U'NI-NET AND INTERNET FTP ------------------------- U'NI-net is a general interest .QWK mail based echomail network offering over 100 topics of conversation. For complete information about the network, download UNIxxx.ZIP. U'NI-net is available via Anonymous FTP. To find the mail packets, you must have a shell account on a system connected to the Internet that offers FTP protocol. These packets are direct from Cam's WildCat! House, which is the International Host system for U'NI-net. They are called CAMCAT.QWK and are packed inside .ZIP files named after the day and if they were scanned in the AM or PM (MON-AM.ZIP, TUE-PM.ZIP, WED-AM.ZIP, etc). The packets contain all U'NI-net conferences except private administrative ones (UNI-NET, UNI-HOST, UNI-HUB and your hubs local admin conference). At the very least, UNI-NET must be picked up from an Official Hub when you upload your .REP files. If your system gives access to any conference Hosts then UNI-HOST must be picked up as well. HOW TO FIND THE PACKETS ----------------------- We will assume that you are familiar with the Internet and Anonymous FTP. If you need more complete information, please send your questions via Internet email addressed to sysop@camcat.com. U'NI-net packets are available on the following sites accessible via FTP. They are: ftp.camcat.com (155.229.199.193) ftp.delta.net ftp.netcom.com ftp.at.com From the system prompt (%) enter: [camcat] % ftp ftp.camcat.com -OR- % ftp 155.229.199.193 [deltanet] % ftp ftp.delta.net [netcom] % ftp ftp.netcom.com [at] % ftp ftp.at.com login: anonymous password: (enter your complete email address here) [camcat] ftp> cd /uninet [deltanet] ftp> cd /users/sheppard/uninet [netcom] ftp> cd /pub/un/uninet Or, for a full week's worth of .QWKs: ftp> cd /pub/cs/cshapiro/uninet [at] ftp> cd /uninet Once you have found the uninet directory, you can do a dir (ls -al) command and you should see the latest UNIxxx.ZIP file containing information about the network, plus the latest mail packets. NOTE: You may use the dir command at camcat.com The mail packets are named after the day of the week, plus if they are scanned in the AM or PM. So, you'll see packets with names like this: MON-AM.ZIP : This packet would have been scanned the most recent Monday in the morning. Inside the .ZIP is a CAMCAT.QWK file with net status turned on. It contains all conferences except the private administrative ones (UNI-NET, UNI-HOST & UNI-HUB). MON-PM.ZIP : This packet would have been scanned the most recent Monday in the evening. TUE-AM.ZIP : Tuesday Morning etc... To copy MON-AM.ZIP to your account directory issue this command: ftp> get mon-am.zip Once the process is complete close the connection: ftp> close Quit the FTP program, and then issue this command from your local unix prompt: % sz mon-am.zip The file will be sent to your local hard disk via Zmodem. WHAT IF I MISS A PACKET? ------------------------ Each packet will be online a minimum of 24 hours. Under normal circumstances there will be three days worth of packets online at all times. If you miss getting a packet, you must FTP to camcat.com which keeps a full weeks worth of packets in the /uninet folder. Issue a dir or ls -al command and you'll be presented with a file directory that will contain a full weeks worth of zipped packets. You can download whatever you missed from that list. It is also possible that there could a problem with the automated system that posts the mail files on the Internet. Or the service provider we use could have technical problems. If packets are missing, the best bet is to call Cam's Wildcat! House to get them until things return to normal. AUTOMATION: ---------- We have fourteen different packet names. This can make automation tricky. Joseph Sheppard has written a program included in UNIDL10.ZIP, which can be downloaded from the uninet directories at Camcat, Deltanet, Netcom, & AT. This program will write the name of the current packet to a text file and to a batch file that can place the name in your DOS environment. Most telecom script programs can read a variable from a text file or the DOS environment. UNIDL10.ZIP includes pascal source code. FTPMAIL ------- QWK packets and other U'NI related files can also be received via FTPMAIL. This process involves sending a message to request a file by name, then the file is uuencoded and sent to you in a message. Many UUCP programs automatically decode the file for you, if yours doesn't, you have to decode it using a program called UUDECODE.EXE. Shareware and Freeware versions of this program are available for download from most BBS systems. To receive a file (example MON-AM.ZIP) from the ftpmail server at netcom.com, you would send an internet email message addressed: To: ftp-request@netcom.com In the body of the message, put this: send /pub/un/uninet/mon-am.zip GUIDELINES ---------- Please be advised that all normal guidelines and procedures regarding mail transmission with U'NI-net as described in UNINET.TXT apply, PLUS these: 1. Systems receiving packets via FTP MUST connect to an Official U'NI-net Hub at least once every 24 hours to upload reply (.REP) packets and download private administrative conferences including UNI-NET, and the local administrative conference. In addition, if someone from your system will be hosting a conference, you must pick up UNI-HOST via your hub. See UNIHUBS.LST to determine the Official Hub for your area. 2. You must notify your Official Hub that you plan to transfer mail via FTP. This should be noted on your application. Present systems who are switching over to satellite must get permission from their hub to transfer U'NI-net packets via satellite. 3. It is MANDATORY that the first FIVE mail runs to your hub be made MANUALLY, or in a manner that allows you to abort the process if an abnormally large .REP packet is created. This is to make sure that your mail tosser software is configured properly. It is very possible for new FTP Sysops miss a crucial step in configuration and cause hundreds of duplicate messages to flood the system! This typically happens because most systems have dual configurations (one for the FTP packets, and one for the Hub system). When pointers for the Host system are not topped out following an import of an FTP packet, the next time a .REP packet is scanned, it will include ALL of the messages previously imported from the FTP packet! Systems that allow this to happen due to not making the first FIVE mail runs manually may find their access to the Hub revoked without warning. MAIL TOSSER TIPS ---------------- ROSEMAIL -------- Rosemail from Rose Media, Inc. has a feature available that is designed specifically for handling Dual packets for a single system. This system was designed for satellite packets via Planet Connect, but does work for FTP packets as well. Rosemail is compatible with PCBoard only. RNET ---- Rnet by Robert Vostreys has a feature called "KEYCODE=" that will automatically adjust the pointers between the FTP config file and the Hub config file. Rnet is compatible with PCBoard only. TNET ---- Tnet from Mustang Software for Wildcat systems can handle FTP packets, HOWEVER, the pointers for the Hub system must be topped out after an FTP packet is imported! Failure to do this will cause the entire series of messages imported from the Hub to be re-exported on the next mail run! Here is a sample batch file for Tnet: TNET EXPORT UNIHUB CALL UNIHUB TNET IMPORT UNIHUB TNET IMPORT CAMCAT TNET HIGH UNIHUB Explanation: TNET EXPORT UNIHUB: Run Tnet to export U'NI-net message to be sent to your Official Hub. CALL UNIHUB: Run a batch file that invokes your telecom program to call your U'NI-net Hub. TNET IMPORT UNIHUB: Import the .REP packet that was just downloaded from your Hub. TNET IMPORT CAMCAT: Import the CAMCAT.QWK packet that you received from the Internet. TNET HIGH UNIHUB: Top out the message pointers in configuration for your Hub. Failure to do this will result in all the messages you just imported from the Internet being resent to your Hub. This might also cause your net status at your hub to be revoked! OTHER TOSSERS ------------- Other .QWK/.REP compatible mail programs will work as long as they give you the ability to top out pointers for a specific configuration. Most have a command called "HIGH" that accomplishes this. See the instructions for TNET if you are running a tosser with this feature. If your tosser does not have this ability, and there isn't some other feature that addresses dual configuration files for a single network (such as RNET's KEYCODE=) then the tosser should not be used. Contact the author to see if the feature can be added before attempting to echo with U'NI-net via FTP. IMPORTANT --------- If you are a present U'NI-net node who is switching over to FTP transmission, please remember to remove your old mail event from your system. As obvious as this sounds, we have already had one Sysop forget to do this, and the result was MEGADUPES! QUESTIONS??? ------------ Cam DeBuck is the Network Host for U'NI-net, and the Sysop of the International Host system (Cam's WildCat! House). Cam can be contacted via any system that currently carries U'NI-net in the Sysop conference. He can also be contacted at the following: Cam's WildCat! House: 770-461-5947 (V.32bis/HST Terbo) Internet: cam@camcat.com