                            *** DPTELNET 1.3 ***
          Part of the DPNET series: Internet Software for PowerBBS

                              by Detlef Pleiss

               Internet:   det@powerbbs.com
               Compuserve: 74101.755

               Download and Online Order:
               Internet: http://dpsoft.powerbbs.com
                         http://www.abacus2.com
                         http://www.write-byte.com/3rd-Party-Download-Central
               Compuserve: GO PBBS

               Online Support Mailing List:
               to subscribe send a message to majordomo@mail.msen.com with
               "subscribe dpsoft" in the body (no quotes)

====================================================================
Files included in package:
DPTEL.DLL    - BBS side DLL for ANSI, GUI and standalone EXE, 16 bit Version
DPTEL32.DLL  - BBS side DLL for ANSI, GUI and standalone EXE, 32 bit Version
DPTEL2.PA    - Caller side GUI DLL
DPTELNET.ICO - Icon for PowerGenerator Screens
DPTEL16.EXE  - Standalone EXE, 16 bit Version
DPTEL32.EXE  - Standalone EXE, 32 bit Version
DPTELNET.INI - Configuration File
DPTEL2.INI   - Default Server Listing for the PA GUI DLL
DPTELHLP.TXT - ANSI Online Help File
DPTELSRV.TXT - ANSI List of Servers
DPTELM1.TXT  - ANSI Menu Screen
DPTELNET.TXT - This File
DPSOFT.TXT   - Information about DP Software Products
FILE_ID.DIZ  - Description for BBS File Lists
UPGRADE.TXT  - Upgrading from earlier Versions
====================================================================

The Basics of DPTELNET

DPTELNET offers remote login to computers all over the world to your callers.
They can call hundreds of other BBS's that are connected to the Internet,
connect to Compuserve via the Internet, play games in MUD's and MUSH's or
access databases covering a vast area of interests.

Only requirement besides a running PowerBBS is a working Windows Socket TCP/IP
stack, a WINSOCK.DLL (WSOCK32.DLL for 32 bit). The type of connection to your
Internet provider doesn't matter, even a dialup connection does the job.
DPTELNET can call a batch file of your choice in order to establish a
connection on demand. This document does not explain how to get your TCP/IP
stack up and running. For that you need to refer to the documentation of the
Winsock.dll software you're using or to your internet provider.

====================================================================

Installation

If you run the 16 bit version of PowerBBS, copy DPTEL.DLL to your PowerBBS
home directory.
If you run the 32 bit version of PowerBBS, copy DPTEL32.DLL to your PowerBBS
home directory and there rename it to DPTEL.DLL.
Copy DPTELHLP.TXT, DPTELSRV.TXT, DPTELM1.TXT and DPTEL2.INI to your PowerBBS
home directory.
Copy DPTELNET.INI to your \windows home directory. On networked BBS's have a
copy of \windows\dptelnet.ini on each machine!
Please note: DPTELNET.INI as configuration file for the BBS server DLL is
located in the \windows home directory, whereas DPTEL2.INI as a file to be
sent over to a GUI client remains in the PowerBBS home directory.
Copy DPTEL2.PA to your POWRBBS\SOURCE directory.
On one of your PGen screens add a command to run DPTELNET as a PA DLL. The
command reads "O-DPTEL.DLL". You may want to use DPTELNET.ICO for the icon.
With PowerBBS CONFIG add the command to run DPTelnet as ANSI DLL to one of
your ANSI menus. Use "Command Type" "DLL", "Actual Command To Run" "DPTEL".
Now you're ready to start playing with it.
Make sure your Windows Socket / TCP/IP stack is running and online (or first
read the paragraph about dial-up support).

====================================================================

Running the Program and Customization - ANSI

On startup DPTELNET displays DPTELM1.TXT to the user. This is a menu screen
offering the choices to
Show a List of Servers          - Displays DPTELSRV.TXT to the caller
Enter the Name of a Server      - Connects to the given server
Go Back                         - Exits program
Help                            - Displays DPTELHLP.TXT to the caller

The caller can terminate a Telnet connection by pressing ctrl-c.

You can change the menu and help files to whatever you want. The hotkeys for
the different functions can be customized by means of DPTELNET.INI entries (see
below for details). This way DPTELNET can be customized to different languages.

You may want to customize the help file DPTELHLP.TXT and the list of servers
DPTELSRV.TXT. For latest server addresses you may want to check out the SBI
list of selected BBS's on the internet at http://dkeep.com.

Inside the text files PBBS's "@" color codes may be used.

====================================================================

Calling DPTelnet from a POW File with Server Address Parameter

You can call ANSI DPTelnet from within a POW script. In this case POW String
Variable 1 contains the address of the server to connect to. If this String
Variable is set, DPTelnet will not present the caller with its main menu but
instead connect immediately to the given address. Control is returned to the
POW script once DPTelnet disconnects from the server. This way you can replace
DPTelnet's built in menuing system with i.e. a menu of your own
with pre-selected server addresses.

Example:
Create a POW file in your \powrbbs\source directory, i.e. "18.POW" with the
following lines in it:

| DPTelnet with Parameter
Assign_String 1 "some.server.com"
Run_DLL "DPTEL"

If you now create a menu entry in PBBS Config with "Command Type" "PowerLang"
and "Actual command To Run" "18", pressing the assigned "Hotkey" in that menu
will connect the caller to "some.server.com" and return him to the menu once
disconnected.

====================================================================

Running the Program and Customization - PA GUI DLL

DPTEL2.PA, the user side GUI client, opens a window for the remote display.
The window has a minimize button, close button and a menu with some functions.
Pressing the close button terminates the DPTelnet session. The "Quit"
function in the "Connection" menu does the same. As long as no Telnet session
is active, in the "Connection" menu the "Connect to ..." function is enabled
and "Disconnect" disabled. Once a Telnet connection is active, the "Connect to
..." function is disabled and the "Disconnect" function enabled. A caller can
run one session at a time, he must first "Disconnect" before connecting to
another server. "About DPTelnet" in the "About" menu displays a messagebox
with a copyright line. Once registered it will also display a "Registered to:"
line with your registration info.
Choosing "Connect to ..." from the "Connection" menu brings up the dialog box
to choose a server address. In that dialog box, the "Connect" button is only
enabled if there is at least one character in the server address field. On
first startup DPTEL2.INI is copied from your PowerBBS home directory to your
BBS's data directory on the callers computer. From then on the server address
drop down box keeps track of the last five servers the caller visited. You may
want to edit the default set of server addresses in DTEL2.INI. You can enter
up to five server addresses as default entries. The "server0=" entry in
DPTEL2.INI will show up as the server address to connect to per default.
Pressing the "Connect" button will connect the caller to the chosen server,
while pressing "Cancel" will not.
The PA GUI version of DPTelnet understands VT100 and ANSI terminal control
codes.
Using the cursor keys and the keys above them sends VT100 control sequences to
the server, while using the numerice keypad in NumLock off mode sends ANSI
control sequences.
Using "Alt" together with any key sends <esc> (27 decimal) to the server
followed by the lower case character of the key pressed. Using "Alt" together
with "Shift" sends first <esc> and then the upper case character of the key
pressed.
"Ctrl"-plus-key combinations are transmitted to the server as well.
Terminals and their keyboard mappings differ widely, but the named key
combinations should enable you to control most of them.

====================================================================

Dial-Up Support

DPTELNET supports dialup connections to your provider in that you can specify
the

Dialup= path to batch file called on DPTELNET connection requests

parameter in DPTELNET.INI. This batch file is called everytime a caller wants
to connect to a server. The purpose is to initiate a dialup connection in
case your Windows Socket stack doesn't dial-on-demand. If you don't need it
just leave this parameter empty.
During dial-up the "please wait" message taken from the

PleaseWait=  message to be displayed during dial-up

entry in DPTELNET.INI is displayed to the caller.

====================================================================

Proxy Support

DPTELNET supports running through a Proxy server. This is transparent to the
caller. If your BBS runs multiple nodes on multiple machines on a LAN, while
only one of these machines has an actual Internet connection, you may be
running a Proxy server on that machine. A Proxy server is the sort of software
that most often is advertised like "connect your entire LAN to the Internet
with only one dialup account". In order to get DPTELNET to work through a
Proxy, the Proxy must support forwarding Telnet connections. When going
through the Proxy, DPTELNET does not connect to the external server directly
but first to the Proxy server. It assumes to receive some sort of prompt which
it answers by sending the Internet address of the server to connect to.
In order to activate Proxy support, you need to fill in two entries in
DPTELNET.INI:

ProxyAddress= IP address (on the LAN) of your Proxy server
ProxyPrompt=  text DPTELNET waits for before sending the address of the
              external server to connect to

DPTELNET then connects to the given "ProxyAddress", waits for the given
"ProxyPrompt" and then sends the given address to the Proxy.

====================================================================

The Standalone EXE Version

If you like DPTelnet so much that you want to use it yourself, you may use the
standalone EXE version of it. The 16 bit version of the standalone EXE is
distributed as DPTEL16.EXE, the 32 bit version as DPTEL32.EXE. The EXE
versions load the BBS server DLL, DPTEL.DLL, they do not work without it.
Therefore, if you run 16 bit PowerBBS, you can only use DPTEL16.EXE, if you
run 32 bit PowerBBS (and thus renamed the 32 bit BBS server DLL to DPTEL.DLL),
you can only use DPTEL32.EXE. DPTEL.DLL must be in the PATH for the EXE being
able to find it. With DPTEL.DLL located in the PowerBBS directory that should
be the case. You can then copy the DPTEL(16/32).EXE to whatever directory you
want and use it from there.
The EXE reads the same \windows\DPTELNET.INI file like the BBS version does.
If you registered DPTelnet, you may use both, the BBS version and the
standalone version without restrictions. If unregistered, restrictions apply
to both versions, BBS door and standalone EXE. If you registered DPTelnet,
you may use both versions, but you
* must not give out your registration codes to someone else *
i.e. not to your callers.

====================================================================

Overview of DPTELNET.INI Parameters

[DPTELNET]
ServerList=     Hotkey for List of Servers
ServerName=     Hotkey for Enter Name of Server
Back=           Hotkey for Back (exit program)
Help=           Hotkey for Help
DialUp=         path to batch file called on every connection
PleaseWait=     message to be displayed during dial-up
ProxyAddress=   IP address (on the LAN) of your Proxy server (if using one)
ProxyPrompt=    prompt to wait for from the Telnet proxy

====================================================================

Registration and Disclaimer

DPTELNET is shareware. It is neither free, nor freeware nor in the public
domain. The unregistered version may be distributed freely in its unaltered
form. This software is provided as is. Detlef Pleiss disclaims all
warranties, either expressed or implied, including but not limited to implied
warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose. In no event
will Detlef Pleiss be liable to you for damages, including any loss of data,
profits, lost savings, or other incidental or consequential damages arising
out of your use or inability to use the software. Use at your own risk.

The unregistered version of DPTELNET quits after some time and displays an
"unregistered" message. This restriction and the message will vanish after
applying your registration code to DPTELNET.
The same registration is valid for the BBS door and the standalone EXE
version. Anyway, the standalone EXE version is for your own use, you
* must not give out your registration codes to someone else *
i.e. not to your callers.

Registration is available via Compuserve GO SWREG. The ID number is 11754.
Registration on the Internet is available at
http://addons.powerbbs.com/pleiss.htm
http://www.abacus2.com
http://www.write-byte.com/3rd-Party-Download-Central
Registration fee is $20. After registering you'll receive a registration code
that is valid for your name and your BBS's name. For a quick response
together with your registration send Compuserve mail to 74101.755 stating
which program you registered, your name and your BBS's name. This
information will be needed. Registration can not be transferred. If
either name or BBS name change a new registration is required.

====================================================================

History of DPTELNET:

v 1.0 - released: May 31 1996
        first public release
v 1.1 - released: Jul 25 1996
        added 32 bit version
v 1.2 - released: Sep 14 1996
        some internal code streamlining
v 1.3 - currently in Beta
        moved INI location to \windows
        completely new Telnet negotiation engine
        fixed problems with ANSI detection on remote BBS logins
        fixed lockup if user runs out of time
        added Proxy support
        added support for POW parameter
        added GUI client
        added standalone EXE version
