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SysOp Commands
There are several commands available from the main menu which are designed to help you, the SysOp, to do many common maintenance functions. Using these commands you can do these following tasks and more:
- View, print, search, and delete the callers logs
- Pack the current message base
- Change a user record
- Drop to DOS from remote
The security level for these functions should be set high enough so that only authorized people will have access to the commands. To assign the security levels for these commands, use PCBSetup and select Security Levels > Sysop Functions.
1 Manage Caller Log
This (Sysop) command enables you to manage the caller log that PCBoard creates for the current node . You can view, print, search, and delete the caller log.
Subcommands
| D | Delete caller log. | This subcommand will delete the caller log for the current node. You may want to use this subcommand to periodically delete the caller log to prevent it from taking up too much disk space. WARNING: Once deleted, PCBoard cannot recover that caller log. |
| P | Print caller log. | If you use this subcommand, the caller log for the current node will be displayed on the screen and also sent to the printer port that is defined in PCBSetup. |
| S | Search caller log for text. | The more callers your system has the more difficult it will be to find the information you are looking for in the caller log. PCBoard provides search capabilities to allow you to search the log file for any text. You can do both a simple one word or one phrase search or you can do complex Boolean searches using the AND, OR, and NOT operators. For more information on Boolean searching please see Searching For Text in the Sysop's Guide chapter of this manual. |
| If PCBoard finds a match when searching the caller log, the log entry for the entire call will then be displayed. The search text that was found will be highlighted for clarity. | ||
| When PCBoard searches through the callers logs it does not try to match case. If you tell PCBoard to search for Jim Smith then any caller log that contains the text JIM SMITH would be a match. | ||
| V | View caller log. | Using this subcommand you can view the caller log. The display starts with the most current caller. |
Description
The callers log provides you with information about who has called your system, what node they called in on, highlights of what they did online, what date and time they called, etc. When you view the caller log, PCBoard will display the file to you in reverse order beginning with the last caller to the system.
You will also want to periodically search the caller log because that is where any system error messages may be displayed. In addition, when a user attempts to access a command that is not available to them, that information is almost always written to the caller log.
The caller log is simply a condensed history of what has taken place on the BBS. The 1 command enables you to not only view the information stored in the caller log but also to print and/or delete the caller log.
Examples
To view the current node's caller log on your display, type the following at the command prompt:
1 V
You may want to regularly search your caller log for possible system errors. When executed from the command prompt, the following command will search for any caller log entry that contains the word FAIL or the word ERROR.
1 S FAIL > ERROR
2 View/Print User List
Enables you to either view or print a list of users. Each user is listed on a separate line.
Subcommands
| P | Print user listing. | When you use this subcommand, a list of users will be printed to the printer you have defined in PCBSetup. |
| V | View list of users. | This subcommand will enable you to display a list of your users on the screen. |
Description
The list that this command produces lists each user, their city, last call date, last call time, and total minutes used so far. All of this data is listed on one line. The users are listed in the order that they appear in the user file.
The only time the SysOp information (user record #1) is displayed is if the user defined in that record is issuing the command. This means that if you use co-SysOps to help you maintain the system they will not be able to view any information about the main SysOp user record.
3 Pack/Renumber Messages
This command enables you to pack the message base for the current conference. When you pack the message base you can eliminate messages in the current conference that are old, that are private and have been read, or those that have been marked for deletion. After executing this command, several questions will be asked to help determine the messages that should be packed. The following details each of the questions that will be asked.
Pack the Message Base?
This question is asked to confirm that you want to pack the message base. Valid responses are:
| N | Do not pack the message base. Instead, return to the conference command prompt. |
| Y | Continue packing the message base. Additional questions will be asked that will determine what criteria you want to use for deleting messages (if any). |
Generate ONLY a New Index File?
This question is asking if you want to only regenerate a new index file for the message base. Valid responses for this question are:
| N | If you enter this response, additional questions will be asked to determine the criteria for deleting messages. |
| Y | If you enter this response, no other questions will be asked. Instead, PCBPack will be run immediately and create a new index for the conference. Creating a new index file is useful if you suspect that the current index may be corrupt for some reason. |
TIP: To accomplish this same task by executing PCBPACK yourself,
use the /INDEX command line parameter.
Purge older than
This question asks you to enter the cutoff date for keeping messages. Any messages that are older than the date that you enter will be deleted from the message base. In the field provided, enter the cutoff date for keeping messages. The default date in this field is 010180 which will not delete messages by date.
TIP: To accomplish this same task by executing PCBPACK yourself, use the /DATE command line parameter.
Purge RECEIVED+PRIVATE Msgs?
Messages that have been assigned RECEIVER ONLY message security are only useful to the receiver. Once the message has been read by this user, you may want to delete it from your message base. The question that you are asked will determine if these messages will be deleted or left in your message base to be packed out by other criteria. Valid responses are:
| N | Leave any RECEIVER ONLY messages in the message base. To be deleted, they will have to meet other packing criteria. |
| Y | All RECEIVER ONLY messages that have been read will be deleted from the message base. |
TIP: To accomplish this same task by executing PCBPACK yourself, use the /PURGE command line parameter.
Renumber during repack?
This option is designed to allow you to renumber the message base if you exceed the 16,000,000 maximum message number limit. When renumbering your message base, PCBPack does NOT update the last message read values for your users. Therefore, if you renumber the message base without adjusting these values, your users may not be able to see new messages because their last message read value remains unchanged. Using System Manager, you can reset your user's last message read pointer to 0 to avoid this problem. Valid responses to this question are:
| N | Do not renumber the message base – message numbers will remain unchanged. |
| Y | The message base will be renumbered beginning with the number that you specify when prompted. When the message base is renumbered, the last message read values will not be updated. |
TIP: To accomplish this same task by executing PCBPACK yourself, use the /RENUMBER command line parameter.
The Packing Process
Once you have answered all of the questions, PCBoard will load and run PCBPack. When PCBPack is finished, control will be returned to BOARD.BAT. If you do not load PCBoard using BOARD.BAT, you will be left at the DOS prompt.
4 Recover a Killed Message
This command enables you to recover a message that has been deleted or killed. A message that has been deleted cannot be recovered if the message base has been packed since the message was deleted.
Subcommands
| [msg #] | Message number to recover. | The only subcommand that is supported is the message number. You need to type the message number that you wish to recover. If you type in the number of a message that does not exist you will be notified that the message does not exist. |
Description
When a message is deleted from the message base via the Kill command it is only marked for deletion. You can recover any message that is marked for deletion and make it active again by using the 4 command. Of course, if the message has been physically deleted by packing the message base the message cannot be recovered.
5 List Message Headers
This command will list message header information. The information pertaining to a message is listed on one line for easy viewing.
Subcommands
| [beg. msg. #] | Beginning message number. | This is the message number that you wish to begin the scan with. The default scan direction is in the forward direction. If you wish to go in the reverse direction please see the - subcommand. |
| + | Scan in forward direction. | When appended to the beginning message number you can set the direction in which PCBoard scans the message base. For example if you enter 762+ PCBoard will begin scanning at message number 762 in the forward direction. |
| - | Scan in reverse direction. | When appended to the beginning message number you can set the direction in which PCBoard scans the message base. For example if you enter 3569- PCBoard will begin scanning at message number 3569 in the reverse direction. NOTE: PCBoard defaults to searching in the forward direction. |
| A | Scan selected conferences. | Scans not only the current conference but also those conference which you have set for scanning via the SELECT command or the S conference flag in the users record. |
| ALL | Scan all conferences. | Scans all conferences you are registered in even if you have not marked the conference for scanning. |
| F | Message from you. | Only messages that are from you, the user currently online, will be displayed. |
| L | Begin with last message in message base. | Sets the beginning message number to the last message in the message base. When you use this subcommand you may omit the beginning message number. |
| NS | Display in non-stop mode. | The listing of messages will be displayed in non-stop mode. This means that there will be no more? prompts each time the screen becomes full. |
| S | Messages that you have not read yet. | Searches only those messages that you have not read yet. |
| TS | Messages that contain particular text. | This subcommand enables you to search for text in the message body, the TO: field, and the FROM: field. You can search for a word/phrase or you can use any Boolean search. For more information on searching for text please see Searching For Text in the SysOp's Guide chapter of this manual. |
| USER | Messages from a particular user. | You may search the message header for a particular user. When PCBoard searches for a particular user it will search both the TO: and the FROM: fields in the message header. You must enter a full user name. Partial matches cannot be made with this command. |
| Y | Messages addressed to you. | Only messages that are addressed to the user that is currently online will be listed. |
Description
The 5 command can be used to quickly search message headers for information. This command will produce a list on the screen that shows such information as who the message is to and from as well as the subject of the message.
The only difference between the 5 command and the Q command is that the former will display active messages and also those messages which have been marked for deletion.
Format of the list
The list that is produced by the format contains the following information:
Sts. Displays the status of the message. An A indicates that the message is active while an I indicates that the message is inactive (marked for deletion).
| Msg# | The actual message number in the message base. Just before the message number is a status code that shows if the message has been read, etc. For a list of status codes please see the section titled Status Codes. |
| Ref# | If the message is a reply, then this field will contain the message number which was replied to. |
| To | Displays who the message is addressed to. Only the first 15 characters of the user name are displayed. |
| From | Displays who the message is from. Only the first 15 characters of the user name are displayed. |
| Subject | Displays the subject of the message. Only the first 25 characters of the subject are displayed. |
Status Codes
Next to each message number is a status code. You can use these status codes to determine if the message has been read, if it has replies, etc. The following is a list of all valid message status codes:
| [blank] | A message which can be read by anyone. | |
| ***|A private message to a specific person which has not been read by the person it was addressed to.| |+|A private message which has been read by the person it was addressed to.| |-|A message to a specific person, which was readable by anyone, which has been read by the person it was addressed to.| |~|A comment to the SysOp which has not been read by the person defined as SysOp record #1.| |`|A comment to the SysOp which has been read by the person defined as SysOp record #1.| |%|A message protected by sender password which has not been read.| | | |A message protected by sender password which has been read.| |!|A message protected by group password which has not been read.| |#|A message protected by group password which has been read.| |$** | A message protected by group password which is addressed to ALL. |
|---|
Examples
To display the header information for all messages in the current message base in reverse order you would issue the following at the command prompt:
5 L
To search for all messages (beginning with the first message in the message base) either to or from a user named Wally Peterson you would issue the following at the command prompt:
5 USER WALLY PETERSON 1+
6 View a File
Enables any file to be displayed. Even if you are calling in from remote you can view any file.
Subcommands
| [filename] | The filename you wish to view online. This file may be any valid DOS filename. |
Description
Sometimes you may want to view a file while you are online. This command will display any file in it's raw form making it primarily useful for viewing ASCII files. With this command, you could view batch files, display screens, or any other text file.
This command is most useful when used from remote because you can quickly view a file on screen without having to do a remote drop to DOS.
Example
If you want to display C:\PCB\BOARD.BAT, type following at the command prompt.
6 C:\PCB\BOARD.BAT
7 User Maintenance
Enables you to modify any user record. You can adjust security levels, conference registrations, and more.
Subcommands
| [record #] | User record number. | Displays the user record number you type. If you wish to view record number 10 you would type 10. |
| A | Add a user. | Using this subcommand you may add a user to your users file. You will be asked to provide the basic information to create the record such as a password, security level, etc. If you attempt to create a record for a user that already exists you will be informed that they already have a record on the system. If this happens you may want to use the F subcommand to help you locate that record so you can make the appropriate changes. |
| C | Change current user record. | When you use this subcommand you can make changes to the key fields of the user record (e.g., security level, expiration date, city). The user record that is currently selected is the one that will be edited. |
| D | Delete current user record. | Marks the current user record for deletion. You will first be asked to confirm the deletion. If you proceed to delete the record then the security level will be changed to 0 and the deleted flag will be set to Y. You can tell if a user record is marked for deletion by looking for a DL: on the display. If there is a Y next to it then the user has been marked for deletion. Otherwise there should be a N and the user has not been marked for deletion. NOTE: The user will not be physically be removed from the user file until you pack the users file. |
| F | Find a user. | When you select this subcommand you are asked for the name to search for. The user file will be searched for the name you supply - partial names will not match. If the name is found then their user file will be displayed and you can use any other subcommand like C or D to modify the record. |
| L | List all user records. | Displays the user records beginning with the first user record all of the way to the end. The format for the output is the same as if you were to select one individual record. NOTE: Any user records that have a security level higher than the current user will not be displayed in the list. |
| P | Print all user records. | Displays the same information as the L subcommand but sends it to the defined printer instead. |
| Q | Quit. | Quits the user record editor and returns you to the command prompt. |
| S | Search user records for text. | This subcommand enables you to search the user records for specific text. PCBoard will search all ASCII text inside of the user file. This means fields such as user id, address, phone numbers, password, city, and the two comment fields will be searched. |
| U | Undelete a user record. | If there is a user record that has been marked for deletion you can use this subcommand to undelete the user. If you do, you will need to manually change the user security level and expired security level because they were originally changed when the user record was deleted. You can use System Manager to make the appropriate changes. |
NOTE: Any changes made to a user record (e.g., changes in security level, city) while the user is on line will not take affect until the next time the user calls in. For immediate changes to a user record, please refer to the SysOp function keys in the PCBoard chapter of this manual.
Description
PCBoard gives you easy access to the user records while you are online either locally or remote. You can do such things as adding users, deleting users, editing user records, etc. For security purposes, PCBoard will not allow you to see information about those users who have a security level higher than your own. This enables you to have co-SysOps without enabling them to see the passwords and other sensitive information about users with higher security levels.
Format of Record Display
When a user record is displayed on the screen, it is shown in the following format:
| 1: | BOB SYSOP | ANYCITY, ANYPLACE | P/W: | ||||