UUCP for METAL

[Damin@damage.cleve.fnet.org]

Hey hey hey....What do you know? I'm posting this from my FutureVision BBS
system. Nice to know things work the way they are supposed to...:)

In any case, this is to report on the status of UUCP for METAL. I have been
writing code for it for the last few weeks. I have decided to approach it in
this fashion.

1. A UUCICO front end will be incorporated into the Protocol. This front end
   will support both Host and Caller modes. In other words, OTHER UUCP sites
   will be able to call in to you and exchange data THROUGH you. Scary
   thought. An Apple II system running as a Mail Exchanger for two Suns? :)

2. This "Protocol" will not be tied into METAL as the others are. Instead
   it will implemented as a METAL Shell Command. What does this mean? Well,
   you will be able to use it from the METAL shell like the other commands.
   Simply pass it some arguements and away it will go. To use it with a remote
   site, all you have to do is connect to the site and start up it's UUCICO
   program.

3. It will be, on the METAL end, Taylor UUCP 1.04 compliant. You will have
   to generate UUCP Control/Data files using this standard. I was debating
   using a "Custom" file format, but decided against it. It just wouldn't be
   justified.

4. Incoming/Outgoing UUCP files will be stored in separate directories. I'm
   doing this to allow MAJOR flexibility and avoid confusion in the first
   release. A seperate "daemon" (Mainly, UUXQT.S) can parse the incoming
   directory and route the data to the appropriate programs. This code -IS-
   written and has been in use for about 3 months now. Best of all, it is NOT
   FutureVision dependant. It calls external programs (RNEWS.S, RNET.S,
   RMAIL.S, RFPT.S) that can be custom taylored to work with YOUR particular
   BBS setup.

5. The format for calling the Shell command, as it now stands is this..

call "uucp {local site} {out directory} {in directory} {mode} {err}"

The Macro Processor WILL be updated to support this command. In essence, all
you would have to set up your system to grab UUCP feeds is to call this macro
via MACRO.PROC.S

START
DIAL:{number}^M
WAIT:gin:
SEND:nuucp^M
UUCP:damage,4/uucp/out,4/uucp/in,1,err
MODEM:ATH0^M
END

6. The actual Transport protocol will be UUCPg. I am hoping to implement the
   full sliding window support that the protocol requires. All the way up to
   a 4K window. If I code it right, this SHOULD yield CPS rates in excess of
   1600.

7. Best of all, this is going to be.......free. I have mulled it over in my
   head for a LONG time wondering if I should charge for the work I am doing.
   The more I think about it, the more I say to myself.."Na...no amount of
   cash can make up for the fun of programming the Apple II. NONE!". I WILL
   gratefully accept donations if people care. But I am more interested in
   seeing the Apple II series pushing itself into the future. As of now, I no
   of NO -REAL-, publically available UUCP. UMDSS is NOT UUCP. I have heard
   nothing from the Modemworks UUCP project lately. The GNO UUCP project
   hasn't surfaced yet. Am I the ONLY one that sees what this could do for the
   future of the Apple II?

Comments / Questions appreciated and welcomed.

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  Damin - Sysop of Damage Incorporated, Cleveland's Fastest Apple II System
  #1@#6         (216)-328-0374 / HST & V.32 BIS up to 14,400
         Spring Break 1993 in Waco, Texas! 14 days of fun and guns!
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