Ŀ
                 DreamROM  v1.5b2                  ۲



                     DreamROM v1.5b2 Sysop Documentation
                     Copyright (c)1993-2005 BBSFiles.com
                        Last Modified : April 11, 2001
                    ALWAYS READ the file WHATS.NEW !!!!!!

               Frequently Asked Questions and Problem Solving
                            Are in DREAMROM.FAQ.



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 DreamROM v1.5b2                                                     Page 1 

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                 Table of Contents                 ۲


Section Title                                     Page
  
Table of Contents                                   1
Welcome, Copyright and Warranty Information         2
Features                                            3
Distribution Files                                  4
Basic Setup and Running Information                 5
Required Third Party Programs                       6
Detailed File Explanations                          7
Detailed DreamROM Setup                             8
Creating a DreamROM Filebase (DRF)                  9
Editing a DreamROM Filebase (DRF)                  10
Processing Requests                                11
Miscellaneous Things                               12
Support                                            13
Registration                                       14
SPECIAL Thanx!!!                                   15


Ŀ
 DreamROM v1.5b2                                                     Page 2 

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    Welcome, Copyright and Warranty Information    ۲


  (****     Welcome to DreamROM, the ULTIMATE CDrom access door!    ****)

 DreamROM works with RemoteAccess, GAP, PCBoard, Wildcat, Spitfire, WWIV,
 TriBBS, RBBS, and any other BBS system that can generate a DOOR.SYS,
 CHAIN.TXT, DORINFOx.DEF, CALLINFO.BBS, TRIBBS.SYS, SFDOORS.DAT, etc.
 dropfile.  DreamROM is fully multinode compatable.  DreamROM is also
 FULLY functional in the unregistered state.  No Demo, no crippling,
 nothing!  The only difference between the registered and unregistered
 versions of DreamROM is that all areas that have [UNREGISTERED] are
 replaced with the Sysopname or BBSname, and the 15 second delay when
 exiting the programs are eliminated.  EVERYTHING else is identical
 whether registered or not.  Therefore, you will be able to get a FULL
 evaluation of the program before deciding on the registration of it.


  (****              Copyright and Registration Notice              ****)

  DreamROM is a copyrighted program.

  (**** Warranty

  DreamROM is distributed without warranty.  In no event will BBSFiles.com
  DreamROM, or anyone associated with BBSFiles.com be liable to you for
  damages, including any loss of profits, lost savings, or other incidental
  or consequential damages arising out of your use of or inability to use
  the program, even if BBSFiles.com or an authorized representative
  has been advised of the possibility of such damages.  BBSFiles.com will
  not be liable for any such claim by any other party.

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 DreamROM v1.5b2                                                     Page 3 

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                      Features                     ۲


  Assembly language serial input/output routines for maximum speed.  No
  need for a FOSSIL.

  Fully supports high speed modems: 16550 FIFO buffering and locked serial
  ports.

  Built in ANSI terminal emulator.  No need to have ANSI.SYS loaded in
  memory.

  Supports all of the most popular door data file formats: TriBBS, PCBoard,
  GAP, Spitfire, WildCat, RBBS, and WWIV.

  Non-standard IRQ support.

  While DreamROM is running, the sysop can press certain special keys to
  perform a variety of functions. The following is a list of the functions
  that the DreamROM special keys perform:

  Key(s)              Function

  HOME                Toggles between the user status window and a help
                      display that lists the special keys.

  F6                  Takes 5 minutes away from the caller.
                      NOTE:  This will NOT be returned to BBS.

  F7                  Gives 5 minutes to the caller.
                      NOTE:  This will NOT be returned to the BBS.

  F9                  Quit the door and return the caller to the BBS.

  F10                 Enter chat mode.  Pressing the ESC key exits the
                      chat mode.

  Alt+D               Drop to DOS.

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 DreamROM v1.5b2                                                     Page 4 

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                  Distribution Files               ۲


  (****             DreamROM Files Included in DRMROMxx.ZIP         ****)

  DREAMROM.EXE <= DreamROM Main Program
  COMPILE.EXE  <= Database (DRF) compiler, sysop setup, Audio player, etc.
  COPYIT.EXE   <= DreamROM's Copy EXE.  Used Internally.
  VGAROM.EXE   <= Opening screen for COMPILE.  (Eye Candy)
  NEWSEC.EXE   <= DRF Security Level convertor.
  FIX.EXE      <= Rebuilds a DRF file after it has been edited.
                  Can also wordwrap long descriptions.
  SORT.EXE     <= Alphabetically sorts DREAMROM.DAT.
  DRMEDIT.EXE  <= Small texteditor used to edit *.LST files.  Can only be
                  run fom within DreamROM and Compile.
  REQCOPY.EXE  <= Sysop request check and copy program.
  CHECKREQ.EXE <= Nightly event to check for expired requests.
  RBRAIN.EXE   <= Small utility to convert RomBrain RBF files to DreamROM
                  DRF files.
  ROMBULL.EXE  <= Small utility to create the Online CD Bulletins.  Used
                  from within DreamROM or can be used manually. Also can
                  make WC, PCB, ANSI, and ASCII listing of ALL CDRoms.
  DRMCTL.EXE   <= Utility (mainly for CDRom publishers) to create
                  DREAMROM.CTL for automated compile of a CDRom.
  DRMCTL.DOC   <= Documentation for DRMCTL.EXE.
  SETUP.EXE    <= Small utility to create DREAMROM.CFG
  DREAMROM.DOC <= DreamROM Documentation.
  DREAMROM.FAQ <= DreamROM Frequently Asked Questions and problem solving.
  DREAMROM.HLP <= Online User Help.
  DRMROM.BAT   <= Example multi-node batchfile for calling DreamROM.
                  ( %ENVIRONMENTS% I'm using are WildCat! specific, you'll
                  need to edit accordingly to match your BBS's %ENVIRONMENT%
                  settings.  ( If any. ) )
  G.BAT        <= YModem-G Batchfile.
  X.BAT        <= XModem   Batchfile.
  Y.BAT        <= YModem   Batchfile.
  Z.BAT        <= ZModem   Batchfile.
  WHATS.NEW    <= DreamROM history file.
  FILE_ID.DIZ  <= Description File. ( Long  )
  DESC.SDI     <= Description File. ( Short )

  Note:  All of these files should be in this ZIP, if they are not, don't
          take a chance!  Call a support board and download a good copy.

  Note:  Each EXE file will be explained later in this documentation.

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 DreamROM v1.5b2                                                     Page 5 

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         Basic Setup and Running Information       ۲


  (****                       Configuration File                    ****)

   Line 1:   Door data file type.
   Line 2:   Path to the door data file(s).
   Line 3:   BBS name.
   Line 4:   Sysop's name.
   Line 5:   Locked baud rate.

  As illustrated above, the door's data file type is specified in line 1
  and can be PCB for PCBOARD.SYS, GAP for DOOR.SYS, SF for SFDOOR.DAT,
  RBBS for DORINFOx.DEF, WC for CALLINFO.BBS, TRIBBS for TRIBBS.SYS, or
  WWIV for CHAIN.TXT. The locked baud rate is specified in line 5.  If
  the sysop doesn't lock his serial port, he must specify 0 for the locked
  baud rate.  NOTE: Although many door formats do pass the locked baud
  rate in the door data files, some older formats such as DORINFOx.DEF do
  not.  For conformity, it is required that you specify the locked baud
  rate in line 5 and ignores any value passed in the door data files.

  The following is a sample door configuration file:

  GAP
  C:\WC\WCWORK\NODE1\
  DreamNET
  Andy Stewart
  57600

  A file called SETUP.EXE is included to aid with writing this config.
  file.  Run it, answer the questions, and let the program do the rest.

      !!!       THIS MUST BE RUN BEFORE RUNNING DreamROM     !!!

  DreamROM can be run locally without a door data file (handy for the sysop
  to use the door without logging on to the BBS) by specifying /L after the
  configuration file parameter in the DOS command line.  DreamROM will
  request the user to enter his name before running the door.

  Nonstandard IRQs can be used with DreamROM by specifying the IRQ number
  after the "config" parameter in the command line used to run the door as
  follows:

   DREAMROM DREAMROM.CFG 5

  The following is a sample door batchfile file:

  @ECHO OFF
  C:
  CD \DREAMROM
  DREAMROM NODE%WCNODEID%.CFG
  CD \WC

  The above will work in a single node and multi-node operation.  For those
  of you not running WildCat!, use your BBS package's %ENVIRONMENT% node
  setting to call the config file.

  IE:

   WILDCAT  =>  DREAMROM NODE%WCNODEID%.CFG
   PCBOARD  =>  DREAMROM NODE%PCBNODE%.CFG
   WWIV     =>  DREAMROM NODE%WWIV_INSTANCE%.CFG

  etc.

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 DreamROM v1.5b2                                                     Page 6 

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           Required Third Party Programs           ۲


  (****            DreamROM requires the following programs         ****)

  PKZIP.EXE, PKUNZIP.EXE, and ARJ.EXE in your path for various functions.

  A protocol driver in your path.  (DSZ.COM, DSZ.EXE, GSZ.COM, GSZ.EXE, etc.)
  If you have an unregistered DSZ/GSZ, the YModem-G protocol will NOT
  function.  Batchfiles to call the protocols should be placed in the
  DreamROM main directory.  Four example batchfiles are included.  They
  are Z.BAT (ZModem), Y.BAT (YModem), G.BAT (YModem-G), and X.BAT (XModem).

  Two paramters are passed to the protocol batchfiles:

  %1 is the comport #
  %2 is the filename/filelist

  For example, take Z.BAT:

rem ***********  Begin Z.BAT

@echo off
goto %1

:1
dsz port %1 sz %2
rem   The above line calls dsz on port 1 (as passed by %1) using ZModem.
rem   %2 is the file(s) to send.
goto quit

:2
dsz port %1 sz %2
rem   The above line calls dsz on port 2 (as passed by %1) using ZModem.
rem   %2 is the file(s) to send.
goto quit

rem  etc, etc, etc.  The reason for the use of batchfiles, is so that
rem  sysops with non-standard comport addresses and irqs can give that
rem  information on the protocol commandline.  (Also, for handshakes, etc.)
rem  For more information on protocols and protocol commandlines, consult
rem  your protocol(s)'s documentation.  Therefore, for each comport, you
rem  should have a :x section (where x is the comport #)  :1 port 1, :2
rem  port 2, :3 port 3, etc...
rem
rem  If you have no non-standard irq, addresses, etc..  you could just use
rem  a batchfile similar to this:
rem
rem  @echo off
rem  dsz port %1 sz %2

:quit
exit

rem ***********  End Z.BAT

The stock *.BAT files ship as follows:

rem *****  Begin stock Z.BAT
@echo off
dsz port %1 sz %2
rem *****  End stock Z.BAT

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 DreamROM v1.5b2                                                     Page 7 

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             Detailed File Explanations            ۲


   DREAMROM.EXE -  The Main DreamROM executable.  This handled all the
                   caller related functions.  The database files, DRF
                   files, are created with COMPILE.  DRF files are ASCII
                   files that can be edited by any texteditor capable of
                   loaded and editing large textfiles. Do NOT edit the
                   first line!  After you edit a DRF file, run FIX.EXE
                   to rebuild and rescan the file.

                   Call DreamROM in the following manner:

                   DREAMROM DREAMROM.CFG

                   To force DreamROM to rescan ALL drives upon entry,
                   call it with the SCAN paramter.
                   ie: DREAMROM DREAMROM.CFG SCAN

                   DreamROM can notify the caller that their fulfilled
                   requests are available without the caller knowingly
                   entering the door.   The main uses for this are:  a
                   logon event and to create the appearance of a seperate
                   request download door.  If there are no requested
                   files available for the user, the door will simply
                   terminate, the caller will never know they entered it.
                   The most popular way of using this feature is as a
                   logon event.   To use this feature, call DreamROM
                   in the following manner:

                   DREAMROM DREAMROM.CFG REQUEST

                   DreamROM, as a default, runs in multi-node mode.  To
                   run in single-node mode, use teh SINGLE parameter.
                   ie:  DREAMROM DREAMROM.CFG SINGLE

                   SCAN, SINGLE, and REQUEST can be used together, either
                   coming first, but the config file MUST be the first
                   parameter!

   COMPILE.EXE  -  This is when ALL the sysop functions are.  This scans
                   and builds the DRF files.  Configures all options in
                   DreamROM.  Plays Audio CDs.  Setups up protocols.  Etc.

                   Call Compile in the following manner:

                   COMPILE

                   TO play an audio CD, while in COMPILE, with the audio
                   CD in your FIRST CDRom drive, press F1 to begin playing,
                   and F1 again to stop playing.

                   To disable the internal beeps and music, call Compile
                   with the MUTE parameter. (IE:  COMPILE MUTE)

   DRMEDIT.EXE  -  Can only be run from within DreamROM!

   COPYIT.EXE   -  Can only be run from within DreamROM!

   VGAROM.EXE   -  Just a little 'Eye-Candy' before loading COMPILE.
                   If you wish to bypass it, your system isn't a 286
                   or above, it doesn't like your video card, etc...,
                   just delete it and it will be bypassed.

   REQCOPY.EXE  -  This is used by the sysop to check for requested files.
                   If requests are available, the sysop is prompted to copy
                   the requested file(s) from the CD(s) to the hard drive.
                   Call this in your logon event.  If no requests are
                   available, or the user is NOT a sysop, the program will
                   be bypassed.

                   Call ReqCopy in the following manner:

                   REQCOPY DREAMROM.CFG

                   To specify a different CDRom drive to copy from,
                   use the /CD:x parameter, where x is the drive
                   letter.  (ie:  REQCOPY DREAMROM.CFG /CD:H). ReqCopy will
                   then check to see if it's a valid drive and go from there.
                   The fifth (last) character on the /CD:x line MUST be the
                   drive letter, otherwise ReqCopy will ignore it.

                   This feature is also available internally with
                   DREAMROM.EXE and COMPILE.EXE.

   NEWSEC.EXE   -  Mainly used to convert pre-compiled DRF files downloaded
                   from DreamNET.  Pre-compiled DRF files have all security
                   levels set to 0.  To convert the DRF file to a security
                   level of, say, 30, you would take the following steps.

                   Copy the DRF file (example: NOWL15.DRF) into your CDS
                   subdirectory.

                   Call NEWSEC in the following manner:

                   NEWSEC NOWL15 30

                   This will convert NOWL15.DRF to a security level of 30.

   FIX.EXE      -  Rebuilds and rescans a DRF file. Use this after you
                   edit a DRF file. (Will also delete any null/blank lines
                   found in the DRF file)

                   Make sure the DRF file (example: NOWL15.DRF) is in your
                   CDS subdirectory.

                   Call Fix in the following manner:

                   FIX NOWL15

                   Use the optional WRAP parameter if you get a DRF file
                   who's description lines are too long.

                   To wrap, call Fix in this manner:

                   FIX NOWL15 WRAP

  SORT.EXE      -  Alphabetically sorts DREAMROM.DAT.

                   All online CDs will still be listed first inside
                   DreamROM, but all others will be listed alphabetically.

                   Call Sort in the following manner:

                   SORT

                   CDINFO.DAT will also be deleted, forcing a ReScan so
                   the changes will take affect.

  CHECKREQ.EXE  -  Nightly event to check for expired requests.  Checks
                   for the above mentioned expirations, empty user
                   directories, etc.

                   Place in your nightly event.

                   Call Checkreq in the following manner:

                   CHECKREQ

  RBRAIN.EXE    -  Converts RomBrain RBF files into DreamROM DRF files.
                   I cannot be held responsible for the accuracy of
                   the DRF file(s) made by this utility.  None of the
                   files are checked for existance, size, date, etc.
                   All information in the DRF file is taken from the RBF
                   file.  If a file cannot be found, size or date is
                   wrong, path it wrong, etc., it is NOT DreamROM nor
                   RBRAIN's fault, but the fault of the RBF file.

                   NOTE:  A common problem with RomBrain RBF database is
                   the first directory's name is partially deleted and
                   on line 1.  You will need to fix this manually before
                   running RBrain or you will NOT get an accurate DRF
                   database!

                   The RBF with the error will look similar to this:

                   786253   cations
                   FILENAME.ZIP 234,222 1-12-12

                   You need to edit it to look like:

                   786253
                   *Communications
                   FILENAME.ZIP 234,222 1-12-12

                   The first directory name MUST be on line 2 and MUST
                   begin with a star (*).  Not editing as so will result
                   in a DRF file that is NOT 100% accurate.  Most likely,
                   the first directory will be skipped when listing.

                   Call RBrain in the following manner:

                   RBRAIN RBF SECLEVEL

                   ie:

                   RBRAIN C:\BRAINEX\ROMBRAIN\NOWL15.RBF 30

                   This would convert NOWL15.RBF to NOWL15.DRF in the
                   current directory, setting all security levels to 30.

  ROMBULL.EXE      Creates and ansi and ascii bulletin of all online CDs.
                   Path and name are as configured in the sysop section of
                   Compile.   Used internally by DREAMROM.EXE.  Can also be
                   used manually.  Also can make WC, PCB, ANSI, and ASCII
                   listing of ALL CDRoms.

                   Call RomBull in the following manner:

  Help Screen      ROMBULL
  Normal Bulls.    ROMBULL NORMAL
  WildCat Cull.    ROMBULL WC PATH    (ie: ROMBULL WC C:\WC\BULLS\BULL9.BBS)
  PCBoard Bull.    ROMBULL PCB PATH   (ie: ROMBULL PCB C:\PCB\BULL9.PCB)
  ANSI Bull.       ROMBULL ANSI PATH  (ie: ROMBULL ANSI C:\BBS\DREAMROM.ANS)
  ASCII Bull.      ROMBULL ASCII PATH (ie: ROMBULL ASCII C:\BBS\DREAMROM.ASC)
  CDRom Sizes      ROMBULL SIZES
  CDRom Filelist   ROMBULL LIST DRF   (ie: ROMBULL LIST NOWL16)

                   NOTE:  SIZES will give you the total size of all CDs
                          attached.  Can't really DO anything with it right
                          now, more of a FYI kinda thing.  It will report
                          the number of CDs found, and the sizes in MB for
                          each.  To use the SIZES param, it MUST be run off
                          a machine where MSCDEX is loaded (ie: it won't
                          work on clients under LANs, just the server where
                          MSCDEX is loaded).

                          LIST will create a 'readable' list of the DRF you
                          pass as parameter 2.  (ie:  ROMBULL LIST NOWL16 will
                          create NOWL16.LST in the current directory.  Of
                          course, NOWL16.DRF or NOWL16.ZIP MUST exist in the
                          CDS directory.)

  DRMCTL.EXE       Please read DRMCTL.DOC.

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 DreamROM v1.5b2                                                     Page 8 

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              Detailed DreamROM Setup              ۲


  Unzip DRMROMxx.ZIP into the directory you wish it to reside.  Make a
  backup of the DRMROMxx.ZIP file, then delete it.

  First  :  Run SETUP to create DREAMROM.CFG.  If running DreamROM on more
            than one node, rename this NODE1.CFG and rerun SETUP for each
            node you are running, renaming them to the node number.  ( IE:
            NODE2.CFG, NODE3.CFG, etc. )

  Second : Run COMPILE to create the required subdirectories and files.

  From here, while still at COMPILE's main menu, press 'S' to configure
  DreamROM's Options.

   Key   Action To Take
      

   '1':  Update drive letters.  Enter the letters for ALL CD drives in
         your system.  (ie:  E-J or EFGHIJ, etc..).

   '2':  Enter default CD drive and drive DR resides on.  The default CD
         drive is usually the first CDRom drive in your system.  This
         is the default bootup CDRom drive, and a CD that ALWAYS has a
         CD in it.  The drive DR resides on is the drive you have
         DreamROM installed upon.

   '3':  Sysop Security Level.  Enter your Sysop Security Level here.
         Used for internal security, REQCOPY.EXE, and others.

   '4':  Setup Protocols.

         'L': List Existing Protocols
         'A': Add a Protocol.  You will be asked for 3 things.  The
              Protocol's Name, Batchfile Name (You're only allowed 4 letters
              for the batchfile name.  Do NOT add the '.BAT' extension!
         'D': Delete a Protocol.
         'Q': Quit back to the Sysop Menu.

   '5':  # of days to keep requests.  This is the length of time you wish
         to keep requested files on the HD before they are deleted.  (If
         a person downloads the files, they are then deleted.  This keeps
         forgotten requests from staying on your HD forever.)  Suggested
         length is 7-14 days.  The default it 14 days.

   '6':  * DL bytes per day.  This is the limit users are allowed to
           download per day.  (Bytes).

         * DL files per day.  This is the limit users are allowed to
           download per day.  (Files).

         * Request files per day.  This is the limit users are allowed to
           request per day.  (Files).  (This number isn't reset until the
           user downloads the available requests.)

         * Request bytes per day.  This is the limit users are allowed to
           download per day.  (Bytes).  (This number isn't reset until the
           user downloads the available requests.)

         What this is for is, if the caller has a security level that isn't
         defined in the Security setup, the files and bytes values will
         default to this.

   '7':  Path and name to write online CD bulletins.  (Only written when
         CDs are rescanned and CDINFO.DAT is re-written).

         CD bulletins are notices showing what CDs are online.  These are
         for your BBS bulletin section, and are NOT shown by DreamROM.

         ie:  C:\WC40\BULL\BULL1.SCR  or  DREAMROM.ANS
              C:\WC40\BULL\BULL1.BBS  or  DREAMROM.ASC

         To force DreamROM NOT to create one of both files, place NUL as
         the path and name.  (If you use RomBull to create a WC or PCB style
         menu, you may wish to set both fields to NUL).

   '8':  Setup Security Levels.  You can define different security level
         to have different file/bytes levels.  (Good for pay boards).

         'L': List Existing Security Levels and values
         'A': Add a Security.  You will be asked for 3 things.  The
              Security Level, DL Bytes, DL Files, Request Bytes, and Request
              Files.
         'D': Delete a Security Level
         'Q': Quit back to the Sysop Menu.

   'A':  Add Comments.  Toggle on/off to add/not add comments to downloaded
         files.  (ZIP and ARJ only).  COMMENT.TXT must be in the main
         DreamROM directory.

         Hint:  The first line on the COMMENT.TXT should be a blank line.
                PKZip doesn't start the comment with a CR/LF like it
                should.  This'll make the comment look better. (Also, I
                suggest adding a CR/LF on the line after the comment, PKZip
                also has a thing about killing the last character on the
                last line.

     Example COMMENT.TXT :

Ļ
  Ŀ        Ŀ   28.8   DreamNET   1:2230/146 Fidonet   2400 
   ----->                                                     
 Ͽ <----Ͽ  Home of TayNik Software Doors and Utils 
  28.8   This file tested with the latest version of Scan 
ļ

   'C':  Compresssion.  Toggle on/off to use/not use compression on the
         DRF files.  PKZip/PKUnzip are used for the compression.  This
         will save you a LOT of space, especially if you have a lot of DRF
         files.  Uncompression time depends on your system.  (CPU, Cache,
         etc)

   'L':  Auto_Logoff.  Toggle on/off to allow/not allow users to
         automatically logoff after download.

   'S':  Spawning.  Toggle on/off to use/not use spawning.  Using it is
         recommended.  Toggle to off if users complain of loss of control
         from remote.  (Happens sometimes under DesqView.  DV doesn't like
         some programs that spawn out.)

   'W':  Work directory.  Defaults as current directory.  This is where all
         DRFs are copied to, as well as all work files/directories, and
         files copied from the CD to the HD for download.  This is useful
         for systems running a LAN to keep the workstation free, or if
         you're HD is running low and want DreamROM to work on a free HD.
         (And other reasons).

   'R':  Register DreamROM.   Enter your Registered SysopName, BBSName,
         and Number here, when registered.

   'Q':  Quit to main.

   DreamROM is now configured.  Next, you must create a DRF ( DreamROM
   Filebase ) for each CD you wish to have available via DreamROM.

Ŀ
 DreamROM v1.5b2                                                     Page 9 

Ŀ
         Creating a DreamROM Filebase (DRF)        ۲


 DreamROM needs to know about the files on your CDRom... All the data is
 stored in a single file with an .DRF extension.

 Following these steps to compile a DRF:

 Place the cd-rom into your default drive.

 Take a look at the disk, directories, etc.. and see which files contain the
 descriptions of the CDRom files. These are usually named FILES.BBS, and are
 located in each CDRom directory that contains files for users to download.
 ( If a description file doesn't exist, the file names/sizes/dates are read
 into the DRF, but there will be no descriptions.  These aren't very common,
 but DO show up every now and again. )  Also, check to see if there is a
 \PCBTEXT directory, if so, this will speed up the compile a bit.

 Now that you have found the names of the description files, you are ready
 to begin the compile.

 Run COMPILE ( If it's not already running.  If it is, make sure you're
 at the main menu ).

 '1':  Enter your CDRom work drive.  (Whichever CDRom drive your CD is in.
       Changing this option ONLY affects COMPILE.  (The current CDRom work
       drive is listed at the bottm right of the screen. )

 '2':  Enter description file.  Usually FILES.BBS.  If the dir \PCBTEXT
       directory exists, place PCBTEXT here.  If no description files
       exist, enter NODESC.

 '3':  Create filelists.  You will be prompted for a minimum security level.
       This the the LOWEST security level that will be able to VIEW the
       directories on this CDRom.  Each directory on the CD has it's own
       security level, but when the database is created, ALL directories
       will have this security level.  Directory security levels will be
       looked at in detail later in this file.
       (NOTE: This security level affects the LISTING and SEARCHING of files
              ONLY!  If this value is larger than the user's seclevel, then
              the directory associated with this seclevel will NOT be shown
              to the user.  This security level will NOT prevent the user
              from downloading from this CD/directory).

     COMPILE now scans the CD and creates a file called FILES.LST.

 FILES.LST:

   Each line describes a directory on your CD.  Each line has three sections
   separated by semi-colons (;).  COMPILE does not know how to describe each
   directory/category, so it will use the directory name as the description.
   If you would like to edit these descriptions, follow the directions below
   in '4':.  Editing IS recommended for user clarity.

 '4':  Edit FILES.LST.  ( You may also quit COMPILE and use your favorite
       texteditor to edit this file. )  Below is a sample FILES.LST.

     ROOT;E:\;30;E:\
     001A;E:\001A;30;E:\001A\FILES.BBS
     002A;E:\002A;30;E:\002A\FILES.BBS
     003A;E:\003A;30;E:\003A\FILES.BBS
     004A;E:\004A;30;E:\004A\FILES.BBS

     Take out all directories you do NOT want compiled into the database.
     (IE:  ROOT ( Unless there's a description file there, which 95% of the
      time there ISN'T ), empty directories, directories that contain
      filelists only, etc.  REMEMBER what directories you delete!  You will
      need to delete the same ones in DIRS.LST. )

     To name the directories/categories, edit the first field in each line.
     ( The text preceeding the first semi-colon.  Do NOT edit the second
     field.  The third field is the security level required to access this
     directory.  Edit to desired level, if the default level isn't correct.
     ( This is good for CDs such as Busty Babes 2, which is  Adult and 
       shareware.  The fourth field is the path to the description file.
       Change this if this is NOT the path.  ( IE:  Some CDs have files
       such are DIR1.TXT, DIR2.TXT, etc.. in their own directory.  For CDs
       that use this method, edit the fourth field to reflect the path and
       filename of the description files. ) )

     After editing, your FILES.LST will look similar to this:

     Animations;E:\001A;30;E:\001A\FILES.BBS
     Archivers;E:\002A;30;E:\002A\FILES.BBS
     BBS Doors;E:\003A;30;E:\003A\FILES.BBS
     BBS Programs and Utilities;E:\004A;30;E:\004A\FILES.BBS

     The first field is the name of the directory/category.
     The second field is the actual directory name/path.
     The third field is the security level for this directory/category.
     Each field is separated by a semi-colon.

     This step in unneeded if you entered PCBTEXT as the description file.

 '5':  Create Filebase.

       First, a file called DIRS.LST is automatically created.  This file
       is created based on FILES.LST, and therefore doesn't need to be
       edited.  Next, a screen will pop up with a line, a measure bar,
       and an arrow.   Use your right and left arrow keys to move the arrow
       to the position where you want the description line to start, and
       press enter.  Normally, this is the first letter of the description
       line for example, you may get a display similar to this:

     DRMROM14.ZIP  315,518   03/30/94 | DreamROM v1.4 - The ULTIMATE CDRom
     0........1.........2.........3.........4.........5.........6.........7
     ^                                  $

    Use the right and left arrow keys to move the arrow (^) to the desired
    position, which normally would be where the $ is located. ( DreamROM
    will place it's own pipe (|) symbols where needed. )  This will filter
    out the filesize and filedate in the description files, as DreamROM
    gets that information directly from the file on the CD.   Not all
    description files have the date and time in them, like below:

     DRMROM14.ZIP  DreamROM v1.4 - The ULTIMATE CDRom Access Door!  Let you
     0........1.........2.........3.........4.........5.........6.........7
     ^             $

    Therefore, you would move the arrow to where the $ is indicated to
    select that as the starting position of the description file.

    Next, you will be asked for a name for the DRF file.  This will then
    scan your CD, gets files, sizes, dates, locations and descriptions.
    The time the compile takes depends on your system, the CD size, etc.
    Most CDs on my 386DX40 with 8 Megs RAM and a 2 Meg cache take approx.
    15 minutes to compile. When COMPILE has completed compiling the DRF
    file, it will let you know by playing a song ( GnR, SCoM ).  :)

    After this has finished, you will be asked if you'd like to enter the
    CD into the database.  If you answer 'Yes', you are taken to step 6.

 '6':  Add CD to database.  This is where you put the CD info into DreamROMs
       database, so DreamROM will know how to determine which CD is in which
       CDRom drive.  You also put the name of the CDRom here, along with
       other info.

    The configuration screen is similar to this:

    +------------------[ DreamROM CDRom Configuration ]-----------------+
    |                                                                     |
    |    CD #     CD Title                                                |
    |    1        Night Owl BBS                                           |
    |                                                                     |
    |    CD Identifier                                                    |
    |    NOP_BBS;001A;04-17-94;11:08p                                     |
    |                                                                     |
    |    CD Filename       Access Sec.    Download Sec.    Deleted?       |
    |     NOWLBBS.DRF       30              30             No             |
    |                                                                     |
    |                                                                     |
    +---------------------------------------------------------------------+

     [UP Arrow] Up One Field     [DOWN Arrow] Down One Field     [F2] Save
         [RIGHT Arrow] Up One Record     [LEFT Arrow] Down One Record
     [ESC] Quit Without Saving  [INS] Enter New CD  [DEL] Delete This CD

  If this is the first CD you've compiled, this screen will come up with
  bogus information inserted into the fields.  You may edit this record.
  If this is NOT a new CD, press INSERT to create a new record, and edit
  the new record.

  The cursor will begin on the CDRom Name field.  Press ENTER and enter the
  CD's name.  (ie: Night Owl 15).  Next hit the down arrow to move to the
  CD Identifier ( CDI ) field.  First, be sure the CD is in the work drive,
  then press ENTER.  COMPILE will access the CD and gather some information
  about it.  The CDI will look similar to this:

    VOLUME;FIRST_DIR;DIR_DATE;DIR_TIME;

  next, hit the down arrow again, press ENTER and enter in the filename you
  used when you compiled the DRF file.  Do NOT add the .DRF or .ZIP file
  extension!  FILENAME.DRF is first searched for, then FILENAME.ZIP.  If
  neither exist, COMPILE will let you know and prompt you to enter a new
  name.  After entering the filename, press the down arrow once again, press
  ENTER, and enter the lowest security level allowed to ACCESS this CD.
  Then press the down arrow one last time and press ENTER.  Now enter the
  lowest security level allowed to DOWNLOAD from this CD.  After all fields
  are entered, press F2 to save the entry.  That's it!  Press ESCAPE to
  return to the main menu.

  Repeat this for each CDRom you wish to be available from within DreamROM.

  DREAMROM.CTL:  If you believe the CDRom contains a DREAMROM.CTL file,
                 or would like to search the CD for it, press '*'.  If
                 DREAMROM.CTL is found, you will be asked for the filename,
                 security level, and description starting point.  The
                 compiling procedure continues as normal from here.

Ŀ
 DreamROM v1.5b2                                                    Page 10 

Ŀ
          Editing a DreamROM Filebase (DRF)        ۲


  DRF files are plain straight ASCII text files.

 !!! ALWAYS make a backup of the DRF you are editing before you begin. !!!

  You can edit a DRF file with any texteditor/word processor. Note that the
  editors must be able to load large textfiles!  Do NOT change the first
  line of the DRF file. This stores an index number required by DreamROM.

  If at any point you feel you have messed up a DRF file, DO NOT PANIC!
  Just run FIX.EXE, and the file will be rebuilt.


  (****  Structure of a DRF file

  The first line stores the index number to the starting line number of data
  section of the file.

  Each category line starts with a  (ALT-254) character such as:

  BBS Doors;30

  The 30 is the security level for this directory/category

  File descriptions begin with the filename, path and filename, size, and
  date.

  DRMSLT15.ZIP;\016A\DRMSLT15.ZIP;93050;02/23/94

  Description lines begin with a | character:

  | +---------- DreamSLOTS  v1.5 ----------+
  | |o    The ULTIMATE in Online Slot     o|
  | |  ==========  Machines! ============  |
  | | 100% Ansi Graphics. Can YOU become a |
  | | Billionaire & join the Bill' Club??  |
  | |  Supports all the most popular BBS'  |
  | |        Multi-node capable!!          |
  | |  NOT CRIPPLED!!!   $10 Registration  |
  | |o   A MUST SEE !!   Read WHATS.NEW   o|
  | +------ TayNik Software ------+

  At the end of the file is the data section:

  **END
  PCBoard Programs & Utilities;30;2
  PCBoard PPEs;30;897
  Wildcat!;30;2722
  VBBS;30;3129
  WWIV;30;3209
  RBBS;30;3277
  Remote Access;30;3831

  The **END signals the end of the main section of the DRF.

  The first field in the line is the directory/category name.
  The second field is the security level for the directory/category.
  The last field is the line number the section for this directory/
  category starts on.

  The numbers will be rebuilt when you run FIX after an edit, so ignore them!

  To delete a specific file from the database, set the filesize to 0

  You can permanently delete any file, category, or description by editing it
  out of the DRF file.

  !!!            ALWAYS run FIX.EXE after you edit a DRF File.          !!!

   Note :  Many pre-compiled DRF files are available from DreamNET, Arti
            BBS, Tiny Town and INDY * X.  If you download a pre-compiled
            DRF, just unzip it into the CDS subdirectory, run NEWSEC from
            the main DreamROM subdirectory to convert it to the desired
            security level.  You must then add it into the database so
            DreamROM will know it exists.

Ŀ
 DreamROM v1.5b2                                                    Page 11 

Ŀ
                  Processing Requests              ۲


   * Copying Requests

   There are 3 ways to copy requests made by users of DreamROM.

   1:  Run REQCOPY.EXE as stated above.

   2:  Enter DreamROM, and if you have sysop access, you will be asked
       if you wish to copy the requests.

   3:  Enter Compile, and press 'C'.  (If requests are available, a
       flashing message on the top of the menu will notify you.  This
       is the best method for Sysops who run networks where the CD
       drives are assigned different letters on different machines.  If
       this is the case, you first press '1' to temporarily change the
       default CD drive, then 'C' to copy from that drive.  Due to this
       fact, you must remember to put the original CD back into the
       drive (if there was one) before exiting Compile, as you will NOT
       be prompted to do so!  Reasoning is, if you change the default
       drive to a remapped drive that is different from the main machine,
       Compile has no way of knowing so, or of knowing what CD is supposed
       to be in that drive.  So DON'T forget to put the original CD back
       in!!!

Ŀ
 DreamROM v1.5b2                                                    Page 12 

Ŀ
                Miscellaneous Things               ۲


   * Intro Screen

   DreamROM allows to you show an intro screen of your choice before DR's
   title screen.  This is useful to let people know about new CDs that are
   online, additional drives, problems with drives/CDs, etc.  To activate
   this feature, place your message/screen in INTRO.ANS and INTRO.ASC.
   INTRO.ANS is shown to Ansi callers, and INTRO.ASC is shown to non-ansi
   callers.  If these files do not exist, DR proceeds to the title screen.

    NOTE:  If would be a good idea to put a 'Press A Key' notice in
           your screen(s), as DR pauses for a keypress after the file is
           shown, but does NOT prompt for a press!

   * Copying Files

   DreamROM will create a file named INUSE.$ in the DreamROM main directory.
   When present, other nodes must wait until this file is deleted by
   the node that is accessing the cd-rom drive. If for some reason
   you rebooted the machine before this file is removed, DreamROM
   will not be able to copy files. You will see a notice stating the
   drive is in use. To fix this, simply delete INUSE.$ to restore
   normal operation.  Also, if this happens, or a complete lockup occurs,
   check in the DATA subdirectory for a file names BUSY.$$$ and delete it.
   This will also return normal operation.  (BUSY.$$$ is created when a node
   writes to a datafile, this prevents conflicts and such.)

   * CDRom List / Scan Mode

   Information about all CDs (Online and Offline) are kept in a small
   index file called CDINFO.DAT.  The format is as follows:

    Top Drawer;30;ON;9;E
    Night Owl 13;30;ON;2;F
    Night Owl 12;30;OFF;3;
    Night Owl 11;30;OFF;4;
    Night Owl 10.1;30;OFF;5;
    Night Owl 10;30;OFF;6;
    Pier 4;30;OFF;1;

    CDName;Seclevel;Status;CDRec#;Drive

    CDName   <=  Name of CD as entered in COMPILE
    Seclevel <=  Minimum Security Level allowed to access this CD
    Status   <=  ON = Online  OFF = Offline
    CDRec #  <=  Record # CD is in DREAMROM.DAT.  Faster loading.
    Drive    <=  Drive letter CD is in.  Blank if offline.

   DreamROM will only scan the drives if CDINFO.DAT does NOT exist.  To
   force DreamROM to rescan the drives, simply delete CDINFO.DAT, or
   add the SCAN parameter to the commandline. (The bulletins will then
   be created.)

   * Log File

   Logs of DreamROM activity are saved in the LOGS subdirectory, in a
   file called ROMLOG.x, where x is the nodenumber.

 *** Errors / Problems / Etc...  Read DREAMROM.FAQ for Frequently Asked
                                 Questions, etc...

Ŀ
 DreamROM v1.5b2                                                    Page 13 

Ŀ
                      Support                      ۲


     You may obtain assistance with a DreamWARE Communication programs and
     related problems at http://BBSFiles.com.  You may also find
     the latest versions of DreamWare Doors here.

Ŀ
 DreamROM v1.5b2                                                    Page 14 

Ŀ
                   Registration                    ۲


     DreamROM is $20.00 to register.


Ŀ
 DreamROM v1.5b2                                                    Page 15 

Ŀ
                 SPECIAL Thanx!!!                  ۲


     * Special Thanx (Probably time to change these, but after coding,
                      my fingers are pooped.) (Ok, I've changed 'em
                      a bit <g>)  (Ok, I changed 'em a bit MORE <g>)

      Special thanx go the the following 6 guys.  They tested the 'ell
      outta DreamROM, and without them, I'd still be sitting in front of
      the monitor, with everything from my waist-down asleep, STILL trying
      to find that last bug!  (Well, I'm that way anyway, so...)
      Thanx TONS guys!!!

      Rob Williams, Dwight Dawson, Dan Taylor, Randy Lewenza, Ed Georgen,
      and Tim Brown.

      Most of all, thanx to Steph, Nikki and Taylor!
      Yeah Guys, I'm coming to bed tonight, late, but I'm coming!  (*)

                       STOP growing up so fast kids!!!!


                  Thank you for using DreamROM! and Enjoy!
                       --

                              Andy Stewart
