Information about archive dptnt_221096.tgz
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Berlin, 22.10.96


1. What is dptnt?

dptnt is a packet radio AX25 package running under LINUX with no special
requirements to kernel or setup. It is NOT another tcp/ip package.

The archive contains the programs:

TNT        : A hostmode terminal program for packet radio
DPBOX      : A full featured BBS, multi user, multi protocol, multi language
TFKISS     : A TNC-Firmware-Emulator with a KISS and AX/IP interface
BOXSTART   : A 'watchdog' and program starter
DPBOXT     : A standalone console for BBS operator (DPBOXTerminal)

In addition, HDPARM is included, because of receiver overruns on the serial
line with the actual LINUX-kernels. More details can be found in the README
of TNT.

Out of these programs you can create a configuration which fits to
your needs. You can set up a personal mail system, a powerful packet
radio terminal for your own needs or a full featured public bbs.


2. Some features

terminal part:
- Virtual screens for every connection
- connect scripts
- shell, run and socket interfaces
- AutoBIN protocol for file transfer
- forcing bbs to start forward if own call found in a mail beacon (to gather
  your own private mails)
- NEW: wampes compatible program interface. Attaching converses, clusters etc.

bbs part:
- F6FBB-, W0RLI-, TheBox- style forward protocols implemented
- 8-bit transparency of messages using AutoBIN protocol (no 7plus needed)
- BBS-data online compressed to save space on disk, forward and download
- BBS can be filled by monitoring the frequency (useful for private usage)
- PACSAT style bulletin broadcast transmitter and receiver
- up to 200 simultaneous users
- NEW: file server area, combined with auto-7plus-extractor
- NEW: unproto message list broadcast
- NEW: file request mode in compressed s&f as used by TPK, TSTHOST and others
- NEW: shell login
- NEW: external commands run in separate tasks
- NEW: MD2 password authentication
- NEW: YAPP/YAPPC supported

both:
- fast, reliable, economic. Left beta state more than a year ago.


3. Connectivity

With the current package, you are free to connect an unlimited number of the
following devices to the system:

- TNC2 / TNC3 in wa8ded-hostmode
- any KISS device, this includes:
  - almost every TNC of any vendor
  - rmnc digipeaters
  - PC/Flexnet digipeaters
  - wampes tcp systems (SMACK KISS)
  - any redirectable KISS port on your Unix machine
- AX/IP to connect via any IP connection



4. Status

The development is ongoing, the archive is a snapshot of the current status.
The documentation is complete.

With this release we want to give an easy access for everybody being
interested in the software. TNT and DPBOX is currently running in 20 BBSs of
the german/austrian BBS network, and we received a lot of requests for a
general release.

TNT, DPBOX and DPBOXT are under the GNU public license, TFKISS under ALAS,
which is a german license for HAM RADIO software. The source is included.



5. Archive files

boxstart.tgz          : boxstart binary, source and documentation
dpbox503.tgz          : dpbox binary, source, configuration and documentation
dpboxtbin02b.tgz      : dpboxt binary
dpboxtsrc02b.tgz      : dpboxt source
hdparm.tgz            : hdparm binary, source and documentation
patch50301.tgz        : fixing one bug in dpbox503 source. Apply it!
tfkiss_961020.tgz     : tfkiss source, configuration and documentation
tfkissbin_961020.tgz  : tfkiss binary
tntbin09s.tgz         : tnt binary
tntsrc09s.tgz         : tnt source, documentation and configuration


6. Contact

Author of dpbox:
Joachim Schurig, DL8HBS         DL8HBS @ DB0GR.#BLN.DEU.EU
                                (h0187akk@rz.hu-berlin.de) will change!

Author of tnt, dpboxt, tfkiss and boxstart 
and Co-Author/porting of dpbox:
Mark Wahl, DL4YBG               DL4YBG @ DB0GR.#BLN.DEU.EU
                                wahlm@berlin.snafu.de

7. Availability

The dptnt_221096.tgz archive currently is available on the following
ftp servers:

    ftp://ftp.funet.fi/pub/ham/unix/packet/dptnt/

In the given directory you find the files dptnt_221096.tgz and
dptnt_221096.txt (this text).


These are the developers home pages. Newest versions are available here
and documentation can be read online.

   http://www.snafu.de/~wahlm/                  (homepage dl4ybg) 
  (http://hppool0.rz.hu-berlin.de/~h0187akk/)   (homepage dl8hbs, will change)



73, Mark, DL4YBG, Joachim, DL8HBS