THE WINPACK README FILE
-----------------------

************************* REGISTRATION *************************

PLEASE NOTE THAT FROM VERSION 6 ONWARDS, WINPACK CAN BE
REGISTERED. AN UNREGISTERED VERSION IS FULLY FUNCTIONAL. IT
ISN'T SHAREWARE, BECAUSE YOU CAN USE IT FOR AS LONG AS YOU WANT,
BUT IT WILL OCCASIONALLY DISPLAY A MESSAGE BOX REMINDING YOU
THAT IT ISN'T REGISTERED. IF YOU HAVE NO INTENTION OF EVER
REGISTERING THE PROGRAM, AND YOU THINK THE REMINDERS MIGHT
BECOME ANNOYING, PLEASE DO NOT INSTALL THIS VERSION ON TOP OF AN
EXISTING, OLDER VERSION OF WINPACK.

Registration costs 10 ukp (UK pounds) and details on how to
register are included in the on-line help.

I have moved over to a system of registration for two reasons:-
Firstly, supporting WinPack takes up too much time for me to be
able to carry on doing it without the program providing any
income at all. Secondly, seeing shareware dealers selling the
program was a great disincentive to carry on developing it!

****************************************************************

This file includes vital information! Some of which isn't in the
on-line help. PLEASE READ IT! It really is extremely useful.

A general theme throughout these notes is READ THE ON-LINE HELP.

Remember - you are using Windows! So you can view the README
file as one task whilst you run WinPack as another, this way the
setting up is very easy. The file has the following sections:-

     1. What does WinPack do?
     2. To install WinPack
     3. Upgrading a Previous Version
     4. WinPack Won't Run!!
     5. Setting Up
     6. Mail Options
     7. The Mouse
     8. BBS.TXT
     9. SELECT.TXT
    10. Auto BBS Sessions
    11. Message List Columns *** READ THIS!!! ***
    12. Remote PMS functions
    13. WinPack and Your Local BBS
    14. Keyboard Problems
    15. PKZIP.PIF
    16. REQFIL Server
    17. Bulletin Topics (Advice)
    18. Support for G8BPQ Node
    19. Password Support
    20. VB Support Files
    21. Icons!
    22. WinPack with Windows 95
    23. WinPack Servers
    24. BBSs that don't like SIDs!
    25. Spelling Checker Support

*** NB!!! *** This release of WinPack has support for running
on top of a G8BPQ node. DON'T try and enable BPQ support or run
the BPQ Terminal application if you haven't got BPQ running!

1. What does WinPack do?
------------------------
It is a Windows Packet terminal. It has full support for mail
reading and writing, bulletin listing/reading/replying, FBB
unproto beacons, compressed forwarding, auto-connection to your
local BBS, script files, YAPP file transfer, auto 7+ encode and
decode, external servers, remote PMS commands, etc. Because it
runs in Windows, your packet system can be running all the time,
while you use your PC for other things.

2. To install WinPack
---------------------
1. From Windows Program Manager select, "File", "Run", key in
   A:SETUP and press <Return>. There is some help available from
   the install program, but you shouldn't need it.

2. When you run the program, use the 'Setup' option on the
   'Options' menu to setup the COM port you are using. Make sure
   the program settings match your TNC settings!

   Q: What gives most problems when people change PMS programs?
   A: TNC settings being incorrect!!!

   *PLEASE* read the TNC Settings section of the on-line help!

3. Upgrading a Previous Version
-------------------------------
You can install this version of WinPack over the top of WinPack
V5 without any problems. If you want to install it over the top
of an older version, you must first delete the MAIL and BULLS
subdirectory structures.

The time stamps on any files that you may have changed in your
old WinPack (PERSONAL.TXT, BBS.TXT, etc.) have been set in this
version so that you will be prompted as to whether you wish to
overwrite your existing copies. If you are happy with what you
have got, then say "No". Please note that if you keep your old
BBS.TXT file, you may wish to replace the "WAITLINE $BBS_PROMPT"
with the new WAITPROMPT script command. Also, note that there
are now options for both the WAITCON and WAITPROMPT script
commands - see the "Scripts - How They work" section of the
on-line help.

Please delete your WinPack Program Manager group so that the
program information will be setup correctly for this new
version.

MNTHNAMES.TXT is no longer used, so you can, if you wish, delete
the old copy.

The file CHANGES.TXT lists the changes between this version and
the previous general release version.

PLEASE NOTE that the default signature file from V6 onwards is
WINPACK.SIG. If you have made your own signature file in a
previous version of WinPack, it will be called SIG.TXT and it
won't be found by V6. You should rename it to PERSONAL.SIG and
then use "Options", "Signature Setup", "Default Signature" and
select "PERSONAL" as the default.

4. WinPack Won't Run!!
----------------------
If, when you start WinPack, it immediately shuts itself down
without a warning message, there are three possibilties:-

(a) You have a WINPACK.REG file on your system that has become
    corrupted.

(b) Your PACKET.EXE file has become corrupted.

(c) PACKET.EXE has been "infected" by a virus.

It's up to you to find out which of the above is irrelevant.

5. Setting Up
-------------
Run the program and select "Personal/BBS Info" on the Options
menu. Fill in the form and make sure you get it all correct!
Many problems with previous versions have been caused by people
not filling in this form correctly. If you press <F1> you will
get a picture of the form on the screen. If you click on an item
on the picture it will give you some help on what to put.

Now select "Comms Setup" on the Options menu and fill in this
form. On-line help is again available. You should also read the
"TNC Settings" section of the help.

If you get stuck at a point where you simply can't get WinPack
to communicate with the TNC, the following might help:-

Like TPK, Paket 6, and many other packet programs, WinPack needs
the TNC to be in terminal mode. If some other software that you
have been using has left the TNC in host mode, then you will
never get WinPack to work until you get the TNC out of host
mode. How to do that is beyond the scope of these notes, but not
beyond the scope of your TNC manual!

In all situations where you can't establish any communication,
take the following approach - forget about WinPack, for the time
being, and use Windows Terminal. Once you can communicate fully
satisfactorily with your TNC from Windows Terminal, using 8 data
bits, no parity, 1 stop bit, hardware handshaking, you'll find
that you can also communicate with it from WinPack.

6. Mail Options
---------------
WinPack allows you to use the FBB unproto message beacons to
build your message list, it also supports compressed forwarding
(these features are well known to TPK users). The default is to
use neither the beacons nor compression. To set your mail
options, select "Mail Options" on the Mail menu, then press <F1>
and READ THE HELP. Also note that some TNC settings become more
important once you start using the enhanced mail options, so
please read the "TNC Settings" section of the help.

7. The Mouse
------------
Using WinPack without a mouse completely spoils the program. So
even if you hate it, try and get used to clicking!

8. BBS.TXT (in the WINPACK\SCRIPTS subdirectory)
------------------------------------------------
This script is used by the program. It must do nothing other
than connect to your local BBS and leave you at the prompt.

9. SELECT.TXT (In the WINPACK\BULLS subdirectory)
-------------------------------------------------
This file contains information on the messages you want to be
marked for automatic download. There are comments in it. Note
that there are selections for messages that you don't want to be
downloaded. So if you include, for example, G2OOC in the [NOT
FROM] section, then no messages from that callsign will be
marked for downloading, even if they are to a topic that you
have selected. The easiest way to edit this file is by using
the "Selection List Editor" option on the Files menu.

10. Auto BBS Sessions
---------------------
In the WINPACK directory there is a file called AUTOTIME.TXT.
This file contains the times at which WinPack will automatically
connect to your local BBS. The easiest way to edit this file is
by using the "Selection List Editor" option on the Files menu.
If you don't want automatic connections to occur, don't put any
times in the file. At each automatic connect (or each time you
select "Auto BBS Session" from the Mail submenu, WinPack does
some or all of the following:-

1. It reads any waiting personal mail and then kills it.
2. It lists the messages.
3. It downloads any marked messages, including any that have
   been automatically marked as a result of listing the new
   messages.
4. It uploads any messages that you have written.

Exactly what it does depends on what there is to do and also on
what Mail Options you are using. This is explained in the
on-line help.

11. Message List Columns
------------------------
Aarrgghh!! I must have had over 100 help requests so far that I
have answered with the reply "Use the Bulletin Columns Options".
The ultimate proof that no-one bothers to read the instructions!

***************************************************************
NB NB NB - if you are using the FBB unproto message beacons, the
list columns are automatically set and the "Bulletin Columns"
submenu is unavailable. IF YOU AREN'T USING THE UNPROTO BEACONS
AND YOU CHOOSE NOT TO BOTHER SETTING UP THE COLUMNS, THEN IT IS
UNLIKELY THAT ANY OF THE AUTOMATIC MAIL FUNCTIONS WILL WORK
PROPERLY.
***************************************************************

Any program like WinPack that processes the 'raw' message list
from a BBS has to know where the various columns of information
are. I.e. where the "To" column is in the list, where the "From"
column is, etc. Once you have got WinPack working and have
collected your first message list from your local BBS, you
should run the "Bulletin Columns" option on the "Options" menu.
Use each item on this submenu in turn, and follow the prompts on
the status line.


12. Remote PMS functions
------------------------
If someone connects to your system, then there are some remote
options available. It's a good idea to put something in your TNC
CTEXT about "/HELP to get help". For a full list of the remote
functions, see "Remote Access" in the on-line help.

13. WinPack and Your Local BBS
------------------------------
For WinPack to work correctly, you must have the paging option
turned off in your setup on your local BBS. On FBB this is the
'OP' command, which works as a toggle - you need it to report
OFF. Also on FBB 'LC *' is a good idea.

The following applies mainly to FBB BBSs and people who have
been using TPK:-

If you have been using a packet program that never actually uses
the 'l' or 'lr' command, then, the first time that WinPack
connects and sends 'lr' the list could be *huge*. Here in the
backwoods of Lincolnshire that isn't a problem, but in some
areas listing a thousand or so messages might not make you too
popular. To avoid this you can do the following:-

1. Manually connect to the BBS.
2. Use 'OP' to set paging ON.
3. send 'l'.
4. When you get the first "... Continue <A>bort ..." message,
   send 'a'.
5. Use 'OP' to set paging OFF.
6. Send 'b' to disconnect.

Your list pointer is now updated to the top of the message list.

If you want to use the FBB unproto message beacons, you MUST ask
your sysop to give you 'U' status.

If your FBB BBS profile is set so that, when you connect, the
BBS lists any new personal mail, it is worthwhile disabling this
feature. It isn't needed, because WinPack will find out what new
mail you have by its own methods, and it wastes air time. Also,
the more text you receive before you get to the first BBS
prompt, the more chance your BBS.TXT script file has of seeing
something in the incoming text that looks like a BBS prompt -
which will totally mess up the auto BBS session. To stop the BBS
sending you the list of new mail when you connect, send the
command 'OM' to the BBS. It is a toggle, alternately enabling
and disabling the feature.

14. Keyboard Problems
---------------------
If you find you can't key in an '@' character, do as follows:-

1. Run Control Panel.
2. Select International.
3. Set 'Keyboard Layout' to British. (Assuming you are in the
   UK).

15.PKZIP.PIF (in \WINPACK)
--------------------------
This PIF is used during 7+ encoding, if you say you want to ZIP
the file. The PIF assumes that the directory where PKZIP.EXE
lives is on your DOS path. If it isn't then you need to put in a
full path for the file, e.g. C:\PK\PKZIP.EXE.

16. REQFIL Server
-----------------
The WinPack REQFIL server is a little bit different to most
REQFIL servers - it is intelligent! If someone requests a file
from you, REQFIL analyses the requested file and decides whether
or not it can be sent as text. If it decides it can't be sent as
text then it is sent as 7plus. REQFIL splits up large files into
parts. There is a configuration file, REQFIL.CFG, which you can
use to set up the maximum part size and the maximum number of
parts per day that REQFIL will send. The defaults are a maximum
part size of 4000 characters, and a maximum of 4 parts per day
to be sent.

17. Bulletin Topics (Advice)
----------------------------
When you write a bulletin using the WinPack "Write a Message"
option, from V5.2 onwards you are presented with a list of
suggested topics. The idea of this is that you are more likely
to get a reply if you select a topic that is in common use.

This doesn't restrict your subject matter, it is simply to try
and reduce the vast number of topics that are carried by most
BBSs, which make it difficult for people to find the messages
that interest them. E.g. people use IBM, IBMPC and IBM-PC, the
WinPack list suggests IBMPC. Or KENWD, KENWOD and KENWOO, the
list suggests the latter.

You don't have to use a topic from the list, you can key in
whatever you want. If you think the list is a bad idea, simply
delete BULLS\TOPICS.TXT and it will never trouble you again! Or
you can edit it and put in topics of your own choice.

18. Support for G8BPQ Node
--------------------------
WinPack has full support for running "on top of" a G8BPQ node.
The on-line help contains detailed information about this
facility.

19. Password Support
--------------------
WinPack has some support for BBS user passwords. If your local
BBS has user passwords, please read the Password Support section
of the on-line help.

20. VB Support Files
--------------------
WinPack installs some Visual BASIC support files in your
WINDOWS\SYSTEM directory. If you have severe problems running
WinPack at all - e.g. it persistently stops with GPF messages,
or the screen colours are weird, then check to see if there are
old copies of any of these files in your WINDOWS directory. If
there are, try moving them into a temporary directory where
Windows can't find them. You should be able to safely delete
them, but I wouldn't do that until you are happy that all your
applications still run ok. The files concerned are:-

        VBRUN300.DLL
        CMDIALOG.VBX
        MCI.VBX
        MSCOMM.VBX
        THREED.VBX

21. Icons!
----------
WinPack includes a superb collection of icons from Steve, G7HZQ.
These icons are attached to the file IDEVIEW.EXE. Some of them
he produced specially for WinPack, the others depict specific
radios and TNCs. If you want to change the Program Manager icon
for WinPack (or anything else) to one of these icons, proceed as
follows:-

In Program Manager highlight the icon that you want to change.
Select "File", "Properties" from the Program Manager menu.
Select "Change Icon..."
Select "Browse..."
In the file dialogue navigate your way to \WINPACK\IDEVIEW.EXE.
Select "Ok".
You can now scroll through the available icons and select one.

22. WinPack with Windows 95
---------------------------
It works fine! Well, it does for me. In fact it looks really
nice with the Windows 95 style menus, etc.

The only minor problem I have found is that right clicking the
mouse to bring up the edit window submenu will often bring up a
Win95 options menu. A second right click produces the correct
WinPack submenu.

23. WinPack External Programs and Servers
-----------------------------------------
WinPack has support for both external programs and servers.
Please read the on-line help for more information. NB - the ACK
server is configurable - see SERVERS\RECEIVE\ACK.INI.

24. BBSs that don't like SIDs!
------------------------------
Whenever WinPack forwards mail to a BBS, it always first sends a
SID banner - this is something like [WINPACK-5.5-$]. There is a
very good reason for doing this, but some BBS software might not
like it. BBS software systems I know might give problems are:-

Win FBB, depending on how the sysop has set it.
DOS FBB recent betas, again depending on how it is set up.
AA4RE
W0RLI

If you use a BBS that falls into this category, you can get
round it by using "Human mode" option on the Mail Options setup
screen.

25. Spelling Checker Support
----------------------------
WinPack has support for a spelling checker called "Spell Checker
for Edit Boxes", written by Brian Quinion, which is free for
private use. This isn't supplied on the WinPack disk, it is too
big, but it is available on the internet from ftp.demon.co.uk.
The last time I looked, it was in /.d3/ibmpc/win3/apps/spell.
The two files you need are SPEL300E.ZIP and UKENG.ZIP (UKENG.ZIP
is the dictionary, there are also dictionaries available for
other languages).

Unzip these files into the WinPack directory and you will find
that, when you are in the edit window, pressing Alt_F9 brings up
the spell checker. If you want to add your own words to the
dictionary you must first create a default dictionary. To do
this you input some text in the edit window, which should
contain at least one incorrectly spelt word, then press Alt_F9.
The spell checker will pop-up and you can use "Options", "Add"
to create a dictionary. I would suggest calling it DEFAULT.DIC.

This spelling checker can be installed into Windows so that it
is a resident application and is available to check the spelling
in any edit box. If you want to do this, please read the
README.1ST file that comes with it. I cannot support this
program.


73 - Roger

G4IDE @ GB7OPC.#22.GBR.EU
roger@peaksys.demon.co.uk

