AmiTCP_session, written by David Jameson (dave@freeside.thegap.com)
Version 1.1, released 17 June 1995.
Based on AmiTCP_dialup by K. Raquel Sanborn (which was based on a
script by P. Josh Rovero, which was based on a script by Dave Bolen).

HISTORY
    Version 1.0 released 6th August 1994.

    Version 1.1 released 17 June 1995.
	- Some minor bugs fixed.
	- nowait option added
	- Now outputs text sent back from modem


REQUIREMENTS
    Workbench 3.0 or above,
    A modem,
    A dial-up SLIP connection.


INTRODUCTION

    This program is an Arexx script which starts up AmiTCP, dials up
    a terminal server, sends outgoing mail and news, logs the time
    online, and then hangs up the modem.

    Unlike AmiTCP_dialup, this program works with a terminal server
    which uses static IP allocation (i.e. one where you don't get 
    allocated a new IP address each time you log in).

    Also included in this archive is a script called "purge.rexx" which
    deletes old news articles.


INSTALLATION

    [1]	You must have the following programs installed before running
    	this script:
    
	*    AmiTCP version 2.3 (comm/net/AmiTCP-bin-22.lha and 
    	     AmiTCP-22to23.lha)

	*    inetutils version 1.4 (comm/tcp/IU-14-amitcp.lha)

        *    breakname version 37.2 (util/cli/BreakName372.lha)

	It may work with newer versions of Inetutils and AmiTCP, but
	you'll probably have to change some things in the script.

    [2] protect c/#? +s
    	copy c/#? to amitcp:bin/

    [3]	copy libs/#? to libs:
  	(unless you have newer versions of these libraries)

    [4]	makedir uunews:NNTPSpoolDir
  	(this is where outgoing netnews articles will be stored)

    [5]	Tell your news reader to use the nntpcopy program to send
  	outgoing news articles.  Nntpcopy simply copies the news
	article into the directory uunews:NNTPSpoolDir, creating a
	unique name for the file.  Any articles in this directory are
	then sent to the NNTP server when AmiTCP_session is run.

	If you are using the Tin newsreader, set the environment
	variable TIN_POST to "nntpcopy.rexx %s".  This can be done by
	putting the following line in your user-startup file:

	setenv TIN_POST "nntpcopy.rexx %s"

    [6] Change the constants at the beginning of 
        amitcp:bin/AmiTCP_session.rexx.
  	You need to fill in the phone number, username, password,
	name of logfile, name of NNTP server, serial port speed,
	the name of the active file and the name of the SLIP device.

	The active file should be set to "uulib:active" if you use
	the Tin newsreader, or "uunews:active" if you use GRn.

	The script logs the time online in the same format as Ncomm, 
	and by default it stores the log information in ncomm:ncomm.log 
	(change this to something else if you don't have Ncomm installed, 
	or to something like ram:logfile if you don't want a permanent log).

    [7]	Make sure your modem has "DTR override" enabled.  This is so
    	that the modem doesn't hang up when the Amiga drops DTR
	(which happens when the serial.device is closed).  This
	usually involves setting a DIP switch on the back of the
	modem.

    
    If you're having trouble, check to make sure your configuration
    files are set up properly.  My s:uuconfig file looks like this:

    SMTPMailDir	uumail:
    LogFile	uulib:logfile


    My environment looks like this:

    SMTPRoute	SMARTERHOST
    DomainName	.TheGAP.Com
    HOME	uunews:
    HOST	Freeside
    HOSTNAME	Freeside
    NNTPSERVER	news.gpl.net
    SMTPMailDir	uumail:
    SMTPSmarterHost	mailhost.thegap.com
    TIN_MAIN	smtppost -Q <%s
    TIN_POST	nntpcopy.rexx %s
    USER	dave
    USERNAME	dave
    NodeName	Freeside
    SENDMAIL	smtppost -Q
    SMTPHOST	mailhost.thegap.com
    SMTPRMAIL	SMTPpost -r
    SMTPSpoolDir	uumail:SMTPSpoolDir/

    The following assigns are in my s:user-startup:

    assign inet:    amitcp:
    assign uulib:   amitcp:UUCP
    assign uumail:  uulib:Mail
    assign uunews:  uulib:News
    assign uuspool: uulib:Spool


USAGE

    To run the program, simply type "AmiTCP_session.rexx".  If successful,
    the program should connect to the terminal server and begin
    transferring mail and news.  It will then bring up a requester,
    which, when clicked on, will end the AmiTCP session and hang up the
    modem.  

    If you simply want to transfer mail and news and then quit, without
    bringing up a requester, type "AmiTCP_session.rexx nowait".  Be
    careful using this option: if you're not online for very long, you 
    might not pick up any incoming mail (i.e. the program might log off
    before your service provider's machine has opened up an SMTP
    connection).

    To use the news purger, type "purge.rexx <active_file> <days>" where 
    <active_file> is the name of the active file and <days> is the
    number of days to keep news articles for, e.g. "purge uulib:active 3"
    will delete articles more than 2 days old (articles will be kept if
    their creation date is today, yesterday, or the day before -- 3 days
    in total).  This script has a few limitations: it doesn't update the
    low article numbers in the active file, and it doesn't check the
    articles for "Expires:" lines.


DISTRIBUTION
    This set of programs is public domain.  Do whatever you want with them!


DISCLAIMER
    The author is not responsible for any disasters which occur while
    using these programs.


ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

    K. Raquel Sanborn for AmiTCP_dialup

    Michael B. Smith for INetUtils

    Mark Tomlinson and Geoff McCaughan for the Amiga version of Tin

    Kai Iske for breakname

    Joseph Stivaletta for rexxserdev.library

    And most of all, thanks to the authors of AmiTCP!

