Differences

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--- mutil_howto [2016/03/29 04:01] – add merge nodelists page avon
+++ mutil_howto [2023/01/20 03:03] (current) – added mutil -help info avon
@@ Line 20: / Line 20: @@
   mutil msgmaint
+MUTIL can also execute specific functions from the command line if they are not enabled in the .ini file.  This
+is done by using the -RUN or -EXEC or -EXECUTE option (they all do the same thing) followed by a comma separated
+list of headers that should be executed.
+If you are using a non-default .ini file then you mustr specify the execute command before the ini filename.  For example:
+  mutil -run PackMessageBases           (Run [PackMessageBases] from mutil.ini)
+  mutil -run PackMessageBases pack.ini  (Run [PackMessageBases] from pack.ini)
+An example of calling multiple headers from the command line (using multi.ini):
+  mutil -exec ImportEchoMail,LinkMessages
+Running MUTIL -l or -list from the command line will print a list of all available functions that MUTIL can do to the screen for reference.
+If you run MUTIL -help you will get the full list of options
+  MUTIL                           Execute using mutil.ini fil
+  MUTIL [IniFile]                 Execute using a custom INI
+  MUTIL -LIST                     List all MUTIL functions
+  MUTIL -RUN [Command]            Execute one or more (comma
+  MUTIL [IniFile] -RUN [Command]  Execute specific functions
+  MUTIL -NOSCREEN                 Execute without outputting
+  MUTIL -VER                      Show version information
 ====== Anatomy of the .INI File ======
@@ Line 31: / Line 56: @@
 Each .ini file has a [General] stanza with some options, followed by a list of functions that can be enabled.  Lets take a look at the general options before jumping into the specific functions:
-===== General Options =====
+===== General Options Stanza [GENERAL] =====
 The general stanza contains several options you should consider and/or configure further:
@@ Line 43: / Line 68: @@
   ; mystic_directory=c:\mystic\mystic.dat
+=== Basic Logging ===
-=== Logging ===
+MUTIL offers many logging options, and contains the ability to perform two different types of log "rolling" techniques to automatically maintain your log files for you.
-Mystic BBS offers a number of logging tools. For MUTIL you get to tell Mystic what the name of the log file it creates should be called. If no directory is specified in the logfile name, MUTIL will attempt to use the configured LOGS directory from Mystic's main configuration.
+The first option allows name of the log file to be defined.  If there is no path in the log file name, MUTIL will use the configured logs directory:
-If you wish you can **comment out** the line below **to disable logging** completely.
   logfile=mutil.log
-The next setting defines the level of detail to be contained within the MUTIL logs. Usually level 2 provides an acceptable level of detail but you can change this to one of three options:
+Following next is a cache setting which if set to TRUE (*HIGHLY* recommended for MUTIL) then MUTIL  will write the log file in increments of 8KB at a time.  If set to FALSE it will write each individual line as it is logged.  This will significantly reduce MUTIL performance if set to FALSE.
+  logcache=true
+Next up is a setting that defines the level of detail to be contained within the MUTIL logs. Usually level 2 provides an acceptable level of detail but this can be changed to one of three options:
 Level 1 = basic \\
 Level 2 = verbose \\
 Level 3 = debug \\
+Note that the loglevel can also be set in any specific function stanza and that value will override the default value defined here, but only for that specific stanza where a different setting has been applied.
   loglevel=2
-Not only can you decide on the name of your MUTIL logging file, you can opt to set how it is time stamped. The logging defaults to NNN DD HH:II:SS if the setting below is not enabled. To override the default time stamp settings you will need to uncomment this line.
+Each entry in the log file is prefixed by a date/time stamp.  This stamp by default uses the NNN DD HH:II:SS format (ie Mar 29 04:34:02) but this can be changed to support any desired date/time stamp by declaring a new format using the logstamp option.  As an example, some System Operators prefer to have a date/time stamp that can be reliably sorted and would override the default using the logstamp option, as shown below:
-  ;logstamp = YYYYHHMMHHIISS
+  logstamp = YYYYHHMMHHIISS
-Next you can define the number of log files to keep (0 to disable log rolling)
+=== Log Rolling ===
+MUTIL supports three settings to assist with automatically maintaining your log files.  The logtype option can be set to one of three options, and depending on the option selected, some additional values may be required to be set with it.
+  ; Log roller type:
+  ;   0 = Do not roll log files
+  ;   1 = Roll by number of files/filesize
+  ;   2 = Roll by number of days
+Setting the logtype option to 0 will disable log rolling entirely.  MUTIL will continue adding to the same log file indefinitely until it is manually moved or deleted.  No other options are required for this logtype.
+  logtype = 0
+Setting the option to 1 will build each log file until it reaches a configured size, and then it will create a new file.  When the configured maximum number of log files is reached, the oldest will be deleted.  3 options need to be configured for this style of log rolling. For example the following options will keep the latest 3 log files of 1024 kilobytes each:
+  logtype     = 1
   maxlogfiles = 3
+  maxlogsize  = 1024
-And lastly you can define the size of each log file in kilobytes
+Setting the option to 2 will perform log rolling by day.  This option has no size limit to the log file; instead, a log file is created for each individual day and the number of days to keep log files is configured.  When there are more days than the configured number, the oldest day's log file will be removed.  This style requires two configured options.  For example, the following options will keep the last 7 days of log files:
-  maxlogsize = 1000
+  logtype     = 2
+  maxlogfiles = 7
+=== Other Logging Considerations ===
 Remember if you are going to create different .ini files for various functions listed below you may want to settle on standardizing your general options at the start of each .ini file.
@@ Line 87: / Line 136: @@
   Import_FIDONET.NA  = false
   Import_MessageBase = false
   Import_FILEBONE.NA = false
+  Export_FILEBONE.NA = false
+  Export_AREAS.BBS   = false
+  Export_GOLDED      = false
   Import_FILES.BBS   = false
   MassUpload         = false
   GenerateTopLists   = false
   GenerateAllFiles   = false
-  PostTextFiles      = false
   PurgeMessageBases  = false
+  PostTextFiles      = false
   PackMessageBases   = false
   ImportEchoMail     = false
   ExportEchoMail     = false
   MergeNodeLists     = false
   FileToss           = false
-  PackFileBases      = false
+  PackFileBases      = false
-  LinkMessages	   = false
+  FileSort           = false
+  LinkMessages	   = false
+  PurgeUserBase      = false
+  PackUserBase       = false
+  AutoHatch          = false
+  EchoNodeTracker    = false
+  EchoUnlink         = false
 //**NOTE:** All options are assumed to be off (or false) by default.  Only the options being executed in a particular .ini file are required to be found within the [general] stanza.//
@@ Line 111: / Line 170: @@
 ====== Function Reference Links ======
+  * [[mutil_import_fidonet_na|Import FIDONET.NA into Message bases]]
+  * [[mutil_import_messagebase|Import Message Bases (by datafile analysis)]]
+  * [[mutil_import_filebone_na|Import FILEBONE.NA into File bases]]
+  * [[mutil_export_filebone_na|Export FILEBONE.NA from File bases]]
+  * [[mutil_export_areas.bbs|Export AREAS.BBS from Message Bases]]
+  * [[mutil_export_golded|Export GoldED Areas Configuration from Message Bases]]
   * [[mutil_import_files.bbs|Importing FILES.BBS and similar into File Bases]]
+  * [[mutil_mass_upload|Mass upload files to all file bases]]
+  * [[mutil_generate_top_lists|Generate Top Callers, Posters, Downloaders, Uploaders, PCR]]
+  * [[mutil_generate_all_files|Generate all files listing]]
+  * [[mutil_post_text_files|Post text files to message bases]]
   * [[mutil_purge_message_bases|Purge Message bases (by age and max messages)]]
   * [[mutil_pack_message_bases|Pack and renumber message base]]
+  * [[mutil_import_echomail|Import Binkley-style FLO echomail/netmail]]
   * [[mutil_export_echomail|Export Binkley-style FLO echomail/netmail]]
+  * [[mutil_merge_node_lists|Merge nodelists into Mystic format]]
+  * [[mutil_file_toss|Toss TIC+files into BBS and to subscribed downlinks]]
   * [[mutil_pack_file_bases|Pack and check integrity of file base listings]]
-  * [[mutil_merge_node_lists|Merge nodelists into Mystic format]]
+  * [[mutil_filesort|Sort file base listings]]
+  * [[mutil_link_messages|Perform message base echomail reply linking]]
+  * [[mutil_purge_userbase|Purge User Base]]
-====== Example MUTIL .INI Files ======
+  * [[mutil_pack_userbase|Pack User Base]]
-  Placeholder
+  * [[mutil_auto_hatch|Automatically hatch a list of files to FDN]]
+  * [[mutil_echo_node_tracker|Echo Node Tracker (various HUB-related utils)]]
-==== Import FIDONET.NA into Message bases ====
+  * [[mutil_echo_unlink|Echo Unlink (auto remove dormant message bases)]]
-This is placeholder text.
-==== Import FILEBONE.NA into File bases ====
-This is placeholder text.
-==== Mass upload files to all file bases ====
-This is placeholder text.
-==== Generate Top 1 up to 99 Callers, Posters, Downloaders, Uploaders, PCR ====
-This is placeholder text.
-==== Generate all files listing ====
-This is placeholder text.
-==== Post text files to message bases ====
-This is placeholder text.
-==== Import Binkley-style FLO echomail/netmail  ====
-This is placeholder text.
-==== Merge nodelists into Mystic format ====
-This is placeholder text.
-==== Toss TIC+files into BBS and to subscribed downlinks ====
-This is placeholder text.
-==== Perform message base echomail reply linking ====
-This is placeholder text.