This is a key stanza you will want to run each time message packets and other files arrive at your Mystic BBS.

Message packets (compressed or raw) and other files (nodelists, infopacks etc.) are usually sent over the Internet to your Mystic BBS via a mail transport system such as BinkP or FTP. Both are easy to use as Mystic has inbuilt BinkP and FTP servers.

It's probably fair to say the majority of BBS systems in action today use the BinkP protocol/server as their preferred means of sending and receiving echomail and netmail across the Internet

The '[ImportEchoMail]' stanza tells MUTIL to scan the defined 'Inbound Echomail' path in Mystic e.g. c:\mystic\echomail\in for newly arrived inbound mail. If it finds any newly arrived message packets it will import them in to the BBS and toss them in to their correct message bases. Users of the BBS can then read them and reply to them.

To enable this function you modify the '[general]' stanza as follows:

[general]

ImportEchoMail     = true

There are a number of options available to you for configuration in the '[ImportEchoMail]' stanza.

If you want to save duplicated / bad messages to a certain message base, then set the value of is switch to the *INDEX* of the message base (viewable at the top of the msgbase editor). Otherwise, set this value to -1 or leave it commented out and duplicated / bad messages will be ignored.

;dupe_msg_index = 5

This setting defines the number of messages to keep in the duplicate database. Each message takes 8 bytes of data, so for example 32,000 messages takes 256kb of memory while importing messages. Max is 250,000 messages. Uncomment this setting to enable it.

;dupe_db_size = 32000

Duplicate scanning by checking for a circulate PATH reference can be enabled or disabled although it is extremely highly recommended to keep this enabled unless you have a very specific reason you need to temporarily disable it.

dupe_circular = true

This setting instructs Mystic to ignore or import message packets sent to it from other BBS systems it does not know of. In other words, the sender has not been configured in Mystic as a known Echonode.

This setting uses a Boolean True or False switch.

; Toss packets from unsecure directory in addition to inbound?
unsecure_dir = false

This setting defines a directory where any PKT files will be moved to if the password check fails or there is some other issue with addressing that would cause it to not be processed. To disable this function comment it out or set it to a blank value.

bad_packet = c:\mystic\echomail\badpkt

This setting instructs Mystic to retain or remove SEEN-BY kludge lines when importing packets from other systems.

SEEN-BY lines are used by mail tossers to check that they are not importing something that they have already seen (a dupe). SEEN-BY lines also provide a helpful record of which BBS have received or 'seen' a message.

Some system operators prefer to strip SEEN-BY lines when importing messages to reduce file size / storage overheads. However in times of cheap HDD storage the benefits of retaining SEEN-BY lines outweigh the benefits of removing them.

This setting uses a Boolean True or False switch.

; Strip SEEN-BY lines from messages when importing?
strip_seenby = false

This setting allows you to define what the default behavior of your Mystic BBS will be when it receives a full %RESCAN command via netmail from someone.

This must be a valid command (ie R=<msgs> D=<days> or else the rescan will refuse to perform any action. The default is the last 250 messages for each base. Setting it to D=90 for example would give the last 90 days of messages. If you want the default to send every message in the base, then set it to go back a ridiculous number of messages R=999999999

default_rescan = R=250

If you want to remap netmail from one user name to another, you can define up to 50 remapped names below using the format <orig>;<new> The new portion can optionally contain @net_address

Names are case insensitive. Each line is processed in the order in which they appear meaning a single message can be processed by many lines. This means for example you can map multiple names to “Sysop” and then on the last line map “Sysop” to something else. If the “New” portion of the definition contains @<address> then the Netmail will be forwarded to another address entirely. Forwarding even works for automated To fields like Areafix, so if you are a hub and someone accidentally Areafix your BBS you can have your BBS forward that Netmail to your hub system so it can be processed properly.

Uncomment this setting to enable it.

;forward = sysop;g00r00
;forward = system operator;g00r00
;forward = g00r00;James Coyle
;forward = James Coyle;James Coyle@21:1/108

This option allows you to filter names and other key metadata so that messages from 'twits' are not imported or tossed to down-links your BBS may be sending messages on to.

Your can define multiple terms for what you consider a 'twit' is - one entry per line - with a maximum of up to 100 entries. Please note that this should not be used if you are a HUB system that feeds echomail to other users unless there is very good reason to do so as it will prevent the messages from passing through your system. This feature is intended to be a moderation tool used only in extreme cases.

Uncomment and customize this setting to enable it.

;twit=John Guillory
;twit=kf5qeo
;twit=1:396/60
;twit=46:1/138

This is one very cool and powerful feature. Use this if you would like MUTIL to auto create message bases when it finds an Echomail message for a non-existing base while importing messages in to your BBS.

This setting uses a Boolean True or False switch. The default setting is True.

auto_create = true

dos_filename = 0

Valid options are:

   0 = Do not use 8.3 filename (uses echotag for filename)
   1 = Use shortened 8.3 filename (trimmed based on the echotag name)
   2 = Use random hex 8.3 filename

This setting allows you to create data files associated with the auto-created message base to be either named in an upper or lowercase naming convention. Lowercase tends to be the preferred option.

; Convert filenames to lowercased 1=true
lowercase_filename = 1

You then set a number of options as the default values MUTIL will apply when a message base is auto-created:

; ACS to see the message base
acs_list       = s10
; ACS to read messages in the message base       
acs_read       = s10
; ACS to post a message in the message base       
acs_post       = s20
; ACS to use the message base with sysop access        
acs_sysop      = s255
; ANSI header to use in the message base      
header         = msghead
;   
read_template  = ansimrd
;     
index_template = ansimlst
; maximum messages to retain   
max_msgs       = 500
; maximum number of days to hold messages       
max_msgs_age   = 365       

; true/false type values 0=false 1=true (newscan 2=forced)

; allow auto signatures in this base?
use_autosig    = 1
; use real names in this base?  
use_realname   = 0
; kill kludge lines in this base?   
kill_kludge    = 1
; base is part of new messages scan?  
new_scan       = 1
; base is part of new messages scan for QWK network?  
qwk_scan       = 1  

If you want to create settings specific to certain node addresses that send your system messages - you can!

For example, if you wanted to auto create bases that were linked to your fsxNet feed using the fsxNet HUB address of 21:1/100 , you have defined fsxNet as message group #1 in the Message Group Editor, you want non-validated users (s10) to see and read messages in the message base, but only validated users (s20) to be able to post. You would set the following:

21:1/100_acs_list     = s10g1
21:1/100_acs_read     = s10g1
21:1/100_acs_post     = s20g1
21:1/100_acs_sysop    = s255g1
21:1/100_use_realname = 0