Every Mystic BBS archive contains a WHATSNEW.TXT file that tracks the development of Mystic BBS for the version related to that archive.
This page contains notes from the author (g00r00) during the development of Mystic BBS v1.09
It outlines what is a new or changed feature, a bug fix, or something that has been removed.
In order to interpret each entry below, the following key explains the nature of each change that has been noted in the WHATSNEW.TXT for this version of Mystic BBS.
! = Bug fix + = New or changed feature - = Removed
If you spot something you think looks amiss with these notes please contact us using the contact info found on this Wiki.
! Fixed a bug in the full screen editor that could sometimes garble text
seemingly at random.
! The TAB and ESCAPE hotkeys were not working in lightbar menus.
! Fixed some minor display bugs in MCFG
+ Added new function to MBBSUTIL called -MTRASH. This will go through
all message bases and delete any messages To or From the users listed
in a text file. The file should contain one username per line,
and the names do NOT have to be members of your BBS.
MBBSUTIL -MTRASH c:\mybbs\data\trashcan.dat
It is recommended to use this with your trashcan.dat file in the data
directory, which Mystic uses to disallow new users with any usernames
found in the file. If you have networked message bases, this could
be executed whenever your tosser brings in new messages - assuming
it is not already able to filter out messages on its own.
+ Mystic now creates semaphore files in the DATA directory when new
networked mail is created:
echomail.now - Created when new echomail has been posted.
netmail.now - Created when new netmail has been posted.
newsmail.now - Created when new "newsgroup" message has been posted.
This is basically an alternative to using errorlevels to process
networked messages. This is now the recommended method to use for
tosser activity as there may be a time in the future when Mystic does
not exit after each session.
+ Did some restructuring of the file base data. The following changes
have been made in order to support future features:
+ Added FTP name for each base
+ Added FTP list ACS for each base
+ Expanded file base passwords to 20 characters
+ Expanded all file base ACS strings to 30 characters
+ Expanded the file directory to 120 characters
+ Expanded the display file name to 20 characters.
+ Added an ansi template field on a per base level.
+ Enabled the FTP server inside of MIS. At the time of this writing the
server does not support uploads and it does not properly send file and
directory dates. It has been tested with the following:
Linux "ftp" - No problems
Windows FTP - No problems
Filezilla FTP - No problems
SmartFTP - No problems
Firefox - No problems
Chrome - Does not work. This is a problem with Chrome
which does not properly support the base FTP
protocol standards (tries to force EPSV mode)
I think.
Internet Explorer - Does not work, cannot determine why
As a result, a version of MIS is now included in the OSX and Linux
versions. These versions do not support telnet (since Telnet is
currently handled by inetd-type services on those platforms).
The FTP server creates a virtual directory structure, one for each
file base using the "FTP Name" configured for each file base. No
other configuration is needed outside of setting the basic FTP
stuff within the Internet options of MCFG.
When configuring the FTP ACS for each file base, keep in mind that
any "session"-type data in ACS will automatically return true. This
means that most basic ACS works (security, time of day stuff, user
flags) but some things like "ansi graphics mode" are always true,
since the user cannot have a graphics mode via FTP.
! Removed some debug logging accidentally left in 1.08.
+ Expanded the maximum message size in the message bases to 500 lines,
up from 200. This was a bigger undertaking than I had expected, so
hopefully there are no issues.
+ Message Base permanent indexes are now shown in the internal message
base editor.
! Fixed a screen bleeding bug that could happen occasionally while
scrolling the screen.
! Door drop files under Linux were actually being created in old MacOS
file format, unless /DOS was specified to create DOS versions. Whoops!
! Fixed the installation where it would not properly assign/create the
local QWK path.
! Fixed a bug where Windows was not letting sub-processes properly
inherit a socket handle. This means that NetFoss for example was not
working properly with Mystic to run old DOS doors in Windows.
+ Mystic no longer creates duplicate socket handles when executing doors.
This was added to work around a bug in Windows 95, which I have decided
doesn't really need to be supported anymore.
+ Added in a POP3 mail server into MIS. This allows BBS e-mail be to
retrieved by e-mail clients, smart phones, etc. Use MCFG to set it up
under Internet Options and make sure you set your domain name correctly
as all email will be User_Name@yourdomain.com.
+ Mystic now saves the last 5 inputs and you can use the up and down arrow
keys to scroll through your input history during field-based input.
This doesn't work for hotkeys and the like, only field-based input such
as message subjects, node chat messages, etc.
+ Mystic will now remember the user name entered before "Create new user?"
question and force it into the input buffer as the default value if the
user selects to create a new account. Unless of course the user types
"new" then it will not default to anything.
! Fixed some file-casing issues with the message base editor, when
deleting a message base and its data files in Linux.
+ New MCI code [K sends a "clear to end of line" ANSI code, or nothing
if the user does not have a capable terminal.
+ New MCI code BS sends a destructive backspace.
! MCI code IS was not working correctly when it was found in a display
file.
+ New MCI code [Lxx, where XX is a two-digit number. This code takes the
cursor from its current position, and does a descrutive backpace until
it reaches cursor position XX. So for example, |[L01 would move the
cursor to the beginning of the current line, while erasing everything
on the way. If the cursor is already less than XX, it does nothing.
! Mystic now longer converts the user name to proper casing when a new
message is uploaded by QWK.
+ Removed some data file checks on startup of Mystic. Any major issues
which would cause Mystic not to start can be addressed using MCFG.
+ Added SMTP server into MIS to go along with the POP3 server. Settings
are in MCFG. Make sure you are setting your domain name correctly. Its
a very basic server. It does not reformat messages that might
be sent with a client that does not word wrap at a compatible level. In
addition, there is always the challenge of HTML emails.
! Fixed a small display file parsing bug.
+ If "newletter.txt" exists in the DATA directory, its contents will now
be automatically e-mailed to new users when their account is created.
+ If "sysletter.txt" exists in the DATA directory, its contents will now
be automatically e-mailed to the SYSOP whenever a new user account is
created. An example of its contents might be:
A new user account has been created!
Handle: |UH
Real name: |UN
Security: |SL (|SD)
IP: |UX
This account was created on |DA at |TI.
+ If "hackwarn.txt" exists in the DATA directory, its contents will now
be automatically e-mailed to a USER if someone tries to log in as them
but fails the password check enough to be disconnected. An example of
its contents might be:
This is an automated E-mail sent to users when an unsuccessful attempt to
login has occured. This could have been your own error, or possibly someone
attempting to access your account without your knowledge.
Here is some information our system has logged from this attempt:
Date: |DA
Time: |TI
IP Address: |UX
+ Added a new MPL function: PurgeInput. This will clear out any local
or remote input data.
+ Added new MCI code PB. This will purge the input buffer just as the
MPL function above will.
+ The left and right arrow keys now function the same as page down and
page up keys in the full screen editor quote window.
! Fixed a very rare MCI parsing bug. So rare it made it this long without
ever being reported! Hopefully this fix doesn't create any new issues.
! Fixed a small bug where the cursor wasn't properly updating on the screen
after a backspace during local mode in the Windows version! Whew!
+ The lightbar message reader now allows you to scroll through all messages
in the message base, regardless of where you start reading from.
+ The HOME key now works in the lightbar message index. This returns you
to the first message on the first page.
+ The END key now works in the lightbar message index. This takes you to
the last message on the last page.
+ The HOME key now works in the lightbar message reader. This takes you
to the start of the message.
+ The END key now works in the lightbar message reader. This takes you to
the end of the message.
+ New menu command: MX. This command posts a text file to a message
base. First it will look for the file in the DATA directory, but
you can also include the path in the command data. The format of
the command data is:
Syntax: <TextFile>;Area #;From;To;Subject
Ex:
Command: MX
Data: \mystic\mystic.doc;2;g00r00;All;Mystic Documentation
The command will automatically split text files into multiple posts
if the text file is larger than 500 lines (the max per message). It
will also append the post count onto the subject. So for example, if
the above document was 1200 lines in size, it would create 3 posts in
area 2 with the subjects:
Mystic Documentation (1/3)
Mystic Documentation (2/3)
Mystic Documentation (3/3)
The command caps at 10,000 lines for a text file post. Even that much
would be pretty rediculous (20 posts!).
+ Setting message scan pointer dates now checks to see if a valid date
has been entered, and aborts if an invalid date has been entered.
! MCFG wasn't updating the status bar correctly when returning from the
message base edit back to the message base list.
+ Mystic now supports random origin lines on a per-base level. You can
replace the origin line for each message base with:
@RANDOM=<textfile>
You can include a path to the text file, but if no path is included
Mystic will look in the DATA directory for the file. This allows
for random origin lines to be generated from separate lists, per base
if you choose.
Example:
Origin: @RANDOM=randomorigins.txt
If the origin line is configured as above, it will select a random
origin line from the file "randomorigins.txt" in the DATA directory. The
random origin text file should contain one origin line per line in the
file. Traditionally the maximum characters for an origin line is 50, but
Mystic does not put any restriction on this - so you are responsible to
keep them at a length considered acceptable. Blank lines will not be
factored into the random line. If it finds a blank line, it will skip
over it and select a new one.
Remember, you can use MCFG's global message base editor to update
every (or some) message bases at once with this new feature, if you
decide to use it.
+ The %0 code has been added to the Test upload commmand line. This
passes the socket handle.
+ Mystic now checks for valid date input when setting the new file scan
date.
! Fixed a bug in the installation program that would cause the terminal
in Linux/OS to get stuck in RAW mode if the installation encountered an
error.
! Fixed a problem in the FTP server where it was returning the wrong
status number with the PWD command.
! Fixed a problem with PASSIVE mode FTP transfers. The server was not
opening a passive connection immediately when a PASV command was
found. Instead it was waiting for the next command where a data
connection would be used to open it. This caused the server not to
work with some clients. As a result, it now works with Internet
Explorer and Cyberduck.
+ Added Extended Passive and Extended Port support to the FTP server. The
server now works with Google Chrome as a client.
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| Mystic BBS v1.09 RELEASED : October 17, 2011 |
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