Category : BBS Programs+Doors
Archive   : DVDOR100.ZIP
Filename : DVDOOR.DOC

DVDOOR - A utility for GT SYSOPS

REVISION HISTORY.

v1.00 - 13/1/90 - First public release

FUNCTION.

DVDOOR is a replacement for my DDOSDOOR which was a
replacement for Chris Smiths DOORMAN program. (confused??)

It is specifically designed to allow GT to be multitasked
as it tells GT that an external program will handle
carrier loss whilst in a DOOR.

The original DOORMAN would re-boot the system in the
event of a lost carrier or a user exceeding his/her
time limit whilst in a DOOR. This was a rather
undesirable event when multitasking!!

DVDOOR does NO carrier monitoring whatsoever, leaving
that function to other programs (like DOORWAY).

It DOES however have a time monitor and when a user
exceeds the pre-set limit it will drop DTR on the call,
effectively "hanging up".

This function is handy for external protocols and DOORS
that cannot or do not use DOORWAY etc.

e.g. - what happens if a well-meaning user starts a BIG
Zmodem upload 35 min before your mail run and it goes
for 3 hours? (it has happened to me!). Or a user
generates a HUGE mailbag with FASTMAIL and the d/l time
for the file would over-run an event?

DVDOOR also has the advantage that unless the "time
monitor" function is enabled it has NO processing
overhead at all.

LIMITATIONS.

DVDOOR does NOT support the CHEKTIME utility!

Use the supplied SETDOOR program to enable/disable the
time monitor functions.

USAGE.

Merely place the command

DVDOOR

in your BAT file that starts GT (it is a TSR taking around
800 bytes) and GT will automatically detect it.

Note that if you run multiple copies of GT under a
multitasker you must load a copy of DVDOOR in EACH
window.

To operate correctly SETDOOR requires a valid GTUSER.BBS
in your GTPATH.

*NO* registration is required for either DVDOOR or
SETDOOR.

ENABLING THE TIME FUNCTIONS.

When installed in memory DVDOOR is inactive.

It is activated/deactivated with a program called
SETDOOR (supplied in this package).

SETDOOR has the following command syntax -

SETDOOR [time]

where

- a MADATORY parameter which enables (ON) the
time watchdog or disables (OFF) it.
If OFF is specified all other command line
parameters are ignored.

- a MANDATORY parameter telling SETDOOR
whether this is a LOCAL logon or not.
CTTY specifies a remote logon and will
activate the watchdog. REM specifies a
LOCAL logon and SETDOOR will NOT activate
the time watchdog.

*NOTE* this is passed as %1 in ANY
GTDOORx.BAT file. It is NOT passed in the
external protocol BAT files so must be
forced to CTTY in these.

- a MANDATORY parameter specifying either the port
NUMBER or ADDRESS to drop DTR on if the time
limit is exceeded.

Valid port numbers are 1 through 4 with
addresses

1 $03F8
2 $02F8
3 $03E8
4 $02E8

If you are using a non-standard COM port you
can specify the port address by prefixing it
with a '$' sign e.g. $03E0

*NOTE* this is passed as %2 in the GTDOORx.BAT
files and as %1 in external protocols.

[time] - an OPTIONAL parameter which can specify one of
three operating modes.

a) a MAXIMUM time - simply specify a value
e.g. 20

b) a FIXED time - prefix the value with 'F'
e.g. F15 is a fixed 15
minute time limit.

c) the event time - use the letter 'E'
this will force the time
limit to the time to the
next scheduled event.

*ALL* parameters must be separated by a space and there
must be NO spaces within a parameter - "F20" is ok but
"F 20" is not.

WHICH TIME IS WHICH??

Having all these different time options may be a little
confusing - so here is an explanation of HOW DVDOOR
determines the actual time available to the user.

1) if NO time parameter is specified on the SETDOOR
command-line the time allowed will be the SMALLER of

a) the users remaining time for THIS call or
b) the time to the next scheduled event less 5 minutes

2) if a NUMERIC ONLY time parameter is specified the
time is the SMALLEST of

a) the users remaining time for THIS call or
b) the time to the next scheduled event less 5
minutes or
c) the time specified on the command line

3) if the "F" (forced time) parameter is used the users
time is FORCED to the command line time and NO check
is done against scheduled events etc.

*USE THIS OPTION WITH CAUTION*

4) if the "E" parameter is used the users time is set
to the time to the next scheduled event less 5
minutes.

FURTHER INFORMATION.

Please send all comments/suggestions/bugs to

Ken Thompson
164 Lyons Rd.
Drummoyne
Sydney N.S.W.
Australia 2047

+61-2-81-4751

or via my BBS

The Black Hole
GT Net/Node 302/003

+61-2-819-6971 (2400 no CRASHMAIL)

+61-2-719-8161 (HST9600 CRASHABLE)