This discussion assumes a working understanding of TSX-32. If you are completely new to TSX-32 you may wish to review the key concepts and practices of TSX-32 first.

It is divided into several areas of focus:

• Key Directories and Files
• Key Concepts
• Detached processes, Event logs and log files
• Scheduled events

• The SY: directory, which contains some programs and data files, particularly related to networking.
• The BBS: directory, which contains the custom versions of menus and programs, as well as logs.
• The BBSBIN: directory, which contains the executables and default, shipping versions of menus and programs.

In general, you modify a system by taking a default menu or program from the BBSBIN: area, copying it to the BBS: area, and then make the modifications. New programs and menus go directly into the BBS: area. When an upgrade or new system is installed the files in BBSBIN: are overwritten, while the files in BBS: are left untouched. In general, think of the BBSBIN: area as reserved for TSX-Online programs and menus and the BBS: area as the area for your custom programs and menus.

When you install TSX-Online you'll select the directory names which correspond to the logical names BBS: and BBSBIN:.

There are many important files and programs associated with the TSX-Online system. Here are the more important ones:

• SY:STARTBBS.CMD -- This command file is executed at start up to start various detached jobs used by TSX-Online. It is invoked as a result of setting DOBBS = 1 in the TSX32.GEN file.

• BBSBIN:TPR.EXP -- The big Kahuna, the TSX-Online engine. This program is the one running when someone has a TSX-Online session active. This is also the program which is used to interpret compiled TPL programs. This is not a coincidence; in an important way TSX-Online is a TPL application, although there is extensive use of built-in and special functions specific to the TSX-Online system.

• BBSBIN:TPL.EXP -- The TPL language compiler. This accepts as input an ascii file with TPL source statements and outputs a ".TPR" file. The TPR program is used to execute the ".TPR" file.

• BBSBIN:MENU.EXP -- The menu compiler. The menu compiler reads ASCII files with menu definitions in them and outputs ".TMU" files. These are processed as part of TSX-Online execution.

• SYSOP.EXP -- The SYSOP program, used to perform user and system management. Creates and modfy users, configure and monitor the system.

• SY:BBS.CMD -- This command procedure invokes BBSBIN:LOGON.TPR when the user connects. This is the beginning of processing for the TSX-Online system.

• BBSBIN:LOGON.TPL -- Entry point into TSX-Online for users who go through logon processing. Unless this is overridden, a user starts TSX-Online with the command "RUN BBSBIN:TPR BBSBIN:LOGON".

• BBSBIN:BBS.MNU -- Topmost menu as shipped for TSX-Online, called from "LOGON.TPR". This presents the basic options for E-mail, newsgroup processing, and the like.

How TSX-Online starts up

An important TSX-32 concept is the concept of the startup command procedure for a terminal line. This is a command procedure which is started when a job starts on a line. In a non TSX-Online system this will normally launch a command procedure which will run the logon program.

If a startup command procedure is not specified in the TSX32.GEN file then the system will look for SY:START.CMD if the system is not licensed for TSX-Online and SY:BBS.CMD if the system is licensed for TSX-Online.

When a user connects to a TSX-Online system the command procedure SY:BBS.CMD runs. After some housekeeping it runs the BBSBIN:LOGON.TPR program. After collecting and verifying username and password information it checks to see if there is a unique startup command procedure for the user. If there isn't it checks for BBS:BBS.TMU. If that fails, it checks for BBSBIN:BBS.TMU, which is shipped as the default first menu.

The graphical client starts up in a slightly different way. It establishes a socket connection with TPR on the host system. TPR receives username and password information from the graphical client and performs the login sequence. If this succeeds it checks for a user specific command procedure, then BBS:BBS.TMU, then BBSBIN:BBS.TMU.

Execution Framework: Menus, TPL programs, and built in functions

The key conceptual execution framework in TSX-Online involves menus, TPL programs, and the use of built-in functions.

The program "TPR.EXP" is the TSX-Online "engine", and is the program actually running when a TSX-Online user is logged on. TPR is not active during a pass-through PPP session; in that case there is no job active for the user.

As TSX-Online is designed to be configurable, TPR uses two kinds of entities to tailor the user interface; TPL programs and Menus. While there are many detached jobs, programs, files, and procedures needed to actually run a TSX-Online system, the user interface to TSX-Online is composed of TPL programs and Menus.

The TPL language is a programming language. Because it is an interpreted language it can easily make use of built in functions which are essentially hooks into TPR, which also acts as the TSX-Online engine. Menus are developed as ASCII files and compiled with the MENU program. The output of the MENU program is something that TPR knows how to read and process.

There is a built in TPL function called menu() which takes as an argument a menu to invoke. Thus, from a TPL program you can call, as if it were a subroutine, a menu which was compiled via the MENU program.

Menus associate actions with keystrokes. One action that a menu can perform is to call another menu. However, the real power of the TSX-Online system lies in the fact that a menu can call a TPL program, via the action tpr .

Thus, the TSX-Online user interface consists of a TPL program (LOGON) which invokes a Menu (BBS:BBS.TMU) which may then call other menus, which may call TPL programs, and TPL programs and Menus both make use of extensive built in functions for accessing e-mail, file libraries, and so forth.

User Privileges

Detached processes

There are two classes of detached jobs, those that run all the time and those that are invoked by the NETSERVE program as needed. They ones which run all the time are kept in a suspended state until they are needed so that they use minimal system resources.

The distinctions between the two are partly based on functional requirements and partly based on historical tendencies. Not all jobs will be required in all configurations. In particular, networking and Internet connectivity increase the number of jobs. We will discuss a fully configured system with Internet connectivity.

The jobs that run all the time are those that show up with you do the SY command. If they are supposed to be running and they are not running then its generally going to cause problems. Here is a sample SY command which shows the permanently running jobs for a fully configured system. The output has been trimmed to just show important information.

Job ID   Terminal  State  Program   Process name
------   --------  -----  --------  ------------
     2   Detached  WAIT   NETSERVE  Net Server
     3   Detached  SPND   PTYSERV   PTY Server
     4   Detached  SPND   HTTPD     WWW Server
     5   Detached  WAIT   SMTPS     SMTP Server
     6   Detached  SPND   WHOSERVE  BBS:Whoserve
     7   Detached  SPND   NAMESERV  BBS:Nameserv
     8   Detached  SPND   SESERVER  BBS:Schedule
     9   Detached  SPND   CHSERVER  BBS:Chat
    10   Detached  WAIT   NAMED     Domain Name

• SY:NETSERVE.EXP -- The NETSERVE program is the granddaddy detached job and the most important detached job for networked systems. It is required when there are networked systems even if Internet connectivity isn't necessary. Its function is to launch other detached jobs to service network requests. The NETSERVE program receives requests for TELNET and FTP connections and starts their servers. It also processes TSX-32 Network Device Access and SET HOST requests. It is configured via the files SY:SERVICES.NET and SY:INETD.NET, which tell it which ports to listen on and the programs to launch when requests are received on those ports. This writes to an event log called NETSERVE.

• SY:FTPD.EXP -- This is the server component of FTP, started by the NETSERVE program when an FTP connection is requested. It writes to event log called FTPD.

• SY:TSXTLD.EXP -- This is the server component of TELNET, invoked by the NETSERVE program when a TELNET connection is requested. The operating system writes to the TNSERVER event log to record TELNET connections. It is short lived; it creates a "TTN" device and then goes away, leaving the job running. Jobs with terminals denoted "TTN" are either TELNET sessions or the result of TSX-32 SET HOST commands.

• BBSBIN:NAMESERV.EXP -- The name server is critical to TSX-Online operation. It handles requests by the TSX-Online system to set and retrieve information about users such as passwords and privileges. If the name server isn't running the TSX-Online system will not function. This program is launched from SY:STARTBBS.CMD, which executes at system startup. It writes to an event log called NAMESERV.

• BBSBIN:WHOSERVE.EXP -- The "who" server is used on networked systems and on systems where the TSX Graphical Client is in use. It maintains information about who is logged on across systems. This program is launched from SY:STARTBBS.CMD, which executes at system startup. It writes to an event log called WHOSERVE. On networked systems or systems with the graphical client this program must be running or TSX-Online will not function.

• BBSBIN:SESERVER.EXP -- The Schedule Server has the responsibility of starting off maintenence tasks which perform functions such as processing mail or Usenet newsgroups on a timed basis. As shipped, TSX-Online runs various jobs at different intervals. This program is started from SY:STARTBBS.CMD.

  The scheduling capability (done from within SYSOP) is quite useful not just for TSX-Online but for the sysops. Its ability to start a command file at specified intervals by simply filling out a form means that its convenient and easy to design tasks which need to occur on a regular, or irregular, basis. This writes to the SCHEDULE event log. The system can partially function if this isn't running, although mail will not be delivered and other functions such as newsgroup updating will not occur.

• BBSBIN:CHSERVER.EXP -- The Chat Server is used to coordinate access to various chat rooms for TSX-Online users. It writes to the CHAT event log. If this program isn't running chat will not function, although other TSX-Online operations can proceed. This program is started from SY:STARTBBS.CMD.

• SY:PTYSERVE.TPR -- The PTY Server is used to services "Psuedo" Terminals and is involved with network and Internet connectivity. It is launched from SY:STARTPTY.CMD, which is executed during system startup as a result of the TSGEN parameter DOPTY being set to 1. It initiates and manages on demand PPP connections as well as dial up connections to an ISP. The functionality of the PTY server is contained within TPR program, so this isn't really a functioning TPL program. The PTYSERVE.TPL program simply calls the built-in ptyserv() function. If this program isn't running dial up PPP will not work, and if your connection to your Internet provider is through a dial up connection that will also not work.

• SY:HTTPD.EXP -- The Web server handles requests to read web pages. It is started from SY:STARTWEB.CMD, which gets executed if the DOHTTPD is set to 1 in the TSX32.GEN file. This reads from a configuration file called "SY:HTTPD.CON". It creates a log file called "mmmddyy.log" which contains records for each hit. At midnight each day a new one is created. There is also a file called "SY:HTTPD.HIT" which contains hit counts on all referenced pages. It runs all the time and spawns child processes to handle CGI scripts and complex requests. and writes to two event logs, HTTPD and HTTPRULE. The latter is useful in diagnosing problems related to pass/fail rules. If this isn't running requests for web pages will fail, but other system operations should be unaffected.

• SY:NAMED.EXP -- The Domain Name Server translates requests for domain names such as "sandh.com" into IP addresses. It runs all the time and is launched from SY:STARTDNS.CMD, which in turn is executed during startup if the TSGEN paramater DODNS = 1. It writes to an event log called NAMED and NAMEDDB. It reads from control files BBS:NAMED.BOO and BBS:DB.NAM and BBS:DB.NUM.

  Programs running under TSX-32 will consult the NAMED program for translation requests if there is a 'nameserver' record which contains the IP address of the local computer in SY:RESOLV.CON.

  Client programs running under Windows, such as Netscape or the TSX-32 Graphical Client, consult the NAMED program after they are told of the DNS address.

  Configuration of the NAMED program can be quite complex. There is a utility called SY:DNSMAKE.EXP which can assist in some of the more common functions. The O'Reilly book "DNS and Bind" is a good reference for DNS functionality.

• SMTPS invoked by netserve tpr, for graphical client pop, for pop mail nntp, for newsgroup access invoked by the schedule server bagtoss smtpscan nntptoss Tossers for processing outgoing items

  Event logs and log files

  Scheduled Events