July 1996 MAGazine Volume 12 Number 5

The July General Meeting of the Memphis Amiga Group will be held Saturday, July 13, from 11:30pm until approximately 3:00pm at Steve Echols house at 4374 Barrymore.

The newsletter is published monthly for distribution to the members of the Memphis Amiga Group. MAGazine contains meeting announcements, hardware and software reviews, video and book reviews, and other information of interest to Amiga and computer users in general. Contributions are welcome and may be submitted in hardcopy or via disk in ASCII format at any meeting or you can upload to Operator Headgap BBS - (901) 759-1542 V.32bis hi speed operating CNET PRO v3.05c software. Be sure to leave a note to the sysop.

From the President's CLI

by Scott Pitts

Finally, the meeting that we had discussed will be transpiring. The internet connectivity meeting will be held at Steve Echols home. This meeting will NOT be held at State Tech. In the internet meeting will be the chance for everyone to have their machines configured and setup for the web. The packages will include the TCP/IP stack, IRC, FTP, Telnet, and of course a Web Browser. We will test the dial-in with one of the two providers T-Net or World Spice. Either one provides premium service at a fair price. Hopefully this meeting will get off to a good start without significant problems. Don't forget your Amiga Computer.

The meeting will start at 11:30 and as an added bonus pizza will be provided, so come on time and bring your own soft drinks to wash down that pizza. We look forward to seeing all of you there.

MINUTES

The Board Meeting was held at Gridleys, at around 11:30. Very few people attended this meeting. The Group meeting started at around 1:00 and several demos were given, but the primary topic of discussion was the internet.

It was clear that everyone was interested in getting on the internet, but most were unsure as to how. We decided to have an "Internet Day" at our next meeting. As such, we will be meeting at the home of one of our members (and Vice President) Steve Echols.

Steve lives at 4374 Barrymore and his phone number is 756-9261. Enclosed is a map to Steve's house. We are planning on setting up at his house around 11:30. We ask everyone that would like to get their computer(s) setup for internet access to come between 11:30 and 3:00.

What you MUST bring with you:

• Computer (Any Amiga will do)
• Keyboard (if detachable from Amiga)
• Monitor (if everyone will bring one, loads will go faster)
• Modem (14.4 modem will work, 28.8 is recommend)
• Cable for modem (please test and make sure modem works if at all possible)
• Amiga DOS 3.1 (we can install if needed, but you must have the ROM's)
• Power Strip (and power cords for computer and monitor)
• Account on TNET or Worldspice (if another, we will try setup)

What we will do:

• Install 3.1 if needed
• Install MUI 3.3
• Install CPR-225 (TCPIP Stack No Charge)
• Configure CPR-225 for ISP (internet service provider)
• Install AmIRC (Interent Relay Chat Client)
• Install AmFTP (FTP Client)
• Install AWeb (Web Browser)
• Install Voyager (Web Browser)
• We may install a mail program - current programs do not work, but RETU from the makers of AmFTP and AmIRC looks good. If beta is available, we will install.

What we can do if needed:

• Install RAM upgrades if all parts are available
• Install HW upgrades (Hard Drives and such)

Again, please make sure all parts are available, and bring the manuals and disks for any third party boards that you need installed.

We will try to answer any questions about how to use, and will try to have a follow up class at the next meeting. The plan is to let you try out your new software, and then come back next month and ask questions.

If you have any questions, please contact either me (Keith Burns), Scott Pitts or Paul Stokes before the next meeting.

YOU MUST PROVIDE THE ABOVE LISTED ITEMS, OR THE SOFTWARE WILL NOT WORK!!!

Keith Burns, Secretary

MAG Meetings

The Memphis Amiga Group (MAG) holds general meetings the second Saturday of each month. This monthe the meeting will be at Steve Echols house at 4374 Barrymore (see map at left).

There will be no board of directors meeting at Gridley's BarBQ instead the Board meeting will be at Steve's at 11:30 A.M., Saturday, July, 13. For more information call Scott Pitts at (901) 854-1987.

Memphis Amiga Group Officers for 1995

President
Scott Pitts
(901) 854-1987

Vice President
Steve Echols
(901) 756-9261

Secretary
Keith Burns
(901) 756-8514

Treasurer
Terry Campbell
(601) 393-4864

Librarian
Bill Bowers
(901) 360-0003

MAGazine Editior
Paul Stokes
(901) 867-8417

MAGazine Printing & Distribution
Terry A. Campbell
(601) 393-4864

Disk Sales & Video Rentals

MAG library and Fred FISH disk are $2 each.
($5 each for non-members)
Quality blank disks with labels are 65¢ each.
($1 each for non-members)
Rental of Amiga related videotapes is $3 per week.
(not available to non-members)
For all this and more contact club librarian
Bill Bowers (901) 360-0003

(contact Terry Campbell at 601-393-4864)

INFO

The Memphis Amiga Group (MAG) is a non-profit organization whose purpose is promoting and encourageing the use and understanding of the Commodore Amiga Computer. Memberships are open to all those who share a common interest in the Amiga computer and its many wonderful and unique features. Monthly meetings are open to the public and visitors are welcome.

Annual membership dues for new members are $25.00 with an annual renewal rate of $20.00. Associate memberships are available for $15.00 per year, renewable at the same rate, to those who must travel more than 45 miles one way to attend general meetings. All memberships are family memberships and dues are nonrefundable.

HOW TO CONNECT

I wrote this to try to help people with the installation to the Internet. It may have some errors, or omissions.

A lot of what's here is from the various installation instructions.

If there's parts that aren't clear, contact me, and I'll try to improve the instructions.

List of programs needed to connect to the Internet with a PPP account:

what you need from your provider

• Your providers domain name
• Your providers IP address
• Your user name
• Your password

AmiTCP installation:

• Use the Install script.
• Enter the following: (I've shown what I entered for an example)
• Your user name for the default user name - gcaine
• Yes for is your network connection dynamic.
• You servers domain name for your domain name - cycor.ca
• Select PPP for the internet interface type
• Select PPP for the network interface to be used.
• Enter 0.0.0.0 for the default IP address.
• Enter your server's IP address for the destination address - 198.167.1.1
• Enter a blank string for the Netmask.
• Enter your server's IP for the IP address of the name servers - 198.167.1.1 Follow that with a blank line for the next name server.
• Enter your servers domain name for the domain names to search - cycor.ca Follow that with a blank line
• Select "Yes" to have the User-startup script changed.
• Select "Yes" to have Inetd to be started at the AmiTCP startup.
• You will then be asked for a password for the user.

PPP 1.45 installation:

• Make a drawer called NetWorks in Devs:
• Copy the ppp.device that's right for your system from PPP/devs to Devs:NetWorks and rename it to PPP.device
• Copy everything in PPP/bin to AmiTCP:bin
• Make a drawer in Envarc: called Sana2
• Create a file called pppO.config and put this line in it.
• serial.device 0 56700 0.0.0.0 7WIRE
• Put the file pppO.config in Envarc:sana2
• Edit this with your user name, and replace AmiTCP:bin/startnet with it:

--- Cut Startnet ---

online devs:networks/ppp.device 0 
;log in
echo
echo login: gcaine
AmiTCP :bin/login -f gcaine
AmiTCP:bin/umask 022
AmiTCP:AmiTCP
WaitForPort AMITCP
; Configure loop-back device
AmiTCP:bin/ifconfig lo0 localhost
; Configure ppp0
AmiTCP:bin/ifconfig ppp0 $ppp0iplocal $ppp0ipremote
; Add route to this host
AmiTCP:bin/route add $ppp0iplocal localhost
AmiTCP:bin/route add default $ppp0ipremote
setenv HOSTNAME 'AmiTCP:bin/hostname'
Assign TCP: Exists > NIL:
IF Warn
Mount TCP: from AmiTCP:devs/Inet-Mountlist
EndIf
; Start the internet 'super server'
run AmiTCP:bin/inetd

--- End Cut Startnet ---

• Add this line to the end of AmiTCP:bin/Stopnet
• Offline ppp.device 0
• Add this line to the end of AminTCP:db/interfaces
• ppp0 DEV=Devs:NetWorks/ppp.device UNIT=0 IPTYPE=33 NOARP P2P

IBrowse installation:

• Install MUI with the Installer script.
• Dearchive it, and read the readme file. (Very easy)

Voyager installation:

• Install MUI with the Installer script.
• Use the installer script.

AWeb installation:

• Use the installer script.

Amosaic installation:

• Install MUI with the Installer script.
• Copy the contents of Amosaic/envarc to envarc:
• Copy the contents Amosaic/Rexx to Rexx:
• Put this in s:user-startup:

--- cut user-startup ---

;BEGIN mosaic
assign Mosaic: amitcp:inet/Amosaic20 (put the proper path here)
Setenv NNTPSERVER 198.167.1.1 (put your own servers IP here)
;END mosaic

--- end cut user-startup ---

• Edit envarc:mosaic/prefs so its like this:

--- cut mosaic prefs ---

DelayImageLoads true
ImageCacheSize 500
RexxMacro1 Add to Hotlist | add-hotlist
RexxMacro2 Jump to Hotlist | "jump url file://localhost/env:Mosaic/hotlist.html"
HomeDocument http://www.cycor.ca/
TempDir Ram:t/ <------------------- the slash is manditory
Home AmiTCP:/   <------------------- ditto
DownLoadDir AmiTCP:downloads

--- end cut mosaic prefs ---

• Edit the home HomeDocument part to go where ever you want.

After you have done everything we've discussed so far:

• Open your Term program.
• type AT&d0 (DTR over ride)
• call your service provider, and log in.
• When you start to see what looks like a bunch of garbage, save your buffer, and quit the term program.
• From a shell type startnet<enter> if all goes well you should see a window open, asking for your password. enter it. The Amitcp register requester will come up. You can close it after a few moments. Then you should see PPP getting set up.
• Click the Amosaic Icon, and see if you get anywhere.

* Note *

You must have the baud rate set the same in both your Term program, and in ppp0.config

After you've had a chance to look around the net for a bit, type stopnet<enter> from a shell to quit.

Open the buffer file you saved from your term program, and use it to create a dialscript for PPP.

Here a copy of mine:

--- cut s:dialscript ---

ECHO ON 
TIMEOUT 1500
REDIAL "BUSY"
SEND "AAT&d0DT2424828"
WAIT "Enter choice: "
SEND "3"
WAIT "Username: "
SEND "gcaine"
WAIT "Password: "
SEND "mypassword"
WAIT "Switching to PPP."

--- end cut s:dialscript ---

• Change envarc:sana2/ppp0.config to this:

serial.device 0 57600 0.0.0.0 7WIRE DIALSCRIPT=s:dialscript

• Now all you have to do to connect is type startnet from the shell.

Thor Installation:

• Use the installtion script.

Here's what I did after I installed Thor.

System Config:

• I created a system called Gary.
• I put my user name in the "Mailpacket (w/o ext.)" field.
• I selected TCP for the Type.
• I clicked the "User Info ..." button and entered my user name, and email address.
• I clicked the "Type Options..." button and put my server's IP number in the mail server, and news server fields. I entered my user name, and password, and clicked on the "Delete mail from POP server" button.
• I left everything else in the system config as it was, and saved it.

Conference Config:

• I Clicked "User Info" and entered my email address

Global Config:

Message Options:

• I entered an external editor. (right now I have GED SCREEN Thor.1) If you use an editor that you can't open on a public screen then change the tool types in the Thor Icon to make it open on the WB.
• put my signature in the "Signature" field, and selected "Use String"

Global Paths:

• "Save Dir" Work:AmiTCP-4.0/Archive/Text
• "Download Dir: Work:AmiTCP-4.0/Mail
• "Upload Dir" Work:Amitcp-4.0/MailSpool
• "Arexx Dir" S:
• "Tmp Dir" T:
• "Dos Output" Con:0/11/640/200/Thor<->Dos 0

Everything else I left alone.

I added this to the top of my startnet script:

SetEnv USERNAME gcaine
SetEnv HOSTNAME cycor.ca
SetEnv SOCKETCONFIG "UID=100 GID=100 USER=gcaine DOMAIN=cycor.ca UMASK=002"

You will have to change it to match your system.

Make sure you put the socket.library in the AmiTCP:libs drawer.

I created two more systems, one each for my wife, and daughter.

To Join conferences you have to go to the "Events" menus and select "Get ConfList". The next time you call your server, select "Connect Thor" from the menus, and then click on "Do Events" or "Do All". A list of available conferences will be downloaded, and then you can join the ones you want.

I don't know if this is the most effecient way to get set up, but it got me going.

I hope this helps, send me email to let me know how it works out.:)