265 lines
9.8 KiB
Plaintext
265 lines
9.8 KiB
Plaintext
U'NI-NET AND INTERNET FTP
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-------------------------
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U'NI-net is a general interest .QWK mail based echomail network
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offering over 100 topics of conversation. For complete information
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about the network, download UNIxxx.ZIP.
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U'NI-net is available via Anonymous FTP. To find the mail packets, you
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must have a shell account on a system connected to the Internet that
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offers FTP protocol.
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These packets are direct from Cam's WildCat! House, which is the
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International Host system for U'NI-net. They are called CAMCAT.QWK and
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are packed inside .ZIP files named after the day and if they were
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scanned in the AM or PM (MON-AM.ZIP, TUE-PM.ZIP, WED-AM.ZIP, etc).
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The packets contain all U'NI-net conferences except private
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administrative ones (UNI-NET, UNI-HOST, UNI-HUB and your hubs local admin
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conference). At the very least, UNI-NET must be picked up from an Official
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Hub when you upload your .REP files. If your system gives access to any
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conference Hosts then UNI-HOST must be picked up as well.
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HOW TO FIND THE PACKETS
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-----------------------
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We will assume that you are familiar with the Internet and Anonymous
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FTP. If you need more complete information, please send your questions
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via Internet email addressed to sysop@camcat.com.
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U'NI-net packets are available on the following sites accessible via
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FTP. They are:
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ftp.camcat.com (155.229.199.193)
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ftp.delta.net
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ftp.netcom.com
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ftp.at.com
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From the system prompt (%) enter:
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[camcat]
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% ftp ftp.camcat.com -OR- % ftp 155.229.199.193
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[deltanet]
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% ftp ftp.delta.net
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[netcom]
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% ftp ftp.netcom.com
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[at]
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% ftp ftp.at.com
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login: anonymous
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password: (enter your complete email address here)
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[camcat]
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ftp> cd /uninet
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[deltanet]
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ftp> cd /users/sheppard/uninet
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[netcom]
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ftp> cd /pub/un/uninet
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Or, for a full week's worth of .QWKs:
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ftp> cd /pub/cs/cshapiro/uninet
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[at]
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ftp> cd /uninet
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Once you have found the uninet directory, you can do a dir (ls -al)
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command and you should see the latest UNIxxx.ZIP file containing
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information about the network, plus the latest mail packets.
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NOTE: You may use the dir command at camcat.com
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The mail packets are named after the day of the week, plus if they are
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scanned in the AM or PM. So, you'll see packets with names like this:
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MON-AM.ZIP : This packet would have been scanned the most recent
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Monday in the morning. Inside the .ZIP is a CAMCAT.QWK
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file with net status turned on. It contains all
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conferences except the private administrative ones
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(UNI-NET, UNI-HOST & UNI-HUB).
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MON-PM.ZIP : This packet would have been scanned the most recent
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Monday in the evening.
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TUE-AM.ZIP : Tuesday Morning
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etc...
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To copy MON-AM.ZIP to your account directory issue this command:
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ftp> get mon-am.zip
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Once the process is complete close the connection:
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ftp> close
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Quit the FTP program, and then issue this command from your local
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unix prompt:
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% sz mon-am.zip
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The file will be sent to your local hard disk via Zmodem.
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WHAT IF I MISS A PACKET?
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------------------------
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Each packet will be online a minimum of 24 hours. Under normal
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circumstances there will be three days worth of packets online at all
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times. If you miss getting a packet, you must FTP to camcat.com which
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keeps a full weeks worth of packets in the /uninet folder. Issue a dir
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or ls -al command and you'll be presented with a file directory that
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will contain a full weeks worth of zipped packets. You can download
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whatever you missed from that list.
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It is also possible that there could a problem with the automated
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system that posts the mail files on the Internet. Or the service
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provider we use could have technical problems. If packets are
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missing, the best bet is to call Cam's Wildcat! House to get them
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until things return to normal.
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AUTOMATION:
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----------
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We have fourteen different packet names. This can make automation
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tricky. Joseph Sheppard has written a program included in
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UNIDL10.ZIP, which can be downloaded from the uninet directories at
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Camcat, Deltanet, Netcom, & AT. This program will write the name
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of the current packet to a text file and to a batch file that can place
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the name in your DOS environment. Most telecom script programs can read
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a variable from a text file or the DOS environment. UNIDL10.ZIP
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includes pascal source code.
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FTPMAIL
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-------
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QWK packets and other U'NI related files can also be received via
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FTPMAIL. This process involves sending a message to request a file by
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name, then the file is uuencoded and sent to you in a message. Many
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UUCP programs automatically decode the file for you, if yours doesn't,
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you have to decode it using a program called UUDECODE.EXE. Shareware
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and Freeware versions of this program are available for download from
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most BBS systems.
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To receive a file (example MON-AM.ZIP) from the ftpmail server at
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netcom.com, you would send an internet email message addressed:
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To: ftp-request@netcom.com
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In the body of the message, put this:
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send /pub/un/uninet/mon-am.zip
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GUIDELINES
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Please be advised that all normal guidelines and procedures regarding
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mail transmission with U'NI-net as described in UNINET.TXT apply, PLUS
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these:
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1. Systems receiving packets via FTP MUST connect to an Official
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U'NI-net Hub at least once every 24 hours to upload reply (.REP)
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packets and download private administrative conferences including
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UNI-NET, and the local administrative conference. In addition, if
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someone from your system will be hosting a conference, you must pick
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up UNI-HOST via your hub. See UNIHUBS.LST to determine the Official
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Hub for your area.
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2. You must notify your Official Hub that you plan to transfer mail
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via FTP. This should be noted on your application. Present
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systems who are switching over to satellite must get permission from
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their hub to transfer U'NI-net packets via satellite.
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3. It is MANDATORY that the first FIVE mail runs to your hub be made
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MANUALLY, or in a manner that allows you to abort the process if an
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abnormally large .REP packet is created. This is to make sure that
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your mail tosser software is configured properly. It is very possible
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for new FTP Sysops miss a crucial step in configuration and cause
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hundreds of duplicate messages to flood the system! This typically
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happens because most systems have dual configurations (one for the FTP
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packets, and one for the Hub system). When pointers for the Host
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system are not topped out following an import of an FTP packet, the
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next time a .REP packet is scanned, it will include ALL of the
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messages previously imported from the FTP packet! Systems that allow
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this to happen due to not making the first FIVE mail runs manually may
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find their access to the Hub revoked without warning.
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MAIL TOSSER TIPS
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----------------
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ROSEMAIL
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--------
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Rosemail from Rose Media, Inc. has a feature available that is
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designed specifically for handling Dual packets for a single system.
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This system was designed for satellite packets via Planet Connect, but
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does work for FTP packets as well. Rosemail is compatible with PCBoard
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only.
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RNET
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----
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Rnet by Robert Vostreys has a feature called "KEYCODE=" that will
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automatically adjust the pointers between the FTP config file
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and the Hub config file. Rnet is compatible with PCBoard only.
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TNET
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----
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Tnet from Mustang Software for Wildcat systems can handle FTP packets,
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HOWEVER, the pointers for the Hub system must be topped out after an
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FTP packet is imported! Failure to do this will cause the entire
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series of messages imported from the Hub to be re-exported on the next
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mail run! Here is a sample batch file for Tnet:
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TNET EXPORT UNIHUB
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CALL UNIHUB
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TNET IMPORT UNIHUB
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TNET IMPORT CAMCAT
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TNET HIGH UNIHUB
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Explanation:
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TNET EXPORT UNIHUB: Run Tnet to export U'NI-net message to be sent to
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your Official Hub.
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CALL UNIHUB: Run a batch file that invokes your telecom program to
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call your U'NI-net Hub.
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TNET IMPORT UNIHUB: Import the .REP packet that was just downloaded
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from your Hub.
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TNET IMPORT CAMCAT: Import the CAMCAT.QWK packet that you received from
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the Internet.
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TNET HIGH UNIHUB: Top out the message pointers in configuration for
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your Hub. Failure to do this will result in all the messages you just
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imported from the Internet being resent to your Hub. This might also
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cause your net status at your hub to be revoked!
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OTHER TOSSERS
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-------------
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Other .QWK/.REP compatible mail programs will work as long as they
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give you the ability to top out pointers for a specific configuration.
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Most have a command called "HIGH" that accomplishes this. See the
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instructions for TNET if you are running a tosser with this feature.
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If your tosser does not have this ability, and there isn't some other
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feature that addresses dual configuration files for a single network
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(such as RNET's KEYCODE=) then the tosser should not be used. Contact
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the author to see if the feature can be added before attempting to
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echo with U'NI-net via FTP.
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IMPORTANT
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---------
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If you are a present U'NI-net node who is switching over to FTP
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transmission, please remember to remove your old mail event from your
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system. As obvious as this sounds, we have already had one Sysop
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forget to do this, and the result was MEGADUPES!
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QUESTIONS???
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------------
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Cam DeBuck is the Network Host for U'NI-net, and the Sysop of the
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International Host system (Cam's WildCat! House). Cam can be contacted
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via any system that currently carries U'NI-net in the Sysop
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conference. He can also be contacted at the following:
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Cam's WildCat! House: 770-461-5947 (V.32bis/HST Terbo)
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Internet: cam@camcat.com
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