Short: Porticus, Gazebo, Umbrella - The Shelter Family of FrontEnds v2.63
Type: comm/fido
Uploader: robert@ecs.mtlnet.org (Robert Williamson)
Author: robert@ecs.mtlnet.org (Robert Williamson)

    The  Shelter  Family  is  a  set  of  powerful  and easily configurable
Front-End  Mailers  which  support  FTS1,  Wazoo, EMSI and UUCP handshakes.
Three  independant  mailers  are available:  Umbrella, Gazebo and Porticus.
Each can be configured and compiled with the included GenMailer program.

    The  2.63  releases of the Xpack Xferq Management Tools and the RFS and
RFH  freq  handlers,  the  RFS  filelist/guide utilities and the REQCK Freq
Tracking  utilities  are  now included in the SHELTER archive, but are also
available separately in the Xpack*.lha and RFS*.lha archives.

  Each  Shelter  Mailer  has  a subset of the features of the powerful Roof
Mailer,  which  has  served as the development testbed for all wpl mailers,
for  certain  XPR's  and  utilities  and  for  the  WXI,  RexxMsg and WPLRX
interfaces as well as the WPL language itself.  Although the Roof Mailer is
included  in  the  distribution,  it  is  an intregal part of the HUGE Roof
System  and  requires  the  ROOFLOG  and  FLOWMGR function hosts for proper
operation.  It is provided as a configuration example only.

  If  you  are  looking  for a Point Mailer, and find that Umbrella is more
than  you  need,  I  recommend one of the Melody Mailers:  POP, JAZ or RAP.
These  Point-Only mailers are the smallest and fastest available.  They are
available on AmiNet or by FREQ using the magic names:

    POP, JAZ and RAP (or MELODY for all three) from either:
    fidonet#1:167/104.0 or fidonet#1:167/151.0.


    The Uncommon Features of Shelter Front-End Mailers
    --------------------------------------------------
  All  Shelter  Mailers  feature a Mailer Status Display, scrolling log and
progress  windows  as  well  as  an  XPR  progress  window.   In  addition,
individual  windows  can  display  the  progress  of  each poll.  All these
windows,  except  for the Display, may be enabled or disabled during mailer
generation. 

  All Shelter Front-Ends feature Hydra, DirectZap, ZedZap, ZedZip, SZmodem,
Zmodem,  SeaLink, Telink and DietIFNA protocols with crash-resistant RESUME
and  support  for both 2d and 4d outgoing file requests.  XPR protocols are
used  thoughout  and they support both XPR2.001 and XPR3 extensions.  These
protocols  are  maintained  by the author.  Some of these XPRS also support
the  WXI interface (FREQ:WXI_DEV.LHA), allowing read/write of wpl variables
by the protocol. 

  Shelter  Mailers  are  the FIRST and at this time (almost 6 months now),
STILL  the ONLY Amiga Mailers to support the bi-directional Hydra protocol,
and  do  this  under  BOTH  WAZOO  and  EMSI.  In addition, Shelter Mailers
support the EMSI RH1 Hydra Link flag.

  Shelter  mailers provide a high level of security, both when dealing with
other mailers and with human callers.  Unlike other mailers, when a Shelter
Mailer  is  properly  configured,  if  is  very  unlikely that files can be
stolen, or your HD formatted.

  Multiple AFTERSESSION and WHENRECD commands allow automatic req, mail and
tic  processing.  Unlike any other mailer, Shelter Mailers provide separate
commands  per  filetype  to  be executed when that type is received,sent or
aftersession.  The Cache also allows Site-specific AFTERSESSION commands to
override  the  GLOBAL  ones.   Example aftersession command scripts include
utilities  to  set  the  filenote  of  a received file from the description
comment  in a REQCK freq tracking file, or from the short description in an
AmiNet .README file.
  Shelter  Mailers  also  permit both PREDIAL and PRESESS commands if one's
application requires even more control.
  The  usefulness  of the above features is indicated by the fact that they
have now found their way into other mailers under various guises.


  All  Shelter  Mailers  are  multi-FTN  and  feature both EMSI and AUTOAKA
WAZOO.   AutoAKA  causes  the  mailer's primary address to be set depending
upon the address of the site being called or who is calling.  Rotating-AKAs
allow  setting  the  primary  address  presented  to tha inthe domainof the
caller.   It  also  allows  ajusting the remotes AKAs to change his primary
address to that which we called.  Both AutoAKA and Rotating-AKAS are active
on EMSI calls if the FIXDOMAIN or FIXKNOWN generator options are activated.
The  domain  is  automatically  set if the remote site does not provide it.
When USEAKAS is set for FTN site, all files for all AKAs configured for the
site  will be sent in the same session under either WAZOO and EMSI.  During
EMSI  sessions,  the domain is corrected if missing (eg:  Trapdoor does not
send the domain in the address) or incorrect and known.
  The  Shelter  EMSI  implementation is the most EXTENSIVE available on the
Amiga  and  has been proposed in NET_DEV as the basis for extensions to the
EMSI  specification.   Shelter  Mailers  are  the  ONLY Amiga mailers which
PROPERLY  present  and  process  Link  Hold  and  PickUp  flags,  and  such
specialized flags as FNC, RH1, TRX#, and UTC.

  The Shelter File request handlers RFS (for both mailer and human callers)
and  RFH  (fast  mailers-only  Rexx  FunctionHost)  handle file requests in
standard,  password, update and HRF formats, response handling and accounts
for both mailers and human callers.  These handlers will accept and process
multiple  REQ files received during the same session.  Unlike most mailers,
which  only  start  processing  a  request  during turnaround, Shelter Freq
Handlers  are  launched  and  start  processing  a request as soon as it is
received.

  All  Shelter  Mailers feature a Site Cache, which allows setting a remote
site's password, sitename, akas, sysopname and any number of phone numbers.
The  remote site may be an FTN node, a UUCP site, an Atomic Clock site or a
BBS, FTP or Online Service ( in which case the configured term program will
be  spawned  upon  connect).  Other parameters specific to the type of site
may  also  be  set  to force a specific set of handshakes, modem line, dial
string  to  use,  enable  domain sorting, wazoo aka routing, etc..  One may
also  configure  a  particular  site so that all mail is sent to configured
AKAs  of  a  site  either  on  inbound, outbound or both, REGARDLESS of the
negotiation  handshake  used.  This means with Shelter Mailers, WAZOO is as
powerful  as  EMSI.  One can also set which addresses to present under EMSI
when  dialing a site.  The Cache allows Site-specific AFTERSESSION commands
of the various types to override the GLOBAL ones.

  Nodelist  support  is  also  available  using  either nodelist.library or
traplist.library for FTN sessions and the uucp Passwd and L.sys configs for
uucp sessions.  Lookup utilities for both libraries are included as well as
the nodelist compiler for nodelist.library.

  The  Shelter  Mailer  Manager  program allows Cache and Manual dialing as
well as an AUTO feature which allows auto-startup and poll of one's BOSS or
echo  hub.   With  Manual dialing, one just specifies site and phone number
and/or   line  to  use.   Also  included  is  a  POLL  feature  which  will
asyncronously  poll all sites with pending mail.  POLLs will continue until
a  connection is made, with the number of seconds between dial attempts and
the  duration of a poll window both being configurable.

  Remote  addresses  can  be simply specified, with address expansion being
done  based  upon your AKA in the domain being called.  For example, if one
wanted  to  call  fidonet#1:167/104.0,  and  one's  own  primary address is
fidonet#1:167/151.0, one would simply do:
            Shelter CALL 104

  One  can  enable  individual  windows  for  each poll in progress to keep
abreast  of  the  current  status.   A  poll  can  be aborted via a Shelter
command,  or  a Ctl-C in the poll's window.  Parameters such as duration of
poll  attempt,  redial  and  busy  delays  are  settable  on the fly.  Both
handshake and protocol may be specified for a poll session.


  Shelter  mailers  do  not  use  the  FLO file format, but rather the very
secure  Xferq.library outbound management.  However, all Shelter Mailers do
provide  functions  to  convert 4D .FLO files to 5D XferQ queues and to add
any  type of file to a site queue.  In addition, the VERY comprehensive set
of  Xpack  Queue  management  tools is included.  The author of the Shelter
Mailers  is  also  maintaining  xferq.library  and  has released an update,
including source, XQUPD1_9.LHA.

  Shelter Mailers also provide for multiple inbound directories for Tossers
which are not domain aware, as well as a NONSECURE inbound for sites not in
Site  Cache  or nodelist.  A separate inbound is provided for HUMAN callers
with Porticus.

  GenMailer,  the  Mailer  generator,  uses  standard AmigaDos command line
templates.   Both  command line switches and internal options provide extra
control  in special situations.  A multiple output module format is used so
that  one  can reconfigure and reload parts of the mailer, such as the site
cache,  menus or config, instead of recompiling the whole thing.  Utilities
are  also provided for changing certain parameters (SCTL), editing the Site
Cache (CacheEdit) and various menu options (SEDIT) at any time.

  Porticus and Gazebo have been successfully used with the following BBS's:
DLG, Excelsior, Cnet, TransAmiga, Falcon, Contact!

    Umbrella Point Mailer
    ---------------------
  The  Umbrella Point Mailer is a single line, multi-FTN mailer.  It can be
setup  to  answer the phone, BBS spawning is not supported however.  If set
to  noanswer,  the  answer  code  is  not  generated.  This mailer does not
require  a nodelist, as it features both the Site Cache and manual dialing.
It  does  not support UUCP, CLOCK, FAX or BBS dialing, nor spawning of file
request handlers or BBSs.  It can be set to not do flo convert but to queue
flo files only when connected, thereby reducing memory usage.


    Gazebo - The Standard Node Mailer
    ---------------------------------
  In  addition  to  the standard Shelter FTN features, Gazebo allows single
BBS  spawning, UUCP inbound and outbound calls and setting the system clock
via calls to any Atomic Clock Site with XPRclock.library.  It also features
XfreqSH,  which  allows  the use of ANY File Request Handler except RFS and
RFH.   RFS  or  RFH  may be used instead.  Depending up[on the file request
handler  used,  Gazebo  may  accept and process multiple REQ files received
during the same session.


    Porticus - Full Service FrontEnd
    --------------------------------
  Porticus has all the features of the Umbrella and Gazebo Mailers, as well
as all the non-ROOF System dependant features of the ROOF Mailer.  Porticus
uses  either or  both the mailer-only RFH file request functionhost and the
RFS File Request Handler (both included).

  Porticus  is  the  only  wpl  mailer which is both a free and open system
adhering  to  the  WSC  interface standards for third-party utilitites.  It
also  featuring  a  WPLRX  interface that allows the user to add additional
capabilities.  Many examples are provided.

  In  addition  to  the  extensive  mailer  capabilities  described  above,
Porticus has a full-featured remote user interface for Human callers.  This
interface provides functions approaching those of a BBS:

            System Bulletins
            Multiple level Menus
            Multiple BBSs and/or Remote Shell selections
            Remote on-line help
            Text Information displays
            Doors including games and utilities
            Auto-Download of Magic Names (Zmodem)
            Auto-Uploads with file description prompt (Zmodem)
            Chat with sysop
            Messages to/from sysop
            Message Base scroller
            File Base Browser with command stacking (Zmodem/Hydra)
            File Requests with CallBack Verification (Zmodem/Hydra)
            Automatic FileRequests (Zmodem/Hydra)
            Forwarded File requests (to/from OTHER systems)
            Passworded Remote CLI
            Amiga Empire Game support
            User Accounts
            Boot a human caller

    Example  doors  include  both  QWK  and  FTP with both Zmodem and Hydra
protocols.

    All these utilities are included in the distribution.


    Distribution:
        Both  full release archives and diff updates archives are posted on
AmiNet  at regular intervals.  Full release archives have file names in the
format shelter<version>.lha, while diff archives are shelter<YYMMDD>.lha.

  AmiNet Release    FTN/HUMAN    AmiNet Diff Updates    FTN/HUMAN
      FTP           FREQ/MAGIC          FTP             FREQ/MAGIC
  ---------------   ----------   -------------------    ----------
  shelter263.lha    SHELTER      shelterYYMMDD.lha      SHE_UPD
  xpack263.lha      XPACK        xpackYYMMDD.lha        XPA_UPD
  rfs263.lha        RFS          rfsYYMMDD.lha          RFS_UPD

    Any of the above can be FREQed using the Magic names from:

        14400bps:   1-514-696-6632
            fidonet#1:167/104.0     
            amiganet#40:600/104.0

    Full releases are also available from:
        Zyxel:
            fidonet#1:167/151.0
            amiganet#40:600/151.0
        14400bps:
            fidonet#1:167/207.0


    Permission  is hereby granted to redistribute releases and diff updates
via the SAN and ADS fileecho networks and via AmiNet. 
    HOWEVER: 
    Distribution of merged or modified archives is STRICTLY FORBIDDEN.

    robert@ecs.mtlnet.org
