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CHAMAS HELP FILE
0. Remark
1. Introduction
1.1 General Explanations
1.2 Level Structure
2. Menu system
2.1 Root menu
2.2 Submenu BBS
2.3 Submenu PD
2.4 Submenu Manager
2.5 Submenu Subnet
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0. Remark
This help file has been translated into English by Thomas Zielke
(113355 AT DOLUNI1). The CHAMAS operators would like to announce that
everyone who would like to translate this help file into languages other
than German or English (how about French?) is heartily welcome to do so.
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1. Introduction
1.1 General explanations
Why an introduction?
Well, that's simple...I don't know where to start...
Ok...CHAMAS stands for Chaos Mailbox System. The word Chaos
has its roots in the period where CHAMAS was developed and programmed,
a time when we had chaos at its best.
CHAMAS is on-line since April 1988 and can be reached via EARN
under userid $ nodeid 107633 $ DOLUNI1.
This mailbox is menue-operated which means that there is one
root- and several submenues.
At some points of the structure there are sub-submenues to some
sub-menues, but generally our structure is not deeper than two levels.
CHAMAS is supporting the GEONET-standard, which has been developed
some years ago for the GEO1-mailbox. Up to now there are several
mailboxes supporting this standard and thereby simplifying the
use of them.
Because of CHAMAS' connection to EARN, we were unable to produce
a fully-compatible GEO-shell, which can easily be seen in the fact,
that contributing to a board does not happen through a kind of
editor-like menue but by sending a file to CHAMAS in BTSMP-format
(which is generally required from all gateways and servers on EARN).
1.2 Level structure
After subscribing to CHAMAS with the command NICK <nickname>
(a procedure that is only necessary when using CHAMAS for the
very first time), one is given the level-3-user privilege class.
On CHAMAS, we have five user-privilege levels:
Level 1 - System operators
(at the moment: TERRA and WALDI)
Level 2 - OBBS-board administrators
In some cases we give level-2-privileges
to other users, as long as they support
us by giving advice or supervising CHAMAS.
Level 3 - Normal user.
Level 4 - Banned user, someone who has tried to 'sabotage'
or misuse CHAMAS (for example, by steadily and
unnecessarily using the NEWS-gateway).
Remember also the RELAY conventions on the use of
bad language, offending other users etc.
Level OUT - This level hinders level-3-users from accessing
CHAMAS, which may happen during maintenance-time.
In that case, users trying to access CHAMAS get
the message:
*Chamas shutdown in progress - Try again later
Users with levels 1 and 2 have a larger set of commands than level-3
users. These additional commands can be seen by sending the SYSCMD
command. Level 1 and 2 also include the permission of writing onto
the OBBS-boards which means that all OBBS-format-files sent to
CHAMAS will be processed and added to the board. Sending files without
having this special permission will result in re-sending the file
then named ERROR NOTE to the contributing userid.
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2. Menue system
2.1 Root menue
In the root menue, we are offering the following services:
PBBS - Public Bulletin Board System
OBBS - Official Bulletin Board System
INFO - Infos on CHAMAS and its site Oldenburg
You can also find special information, i.e.
on data networks, in this section.
SUBNET - Info/and Diskussion via UUCP by Netmbx Berlin
GATES - Gateway to CCC, MCS and CHAMAS-users
PD - Public Domain software bank
MANAGER - User Manager with system-functions
PBBS includes read/write-boards like CHAMAS or HACK.
OBBS includes read-only-boards like CCC or MCS. Only level-2-users
have permission to contribute to these boards, which, however, means
that they are responsible for 'their' board.
The PD-system can be used for exchanging public-domain-software
(which we understand to be software without copyright restrictions).
The Manager includes general functions like changing one's nickname,
asking for a list of users etc.
2.2 Sub menue - BBS
BBS includes the submenues PBBS and OBBS, which are working in a
similar way. Valid commands are:
LIST PBBS / LIST OBBS - will list the said boards and tell
your the date when they were last changed.
INV <board> - will list the contents of a board.
The list contains fileid, sending userid,
date and topic of all contributions to
the board. The fileid is necessary for all
requests to read or getting sent a message.
INFO OBBS - gives you short information on OBBS.
RE <fileid> - enables you to read a message.
This is especially useful for PBBS-files
as these are generally that short, that
a send request would be quite a waste of time.
However, if a file is larger than 50 lines,
the file will not be sent and the user will be
asked to submit a send request (cf. SE-command)
RE <id1> <id2> .. <idn> - Read more than one message
SE <fileid> - will tell CHAMAS to send you a copy of
a message in NETDATA format. This command
is of great use in OBBS, as messages there
are normally larger than 50 lines.
SE <id1> <id2> .. <idn> - Send more than one message
DE <fileid> - deletes a message. Note that you are
only authorized to delete your own messages.
WR <board> (PBBS only) - will give you a short help about how to
contribute to a board via mail.
Writing to a board is accomplished only by sending a note or a file.
If you want to contribute to a PBBS-boards, you have to do it like this:
First you have to write a file with your site-specific editor.
The file header should look like this:
FROM: <nickname> <userid&nodeid>
BOARD: <boardname>
SUBJECT: <name of subject (no more than 25 characters|)>
DATE: <date>
<text>
<blank line>
NOTE:
The headlines beginning with SUBJECT and BOARD must not be omitted,
and you have to provide a blank between SUBJECT: and the name of
the subject you want to contribute to.
The following forms are used in CHAMAS:
BOARD: RPO /* contribute to the RPO-board */
SUBJECT: <text> /* where <text> can also be a general remark */
SUBJECT: RE: <text> /* answer or comment to a file
Make sure to specify the subject of the file
you want to comment or answer. */
SUBJECT: Q:<text> /* question */
SUBJECT: A:<text> /* answer to a question, where <text> should
be the same as in the 'question-file' header.*/
Examples:
SUBJECT: Virus in Arpanet /* a simple header */
SUBJECT: RE: Virus in Arpanet /* remarks or comment to a contribution*/
SUBJECT: Q: Where's Singapore? /* Can anyone tell me where ... */
SUBJECT: A: Where's Singapore /* I know where... */
WARNING: The filetype of your message must not be CCC or NEWS or MCS,
which would be mixed up by CHAMAS with the name of a gateway (see
also the section on gateways).
2.3 Submenue PD
I've no idea 'bout that... Waldi is working at it at the moment...
2.4 Submenue MANAGER
The MANAGER offers you the following commands:
NICK - changes your nickname
CMD - shows the rootmenue
HELP - returns the CHAMAS-logo, nickname and total
amount of commands you have sent to CHAMAS
up to now.
WHOIS <nick> - tell you userid and nodeid of a CHAMAS-user
WHOAT <node> - List of User at a Node
CALL - calls a system-operator (if anyone's there)
NEWS <opt> - informs you which new messages have been added
to the NEWS service
opt could be:
-l - See a List of New Messages
-s - Send new messages as File
-p - Send a List of new PD-Software
optional: n - Don't erase the entry in the
Userlist.
i.e.: news -l , news -ln , news -p , news -sn , a.s.o.
2.5. Subnet
No Help available - Type SUBNET