated) | |http://www.filegate.net/r50/aftnbinkd/ D'Bridge |MTCPE|http://www.net229.org/dbridge.htm 1:1/130 Nick Andre |I | v3.62 on June 4 2011 FIDO-Deluxe IP |MPUI |http://www.fido-deluxe.de.vu 2:2432/280 Michael Haase | | m.haase@gmx.net | | v2.4 on Sep 26 2003 FrontDoor, FD/APX: |MITPC|http://www.defsol.se 2:201/330 Definite Solutions |? | sales@defsol.se FIDONEWS 28-31 Page 7 1 Aug 2011 | | v2.26SW & v2.33ml FD, v1.15 APX Husky Project |MTPUI|http://husky.sourceforge.net/ |O? | v1.9 RC2 on Apr 20 2010 Taurus |MI |http://www.fidotel.com/public/forums/ (based on Radius) |? | taurus/index.htm | | v5.0 Jun 12 2006 | | T-Mail |MI |http://www.tmail.spb.ru (Russian only) |? | v2608 on Dec 12 2001 +- - - - - - - - - - -+- - -+- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -+ ==> MAIL TOSSERS Crashmail II |TO |http://ftnapps.sourceforge.net/ | | FastEcho |T |http://www.softeq.de/Products/FastEcho/ | | fastecho.html | | v1.46.1 on 13 Nov 2007 | | Registration keys are free and available | | by request from the author Fidogate |TUI? |http://www.fidogate.org | | v4.4.10 on Aug 27 2004 | | FMail |TO*? |http://fmail.sourceforge.net/ | | v1.60 on Mar 8 2008 | | Source code only! Squish |T* |http://www.filegate.net/maximus_bbs/ | | v1.11R2 on Jan 1 2009 | | Source code available in the Maximus BBS | | archive: http://maximus.sourceforge.net +- - - - - - - - - - -+- - -+- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -+ ==> BBS SOFTWARE BBBS |BICTM|http://www.bbbs.net 2:22/222 | | b@bbbs.net | | v4.01 on January 28 2007 EleBBS |BO*? |http://www.elebbs.com | | v0.10.RC1 on Jun 9 2002 Enthral BBS |B |http://enthralbbs.com 1:250/501 Linux/BSD/OSX | | v0.429/Alpha on 14 October 2010 | | Fidonet filebone SCENEENT Ezycom BBS |BT |http://www.ezycom-bbs.com 3:690/682 | | v2.15g2 on Nov 16 2009 FIDONEWS 28-31 Page 8 1 Aug 2011 GT Power |B |http://www.gtpowerbbs.com/ | | v19.00 Hermes II Project |BT |http://www.hermesbbs.com/ Macintosh-based | | malyn@strangegizmo.com | | v3.5.10b3 Maximus BBS |BO* |http://www.filegate.net/maximus_bbs/ | | v3.03 | | Source code available at: | | http://maximus.sourceforge.net/ MBSE BBS |BIO? |http://mbse.sourceforge.net 2:280/2802 | | mbroek@users.sourceforge.net | | v0.92.0 on Oct 16 2007 Meltdown BBS |UIO |http://meltdown-bbs.sourceforge.net/ | | v1.0b on Apr 26 2004 Mystic BBS |BO* |http://www.mysticbbs.com | | v1.07.3 on May 13th 2001 RemoteAccess BBS |B? |http://www.rapro.com 1:1/120 | | bfmorse@rapro.com | | v2.62.2SW Renegade BBS |B |http://renegadebbs.info 1:129/305 | | v1.10/DOS on 3 Oct 2009 Spitfire BBS |B? |http://www.buffalocrk.com/ | | mdwoltz@buffalocrk.com | | v3.6 on Aug 20 1999 Synchronet BBS |BTIO |http://www.synchro.net 1:103/705 | | v3.16 on 31 Dec 2006 Telegard BBS |B* |http://www.telegard.net | | v3.09g2-sp4/mL on Dec 19 1999 WildCat! Interactive |MTBEI|http://www.santronics.com Net Server, Platinum| | sales@santronics.com Xpress: Santronics | | Software, Inc. | | +- - - - - - - - - - -+- - -+- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -+ ==> TIC PROCESSORS/FILEFIX/SRIF Allfix |FIUT |http://www.allfix.com/ 1:140/12 Bob Seaborn | | v6.0.22 on 26 January 2011 NEF/pk |F |http://nefpk.8m.com/ | | v2.45b2 on 5 March 2000 TinyTIC |FO |http://ftnapps.sourceforge.net/ FIDONEWS 28-31 Page 9 1 Aug 2011 | | 1:120/544 VIReq |FO |http://ftnapps.sourceforge.net/ | | 1:120/544 +- - - - - - - - - - -+- - -+- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -+ ==> BBS DOORS/UTILITIES Cheepware |DU |http://kd5col.info/cheepware.html Sean Dennis | | sdennis72@gmail.com 1:18/200 | | Fidonet filebone CH-WARE DDS (Doorware |D@ |http://www.doorgames.org Distribution System)| | ruth@doorgames.org Ruth Argust | | Jibben Software |D* |http://www.jibbensoftware.com/ | | bbs-door-games.cfm | | scott@jibben.com | | 1995-99 Release dates John Dailey Software |DU? |http://www.johndaileysoftware.com Shining Star |D* |http://www.shiningstar.net/bbsdoors/ | | nannette@shiningstar.net | | Doors are still registerable via website Sunrise Doors: |D |http://www.sunrisedoors.com Al Lawrence | | al@sunrisedoors.com | | Tel: (404) 256-9518 T1ny's Software |DU |http://www.tinysbbs.com/files/tsoft/ Shawn Highfield | | shighfield@gmail.com 1:229/452 | | Fidonet filebone CH-WARE The Brainex System |D |http://www.brainex.com/brainex_system/ | | stanley@brainex.com | | 1994-99 Releases Trade Wars |D* |http://www.eisonline.com/tradewars/ | | jpritch@eisonline.com | | v3.09 (DOS-32) in 2002 Vagabond Software |DU* |http://http://vbsoft.dhakota.org | | d@dhakota.org | | Last update: Apr 11 2008 +- - - - - - - - - - -+- - -+- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -+ ==> POINT SOFTWARE CrossPoint (XP) |P? |http://www.crosspoint.de (German only) | | pm@crosspoint.de | | v3.12d on Dec 22 1999 FIDONEWS 28-31 Page 10 1 Aug 2011 FreeXP |P |http://www.freexp.de (German only) | | support@freexp.de | | v3.42 on Jun 27 2010 +- - - - - - - - - - -+- - -+- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -+ ==> SYSOP MAIL EDITORS GoldEd+ |EO*? |http://golded-plus.sourceforge.net/ | | v1.1.5 (Snapshot) on Apr 29 2010 | | NOTE: Unstable versions released often SqEd32 |E |http://www.sqed.de 2:2476/493 | | v1.15 on Dec 15 1999 | | Website is in German and English +- - - - - - - - - - -+- - -+- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -+ ==> INTERNET UTILITIES JamNNTPd |UIO |http://ftnapps.sourceforge.net/ | | 1:120/544 Internet Rex |UI? |http://members.shaw.ca/InternetRex/ | | telnet://xanadubbs.ca 1:342/806 | | v2.29 on Oct 21st 2001 TransNet |UIO? |http://www-personal.umich.edu/~mressl/ | | transnet/index.html | | transnet@ressl.com.ar | | v2.11 on Sep 13 2007 Ifmail |UIO |http://ifmail.sourceforge.net | | crosser@average.org MakeNL |UO |http://www.filegate.net/coordutl/ | | v3.2.9 on Feb 1 2010 +- - - - - - - - - - -+- - -+- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -+ ==> INFORMATIONAL WEBSITES/BBS LISTS Telnet/Dialup BBS |# |http://www.telnetbbsguide.com 1:275/89 Guide | | Maintained by Dave Perrussel | | This is probably the most updated BBS | | list on the Internet for a general | | BBS list. Synchronet BBS List |# |http://www.synchro.net/sbbslist.html | | Maintained automatically | | This list is specifically for | | Synchronet-based BBS systems and is | | automatically updated nightly. The BBS Corner |# |http://www.bbscorner.com | | This website is more than just files, FIDONEWS 28-31 Page 11 1 Aug 2011 | | it's an encyclopedia of knowledge for | | BBS sysops and people who want to | | become sysops. This site is run by | | the same person who does the Telnet | | BBS Guide. +- - - - - - - - - - -+- - -+- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -+ File Archives: http://archives.thebbs.org http://sysopscorner.thebbs.org (site is no longer maintained) http://www.simtel.net http://www.bbsfiles.com http://hobbes.nmsu.edu (OS/2 specific) http://www.filegate.net/ (FTP access via port 60721) http://www.tinysbbs.com/files/ Note: Most also provide FTP access (use ftp instead of http above) The BBS Software List is published monthly in the FidoGazette. If you have corrections, suggestions or additions to the information above, please contact Sean Dennis with your information via the FIDOGAZETTE echo, netmail at 1:18/200 or email at sysop@kd5col.info. ----------------------------------------------------------------- FIDONEWS 28-31 Page 12 1 Aug 2011 ================================================================= FIDONEWS INFORMATION ================================================================= Credits, Legal Infomation, Availability + -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- FIDONEWS STAFF - -- -- -- -- -- -- -- + | | | Editor: Gary Perkins, 1:391/31, 1:1/1 | | | | | + -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- + + -- -- -- -- -- -- -- - EDITORS EMERITI - -- -- -- -- -- -- -- + | | | Tom Jennings, Thom Henderson, Dale Lovell, Vince | | Perriello, Tim Pozar, Sylvia Maxwell, Donald Tees, | | Christopher Baker, Zorch Frezberg, Henk Wolsink, | | Doug Meyers, Warren D. Bonner, Frank L. Vest, | | Bjorn Felten | | | + -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- + Authors retain copyright on individual works; otherwise FidoNews is Copyright (C) 2011 Gary Perkins. All rights reserved. Duplication and/or distribution permitted for noncommercial purposes only. For use in other circumstances, please contact the original authors, or the Editor. =*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*= SUBMISSIONS: You are encouraged to submit articles for publication in FidoNews. Article submission requirements are contained in the file ARTSPEC.DOC, available from the FidoNews Editor, or file-requestable from 1:1/1 [1:391/31] as file "ARTSPEC.DOC". ALL Zone Coordinators should have copies of ARTSPEC.DOC. Please read it. Deadline for article submission is Saturday, 22:00 EST. Below are some subjects and the file extension for the article as set in the configuration file for the making of Fidonews. Please help by putting the file extension of the correct subject on the file name if known. Ideas for Subject areas: Subject File | Subject File --------------------------------|---------------------------------- From the *C's *.css | Rebuttals to articles *.reb Fidonet Regional News *.reg | Fidonet Net News *.net Retractions *.rtx | General Fidonet Articles *.art Guest Editorial *.gue | Fidonet Current Events *.cur Fidonet Interviews *.inv | Fidonet Software Reviews *.rev Fidonet Web Page Reviews *.web | Fidonet Notices *.not Getting Fidonet Technical *.ftc | Question Of The Week *.que Humor in a Fido Vein *.hfv | Comix in ASCII *.cmx FIDONEWS 28-31 Page 13 1 Aug 2011 Fidonet's Int. Kitchen *.rec | Poet's Corner *.poe Clean Humor & Jokes *.jok | Other Stuff *.oth Fidonet Classified Ads *.ads | Corrections *.cor Best of Fidonet *.bof | Letters to the Editor *.let If you don't know or are not sure, send your submission. Put a .TXT on it and I'll try to figure out where it should be in Fidonews. =*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*= The weekly edition of Fidonews is distributed through the file area FIDONEWS, and is published as echomail in the echo FIDONEWS. These sources are normally available through your Network Coordinator. The current and past issues are also available from the following sources: + -- -- -- -- -- -- - FIDONEWS AVAILABILITY - -- -- -- -- -- -- + | | | File request from 1:1/1 or 1:393/31 | | 1:1/0 or 1:261/38 | | current issue FIDONEWS | | back issue, volume v, issue ii FNEWSvii.ZIP | | | | On the web: | | http://www.filegate.net/fidonews/ | | | | | + -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- + ----------------------------------------------------------------- =*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*= The dog-with-diskette was originally rendered for Tom Jennings and is used with permission. "Disagreement is actually necessary, or we'd all have to get in fights or something to amuse ourselves and create the requisite chaos." -Tom Jennings ----------------------------------------------------------------- -----------------------------------------------------------------