* * * * * ** * ** ** * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * ***** ******* * * * ***** ****** ******* ****** * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * ******* * * * * * * * * * * * ** * * * * * * * * * * * * * ****** * * * ***** * * * * * * * * The guide to BITNET servers and services * * * * Volume 1 Number 12 June 1987 * * * ***************************************************************** * * * Editor: Chris Condon CONDON@YALEVM * * Assistant Editor: Steve Sutter SUTTER@YALEVM * * NetMonth Staff Supervisor: Gary Moss MOSS@YALEVM * * * ***************************************************************** * * * __---__ * * /_______[ * * ] ] ] ] ] ] ## ## ######### ######### * * ] ] ] ] ] ] ### ## ######### ######### * * ] ] ] ] ] ] #### ## ## ### * * ] ] ] ] ] ] ## ## ## ## ### * * ] ] ] ] ] ] ## ## ## ####### ### ######### * * ] ] ] ] ] ] ## #### ## ### ######### * * ] ] ] ] ] ] ## ### ## ### * * ] ] ] ] ] ] ## ## ######### ### * * (___________) ## ## ######### ### * * )_________( * * [___/ ## ## ####### ######## ## ## * * *** ## ## ######### ######### ## ## * * *** ## ## ## ## ## ## ## ## * * *** ## ## ## ## ## ## ## ### * * *** ## # ## ## ## ######## #### * * *** ## ### ## ## ## ###### ## ### * * *** #### #### ## ## ## ## ## ## * * *** ### ### ######### ## ## ## ## * * *** ## ## ####### ## ## ## ## * * *** * * *** ######### ####### ####### ## ####### * *** ######### ######### ######### ## ######### * *** ### ## ## ## ## ## ## ## * *** ### ## ## ## ## ## ## * *** ### ## ## ## ## ## ####### * *** ### ## ## ## ## ## ## * ***** ### ## ## ## ## ## ## ## * ******* ### ######### ######### ######### ######### * ***** ### ####### ####### ######### ####### * ***** * * *** * * * ***************************************************************** 1 ************************************************************************* * Contents * *************************************************************************** Bitnotes ................................................................ 1 TAKE NOTE__________________________________________________________________ Scuttlebut .............................................................. 2 SPECIAL NETWORK TOOLS SECTION______________________________________________ LOOK .................................................................... 4 CROSSNET ................................................................ 5 MAILMERGER .............................................................. 5 BITSEND ................................................................. 6 BITRCV .................................................................. 6 CHAT .................................................................... 7 GONE .................................................................... 8 BITLIB .................................................................. 9 DEPARTMENTS________________________________________________________________ Feedback ................................................................ 9 Policies ............................................................... 10 NetMonth is a network service publication distributed free of charge to students and professionals in BITNET and other networks. This magazine and it's companion file, BITNET SERVERS, are the work of the Yale Computer Center BITNET Services Library (BITLIB) staff. The BITLIB is a local online help facility designed to inform Yale network users about what services are available to them through BITNET, and provide instructions and utilities for their proper use. In publishing NetMonth the BITLIB staff members hope to share the fruits of their labor with institutions outside of Yale in order to promote a productive and enjoyable networking environment for everyone. BITNET SERVERS is BITNET's most complete and up-to-date list of servers and services. It is sent to NetMonth subscribers at the same time as the magazine. BITNET SERVERS is dependent on your support to remain accurate. If you know of servers and services not listed in BITNET SERVERS, or of those listed in the file that are no longer available, please contact the NetMonth staff at BITLIB@YALEVM. For information on subscribing to NetMonth and BITNET SERVERS, see the "Policies" section on the last pages of this issue. Within "Policies" there are also instructions for submitting articles, sending Letters to the Editor, and printing this file. ------------------------------------------------------ A publication of the Bitnet Services Library "Because We're Here." 1 Page 1 ************************************************************************* * Bitnotes Issue 11 * *************************************************************************** "It's a small world, but I wouldn't want to paint it." Sometimes I think that you are all ********* Network Tools ********* crazy. * * * * That's OK, I am too. Oh, we're * * nowhere near the fashionable padded- * __---__ * wall and straitjacket set, but we * /_______[ * have our moments. How many of us * ] ] ] ] ] ] * spend a day working in front of the * ] ] ] ] ] ] * Cathode Ray Tube, only to find * ] ] ] ] ] ] * ourselves at the keyboard of a PC * ] ] ] ] ] ] * when we get home? Here it is, a * ] ] ] ] ] ] * glorious, sunny, Saturday and I am * ] ] ] ] ] ] * typing my mind away. I could be * ] ] ] ] ] ] * getting a TAN for once. * ] ] ] ] ] ] * * (___________) * Crazy. * )_________( * * [___/ * I don't know how many hours you spend * *** * working and playing on BITNET. If * *** * you spent that much time on your lawn * *** * you would... well... have a NICE * *** * lawn. There aren't enough hours in * *** * the day to do all of the things you * *** * have to do or want to do, are there? * *** * You have to be a bit more efficient, * *** * use your time a little better, a * *** * little faster, to get your time in * *** * the sun. * *** * * *** * This special issue of NetMonth is * *** * dedicated to those of you who would * *** * like to be at the beach right now, or * *** * in the park, or at the game, or * ***** * wherever you go when you are not * ******* * playing with computers. (The software * ***** * store, perhaps?) Here we present to * ***** * you information on many of today's * *** * network tools so you can gain those * * extra hours in the sun. We don't * * even begin to pretend that it is all- * * inclusive, but it's a start, and we * * hope you enjoy it. Catch some rays. ********************************* Chris Condon@YaleVM 1 Page 2 ************************************************************************* * Scuttlebut * *************************************************************************** * New Listservers: Bill R. Cazemier Jr. has passed along the news about the new LISTSERV@UOTTAWA (10 guesses as to what university that is). Meanwhile, Univerisity of Akron now has a LISTSERV@AKRONVM. Thanks to Gary Sponseller for that information. * Growing (slowly): Thanks to Jeff Kell for this announcment: A new Relay has been established at VTVM2 as CSRLY@VTVM2. This will be a test installation over the summer by the VTVM2 Academic services staff. The VTVM2 contact is Ron Jarrell, JARRELLR@VTCS1. * According to Marco Sommani (who we have no reason to doubt) the Italian NETSERV has been moved from EARNET to ICNUCEVM. * The latest from NICSERVE: The following are the current descriptions of the roles of the network's Institutional, Technical, and Information Services Representatives to the BITNET Board of Trustees through the agency of the BITNET Network Information Center. These roles will evolve based on feedback from the user community, the representatives themselves, and the BITNET Board of Trustees. BITNET Institutional Representative (BIR) -- an individual appointed by the BITNET member institution's president/chancellor who can speak for overall institutional BITNET policy; typically a senior-level manager or administrator with fiscal and/or policy responsibility for computing at an institutional level. This individual (or proxy) will vote on matters requiring a vote of the BITNET membership, appoint the institution's official Technical Representative and Information Services Representative, and represent his/her BITNET member institution in policy and fiscal matters. BITNET Technical Representative (TECHREP) -- an individual appointed by the member institution's BITNET Institutional Representative who can speak for the status of all the computers connected to BITNET at that institution; typically a systems programmer knowledgable about and responsible for at least one of the connected computers. This individual will interface with the BITNIC regarding such things as technical operations, routing tables, the BITNET database (as the only official source of database changes), and various software such as mail user agents and mail transfer agents within that institution. BITNET Information Services Representative (INFOREP) - an individual appointed by the member institution's BITNET Institutional Representative who is responsible for local BITNET information services support; this includes dissemination of information about BITNET to end-users of each 1 Page 3 BITNET node at the institution, answering questions from local BITNET users, etc.; typically a senior information/user services staff. This individual will be the point of contact between the BITNIC's information services and the institution's user community and will be in ongoing communication with BITNIC staff. * And still more... this time on the BITNET-UUCP gateway: To send BITNET messages through gateways, you must create a file with your message text and ARPANET-style headers. In addition, to use the UUCP gateway at Penn State (PSUVAX1), you must embed BSMTP (Batch Simple Message Transfer Protocol) commands in your file so that it can be transmitted through the gateway. For more information on BSMTP, see Alan Crosswell's paper on the subject, which is available through NICSERVE@BITNIC (file CUVMB BSMTP). The SENDGATE EXEC, which assists users in sending files through gateways, is available from the developers. For VM/CMS, contact Paul Kunz at SLAC (PFKEB@SLACVM). For the VAX/VMS version, contact Ed Miller at SLAC (ESMP09@SLACTWGM). For sites that do not run MAILER, SENDGATE creates an appropriate set of headers and BSMTP commands for a message file and sends the file in the appropriate format to the gateway. However, with MAILER and RICEMAIL, the mail is sent automatically. If users at your site send many messages through gateways, using SENDGATE or a similar facility is recommended over the alternatives presented below. Once your file is created in the format indicated, you should PUNCH it (CLASS=M) to the node and id listed for the gateway you want to use. *************************************************************************** UUCP using Penn State node=PSUVAX1 id=MAILER HELO yoursite.BITNET VERB ON TICK nnnn MAIL FROM: RCPT TO: DATA Date: 27 Apr 87 17:00 EST From: youruserid@yoursite.BITNET To: UUCPuserid@UUCPsite.UUCP Subject: (This is optional) Message text. Note that the blank line separating the headers from the text is NOT optional. QUIT *************************************************************************** 1 Page 4 ************************************************************************* * Network Tools * *************************************************************************** Listed here are some of the better tools to make your life in BITNET a little easier or more enjoyable. We have no doubt that we have a few, but there are always future issues. If you know of a network tool that should have been included in this article, send mail to BITLIB@YALEVM and we will feature the information in another NetMonth. LOOK (VM) ***************************************************************** from NETSERV (PROGRAMS FILELIST) ****************************************** The LOOK command lets you scan a file from your virtual reader. Once in LOOK, you can issue a subcommand to get a split-screen LOOK of different files or different levels within the same file. The format of the LOOK command is: +------------+----------------------------------------+ ] LOOK ] Õspoolid ] ?å ] +------------+----------------------------------------+ where: spoolid is the number (up to 4 digits) of the spool file to be browsed. ? displays information about the LOOK command and its use. options are one or more LOOK options separated by blanks and enclosed in parentheses. LOOK Options H fn specifies the filename of an EXEC to be called on invocation of the HELP function (PF Key 1). The default EXEC called is HLOOK. P >> specifies an alternate fileid to be used as the LOOK profile. The default profile used is LOOK $PROFILE *. N specifies not to clear the screen on entry to LOOK. The default is to clear the screen before display of the first screen of the file to be browsed. 1 Page 5 CROSSNET (VM) ************************************************************* from NETSERV (PROGRAMS FILELIST) ****************************************** Use the CROSSNET command to send files to a network other than BITNET. To use the command simply type CROSSNET and you will be propmpted for all information. For example: CROSSNET Enter nickname or userid-blank-node of recipient : ZIGGY FIDO-NIC Enter fn ft of file to be sent or NOTE to compose a message : PROGRAM LISTING A To be added to your ALL NOTEBOOK B ? (Enter YES, NO or fn) NO Enter name of target network : ARPA What is the subject of your message ? ZIGGY - I THOUGHT YOU MIGHT LIKE THIS. PUN FILE 2175 TO RSCS COPY 001 NOHOLD File sent to ARPA. Networks currently accessible are: AC, ALVEY, ARPA, BERKELEY, BITNET, CALTECH, CCNET, CDNNET, CERN, CHAOSNET, CHUNET, CITNET, CMU, COLUMBIA, COM, COMPMAIL, CORNELL, CSNET, DECNET, DFN, EARN, EDU, GOV, GRAPEVIN, HEANET, IL, INFNET, JANET, JUNET, MAILNET, MFENET, MIL, MILNET, MIT, MLNET, MTSNET, NET, NIUNET, ORG, OZ, RICE, STANFORD, SUNET, UK, UNINETT, US, USENET, UUCP, UWO, WISC and WUSTL. MAILMERGER (VMS) ********************************************************** from COMSERVE@RPICICGE (COMPUTER DIRECTORY) ******************************* There's now a mailmerger utility written in DCL. What can you do with it? Well, you can mail a standard letter to several users, but each letter has a personal touch because the standard letter contains some variables that you can assign with the personal data of the addressed person. The variable names, how many variables and where you want to put them you can choose yourself. Using conditional assignments is also possible! This way the addressed person will never notice he/she has just received a standard letter. You even can write your own standard love letter!! Very handy for (network-)playboys/girls! You can mail using any net, because this mailmerger also can use gMail for sending your merged mail. It goes automatically, because the utility will choose between Mail or gMail depending on the type of addressing. If you want to send them via SEND/FILE (or SEND/FILE/PUNCH etc.), is also no problem. You just assign the standard variable SENDWAY with the string "SEND/FILE". This you can do with each merged letter. If you want to send your letter via NORMAL POSTINGS is also possible. You DON'T HAVE to send your merged letters via E-Mail. You also may print them, put them in envelopes and post them. 1 Page 6 It is also very easy and save to work with the mailmerger in BATCH. This mailmerger is a powerfull utility and yet easy to use, allowing the user to store his data in several manners. These are the files you need to use the mailmerger set: MAILMERGER.HELP MAILMERGE.COM SENDFILE.COM SENDLOOP.COM FILE_SELECTOR.COM (by Agus Judistira, Reken Centrum Rijksuniversiteit Groningen, Holland.) BITSEND (VM and VMS) ****************************************************** from NETSERV (PROGRAMS FILELIST) ****************************************** VM: Use the BITSEND EXEC to split files larger than the BITNET maximum into smaller files (segments) and send them to one or more computer users on the BITNET network. (The current maximum file size is 300K bytes.) BITSEND uses the SENDFILE command to transmit the file segments and has a similar syntax. Note that the recipients must have and use the BITRCV EXEC to receive the segmented files and join them back together. VMS: Sends large files to another user on the RSCS network. This program will break large files (those larger than 300K bytes) into smaller segments and send them to the specified user and node. Additionally a control file will be sent that will direct BITRCV on how to rebuild the original file. Files, by default, are transformed from VMS RMS formats and converted from ASCII to EBCDIC before sending as to be compatible with the receiving system. BITRCV (VM and VMS) ******************************************************* from NETSERV (PROGRAMS FILELIST) ****************************************** VM: Use the BITRCV EXEC to rejoin file segments that have been sent by BITSEND provides the inverse transformation to the BITSEND exec. It takes a group of file segments from the reader and, using acontrol file, reassembles them into one file (the original file before BITSEND). It has a similar format to the RECEIVE command. The spoolid specifiied must be that of the control file associated with the group of file segments. VMS: BITRCV is a command file to read all the segments of a file sent with the BITSEND utility. It will combine all the segments as given by the control file specified in the command. If no output file is specified the name of the original is used. 1 Page 7 CHAT (VM) ***************************************************************** from NETSERV (PROGRAMS FILELIST) ****************************************** This is a general description of the Chat "Network conversation sifting facility" program -- what it is, what it is not, and how to use it. In is assumed that you are proficient with the standard IBM TELL and NAMES commands. To avoid a possible confusion with several other (older) program bearing the same name, please note that Chat is not a multi-user chat machine such as RELAY. It is rather a kind of full-screen TALKTO program which includes a GONE-like answering machine, a message filtering program and much more. Apart from the usual RSCS message trimming and nickname- search, Chat will sort incoming and outcoming messages by nicknames and display them on different "logical screens". There are 6 different logical screens, and each of them can be "dedicated" to a particular user. Every message sent to or received from that user will be displayed on that screen and will not mess up the other screens. You can switch from one screen to another by pressing the corresponding PFkey and the latest messages printed on that screen will be re-displayed. There is an independent command line for each logical screen, which is automatically pre-set to "Tell nickname", where "nickname" is the nickname of the person to which the screen is dedicated. The contents of the command line is preserved (along with the position of the cursor) whenever you switch from one screen to another. You can therefore switch to another screen to send an urgent message and switch back to the original screen to resume typing your message. There is a special screen, called "screen 0", where all messages will be printed regardless of nickname, thereby simulating the usual VM console output. Some messages (eg RSCS messages) will be automatically directed to this screen so as not to mess up the other screens. Getting started with Chat: assume you want to talk to user Mike (from your NAMES file). All you will have to do is enter Chat (by issuing the command: "CHAT"), type "Mike" in the first input field and press the PF1 key. More generally speaking, PFn will switch you to screen number n, and the n-th input area on the nicknames screen corresponds to screen number n. You will then be able to chat with Mike (the messages will appear on the screen as soon as they are received), or with several users at once. You may exit Chat at any time by pressing the PF12 key. If you ever receive a message from a user which has not yet been dedicated a screen, Chat will automatically assign the first "free" screen to him and print the message there. CHAT chat CHAT chat CHAT chat CHAT chat CHAT chat CHAT chat CHAT chat CHAT chat CHAT chat CHAT chat CHAT chat CHAT chat CHAT chat CHAT chat CHAT chat CHAT chat CHAT chat CHAT chat CHAT chat CHAT chat CHAT chat CHAT chat CHAT chat CHAT chat CHAT chat CHAT chat CHAT chat CHAT chat CHAT chat CHAT chat CHAT chat CHAT chat CHAT chat CHAT chat CHAT chat CHAT chat CHAT chat CHAT 1 Page 8 GONE (VM) ***************************************************************** from SERVER@TAMCBA ******************************************************** Use the GONE command to DISCONNect your VM/CMS session, and issue a response to any user who sends you a message while your session runs disconnected. GONE is a program to handle things while you're away from your terminal. As transactions arrive at your terminal (a message or a file), GONE will notify the originator of the transaction of its receipt. The default message that will be sent to the originator will be: "*GONE I am not here right now, but your message has been recorded." If you wish to use a different message just type it in after the GONE command, i.e. "GONE I am out to lunch now". Please note: The first word of your message will be the word '*GONE' so as to comply with network standards for automatic reply facilities. You do not need to specify '*GONE' in your message. BITLIB ******************************************************************** from the Bitnet Services Library ****************************************** * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * The Bitnet Services Library (BITLIB) is an online help facility providing Yale VM users with information on file servers, name servers, electronic magazines, and other services. It includes specific usage information for each server, explanations of basic concepts (such as "What is a file server?") and a set of useful EXECs to make life with BITNET easier. All documentation has been tailored to the VM environment. 1 Page 9 BITLIB is was recently converted from YHELP to SP4 HELP and made avaialable to the BITNET community. The BITLIB files, as well as the first (May) update have been been distributed to the following nodes: ALBNYVM1 State University of New York (Albany) BNANDP11 FNDP, Namur, Belgium DARTCMS1 Dartmouth Collgege Kiewit CC EB0UB011 Universidad Barcelona HDETUD1 TU Delft, Netherlands LSUVM Louisiana State University NDSUVM1 North Dakota State University NMSUVM1 New Mexico State University OREGON1 University of Oregon PUCC Princeton University RYERSON Ryerson TCSVM Tulane University UALTAVM University of Alberta UCSCVM University of California - Santa Cruz UCSFVM University of California - San Francisco UKANVM University of Kansas UOTTAWA University of Ottawa UTCVM University of Tennessee UTDALVM1 University of Texas Academic Computer Center UTOREPAS University of Toronto VILLVM Villanova University Thanks to Scott Campbell of UTOREPAS, it is now possible for VM/SP3 sites to install BITLIB files after making a simple conversion. A VAX/VMS version is currently under development. BITLIB has been serving users at Yale since May of 1985. At this time the we would like to monitor interest in the service. If you are interested in installing BITLIB at your node, or would like more information, please send mail to BITLIB@YALEVM. ************************************************************************* * Feedback * *************************************************************************** Dear Chris, et. al.: I read with interest the article on "The Undergraduate in BITNET" in the May issue of NetMonth. I myself am currently an undergrad at Pomona College in Claremont, California. Here at Pomona, ALL undergrads, regardless of major, are issued a userid the beginning of their freshman year on our IBM 4341 mainframe. Access to 1 Page 10 BITnet via this machine is basically unrestricted with the proviso that 'chatting' and other non-course-related activity on BITnet (along with other personal usage) has last priority for terminals. Given the terminal/student ratio, this is only of importance at the end of the semester when terminal demand rises. There is a special public disk on the system that holds various info on BITnet, and a variety of software to make use of the net more convenient, such as the CROSSNET EXEC that simplifies mailing to some of the other nets that BITnet is gatewayed to. However, no bulletin board services are provided; finding out about and subscribing to discussion groups, etc., is entirely left up to the users. To my knowledge, we have had little trouble with students abusing these privileges; this may be due in part to the fact we are a 'selective' liberal arts college with a total enrollment of under 1500. Our college is currently beginning a program of expanding computer facilities and student use of same, under the premise that computers benefit ALL disciplines, not just CS and other sciences. Many profs here have noted that the quality of work (papers, etc) by students who make use of computers is noticeably higher than that of those who do not. Well, that's where WE are coming from... I'll be interested to hear what the situation is in other places. ---- George Madison 7GMADISO@POMONA ************************************************************************* * NetMonth Policies * *************************************************************************** * Subscribing to NetMonth and BITNET SERVERS: VM users can be added to the mailing list by issuing the following command: TELL LISTSERV AT MARIST SUBSCRIBE NETMONTH Your_full_name VAX/VMS users can subscribe in a similar way: SEND LISTSERV@MARIST SUBSCRIBE NETMONTH Your_full_name If you cannot send messages in this way, you can send the following command as the first line of a mail file to LISTSERV@MARIST: SUBSCRIBE NETMONTH Your_full_name Arpanet users may use this method, but must address the mail to: LISTSERV%MARIST.BITNET@WISCVM.WISC.EDU 1 Page 11 A subscriber can delete him/herself from the mailing list by sending LISTSERV@MARIST the UNSUBSCRIBE NETMONTH command. * Letters to the Editor: If you have questions or comments about BITNET or NetMonth that you would like printed here, mail your l etter to BITLIB@YALEVM. Make sure that you specify in the "Subject:" header or somewhere in the letter that it is for the NetMonth letters column. This doesn't mean that your letter will be printed, but it helps. * Article Submissions: The only requirements for NetMonth articles are that they be informative, interesting, and deal with BITNET services (or any other good BITNET related topics). The editor will inform you of any changes to your writing and will submit them for your approval, deadlines permitting. Send your articles to BITLIB@YALEVM. * Printing this file: VM users can print this file by first copying it to NETMONTH LISTING and then printing the new file. This will allow page- breaks and other formatting to be understood by your printer. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- A publication of the Bitnet Services Library "Because We're Here."