After almost TWO years of disappointment, despair, sweat and sore fingers,
here's MSGTOSS 2.0. This version is so advanced (compared to 1.3) that
there is no sense in going over all of the changes that have taken place.


MAIL TOSSER SHOCK
-----------------

MSGTOSS is a comprehensive, highly configurable program. Because of its
comprehensive nature, the documentation has been split up into four (4)
separate documents. These documents are:

MSGTOSS.DOC - Technical Manual theory of operation & installation
MSGCFG.DOC - Reference Manual for MSGTOSS.CFG (configuration)
MSGBBS.DOC - Reference Manual for MSGTOSS.BBS (areas.bbs)
MSGSWI.DOC - Reference Manual for MSGTOSS command line switches
MSGIDX.DOC - Integrated INDEX of all 4 manuals

The printing out of these manuals should be considered mandatory for the
setup and installation of MSGTOSS. The authors have attempted to provide
as much reference material as possible for MSGTOSS, hopefully avoiding as
many questions as possible for new users. If you are one of those people
who will blindly try to install MSGTOSS without reading the documentation
first, you are in for a surprise.

Jan Maaskant (1:387/255 & 8:931/1) invented the term "mail tosser shock" to
describe the anticipated reaction of new users of MSGTOSS 2.0, especially
after running version 1.3. Reading the provided documentation as much as
possible will help alleviate the symptoms of mail tosser shock.


Here is a high level summary of MSGTOSS 2.0 features:

1) - Domain and zone aware.
2) - Tosses and scans from both RBBS and Fido message areas.
3) - Feeds to downstream nodes simultaneously with tossing.
4) - Can be run in a non-RBBS environment (#.MSG format only).
5) - Purges and renumbers RBBS message bases as required.
6) - Maintains RBBS user file Last Message Read pointers.
7) - Maintains its own high water mark to speed up scanning.
8) - Handles selective message and file forwarding.
9) - Handles up to 200 unique nodes in the *.bbs file.
10) - Compatible with AreaFix, QMail, Ommm, etc.
11) - Tosses to RBBS directly from *.PKT files.
12) - Scans directly from RBBS to *.OUT files.
13) - Supports Binkley-Term's outbound area naming for domains.
14) - 25% faster M.DEF & 30% faster Fido tossing from old version.
15) - 200% faster internal purging (over MSGTOSS 1.0)
16) - Improved the MSGTOSS help program. "MSGHELP.EXE ".
17) - Support to toss from #.MSG format into M.DEF format.
18) - Ability to SCAN individually #.MSG or M.DEF, or both.
19) - Ability to re-scan message bases (for hubbing) to new nodes.
20) - INDIVIDUAL conference configuration of....
a) Whether to re-number message bases
b) When to re-number message bases (threshold setting)
c) Security level of each message base can be different
d) Auto-Breaks large messages into smaller, multiple messages
e) Right margin of messages
f) Whether to support "private" echomail.
g) Whether to strip echo control lines (PATH, SEEN-BY, etc.)
h) Whether to divert messages that contain selected text
i) Whether to provide duplicate checking services
j) Whether to set the mailwaiting bits.
k) Unique Origin lines.
l) Whether to prevent purging of user messages for XX days
m) Whether to force messages tossed as "already scanned"
n) Whether to archive purged messages (HISTORY FILE)

21) - NETBIOS, DESQVIEW, PC-NET & 10-NET record/file locking.
22) - Supports OPUS-Style (date-written & arrived) date stamps
23) - Supports "capturing" of messages that contain selected text.
24) - MSGTOSS "metacommands". Allows command to mean many.
25) - GLOBAL maintenance features.
26) - Selectively Kill all netmail or routed mail.
27) - A new "MSGTOSS /TEST" command to validate system set-up.
28) - Allows multiple incoming files directories.
29) - Allows MSGTOSS to become a "user" on the system.
30) - Full "point" support, with built-in remapping.
31) - Positively identify the DOMAIN & ZONE of receiving mail packets.
32) - Allows Intelligent individual MAIL & FILE Routing capabilities.
33) - Ability to identify the sending nodes packer by name.
34) - Ability to "link" multiple AREAS.BBS files.
35) - Ability to import and export, unlimited size messages.
36) - Ability to "mirror scan" messages, where if you have DUAL areas
(both RBBS format and Fido format), MSGTOSS will create a carbon
copy of a message entered in Fido format to RBBS format, and v/v.
37) - Supports Qmail-Style "PASSTHRU" areas for HUB support
38) - Does NOT fragment RBBS message bases!
39) - Maintains a "history" file of purged messages.
40) - Option of killing null messages (maintains log file)
41) - Ability to view/edit the EID Database file (via MSGEID.EXE)
42) - Overall more reliable operation, with all 1.3 bugs swatted.

All this didn't come easy, with many trials and tribulations along the way.
Just take a look at the size of the main overlay file, over 281k! Msgtoss
is almost as big as RBBS-PC itself, and with its associated executables,
they total over 400k in size. This represents alot of quality coding, and
countless hours of development effort.

Would I do all this over again? I don't think so. However, with its
release, it will set a new standard for RBBS-PC (and other mail processors)
in the Fidonet community. Hopefully, you will agree with me.

If you find MSGTOSS useful to you, your users, and your system, and if it
significantly cuts down on the amount of time you need to maintain your
system, and generally makes your life easier, then please acknowledge our
efforts by registering it (see page 2 of the documentation).

All the best to you and your families!

Mike Zakharoff