ProBoard BBS Documentation

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====== Message Areas - (F3) ======

ProBoard is one of the only BBS packages that allows you to use more than
one message base format to hold your messages.  You can use Hudson,
Squish, JAM, or Fido (.MSG) or a combination of these at the same time!

__ProBoard's message base limits are as follows:__

  Message Type    Number of Message Areas    Maximum File Size
  Hudson          200                        16 Mb/15000 messages (all areas combined)
  Squish          10,000                     5400 msgs. per area.
  Fido *.MSG      10,000                     Unlimited (disk space available).
  JAM             10,000                     Unlimited (disk space available).

Each message area in ProBoard has its own name and properties.

For example, you could have a message area for public messages only,
several message areas for Echomail, or an area where you create
"Announcement" messages for your users.

Selecting "Message Areas" from the Main Menu, gives you a list of the
available areas (which may initially be empty if you are setting up your
BBS for the first time.)

To edit a Message Area, press <Enter>.  To add a Message Area, press
<Insert>, or enter a number for the area you want to create.

For example, entering the number 10000 will create message area 10000.
Keep in mind that if you are using the HUDSON format for any of your
message areas, that any areas specified to use the HUDSON format will
have to be specified as areas 1 - 200.  This is a limit of the existing
HUDSON message base format and is not a limit of ProBoard.

__A message area has the following fields:__

**Name**

Name of this message area.

**Path**

The path where this Message Area is located.  This is used for SQUISH, JAM, and
*.MSG, but NOT for Hudson.

**Message Kind**

The kind of message. You can have:

  * Local (Local messages)
  * EchoMail (Echomail)
  * NetMail (Netmail)
  * Pvt EchoMail (Private Echomail)

One word about the difference between the "Echo" type and the "Pvt Echo" type: In
"Echo" areas, it is not allowed to delete messages that have been exported by an
echomail processor (as specified by the FTSC, the FidoNet Technical Standards
Committee). In a "Pvt Echo" area, this restriction is not imposed.

**Message Type**

One of the following:

  * **Private only:** Only private messages allowed.
  * **Pvt/Public:**  Private or public messages allowed.
  * **Public only:** Only public messages allowed.
  * **To All:** This message type should be used in a LOCAL message area only.

The "To All" message type is intended for a SysOp to leave messages to all users.
Any messages entered in this area will considered "To All" regardless of the whom
the "To" is addressed to.  Messages entered in this area will be shown when ProBoard
checks for waiting mail.  You may not want to allow users to reply to these messages
since their replies will be sent to all users.  A better idea is to set the "Reply
Area" to a different message area number if you decide to let users reply to your
announcement messages.

**Name Options**

Determines which names can be used to write messages in this area. This can be:

  * **Real Names Only:** Obvious I guess
  * **Free Alias:**  The user can choose any alias he likes, as long as it's not used by another user.
  * **Fixed Alias (or real name):** The user can choose between his real name and his alias
  * **Fixed Alias (enforced):** The user can only use his alias towrite a message

It is recommended that areas where aliases are allowed, are made "Public Only".

**Message Base**

The type of message base to use for this message area.  Valid choices are Hudson,
Squish, JAM, and Fido (*.MSG).

Use the <SpaceBar> to toggle between available choices.  Remember, if you
select Hudson that this message area's number (see top bar of the window) should
be message area 200 or lower since Hudson only supports up to 200 message areas.

**Read Level**

Security Level needed to read messages in this area.

**Read Flags**

Flags needed to read messages in this area. You can now specify flags that a user MUST
NOT have in order to READ from this message area.  These flags are shown in reverse.
To set a reverse flag, press the flag letter twice (it will appear reversed).  To
clear a reversed flag type the flag letter one more time.

**Write Level**

Security Level needed to write messages in this area.

**Write Flags**

Flags needed to write messages in this area.  You can now specify flags that a
user MUST NOT have in order to WRITE to this message area.  These flags are shown
in reverse.  To set a reverse flag, press the flag letter twice (it will appear
reversed).  To clear a reversed flag type the flag letter one more time.

**SysOp Level**

Security Level needed to be allowed access to all functions in this message area.

**SysOp Flags**

Flags needed to be allowed access to all functions in this message area.  You can
now specify flags that the SysOp MUST NOT have in order to be allowed access to all
functions in this this message area.  These flags are shown in reverse.  To set a
reverse flag, press the flag letter twice (it will appear reversed).  To clear a
reversed flag type the flag letter one more time.

**Origin Line**

Only for Echomail: if you do not specify this, the default origin line will be used
(refer to F1, Site Options, to specify your default origin line).

**Use AKA**

The network address for this area (for Echomail & Netmail only).

**EchoMail Tag**

This field is used by ProBoard to create a file called ECHOTOSS.LOG You should enter
the Echomail Tag name for this message area (if this message area has the "Message
Kind" field set to "EchoMail").  When a user enters a message into this area the
tag name you specify here will be written to the file ECHOTOSS.LOG in the ProBoard
system directory, causing your mail tosser to scan for outbound mail in this message
area upon the callers logoff.

**QWK Area Name**

(Optional) You can enter the name of this area for QWK mail packers.  QWK only
supports up to 12 characters for area names.

**Reply Area**

The area where replies to messages in this area should be posted.  Useful for allowing
users to reply to "To-All" messages.  Set this to "0" (zero) if you want replies to
go to the current message area.

**SysOp**

The user name for an "Area SysOp".  A user with this name will have full SysOp access
to this message area.  When users write messages to "SysOp" in this area, the
messages will be sent to the user name specified here.

**Group #1**

The first group number this message area belongs to (1-255) if any.

**Group #2**

The second group number this message area belongs to (1-255) if any.

**Group #3**

The third group number this message area belongs to (1-255) if any.

**Group #4**

The fourth group number this message area belongs to (1-255) if any.

**All Groups**

Does this message area belong to all message groups?  Press the <SpaceBar> to
toggle between Yes/No.

**Kill after <xx> days**

When running the PBUTIL message packer with the -D parameter, all messages that have
been in the message base for <xx> days will be deleted.  This is for both HUDSON and
JAM message base formats.

**Kill rcvd after <xx> days**

When running the PBUTIL message packer with the -D parameter, all messages that have
been received for <xx> days will be deleted.  This is only for HUDSON or JAM
message base formats.

**Max # messages**

The maximum number of messages allowed in this area.  When this number is exceeded,
PBUTIL MP -D (message pack & delete) will delete the oldest messages from the message
base (Hudson and Squish).
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