                                                        Delft, May 6th 1996

        This document contains two extracts from the ALLFIX manual,
        explaining how the request processor works.


        Harald Harms.



        6.3.9     Request Processor


        ALLFIX  contains a  fully functional  request processor.  A request
        processor is a  program that handles file requests for your mailer.
        Normally, a mailer is  capable of handling file requests,  however,
        external utilities often offer more features.

        The request processor  in ALLFIX is fully integrated with the other
        features in ALLFIX.  This means that  when someone file  requests a
        file from your system, ALLFIX  will send the person a .TIC  file if
        the system is listed  in the Node manager, and ALLFIX will send the
        file  description of  the file  regardless of  the type  of BBS you
        use, as long as it is supported by ALLFIX.

        In this  particular menu, there are a number of fields that control
        how ALLFIX works. 

        Active

             This field determines whether or  not the request processor is
             active. If  you want  to be  able to  use  the ALLFIX  request
             processor, then this field must be set to "Yes". 

        Error

             This field is currently not available.

        Report

             This field can  be used to  define the template  that is  used
             sent to a system after  processing a file request. Please  see
             the sample RPREPORT template for more details.

        Groups

             This field  defines  the  groups  that  are  available  in  an
             unsecure mailer session. 

        Sec groups

             This field defines  the groups that area available in a secure
             mailer  session.   Please  note  that  this  feature  is  only
             available in registered mode.

        List

             This field  defines the directories  that are available  in an
             unsecure mailer  session.  The format  of  this file  is  very
             simple.  It must be  a plain  text file.  Comments, designated
             with a semi-colon,  ';', are allowed.  It is also  possible to
             define passwords  per directory by placing the password behind
             a  directory,  preceeded with  a  exclamation  mark, '!'.  For
             example:


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             D:\BBS\FILES\AREA1
             D:\BBS\FILES\AREA2  !PASSWORD

             In the above example, people  can file request files from  the
             directory  D:\BBS\FILES\AREA2 if  they  use the  correct  file
             request password.

        Sec list

             This field defines  the directories  that are  available in  a
             secure  mailer session. The  format of this  file is identical
             to  the  List file  above.  Please note  that  this particular
             feature is only available in registered mode.

        Max files

             This field can be used  to define the maximum number  of files
             to send per session.

        Max size

             This  field  can  be  used to  define  the  maximum  number of
        kilobytes te send per session.

        Min speed

             This field is currently not available.

        Max time

             This field is currently not available.


        The request processor  can also work with an alias file. This alias
        file must have the following format if you want to use the  request
        processor in ALLFIX:

        [magicname]    [file1] [file2] ... [filen] [!password]

        For example:

        ALLFIX    D:\BBS\FILES\AREA1\AFIX440.ZIP
        D:\BBS\FILES\AREA1\ALLFIX.REG
        BETA      D:\BBS\FILES\AREA2\AFB_B004.ZIP !PASSWORD

        In the above  example, when someone file requests magic name ALLFIX
        they  will receive the AFIX440.ZIP archive and the ALLFIX.REG form.
        In order to file request  the latest ALLFIX beta they have  to file
        request magic name BETA with the password "PASSWORD". 

        Please note that  ALLFIX will  use the above  format for the  alias
        file if  the  request processor  has been  active,  by setting  the
        active field in this menu to "Yes".

        When handling a file request, ALLFIX uses the following steps:


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        1.   Read in the List directories.

        2.   If the session issecure, then read in theSec list directories.

        3.   If the requesting system is  listed in the Node manager,  then
             give the node access to  the Public groups (as defined  in the
             AreaMgr  options menu)  and to  the groups  he has  been given
             access to in the Node manager.

        4.   If the requesting  system is not  listed in the  Node manager,
             then give the system access  to the normal Groups, as  defined
             in this menu, and  if it is a  secure session, then also  give
             the node access to the Sec groups.

        5.   Before  searching  for any  files,  all  service requests  are
             handled. Please  see  the  Magic  filename  section  for  more
             information on service requests.

        6.   The  Alias file  is scanned  for magic  names. If  a match  is
             found, then ALLFIX  will not continue searching for a match in
             any of the directories or fileechos.

        7.   If there are file requests left  that were not matched in  the
             Alias file, then  ALLFIX will scan the fileechos that the node
             has access to and then the list  directories to which the node
             has access.

        8.   After processing  the file requests,  a report is  written and
             sent  to  the  node  along  with  any  files  that  were  file
             requested.  If the  requesting system  is listed  in  the Node
             manager, then ALLFIX  will send a .TIC  file accompanying each
             file which was file requested from a fileecho.


        The  ALLFIX request  processor  is  very easy  to  install in  your
        mailer. For FrontDoor style  mailers, ALLFIX expects the  following
        command line options in the following order:

        Aka

             Requesting system's aka.

        Sysop

             Requesting systems sysop name.

        Secure

             The  string "SECURE"  for secure  sessions and  "UNSECURE" for
             unsecure sessions.

        Response

             The  name of the  response file  which is returned  the mailer
             after  processing a  file request.  The name  of this  file is
             provided by the mailer.

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        Rquests

             The name of the file  containing the file requests. This  file
             is provided by the mailer.

        Below is an example of how to install ALLFIX in FrontDoor.

        D:\ALLFIX\ALLFIX.EXE Rp =A =O =X =T =R

        ALLFIX is also capable of working with SRIF files. These  files are
        created  by  some  of  mailers  and  effectively  contain  all  the
        information that ALLFIX may need.  When using ALLFIX with a  mailer
        that supports  SRIF files, you  must specify  the name of  the SRIF
        file on the commandline. Example:

        D:\ALLFIX\ALLFIX.EXE Rp [name of SRIF file]

        Most mailers should have a  macro which will expand to the  name of
        the SRIF file.


        [from the ServiceReq type in the Magic filename manager]

        ServiceReq

             This feature is only available in registered mode.

             This function can be used  to execute a specific program  when
             a  magic filename  is requested.  This feature  could be used,
             for example, to  allow a registration  site to file  request a
             new  key for a  new user. A  service request is  given a magic
             name, which can  be defined in this menu. Each service request
             has a password,  which the user must also provide. The program
             that has to  be executed can also  be defined. It  is possible
             that the program  needs a number of command line options which
             may need to be provided  by the user. This can be  using an at
             symbol, '@'.  For each  '@' character, that  ALLFIX encounters
             in the command line, ALLFIX  will use the next string  entered
             by  the user. For  example, let  us assume that  the following
             has been entered as the command to execute:

             D:\REG\KEYGEN %s %a @ @

             In the above example, the  two '@' characters are expanded  to
             the two strings  which were file  requested by the  system. In
             order to execute  this service request, the user would have to
             "file request"  the service  request name, password,  and also
             two other "magic  names" which are  password on to  the KEYGEN
             program by ALLFIX. 

             For example:

                  FREQ:     KEYGEN !PASSWORD Harald Harms

             In  the   above  example,  the  service  request  "KEYGEN"  is
             executed. Since the  command line for  the program to  execute
             contains two '@' characters, the next two "magic  names" which
             are  "requested" are passed  to the KEYGEN  program as command
             line options.

             Below is a list of the options in this menu:

             Alias

                  The name of this  service request. In the  example above,
                  the Alias is "KEYGEN".


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             Password

                  The  password required to  execute this  service request.
                  In the example above, the password is "PASSWORD".

             Command

                  The command to  execute for this service  request. In the
                  example above, the command is "D:\REG\KEYGEN  %s %a @ @".
                  The  %s and  %a  macros are  expanded  to the  requesting
                  sysop name and aka, respectively.

             Directory

                  After  the command  has been  executed, ALLFIX  will scan
                  this directory for any  files. ALLFIX will send  whatever
                  is contained  in this directory to the requesting system.
                  The  files will be  deleted after  they are sent!  In the
                  above example, the  program KEYGEN  may place  a new  key
                  file in  this  directory. This  means  that when  someone
                  request a key, they automatically get a new keyfile.


