💾 Archived View for mirrors.apple2.org.za › archive › apple.cabi.net › Applications › gmail › dist ›… captured on 2024-12-17 at 22:39:31.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Omega Software Solutions presents:
gmail/OL
Off-Line mail retrieval, reading and replying
for the Apple //gs and IBM-PC.
gmail/OL, (C) 1993 Gregg D. Brekke,
Omega Software Solutions
5638 Lake Murray Blvd., #173
La Mesa, CA 91942
Phone/FAX (619) 465-0421
Licensing
Feel free to distribute gmail/OL. All files, including those in the
GORP.SRC directory must be included in your distribution.
gmail/OL is Shareware. To gain the rights to technical support
and updates you must register your copy of gmail/OL.
PLEASE SEE THE FILE, REGISTER.DOC, FOR REGISTRATION INFORMATION.
Contact Omega Software Solutions for reasonable rates on network,
classroom, and corporation licensing agreements.
Copyright
gmail/OL, (C) 1993 Gregg D. Brekke, Omega Software Solutions
gmail/OL is owned by Omega Software Solutions and is protected by
the copyright laws of the United States, international treaty
provisions, and all other laws pertaining to copyrights.
Warranty
No warranty is extended to unregistered users of gmail/OL.
Unopened software purchased from Omega Software Solutions may be
returned to Omega Software Solutions for refund of purchase
price. Damaged media or manuals, due to documented shipping
mishaps, will be replaced free of charge. Other damages will be
replaced with a $5.00 fee for each diskette item, $10.00 for
manuals.
Trademarks Used in This Manual
Apple, Apple //gs, and Macintosh are trademarks of Apple
Computer.
DOS and MS-DOS are trademarks of Microsoft Corporation.
IBM, PC, and IBM-PC are trademarks of International Business
Machines.
ProLine is a trademark of the Morgan Davis Group.
Table of Contents
Introduction iv
Why use gmail/OL? iv
Chapter 1 Getting Started 1
Installation 1
Before You Start... 1
Configuration 4
Usage Notes 6
Machine Specific Installation 6
IRQ Settings on the PC 7
The Signature File 7
Apple //gs File Types 8
Chapter 2 Operation 9
The Main Screen 9
The Mailer Screen 11
The Configuration Screen 13
Chapter 3 GORP and The Modem 14
How GORP Works 14
The Modem Connection 14
Finding a GORP Server 15
Chapter 4 Other Stuff 16
Using gmail/OL from a Shell 16
The 'aliases.gm' File 17
Email and Addressing a Message 17
Troubleshooting 18
Acknowledgments
I would like to thank the following people for their help in the
programming of gmail/OL:
Al Rogers - For criticism, suggestions, compromise, and great
beta testing.
Jawaid Bazyar - The Apple //gs version of gmail/OL would have
never been started without his Modem Manager Toolkit for the
Apple //gs.
Morgan Davis - For help and allowing me to use an adaptation of
his MDSS protocol in GORP.
Mark de Jong - The Apple //gs guy who laughed when I wanted to
give up.
My wife Patsy, for being patient... (& proofreading, &
proofreading, ...)
Introduction
gmail/OL is the programming result of frustration with current
email procedures and protocols. Originally designed to interface
on my computer with the ProLine Apple // BBS, gmail/OL did not
begin as a email retrieval system, it was merely a more efficient
reading and replying mechanism for my personal email on my BBS
system. Sure this was pretty selfish, but over a period of time
the need for others to have access to an efficient means of
gathering email from a Bulletin Board or UNIX system became more
and more apparent to me. As a result gmail is now gmail/OL,
incorporating a system to system communication protocol called
GORP (see manual section on GORP for a complete description) to
exchange email files via modem.
Before writing gmail/OL I looked at various off-line readers and
protocols. It seemed to me that most of them required an Masters
degree in computer science just to operate the simplest of the
off-line readers. gmail/OL is surprisingly easy to use. If you
know your email address on your host system and how to log onto
that system, you can use gmail/OL. The modem procedures are very
easy and all file manipulation is handled by the program. All
you need to do is have gmail/OL poll your GORP server to send
mail out and get mail in. Mail replies and forwarding are
handled by the server machine as if you were logged in to it
rather than using gmail/OL. This file exchange is very quick and
will greatly reduce the time you spend on-line to the host
system.
Some acronyms used in this manual are:
email - Electronic Mail
GORP - Gregg's Off-Line Reader Protocol
DOS - Microsoft Disk Operating System
Why Use gmail/OL?
Imagine if you will...
There are no mail carriers. You have to go to the post office to
get all of your mail. That isn't so bad, but assume that you
also have to read all of your mail and compose all of your
responses while you are in the post office. Sure you can go
home, but if you have any unfinished correspondence, you must
leave the original mail at the post office and return to finish
it later. What is worse, your post office charges you for the
time you spend inside.
That all sounds pretty foreign to us, since we are so used to the
postal service's delivery and pick-up system. Yet, this is
exactly the scenario most of us go through to use electronic
mail. WHY SHOULD EMAIL BE ANY HARDER TO USE THAN THE POSTAL
SERVICE? It should be easier. With gmail/OL it is!
Off-Line email reading and replying is superior to being on-line
for a number of reasons. Mainly though, it is just a better use
of your time. Off-Line email gives you the advantage of reading
and reply to your email when it is convenient for you, not when
it is convenient or cheapest to be connected to your host system.
Off-Line email is also better than on-line email for the
following reasons:
You spend less time on-line to your host system.
You save money on phone bills and connection costs.
It is relaxing.
Read and edit your email at your leisure. There is no
pressure of connection charges hanging over your head if you
choose to read every message or write a short novel as a reply
to one.
You can read and edit email faster.
On a BBS system, you can only read and edit as fast as your
modem can get characters to the screen.
You can customize your environment.
Select the editor YOU want to use to edit outgoing messages
rather than the one or two editors available on your host
system. (Macintosh version includesgraphic editor with cut,
paste, and more!)
You will make your system administrator happy.
You will be using the host system less, giving others access
to modem lines and system resources.
The more time you spend reading and replying to your email, the
more you will benefit from gmail/OL and Off-Line reading. Your
email will be better composed and thought out. Instead of having
the burden of being on-line with your host system for long email
sessions, you will have the pleasure of corresponding from your
home or office without the worry of interruptions costing you
valuable connection time.
Enjoy.
Gregg D. Brekke
Chapter 1
Getting Started
It is the intent of this chapter to help you install, configure,
and begin to use gmail/OL as quickly as possible. Even if you
are an experienced computer user, please read this section to
familiarize yourself with the operation of gmail/OL. The last
section in this chapter, Usage Notes, contains information about
the implementation of gmail/OL on different platforms. Please
read this section and follow any instructions pertaining to your
type of computer.
Installation
gmail/OL can be installed in a number of ways. It is small
enough that you can run it from a backup of the diskette it was
distributed on.
The only limitation to running gmail/OL from a diskette is the
available space on this media for storing incoming and outgoing
messages. Although there is plenty of room on the diskette,
should your mail file become very large or if you save many
messages for later use, you may run out of room.
Extra room can be made available on the backup diskette by
deleting the 'gorp.src' directory. Do not delete any other files
as they will be needed in the operation of gmail/OL.
Hard disk installation is also quite easy. Follow these steps
and you should have no problems at all:
1. Make a directory on your hard disk named 'gmail'.
2.Copy all files from the distribution disk into the 'gmail'
directory on your hard disk.
3.Make another directory inside the 'gmail' directory on your
hard disk called 'out'. This directory will store outgoing
messages.
Here is a tree of necessary files:
../gmail/
out/ - directory for email replies
gmail (DOS: gmail.exe) - main program file
gmail.cf - configuration file
aliases.gm - email aliases
mailfile - email storage file
signature - personal signature file
tool.mm - Apple //gs version only!
In addition to these files, when you first run gmail/OL, the
program will create a file containing message pointers named
'gmail.o'. Do not delete this file as it contains important
information on messages you have or have not read.
Before You Start...
This is a tutorial designed to help you set up gmail/OL before
you get started reading and sending email. It is important for
you to follow these instructions carefully to ensure your email
is formatted correctly and gmail/OL operates as designed.
Complete descriptions of each of the fields mentioned here are in
the following section, "Configuration".
To begin with, start gmail/OL. (DOS version only... You must
change directory, 'cd', to the location of the gmail.exe file
before launching gmail/OL. The files gmail.bat and gmail.pif are
included on the distribution disk to facilitate this upon
launch.)
If you haven't used gmail/OL before, there should be only one
message on the main screen. It is a README file formatted as an
email message and will give you up to date information on any
operational changes to gmail/OL. Press RETURN to read this
update. Press the SPACE bar to see the next page until the
'more' prompt doesn't show up at the bottom of the screen. Now
press 'I' to return to the index of your mail messages.
Press 'C' to start the configuration editor. There are values in
each of the fields, but they have only been put there to provide
a starting point.
1. The first field is 'Mail file name/path:'. This tells
gmail/OL the name of or path to the file you would like to
keep your email in as it is received from the GORP server.
DOS: Unless you have an alternate mail file, you need not
change this value. Go to step 2.
Apple //gs: If you are running gmail/OL from a copy of the
distribution disk, you do not need to change this value; go to
step 3. If you are running from a hard disk press RETURN to
edit this field. Press CONTROL-X to delete this field. Now
enter the FULL path name to the hard disk directory you have
installed gmail/OL in to. Then add the word 'mailfile' to the
end of this path.
(Apple //gs continued)
Full path name: /hd/gmail/
Enter in this field: /hd/gmail/mailfile
Press RETURN to permanently change this field.
2. Press the down arrow (or 'J') to advance to the 'Outgoing
message path:' field. This tells gmail/OL where to store
messages you are sending to others via the GORP server.
DOS: Unless you have an alternate outgoing directory, you need
not change this value. Go to step 3.
Apple //gs: If you are running gmail/OL from a copy of the
distribution disk, you do not need to change this value; go to
step 3. If you are running from a hard disk press RETURN to
edit this field. Press CONTROL-X to delete this field. Now
enter the FULL path name to the hard disk directory you have
installed gmail/OL in to. Then add the word 'out' to the end
of this path.
Full path name: /hd/gmail/
Enter in this field: /hd/gmail/out
Press RETURN to permanently change this field.
3. Press the down arrow (or 'J') to advance to the 'Editor to
use from shell:' field. This is an editor you can access from
the DOS shell (DOS) or programming shell (Apple //gs).
DOS: This field is set to 'EDIT' which will use the standard
DOS 5.0+ full screen editor. If you have an alternate editor
to use such as STEVIE or EMACS you can enter it here.
Apple //gs: If you are not running gmail/OL from a
programming shell, leave this value as 'none'. gmail/OL will
then use its built in editor (Apple //gs version ONLY). See
the Usage Notes at the end of this chapter under "Apple //gs
File Types" for instructions on using gmail/OL from a
programming shell, which allows the use of alternate editors
such as EDIT, VI, or EMACS.
To change this field press RETURN, then press CONTROL-X to
delete the input line. Enter the name of your editor of
choice and press RETURN.
4. Press the down arrow (or 'J') to advance to the 'User Full
Name:' field. This is the name that will be included with
outgoing messages to let the recipient know the real name of
the sender.
Press RETURN and then press CONTROL-X to delete this field.
Enter your full real name... Press RETURN to make this change
permanent.
5. Press the down arrow (or 'J') to advance to the 'User Login
Name:' field. This is your user name/alias on your GORP
server machine. See the "Configuration" section for
instructions if you don't know what this field does.
Press RETURN and then press CONTROL-X to delete this field.
Enter your user name on the GORP server. Press RETURN to make
this change permanent.
6. Press the down arrow (or 'J') to advance to the 'GORP Server
Site:' field. This is the complete domain name of your GORP
server machine. This value is used in your outgoing email
message to let others know where to return mail to you. See
the "Configuration" section for instructions if you don't know
the value for this field.
Press RETURN and then press CONTROL-X to delete the field.
Enter the domain name of your GORP Server. Press RETURN to
make this change permanent.
7. Press the down arrow (or 'J') to advance to the 'Modem Baud
Rate:' field. This should be set to the highest baud your
modem supports.
Press RETURN and then press the right and left arrows to
highlight the highest baud rate supported by your modem.
Press RETURN to make this change permanent.
8. Press the down arrow (or 'J') to advance to the 'COMM Port:'
field. This is the communications port your modem is
connected to on your machine.
See the 'Configuration' section for more information
concerning your machine and this field.
Press RETURN and then press the right and left arrows to
highlight the communications port your modem is connected to.
Press RETURN to make this change permanent.
DOS ONLY: Press the down arrow (or 'J') to advance to the
'COMM Port IRQ:' field. This field defaults to the standard
IRQ to be used by the COMM port selected above. If you know
your IRQ is different, change this field. If you haven't
changed your IRQ settings on your internal modem or serial I/O
card don't change this field!
Press RETURN and then press the right and left arrows to
highlight the IRQ number you have assigned to the selected
COMM port. Press RETURN to make this change permanent.
9. Press the down arrow (or 'J') to advance to the 'GORP Server
Phone Number:' field. This is the phone number to be called
to exchange email with your GORP server. See the 'Configure'
section for customization instructions for this field.
Press RETURN and then press CONTROL-X to delete this field.
Enter the phone number to your GORP server. Press RETURN to
make this change permanent.
10. Once all the fields on this screen have been changed press
'ESCAPE'. Answer 'Y' to the question 'Save Changes to
Configuration File?' to have these changes loaded
automatically the next time you start gmail/OL.
You are now asked if you want to change the GORP Waitfor/Send
lines that facilitate logging gmail/OL into the GORP server.
To continue, press 'Y' and enter the Waitfor/Send lines as
described in the second half of "The Configuration Screen" in
Chapter 2. Press 'N' to get back to the gmail/OL main screen.
You now have a minimal configuration established for gmail/OL.
To poll your GORP server for email exchange, you must edit the
Waitfor/Send lines on the second configure screen.
Configuration
gmail/OL depends on the file 'gmail.cf' to run. If 'gmail.cf' is
not present in the directory where the gmail/OL executable
program is, gmail/OL will automatically start the configuration
program to have you set the parameters for running gmail/OL. You
can also change these parameters while running gmail/OL by
selecting the 'Configure' option.
The configure screen is described later, but for your convenience
here is what all the fields in the 'gmail.cf' file represent:
Path to email file
Path to OUT directory
Shell Editor
Your full name
Your user name on the host system
The domain name of the host system
Baud rate of your modem
Port modem is connected to
IRQ setting of modem port (DOS version only)
Phone number of host system
Waitfor/Send lines for logging into host system.
Path to Email File:
The full path name to the email spool file where gmail/OL will
store your email in and read it from.
Apples /hd/gmail/mailfile
DOS c:\gmail\mailfile
Path to OUT directory:
The full path name to the directory you created to hold
outgoing message files to be sent to the GORP host.
Apples /hd/gmail/out
DOS c:\gmail\out
Shell Editor:
Used only by DOS and Apple //gs shell versions. Specifies a
shell editor that can:
1. Be called from your shell.
2. Accept a filename as an input parameter.
Apple Editors- ORCA Edit, emacs, ROSE, vi (GNO/ME Shell)
DOS Editors - DOS Edit, emacs, vi, stevie
SPECIAL NOTE: When running the Apple //gs shell version of
gmail/OL as a S16 file or when using 'windowed' versions of
gmail/OL (not covered in this manual), set this field to
'none'. See the "Usage Notes" section later in this chapter
for more information on running the Apple //gs shell version
of gmail/OL as a S16 file.
Your Full Name:
Name you want included with your email address so people can
identify you as a person rather than a login name on a
machine.
Gregg D. Brekke
Jane Q. Public - Esquire
Your User Name on the Host System:
Commonly referred to as your login name. The name you send
before sending your password to the host system.
Email Address User Name
greggb@acme.fred.org greggb
goofy.disney.com!pluto pluto
The Domain Name of Your Host System:
The Internet name of your host machine. It is commonly the
name that goes after the '@' in your email address.
Email Address Domain Name
greggb@acme.fred.org acme.fred.org
goofy.disney.com!pluto goofy.disney.com
Baud Rate of Your Modem:
Highest speed, not exceeding 19,200 bps, supported by your
modem. Valid entries are: 1200, 2400, 4800, 9600, 14400, and
19200.
Modem Port:
Lets the communication program know where to send its signals.
The following are the only configurations supported by
gmail/OL at this time:
Apple //gs
Printer Port = 1
Modem Port = 2 (default)
DOS
COM1 = 1 (default)
COM2 = 2
COM3 = 3
COM4 = 4
IRQ Setting of COM Port (DOS Version ONLY!):
If you don't understand what an IRQ is, don't worry. The
default configurations should work. IRQ 2, 3, 4, and 5 are
supported for all COM ports.
COM1 = 4 (default)
COM2 = 3
COM3 = 4
COM4 = 3
Phone Number of Host System:
Standard telephone number used when dialing your host system.
It doesn't have to start with the 'ATDT' string unless you
would like to add any special modem commands.
example: AT\\N0DT555-5555
Dials a number with v.32 turned off on an Intel Modem. The
backslash '\' must be represented in your dialing string as a
double backslash, '\\'.
Waitfor/Send lines:
The heart of the login script used by GORP to gain access to a
GORP server system. The syntax for each of these lines is as
follows:
\[waitfor] "send"
The waitfor string must not be in quotes, just encased in
brackets with the starting bracket preceded by a backslash
character. The send string must be enclosed in double quotes
and follow the waitfor close bracket. Only one Waitfor/Send
sequence is allowed on each line of the 'gmail.cf' file.
A typical Waitfor/Send sequence will look like this:
\[login:] "gorp"
\[Password:] "gorpuser"
\[Username:] "pluto"
\[Password:] "toontown"
When gmail/OL has executed all of the Waitfor/Send lines, it
assumes it has logged in and will begin transferring email
between your system and the GORP server.
Usage Notes
INSTALLATION
Apple //gs:
Use the following method from the ORCA or GNO shells to
install gmail/OL onto a hard disk. Just insert the gmail/OL
distribution disk into a drive and execute the following shell
commands.
ORCA GNO
prefix /hd cd /hd
create gmail mkdir gmail
prefix gmail cd gmail
create out mkdir out
copy /gmail/= /hd/gmail cp /gmail/* /hd/gmail
DOS:
From the DOS shell execute the following commands after
inserting the gmail/OL disk into drive a: or b:
c:
mkdir gmail
cd gmail
mkdir out
copy a:\*.* c:\gmail or copy b:\*.* c:\gmail
IRQ Settings (DOS Version Only)
IRQ settings on the PC DOS computer control which hardware
device has access to system resources at a given time. To
make sure these resources don't step on each other, each
hardware device is assigned a unique ID that the system uses
to identify the device with. Commonly, COM1's IRQ setting is
4 and COM2 is 3. Most PCs come with these two COM ports
installed and these IRQ numbers set. If you add an internal
modem to be used as COM3 or a tape backup device, these
devices also have to have an IRQ assigned to them.
Fortunately, the PC has a few spare IRQs that work great for
serial (COM) ports. These two IRQs are 2 and 5. Most
internal modems and serial cards come with DIP switches or
jumper blocks that allow you to change the COM port and IRQ
settings.
I personally have the case where I have an external 14,400
baud modem connected to COM1, a serial mouse on COM2, and an
internal FAX card set to COM3. The above chart of default IRQ
values shows that for both COM1 and COM3 the IRQ value is
usually 4, which would cause an IRQ conflict. To alleviate
this problem, I changed a jumper block on my FAX card to
indicate it was to be used as COM3 with IRQ 5. I could have
used IRQ 2 instead, but I have other plans for it.
Make sure you read your modem or serial port manual before
changing these settings. It can be annoying and even
hazardous should you not set them correctly.
One other consideration when changing information about serial
ports, which has nothing to do with the IRQ setting, is the
base address. You should never have to worry about these
unless you have a really strange or non-standard card. Your
hardware manual should mention it, but here are the default
settings (the only ones gmail/OL will use) for the base
addresses on each COM port:
COM1 3F8
COM2 2F8
COM3 3E8
COM4 2E8
'SIGNATURE' File
The 'signature' file ('signatur' in the MS-DOS' 8 character file
limit) is used to include a short message about yourself or
alternate contact routes or annoying ASCII art. The use of a
signature file is optional, delete it if you don't want to
include it with every email message you send out. See the
included 'signature' file on the distribution disk for an
example.
Apple //gs File Type
You can run the Apple //gs version of gmail/OL from either a
command shell like ORCA or GNO/ME, or you can run it from the
finder. The program file 'gmail' comes on disk as a S16 file for
use from the finder. As such, you must specify 'none' in the
'gmail.cf' Shell Editor field. This will use a built in editor
when running gmail/OL from the finder.
To use gmail/OL from a command shell, execute the following
command to change gmail/OL to a shell type executable file:
ORCA: filetype gmail exe
GNO: chtyp -texe gmail
Chapter 2
Operation
This chapter is the meat of the manual. It will introduce you to
all the functions of gmail/OL's main, mailer, and configuration
screens. Included will be reading messages, polling the GORP
server, and configuring gmail/OL. You will also take a look at
the mailer screen functions, where you can send, save, and reply
to messages.
The Main Screen
Start gmail/OL and look at the main screen. Some important
features of the main screen are:
The highlighted top bar:
-> Arrow pointer to current message.
# Message numbers.
Date Date message was sent.
From Who sent the message.
Lines How long is this message anyway?
Subject Subject from sender.
Each line contains a header summary for messages in your
'mailfile'.
Positioning the Current Message Pointer ( -> )
To position the current message pointer on a selected message,
press 'K' or 'N' to move down the list or 'J' to move up the
list. The Apple //gs version also lets you press the up and down
arrows on the keyboard to position the pointer.
You can also type in the number of the message you would like to
go to. The message number is under the '#' heading. The message
pointer will only move if you input a valid message number.
gmail/OL allows you to have up to 999 messages in your
'mailfile'.
Other Main Screen Commands
The functions denoted as mailer functions will be covered more
closely in the next section.
D - Mark message for deletion.
F - Forward message to a user.
I - Return to main screen Index if reading a message
M - Mail a new message to a user.
N - Go to next message
R - Reply to sender of current message.
S - Save current message to a file.
U - Undelete message if marked for deletion.
Alt-P (DOS) or Command-P (Apple //gs)
- Poll GORP server for email transfer.
C - Edit gmail.cf file.
Return - View Current Message.
J - Position message pointer on next message.
K - Position message pointer on previous message.
Delete Message
Marks message with a 'D'. After quitting program, this
message will be deleted from the 'mailfile'.
Forward Message - Mailer Function
Sends entire message to another user, noting that you
forwarded to them and were not the original author.
Mail New Message - Mailer Function
Lets you compose a new message to another user.
Reply to Message - Mailer Function
Sends a response to sender of message.
Save Message to File - Mailer Function
Store message as a text file on disk.
Undelete Message
If a message is marked for deletion with a 'D', this will
undelete it, sparing it from deletion when the program quits.
Reading a Message
To read a message, position the current message pointer on the
number of the message you want to read and press ENTER. A few
important header lines are displayed along with the text of the
email message.
If the email message is longer than one screen, there will be a
'more' prompt at the bottom of the screen. To continue reading
the message press the space bar. To return to command mode press
'Q' to quit 'more'.
After quitting the 'more' prompt or if the message was less than
one screen long you can type 'I' to return to the message header
screen, 'N' to read the next message, or any of the commands
mentioned above in the main screen commands.
Message Marker
Next to each message number, just before the date field, there is
space for a message marker. This marker can be:
N - new and unread messages.
U - unread message that wasn't read the last time you used
gmail/OL.
D - marked for deletion.
Space - message has been read and will not be deleted when you
quit.
Poll the GORP Server
To prevent key command mishaps, this is the only main screen
command that requires you to press a key sequence to activate it.
gmail/OL will dial your GORP server and perform a mail exchange
when you select this function.
Alt-P (DOS)
Command-P (Apple //gs, the 'Command' key was formerly called the
'Open-Apple' key)
The Mailer Screen
The mailer screen can be accessed from gmail/OL's main screen by
pressing one of the following keys:
M - Mail a new message to a user.
R - Reply to sender of current message.
F - Forward message to a user.
S - Save current message to a file.
When selecting one of the above commands, you will be prompted
for additional information before gaining access to the mailer
screen's functions. Here is the information you will have to
supply for each of the above commands.
Mailing a new message:
1. From the main menu press 'M'.
2. Enter the users email address.
3. Enter a subject for the new message.
4. After the editor starts, enter your message.
5. Save your message in the editor and exit the editor.
6. You are now at the mailer screen command menu.
Replying to a message:
1. From the main menu press 'R'.
2. gmail/OL automatically picks out the address and subject
lines.
3.Answer 'Y' or 'N' to the question asking if you want to
include the current message. If 'Y', each line of the message
you are replying to, preceded by a '> ', will be included in
your response.
4. After the editor starts, enter your message.
5. Save your message in the editor and exit the editor.
6.You are now at the mailer screen command menu.
Forward a message:
1. From the main menu press 'F'.
2. Enter the email address to forward the message to.
3. gmail/OL picks out the subject line.
4. You are now at the mailer screen command menu.
Save message to a text file:
1.From the main menu press 'S'.
2.Change the name you want the message saved to.
3.Press RETURN to save the file.
4.You are returned to the main menu.
Mailer Screen Commands
Here are a list of the mailer screen commands:
A - Append a text file from disk to the outgoing message.
B - Add or change the Bcc: line.
C - Add or change the Cc: line.
E - Edit the message you have composed so far.
I - Include a message (from the main menu) in your reply.
S - Send the message (save it in the outgoing directory).
T - Change the To: line.
W - Write your message to a file.
Q - Quit, don't send the message.
Z - Change the Subject: line.
Append a file:
Get a text file and append as part of your outgoing message.
This must be a text file or gmail/OL will return unpredictable
results. You must enter the full path name to the file unless
it is in gmail/OL's home directory.
Bcc: line:
The Bcc: line is used by the mailer to send a "Blind Carbon
Copy". That is, only the persons listed in the Bcc: field
know they have gotten the message from you. Use it when you
want each recipient of your message to believe they have
gotten an original message. Multiple Bcc: recipients can be
specified by separating each email address with a space.
Contrast this operation with the Cc: line below. Press
Control-X to delete the input line and start over.
example: Bcc: pluto@goofy.disney.com ed@comp.geek.edu
Cc: line:
Add a "Carbon Copy" line to your message. This line tells the
mailer to send a copy of this message to each person listed in
the Cc: line. All of the recipients get the same Cc: line in
their message, letting them know the others who have gotten
the message. Use the Cc: line when you want to send public
information to a group of people. Again, specify multiple
recipients by separating each email address on this line with
a space. Press Control-X to delete the input line and start
over.
Edit the message:
Edit the message you have composed so far. This allows you to
add or revise a message you have already worked on before you
send it. DOS and Apple //gs shell versions will launch the
editor specified in their gmail.cf file. Desktop versions
will launch the built in editor.
Include a message:
Lets you include a message from the main menu message list in
your outgoing message. The message will be imported into your
reply with each line preceded by a '> '. After, you can re-
enter the editor with the 'Edit' command to add clarification.
By default this function will include the message the current
message pointer is on. You can override this by specifying a
message number to include.
Send this message:
Saves the message in your outgoing directory for delivery to
your GORP host. The message is formatted as standard text
with a minimal RFC-822 mail header at the top. This assures
mail delivery on all systems using the standard Internet email
message format.
To: line:
Specifies a recipient for your email message. Like the Cc:
and Bcc: lines, you can list multiple email addresses on this
line, each separated by a space. Press Control-X to delete
the input line and start over.
Write message to file:
Save the message you have composed so far to a file. This
will include entered text, appended files, and included
messages. Use this function to keep a record of important
outgoing messages. You are prompted by this function to enter
the name of the file you wish to save it as. Enter this name
and press return to save and return to the mailer command
screen.
Quit:
Quit back to the main message screen. If you have not
selected to 'Send' the outgoing message it will be lost.
Z (change Subject: line)
Enter or change the subject line. This line identifies your
email's topic to the recipient. Press Control-X to delete the
input line and start over.
The Configuration Screen
Selecting 'C' from the main screen starts the configuration file
editor. Although, you could edit the configuration file,
gmail.cf, with any text editor, this screen allows you to change
the settings of gmail/OL without quitting back to your operating
system. You can also add or change Waitfor / Send lines used in
connecting to your GORP server through this screen. The basic
commands in the configuration screen are:
Escape Exit the current configuration screen.
Down Arrow (J) Go to next / previous field.
Up Arrow (K) Go to next / previous field.
Return Accept field for input.
Using the Configuration Editor
To skip editing the configuration fields and go directly to
editing the Waitfor / Send sequence, press ESCAPE and answer 'Y'
when prompted.
As you use the Up and Down Arrow keys (or K/J) to move the next
or previous field, the field descriptor is highlighted. Press
RETURN when the field you wish to edit is highlighted and use
standard key presses to edit the field. Pressing Control-X
deletes the input line and allows you to start over. When you
have finished editing the field, press RETURN again and continue
moving through the different fields.
When you have finished editing all the fields you want to change,
press ESCAPE. You will be asked if you would like to save your
changes. Answer 'Y' to save them, 'N' to ignore the changes.
Next, you are asked if you want to edit the Waitfor / Send
fields. If you answer 'Y', the Waitfor / Send editor is started.
This editor is similar to the configuration field editor.
Select the field you want to edit by using the Up and Down Arrow
keys (or K/J) and press RETURN. Edit the Waitfor field and press
RETURN. You will then edit the Send field. When finished press
RETURN and continue editing the Waitfor / Send sequences until
finished. You can have up to 15 Waitfor / Send sequences in your
configuration file. When you have completed editing the Waitfor
/ Send sequences press ESCAPE. You will be asked if you would
like to save these values in the 'gmail.cf' file. If you answer
'Y', gmail/OL will save the 'gmail.cf' file and begin using these
new values immediately. Answering 'N' deletes any changes you
have made while using the configuration editor.
Chapter 3
GORP and Your Modem
GORP is merely an acronym for "Gregg's Off-Line Reader Protocol".
It is an adaptation of another protocol common to some Apple //
and UNIX systems known as MDSS, written by Morgan Davis of the
Morgan Davis Group.
How GORP Works
As implemented in gmail/OL, GORP accesses the modem to dial the
GORP server system and exchange mail files. Here are the steps
gmail/OL takes to make a GORP transfer:
1.Initialize modem.
2.Dial GORP host number from the 'gmail.cf' file.
3.Execute the Waitfor / Send sequences from the 'gmail.cf' file.
4.Check to see if the 'out' directory has any messages in it.
5.If there are messages, send them via XMODEM to the GORP server
until all have been sent.
6.Wait for messages from the GORP server.
7.If there are any, receive them via XMODEM.
8.Append these mail files to your 'mailfile' and terminate the
connection with the GORP host.
When the GORP host receives your mail messages, its program will:
1.Extract the To:, Cc:, and Bcc: lines.
2.Compose a complete mail header from the partial header given
by gmail/OL.
3.Send the message to each of the recipients via its mail
transport.
If any errors occur during transmission the outgoing message will
not be deleted; or if receiving, the incoming message will not be
appended to your 'mailfile'. GORP will try to send a message
three times before it quits. You can press ESCAPE during a GORP
session to cancel the transfer. If you would like to quit before
GORP logs into the server computer, press ESCAPE as many times as
you have Waitfor / Send lines.
The Modem Connection
To use gmail/OL as a true Off-Line reader you must have a modem
attached to your system and have a host system to call.
Following the guidelines below will almost assure you of hassle
free GORP connections.
First, the Apple //gs version must be used in conjunction with an
EXTERNAL modem connected to either the Printer Port (port 1) or
Serial Port (port 2) via an RS-232 serial cable. No other
configuration on this computer is supported.
The DOS version supports both external and internal modems on IBM
PC and compatibles. Modems may be connected as COM1, COM2, COM3,
or COM4. Also, the modem IRQ for any of these COM ports may be
set to 2, 3, 4, or 5. See the section on "IRQ Setting" in
chapter 1 for the default configuration and more information.
On all systems the modem must be "Hayes AT compatible" and
support one of the following baud rates: 1200, 2400, 4800, 9600,
14,400, or 19,200. Unpredictable results will occur if your
modem does not conform to these parameters. Not to worry, 99% of
the modems available for sale in the last 5 years have fulfilled
these requirements. Your modem package should contain
information on attaching it to your computer. Contact the
manufacturer of your modem if you have difficulties with
connecting your modem to your computer.
Finding a GORP Server
You are in luck! The GORP server software is included on your
distribution disk. The directory "gorp.src" contains the C
language source code and installation instructions for use with
UNIX systems. If you already have a UNIX account, contact your
system administrator and have him install GORP for you. It
doesn't take any programming experience to install it, but the
installer must have ROOT access on the UNIX machine.
There are also several Bulletin Board software systems that allow
GORP access. Most notably are the ProLine and FrEdMail BBSs. If
you have access to a ProLine or FrEdMail system, you have access
to a GORP server. All ProLine and FrEdMail systems have Internet
mail access and most have no charge for user accounts.
As the popularity of GORP grows, there will surely be more
Bulletin Board software systems incorporating it. Feel free to
play with and incorporate the GORP source code on other
platforms. As email becomes more popular, Off-Line reading will
become more necessary. To help others with their modifications,
please send Omega Software Solutions the information on any
changes you make to GORP for implementation on other systems.
GORP and gmail/OL
A GORP session is initiated from gmail/OL by issuing the poll
command, 'P', from the main screen or while reading a message.
It then dials the system, attempts to login, and if successful,
exchanges email files.
GORP can be canceled during the login by pressing ESCAPE, but can
not be canceled while sending or retrieving a file. This is to
protect the data integrity of your email messages.
When GORP is finished exchanging files with the server, it
returns to the main screen or the message you were reading when
you polled the server. Look at the header index (press 'I' if
reading a message) and go to the end of your email header list to
view newly received email messages. New messages will have an
'N' directly after the message number.
Chapter 4
Other Stuff
The gmail/OL manual is finally drawing to a close. In this
chapter you will find extra information about using gmail/OL from
a command shell, a general description of how to use email, and
some troubleshooting facts for gmail/OL.
Using gmail/OL from a Shell
Command shells such as COMMAND.COM in DOS or ORCA and GNO on the
Apple //gs allow you greater flexibility when launching and
running gmail/OL. The command shell version of both the Apple
//gs and DOS gmail/OL allow you to use parameters, preceded by a
'-' to pass the following information to the program:
-d spooldir - Tells gmail/OL to spool outgoing messages in
spooldir instead of to the 'out' directory specified in
the configuration file, 'gmail.cf'.
-f filename - Set gmail/OL to start the mailer right away,
loading in filename as part of the message. Quitting
from the mailer screen returns you to the command
shell.
-m filename - Tells gmail/OL to read in messages from
'filename' instead of from the 'mailfile' parameter in
the configuration file, 'gmail.cf'.
-s subject - Tells gmail/OL to use this value in the
'Subject:' line. Must be used in conjunction with a
'user' input described below.
-p - Poll the GORP server specified in the 'gmail.cf'
file upon entering the program. Do not show the main
message screen before polling the server. When
gmail/OL is done polling the GORP server, it starts the
main screen, ready to read your new messages.
user - Use no dash in front of this parameter. Simply
type 'gmail a@b' to enter the mailer screen immediately
to send a message to a at site b. Quitting from the
mailer screen returns you to the command shell.
Examples:
gmail -p -m othermail
- start gmail/OL, polling the GORP server before
loading in messages from the file 'othermail'.
gmail greggb@acme.fred.org -f textfile -s Transmission
- start gmail/OL, go directly to the mailer screen to
compose a new message for greggb@acme.fred.org.
Include the file 'textfile' in this new email message.
Also include a subject line 'Transmission' to denote a
file is being sent. When finished sending the message,
return to the command shell.
gmail -d c:\tmp -p
- start gmail/OL, storing any outgoing messages in OR
get any messages for the GORP server from the directory
c:\tmp. Also, poll the GORP server, sending any
messages stored in c:\tmp.
Note about using path names
When using path names as command line parameters it is always
best to fully qualify a path with the full path name, including
the volume. The above example 'gmail -p -m othermail' will not
work unless the file 'othermail' is in the directory where
gmail/OL is launched from. Even if the file is in the launch
directory, it is best to send fully qualified path names. This
example would be better written as:
gmail -p -m /hd/gmail/othermail (Apple //gs) - OR -
gmail -p -m c:\gmail\othermail (DOS)
Launch Directory
Because of the way the Apple //gs system software operates, it is
not necessary to be in the same directory as the 'gmail' file
when launching the program.
On the other hand, the DOS version requires that you have changed
directories to the directory where 'gmail.exe' is. The files
'gmail.bat' and 'gmail.pif' are included on the distribution disk
to facilitate this launching from the DOS shell or MS Windows
respectively. Please edit these files to ensure gmail/OL is
launched properly.
The 'aliases.gm' File
The 'aliases.gm' file, located in the gmail/OL boot directory is
used to store shorter names that correspond to actual email
addresses.
The format of this file is as follows:
alias: adress@longsite.wherever.org
gregg: greggb@acme.fred.org
Edit the 'aliases.gm' file and place each alias on its own line,
separated by a carriage return. When gmail/OL boots, it loads
these aliases into a table that it uses when you send a message.
When prompted for the 'To:' line while sending a new message, all
you need to type is 'gregg' to have 'greggb@acme.fred.org' placed
in the actual 'To:' field. As you can imagine, this will save
you much time and frustration when trying to remember machine
granted user names, like a friend of mine who's user name is
'stg33s-2' on his host machine! All I have to type when sending
a message is 'mike' and his complete email address is
automatically placed in the 'To:' field.
Email and Formatting a Message
Electronic mail is a new frontier for many people. The greatest
challenge for email users and those who program email utilities
is ease of use and convenience. gmail/OL is designed to fulfill
these two requirements.
The email format gmail/OL uses is called RFC-822 (Request For
Comments), a standard established by the Internet networking
standards group. RFC-822 is the most commonly used message
format in the world. Most universities, businesses, and newer
bulletin boards use RFC-822 as a guideline for their mail
messages. The common RFC-822 email message is formatted like
this:
From user@site date
Date: day, date month year time
From: user@site (user full name)
X-Mailer: gmail version
To: otheruser@othersite
Subject: subject text
< blank line with only a newline character >
Message text to end of file.
The above format is what the GORP server received from gmail/OL
during a GORP on-line session. As you can see, there is no
mystery about electronic mail. You need only supply the correct
address of a user for the To: line and the message text to send a
message to anyone on the Internet.
Troubleshooting
What if...
"I launch gmail/OL and it starts the configuration editor every
time."
gmail/OL expects to find the file 'gmail.cf' in the same
directory as the executable program file. The Apple //gs
version automatically knows how to find this file but the DOS
version must first change directories to the directory where
both these files are kept. DOS users should edit the
'gmail.bat' file to reflect the directory where 'gmail.exe'
and 'gmail.cf' are stored.
"I launch gmail/OL and my message headers don't show up on the
main screen."
Check the configuration options to make sure the path to your
'mailfile' is correct. If the problem still persists, try
using a full path name that includes the drive name:
DOS: c:\gmail\mailfile
Apple //gs: /hd/gmail/mailfile
"I tell gmail/OL to poll the GORP server and it just sits there
until I get a 'timeout' error."
When you tell gmail/OL to poll the GORP server it should echo
the phone number to the screen and activate your modem
immediately. The only reason this won't happen is if the
modem parameters are configured improperly. Check the modem
settings in the configuration editor and modify these settings
appropriately. The most common error is using the wrong port
setting. Make sure your modem is connected to the port you
specify.
"When polling the GORP server it hangs up instead of starting to
send files."
Most likely one of your login parameters is incorrect. Make
sure you are logging into the GORP server correctly. Try
dialing into your account, using the same username and
password you have included in the waitfor/send lines of your
'gmail.cf' file. If this doesn't work you need to contact the
system administrator to find out your real username and
password before logging into GORP again.