Hi mark,

On 2017-09-16 09:12:14, you wrote to me:

Just between you & me before anyone else notices: how does one
bargain with or bribe FMail into exporting a FREQ netmail into the
binkD stream?

You can't.

one might be able to, though...

Of course... Anything is possible given enought time. ;)

FMail completely ignores a FREQ from me to my main node,

That's by design. Freq's are not really the domain of a mail
processor/tosser.

right but it is the only thing in position to perform this feat...

Isn't there software more geared towards file transfers in fidonet, that can do
this? Maybe something like allfix? (Just guessing)

Bye, Wilfred.

--- FMail-lnx64 2.1.0.18-B20170815
* Origin: FMail development HQ (2:280/464)

Hello Wilfred,

On Saturday September 16 2017 22:38, you wrote to mark lewis:

right but it is the only thing in position to perform this
feat...

Isn't there software more geared towards file transfers in fidonet,
that can do this? Maybe something like allfix? (Just guessing)

Allfix can handle an incoming file request and binkd has hooks for that. TTMBOK, allfix does not have the ability to setup an outgoing file request. If there is I haven't found it yet.

Setting up a request in a BSO environment is not hard. Just use any text editor
to create a file nnnn.ffff.req with the name of the requested file as content and store it in the outbound. nnnn being the number of the net in hex and ffff the node number in hex.
It will be sent the next time the node is called for some reason. Like a scheduled contact or a forced poll.

Writing a script to do this would not be hard, but on the few occasions that I wanted to freq, I just created the *.req file manually. I suppose it could be added to Fmail, but there are other things much higher on my fmail wish list.


Cheers, Michiel

--- GoldED+/W32-MSVC 1.1.5-b20170303
* Origin: http://www.vlist.eu (2:280/5555)

Hi! Wilfred,

On 09/17/2017 06:31 AM, you wrote:

You had better tell FTools then. It has a 'post' function
sporting a '-r' switch (I wasn't using it... honest).

That's about creating a filerequest message, not about handling it...

Fascinating. That's what they mean by the term conundrum, I guess. Why create
something that cannot be handled by itself at a later stage? Mmm...

Ok it could be done, maybe in the pack function, or maybe in a seperate function. It doesn't seem all that hard... But it was never implemented by the original author, and never came up before in the 10 years I'm involved with the source code. I could put it on "the list", but it wouldn't be a high priority item...

Nice. Even at priority #99 it is still on 'the list'. :) Thank you.

Cheers,
Paul.

--- Mozilla/5.0 (X11; Linux i686; rv:31.0) Gecko/20100101 Thunderbird/31.4.0
* Origin: Quinn's Rock vBox - sunny side up on the bookcase (3:640/1384)

Hello Paul,

On Sunday September 17 2017 07:17, you wrote to Wilfred van Velzen:

You had better tell FTools then. It has a 'post' function
sporting a '-r' switch (I wasn't using it... honest).

That's about creating a filerequest message, not about handling
it...

Fascinating. That's what they mean by the term conundrum, I guess.
Why create something that cannot be handled by itself at a later
stage? Mmm...

It is a relic from the past. Fmail was originally designed in a FrontDoor like environment. In a Frontdoor environment creating a file attach message makes sense. The Frontdoor environment is also called AMA (Arc Mail Attach). Files are always send as file attach. There is a message associated with every file transfer. Also with a file request.

In a BSO environment things work different. The mailer only knows about files. It does not directly deal with messages, that is left to the tosser or packer.

Ok it could be done, maybe in the pack function, or maybe in a
seperate function. It doesn't seem all that hard... But it was
never implemented by the original author, and never came up
before in the 10 years I'm involved with the source code. I
could put it on "the list", but it wouldn't be a high priority
item...

Nice. Even at priority #99 it is still on 'the list'. :) Thank you.

Have you tried to manually create a *.req file. If you ever dealt with hex, it shoukd not be hard...


Cheers, Michiel

--- GoldED+/W32-MSVC 1.1.5-b20170303
* Origin: http://www.vlist.eu (2:280/5555)

Hi! Michiel,

On 09/17/2017 07:48 AM, you wrote:

You had better tell FTools then. It has a 'post' function
sporting a '-r' switch (I wasn't using it... honest).

MvdV> It is a relic from the past. Fmail was originally designed in a
MvdV> FrontDoor like environment. In a Frontdoor environment creating a file
MvdV> attach message makes sense. The Frontdoor environment is also called AMA
MvdV> (Arc Mail Attach). Files are always send as file attach. There is a
MvdV> message associated with every file transfer. Also with a file request.

So, we have 'r'=='relic' in this context. :) Thank you for the history lesson.

MvdV> In a BSO environment things work different. The mailer only knows about
MvdV> files. It does not directly deal with messages, that is left to the
MvdV> tosser or packer.

Mmm... you're limited by your experience with binkD, perhaps.[shrug] BinkleyTerm (where BSO originated) knew exactly what to do when Alt-G was pressed: it started a FREQ dialogue of its own. I can do the same thing with a
few mouse clicks in Radius... an advanced BSO mailer.

MvdV> Have you tried to manually create a *.req file. If you ever dealt with
MvdV> hex, it shoukd not be hard...

After five years with CrashMail II, I already have the necessary files at hand,
and a wonderful editor. Thanks, Michiel.

Cheers,
Paul.

--- Mozilla/5.0 (X11; Linux i686; rv:31.0) Gecko/20100101 Thunderbird/31.4.0
* Origin: Quinn's Rock vBox - sunny side up on the bookcase (3:640/1384)

Hi Paul,

On 2017-09-17 07:17:12, you wrote to me:

That's about creating a filerequest message, not about handling
it...

Fascinating. That's what they mean by the term conundrum, I guess. Why create something that cannot be handled by itself at a later stage?

Mmm...

That probably shows FMail's origin in a frontdoor mailer (or likewise) environment...

Ok it could be done, maybe in the pack function, or maybe in a
seperate function. It doesn't seem all that hard... But it was never
implemented by the original author, and never came up before in the
10 years I'm involved with the source code. I could put it on "the
list", but it wouldn't be a high priority item...

Nice. Even at priority #99 it is still on 'the list'. :) Thank you.

It's a coasy area of the list, with a lot of other wishes which have been there
a long time... ;)

Bye, Wilfred.

--- FMail-lnx64 2.1.0.18-B20170815
* Origin: FMail development HQ (2:280/464)

Hi! Wilfred,

On Sun, 17 Sep 17, you wrote to me:

Nice. Even at priority #99 it is still on 'the
list'. :) Thank you.

It's a coasy area of the list, with a lot of other wishes
which have been there a long time... ;)

Can I nominate another? I will anyway: has anyone commented on the paucity of output from 'ftools stat', yet? ;-)

I used to think that FastEcho did its thing rather well until I saw the reports
from CrashMail II. I can send you a copy of this afternoon's report as an example, if you're interested...

Cheers,
Paul.

--- Paul's Win98SE VirtualBox
* Origin: Quinn's Post - Maryborough, Queensland, OZ (3:640/384)

Hello Paul,

On Sunday September 17 2017 21:15, you wrote to Wilfred Van Velzen:

Can I nominate another? I will anyway: has anyone commented on the paucity of output from 'ftools stat', yet? ;-)

I have never used it...

I used to think that FastEcho did its thing rather well until I saw
the reports from CrashMail II. I can send you a copy of this
afternoon's report as an example, if you're interested...

What I always find remarkable is that when pwople change software, after a while they always want the new software to behave exactly as the old softwrae...

Cheers, Michiel

--- GoldED+/W32-MSVC 1.1.5-b20170303
* Origin: http://www.vlist.eu (2:280/5555)

Hi! Michiel,

On Sun, 17 Sep 17, you wrote to me:

MvdV> What I always find remarkable is that when pwople change
MvdV> software, after a while they always want the new software
MvdV> to behave exactly as the old softwrae...

Weird, isn't it. It's not a want in this case; I won't lose any sleep if nothing comes of the idea. I asked first, Michiel.

How's the weather over there at the moment? ;-)

Cheers,
Paul.

--- Paul's Win98SE VirtualBox
* Origin: Quinn's Post - Maryborough, Queensland, OZ (3:640/384)

On 2017 Sep 16 22:38:00, you wrote to me:

FMail completely ignores a FREQ from me to my main node,

That's by design. Freq's are not really the domain of a mail
processor/tosser.

right but it is the only thing in position to perform this feat...

Isn't there software more geared towards file transfers in fidonet,
that can do this?

no, there's not... originating FREQs has generally always been done by creating
a netmail MSG... mail tossers, mailers and/or MSG tools performed whatever steps were needed to convert the MSG to the proper FREQ format needed by the destination system... frontdoor handled them transparently and sent whatever was needed to the remote... binkd doesn't have the intelligence for this so it has to rely on the mail tosser or some tool like bonk (if bonk can do the conversion) to do it and place the REQ files in the BSO for binkd to deliver...
at one time i had a special tool specifically to process REQ files arriving on my frontdoor system because FD didn't do REQ files at that time... there's at least two formats that i'm aware of... REQ and whatever the other one is... in today's world, REQ is most used because binkd converts it to SRIF to feed to a FREQ processor like allfix so that allfix can go find the files and queue them for delivery during this live connection... the problem is that REQ with binkd requires manual intervention that wasn't needed years ago... there are some huge regressions in the network with the widespread use of binkd and only a few
remember how to do some of those things manually...

Maybe something like allfix? (Just guessing)

allfix is just a FREQ processor that handles the inbound request and queues up the response(s) and files requested...

)\/(ark

Always Mount a Scratch Monkey
Do you manage your own servers? If you are not running an IDS/IPS yer doin' it wrong...
... Life is painting a picture, not doing a sum.
---
* Origin: (1:3634/12.73)

Hi Paul,

On 2017-09-17 21:15:00, you wrote to me:

Can I nominate another?

You can nominate anything you want...

I will anyway: has anyone commented on the paucity of output from
'ftools stat', yet? ;-)

And I learned a new English word: "paucity"...

You're the first.

I used to think that FastEcho did its thing rather well until I saw
the reports from CrashMail II. I can send you a copy of this
afternoon's report as an example, if you're interested...

I'm mildly interested. The ftools stat function is probably a remnant from the time fmail only supported the hudson message base. I never used it myself. Aren't there external utils that can do stats on jam areas?

Bye, Wilfred.

--- FMail-lnx64 2.1.0.18-B20170815
* Origin: FMail development HQ (2:280/464)

Hi! Wilfred,

On 09/18/2017 04:33 AM, you wrote:

And I learned a new English word: "paucity"...
You're the first.

I'm happy to be of assistance. WARNING: you may already realize that English is my first language but you might be surprised to learn that I /failed/ at it as a formal subject in high school. :)

I used to think that FastEcho did its thing rather well until I saw
the reports from CrashMail II. I can send you a copy of this
afternoon's report as an example, if you're interested...

I'm mildly interested. The ftools stat function is probably a remnant from the time fmail only supported the hudson message base. I never used it myself.

Ah, yes. I had thought the same myself, and that it was designed as a diagnostic tool rather than as an informative one.

To take a step backwards for a second: you already know bad my C programming skill is. That's a fact. I had cause to give the CrashMail sources a cursory look over and saw a possibility of perhaps grafting Johan Billing's statistics analysis code into FMail. It seemed to be fairly modular. I looked at one routine that delivered two functions: read stats, or, write stats. I do not know how it sat in the whole puzzle that is CM II, to deliver a report.

Aren't there external utils that can do stats on jam areas?

Ah, yes. I've spotted one possibility of Michiel's manufacture, on his website. I will explore that further, again.

Thank you for your time, Wilfred.

Cheers,
Paul.

--- Mozilla/5.0 (X11; Linux i686; rv:31.0) Gecko/20100101 Thunderbird/31.4.0
* Origin: Quinn's Rock vBox - sunny side up on the bookcase (3:640/1384)