• Reading QWK in BBS

    From ACMEBBS@21:4/10 to All on Mon May 16 03:19:00 2022
    Have followed the steps to setup QWK networking with Mystic & have
    attempted to set up Telegard/Renegade under OS/2-ArcaOS. No matter what
    the software is...the software does not see the QWK packets I've
    downloaded. On the other hand...have no problem with reading the same
    packets with Bluewave/Multimail.
    ... He does the work of 3 Men...Moe, Larry & Curly
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    * Origin: fsxNet FTN<>QWK Gateway (21:4/10)
  • From Wall E. Weasel@21:2/121 to ACMEBBS on Thu May 19 19:44:00 2022
    ACMEBBS wrote to All <=-

    Have followed the steps to setup QWK networking with Mystic & have attempted to set up Telegard/Renegade under OS/2-ArcaOS. No matter
    what the software is...the software does not see the QWK packets I've downloaded.

    Neither of those BBS packages have a native QWK network function. They function only as a QWK door, meaning they import .REP files and produce .QWK bundles. That's exactly the opposite of what a QWK networking client does. You will have to follow a couple of extra steps to get things working.

    You'll need to convert between the two packet types. Grab the last version of FidoQWK, which contains a module to convert QWK->REP. It will also translate the QWK index numbers between what's expected on the client BBS and what the host (Mystic) is using.

    Next you'll need to create or select an account on the client BBS for importing the converted .REP file. On Renegade this account will need SysOp ACS for the messages area(s) you are importing to. Telegard has a separate network ACS that will be used instead. If the user account doesn't have these ACS ratings, all of the messages in the .REP file which are not from that user will get discarded. Log on to the client BBS as that user and set up the QWK area(s) to include only the ones you're wanting to network.

    Use FidoQWK to convert the .QWK file to the .REP file and copy the .REP file to the client BBS local QWK directory. You'll also need to rename it to what the client BBS is set to use for its QWK ID. So you have so far converted MYSTIC.QWK -> MYSTIC.REP -> CLIENT.REP in the local client QWK directory. Now you can use the client BBS to "upload" the packet using the account you set up earlier.

    Exporting from the client BBS to the host is done in the opposite fashion. Use the "download" function of the client BBS to create a local .QWK packet for the user you set up. Use FidoQWK to convert the resulting .QWK packet to a .REP, then upload that .REP packet to the host BBS.

    On the other hand...have no problem with reading the same
    packets with Bluewave/Multimail.

    That's to be expected. Those are QWK readers which are meant to read .QWK packets and produce .REP replies.
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    * Origin: The Basement Theory - Sciotoville, Ohio USA (21:2/121)
  • From ACMEBBS@21:4/10 to Wall E. Weasel on Fri May 20 02:26:00 2022
    Wall E. Weasel wrote to ACMEBBS <=-

    ACMEBBS wrote to All <=-

    Have followed the steps to setup QWK networking with Mystic & have attempted to set up Telegard/Renegade under OS/2-ArcaOS. No matter
    what the software is...the software does not see the QWK packets I've downloaded.

    Neither of those BBS packages have a native QWK network function. They function only as a QWK door, meaning they import .REP files and produce .QWK bundles. That's exactly the opposite of what a QWK networking client does. You will have to follow a couple of extra steps to get things working.

    Thank you for telling me this.

    You'll need to convert between the two packet types. Grab the last version of FidoQWK, which contains a module to convert QWK->REP. It
    will also translate the QWK index numbers between what's expected on
    the client BBS and what the host (Mystic) is using.

    Saw this program pop up & blew it off as being needed. Now...I know that reading/responding is done with a reader.

    Next you'll need to create or select an account on the client BBS for importing the converted .REP file. On Renegade this account will need SysOp ACS for the messages area(s) you are importing to. Telegard has
    a separate network ACS that will be used instead. If the user account doesn't have these ACS ratings, all of the messages in the .REP file which are not from that user will get discarded. Log on to the client BBS as that user and set up the QWK area(s) to include only the ones you're wanting to network.

    What really threw me off with Renegade & to a lesser degree with the others was the QWK setting for the message base. The extensive reading of the docs didn't do a good job of explaining this.

    On the other hand...have no problem with reading the same
    packets with Bluewave/Multimail.

    That's to be expected. Those are QWK readers which are meant to read .QWK packets and produce .REP replies.

    Realized that after I posted this message. Part of my misunderstanding was that I thought I needed to use BBS software to read the packets and produce replies. Guess I need to change my name to D'oh. ;)

    Thank you so much for explaining this. I hope that others read this and it saves them a ton of work/reading on trying to get it to work.
    ... If you pull the wings off a fly, does it become a walk?
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    * Origin: fsxNet FTN<>QWK Gateway (21:4/10)
  • From Geri Atricks@21:4/102 to ACMEBBS on Mon May 16 19:19:04 2022
    Have followed the steps to setup QWK networking with Mystic & have attempted to set up Telegard/Renegade under OS/2-ArcaOS. No matter what the software is...the software does not see the QWK packets I've downloaded. On the other hand...have no problem with reading the same packets with Bluewave/Multimail.

    Have you double and triple checked all your path settings? Sounds like it's something as simple as that if you have a valid QWK packet.
    ---

    Legends of Yesteryear (FIDO 1:123/256) - telnet: furmenservices.net:23322

    --- Mystic BBS v1.12 A47 2021/09/29 (Windows/64)
    * Origin: Legends of Yesteryear (furmenservices.net:23322) (21:4/102)
  • From ACMEBBS@21:4/10 to Geri Atricks on Tue May 31 00:49:00 2022
    On Mon May 16 19:19:00 2022, Geri Atricks wrote to ACMEBBS <=-

    Have followed the steps to setup QWK networking with Mystic & have attempted to set up Telegard/Renegade under OS/2-ArcaOS. No matter what
    the software is...the software does not see the QWK packets I've downloaded. On the other hand...have no problem with reading the same packets with Bluewave/Multimail.

    Have you double and triple checked all your path settings? Sounds like it's something as simple as that if you have a valid QWK packet.

    Was mistaken that I could read/write QWK packets with BBS software...rather than QWK reader software. When I had some explain this to me...had to use both hands for that plant. ;)

    ... Schizophrenia sure beats being alone.

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    * Origin: fsxNet FTN<>QWK Gateway (21:4/10)