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Before contacting Digital Dynamics about any problems you encounter, you
should check to see if your problem is listed here, as well as do a review of
the manual.
If you are having problems with a program which is external to Synchronet
(e.g. doors, add-ons, memory managers, multi-taskers, mail tossers, front-end
mailers, hardware, etc.) you should contact the manufacturer of that
particular product.
If all else fails, and you must call Digital Dynamics for help in solving
your problem, be sure that:
1) You are at your BBS machine.
2) You can duplicate the problem.
Problem : Ymodem-G doesn't work.
Solution: Synchronet is distributed with an unregistered shareware copy of
DSZ.COM to allow the beginning to sysop to start out with the three
basic protocols, Xmodem, Ymodem, and Zmodem. To use Ymodem-G, you
must use a registered copy of DSZ.COM (or EXE).
See DSZ.DOC for more information on registering DSZ.
Problem : Can't create QWK packets or temporary archive files.
Solution: Synchronet comes configured for PKZIP as the temporary file (and QWK
packet) compression method. In order for this to function correctly,
you must have a copy of PKZIP.EXE in your SBBS\EXEC directory, or
change the Temporary Archive Command Line to exclude the '%!'
specifier (short hand for the exec directory), or specify the
directory where PKZIP.EXE resides. See Configuration Reference for
more information.
Problem : Can't view ZIP files online and can't upload files because they fail
the ZIP integrity test. Can't extract QWK REP packets.
Solution: You must copy PKUNZIP.EXE into your SBBS\EXEC directory, or change
the command lines to reflect the actual location of PKUNZIP.EXE.
See Configuration Reference for more information.
Problem : HS/Link and BiModem don't work. "Bad command or filename" is
displayed when a user tries to use them.
Solution: You need to copy HSLINK.EXE and BIMODEM.COM into your SBBS\EXEC
directory. BiModem must have a BIMODEM.CFG file in each node
directory. Run BICONFIG to create/change the configuration
information stored in BIMODEM.CFG. Refer to the BiModem documentation
for more information on this file and using BICONFIG. One important
note for BiModem configuration is that "Allow remote file requests"
be set to "NO".
Problem : Get a "Removing" file error when starting up SBBS, at logon, and at
logoff sometimes when another node is active.
Solution: You have more than one node using the same directory as the temp
directory. You must have a unique temp directory for each node.
Configure a unique temp directory for each node in the config program
(type SCFG from the node directory or hit 'C' at the wait for call
screen). See Configuration Reference for more information.
Problem : When answering calls, Synchronet displays "Unknown result code: xx"
where xx is a decimal number, and hangs up on the caller.
Solution: Add this result code to your node's result code list in the config
program (type SCFG from the node directory or hit 'C' at the wait for
call screen). DO NOT add result codes 0, 2, 3, or 4. Refer to your
modem's manual for the connect speed and average transfer CPS for the
new result code. See Configuration Reference for more information.
Problem : When using the ;DOS sysop command, the cursor position does not
follow your keystrokes properly.
Solution: Remove DOSKEY or other DOS command line TSR program from memory. Many
DOS command line utilities redirect DOS output to the BIOS - which in
turn bypasses Synchronet's interception of the DOS output functions.
Some ANSI drivers may also cause this problem. Use the standard DOS
ANSI.SYS for your console driver.
Problem : When running external programs under OS/2 that require intercepted
I/O to be displayed remotely (like PKZIP, Synchronet Blackjack,
FEdit, etc) the output does not appear at all remotely and ANSI
escape sequences display as garbage.
Solution: OS/2's DOS console driver has a DOS compatibility bug. Run
SVDMANSI.COM (from the EXEC directory) and remove ANSI.SYS from your
CONFIG.SYS and DOS settings. See SVDMANSI.DOC for more information.
Problem : At the WFC screen, Synchronet shows that a node has errors, and I
can't get them to stop showing.
Solution: You must log on to the BBS, and at the main menu prompt type ;ERR,
the errors will be displayed to you, and you will be asked if you
want to clear the critical error counter, answer YES to clear the
errors.
You may also clear the errors using the Synchronet node utility, by
typing NODE ERRORS=0 at the DOS prompt.
Problem : One of the BBS nodes will run fine, and then after one or two callers
the modem won't reinitialize (Synchronet returns NO RESPONSE).
Solution: Be sure that the com port on that node is NOT using the same IRQ or
I/O address as any other com port or device in your computer. Some
motherboards have com ports built onto the board itself, if your
motherboard is like this, and you are not using those ports, you
should make sure they are disabled.
Problem : My users see garbage when Synchronet runs from my front-end mailer,
or when they run an external door.
Solution: Check to make sure that the DTE rate that you have set in your front
end mailer or door matches what you have configured for Synchronet.
If you are using a FOSSIL driver, the DTE rate you have set up for
the FOSSIL must be the same as what you have set up for Synchronet
(e.g. if your FOSSIL rate is locked at 38400, then that Synchronet
node must have its port locked at 38400).
Problem : I am running a program as a door that was not written to be a BBS
door. It functions fine locally, but when someone runs the program
remotely their screen remains blank.
Solution: Make sure you have set 'Intercept I/O' turned on for that program,
if there is still nothing displayed to the user, it's likely that
the program uses direct screen writes, which would require the use
of a doorway program for it to be usable via modem. If the program
uses graphics, it is most likely that you will not be able to use it
remotely.
Problem : When posting a message or sending email, the BBS immediately responds
with 'ABORTED' right after I enter a title for the message.
Solution: You have an external editor defined, and that editor is not working
properly. A couple of reasons an external editor may not function
properly is either not enough memory available for it to run, or
you have used an improper command line for that editor.
Problem : I am trying to add another BBS node using DesqView, when I try to
open another window for that node, I get the message 'A Non-Swappable
Window is in the Way'.
Solution: You do not have enough memory available on this machine for another
window to be opened. You should attempt to make more EMS available.
Problem : I am running under Windows, when the board runs it says 'Share
Installed' but it then says 'File Locking Failed'.
Solution: You MUST run share from the DOS prompt BEFORE running Windows.
Problem : I am receiving sharing violations while Synchronet is running.
Solution: Disable 'Swap to XMS' in the advanced settings for each node using
the SCFG program.
Problem : I am receiving errors with an action of "opening" and a doserr
of 04h (as shown in the ERROR.LOG).
Solution: You need to increase the number on the FILES= statement in your
CONFIG.SYS. FILES=20 should be plenty for Synchronet.
Problem : I (or a co-sysop) lost carrier while shelled to DOS remotely and
the BBS didn't return to waiting for a call.
Solution: Create two batch files (2.BAT and 3.BAT) in a directory that is
in your DOS search path with one line containing the word "EXIT".
Problem : When typing ;DOS, ;SLOG, or ;NLOG from the main menu I get "Incorrect
DOS version" or nothing at all.
Solution: Make sure the COMMAND.COM for the version of DOS you are running is
in your DOS search path. If multiple copies of COMMAND.COM exist on
your disk drive, make sure they are all for the same version.
Copyright © 2000 by Rob Swindell
Synchronet BBS Software (Synchronet)
Version 3 is comprised of several documentation,
library, executable, and source code
files, all of which are covered by the
GNU General Public License with the exception of the following portions
covered by
the GNU Lesser General Public License:
SMBLIB and XSDK.
Synchronet Version 2 (for DOS and OS/2) and its source code was released to the
Public Domain by Digital Dynamics
in 1997 and remains Public Domain software today.
Synchronet Version 3 is not Public Domain software.
Rob Swindell
PO Box 501
Yorba Linda, CA 92885
http://www.synchro.net
For the complete Copyright Information please read the Copyright Documentation .