TBBS 2.1 - Remote Hosting (Door) Considerations

Contact:   eSoft, Inc. (Makers of TBBS)
           15200 E. Girard Ave., Suite 3000
           Aurora, CO  80014
           (303) 699-6565      Voice
           (303) 699-6872      Fax
           (303) 699-8222      BBS
           support@esoft.com   E-Mail

REMOTE HOSTING (DOOR) CONSIDERATIONS
------------------------------------

NOTE:  The information contained herein is for TBBS Single Line users only, 
and DOES NOT apply to TBBS Multi-Line users! 

So-called "Remote Hosting" is the ability in single line TBBS to run external 
DOS programs through the use of the Type 44 menu command.  

Occasionally, users will report difficulty in running programs remotely.  
Generally, the difficulty arises from two different sources.

                              Insufficient Memory

The lack of sufficient memory could prohibit the use of external programs 
through the Type 44 menu command type.  When a Type 44 is used, TBBS code will 
stay in memory while the external application is running.  This limits the 
allowable size of the external program. 

If you have a need for additional memory capacity for external programs, you 
may try a Type 21 command, which allows a complete exit to DOS WITHOUT return; 
in other words, you cannot return to TBBS. 

                             Direct Screen Writes

Programs that use so-called "direct screen writes" cannot be used under remote 
hosted DOS.  Programs like this output directly to the video hardware, and 
TBBSDVR cannot "intercept" this type of output and redirect it to the remote 
terminal.  Programs which use direct screen writes can be easily detected; if 
a Type 44 invoked program displays to the local screen (the screen attached to 
the machine on which TBBS is running) but the remote caller sees nothing, then 
the program uses direct screen writes and cannot be used remotely. 

NOTE TO QUICKBASIC USERS:  Some versions of Microsoft's QuickBASIC use direct 
screen writes for program output automatically.  Such programs cannot be 
remote hosted with TBBS.  Additionally, QuickBASIC users should be aware that 
80286 incompatibility problems inherent with some versions of QuickBASIC may 
also preclude the use of compiled programs in a remote hosted environment. 

- END -
TBBS0056
Rev. ??/??

Copyright (C) 1994 eSoft, Inc., All Rights Reserved.  Permission granted
to distribute this file in its entirety, without modification, to any
interested party.  Any other use requires the written permission of
eSoft, Inc.

IMPORTANT:  The information herein is subject to change without notice.
Please call or write to confirm factual information of importance to you
or your organization.

