+<H2><A NAME="ss6.3">6.3 Setting up the initial user files</A>
+</H2>
+
+<P>Next you need to create the initial user files, etc. A tool is
+supplied which will do this for you. To run the tool:-
+<P>
+<BLOCKQUOTE><CODE>
+<PRE>
+cd \spider\perl
+perl create_sysop.pl
+</PRE>
+</CODE></BLOCKQUOTE>
+<P>If all goes according to plan, you will see no output from this
+program, and after a brief wait, your DOS prompt will be
+returned.
+<P>Depending on how brave you are, you might now care to try the
+following:-
+<P>
+<BLOCKQUOTE><CODE>
+<PRE>
+perl cluster.pl
+</PRE>
+</CODE></BLOCKQUOTE>
+<P>If you did everything you were told, your DOS window will now
+hold a display which looks something like:-
+<P>
+<BLOCKQUOTE><CODE>
+<PRE>
+DXSpider DX Cluster Version 1.47
+Copyright (c) 1998-2001 Dirk Koopman G1TLH
+loading prefixes ...
+loading band data ...
+loading user file system ...
+starting listeners ...
+Internal port: localhost 27754
+load badwords: Ok
+reading in duplicate spot and WWV info ...
+reading existing message headers ...
+load badmsg: Ok
+load forward: Ok
+load swop: Ok
+@msg = 0 before delete
+@msg = 0 after delete
+reading cron jobs ...v cron: reading /spider/cmd/crontab
+cron: adding 1 0 * * 0
+DXUser::export("$main::data/user_asc")
+reading database descriptors ...
+doing local initialisation ...
+orft we jolly well go ...
+queue msg (0)
+</PRE>
+</CODE></BLOCKQUOTE>
+<P>Now, if that's what you've got, you are very nearly home and dry
+(in as far as these particular experiments are concerned, anyhow)
+<P>If you are running Windows 9x you can access your new cluster (from
+the local machine) by finding yourself another "DOS box" and doing the
+following:-
+<P>
+<BLOCKQUOTE><CODE>
+<PRE>
+cd \spider\perl
+perl winclient.pl
+</PRE>
+</CODE></BLOCKQUOTE>
+<P>If you are running Windows NT, 2000 or XP then winclient.pl does not
+work. We don't know why other than this seems to be some kind of
+incomaptibility in perl. You can achieve the same thing by telnetting
+to the port you defined in Listeners.pm (7300 as default), thus:-
+<P>
+<BLOCKQUOTE><CODE>
+<PRE>
+Menu->Start->Run
+telnet localhost 7300
+</PRE>
+</CODE></BLOCKQUOTE>
+<P>On getting the <B>login:</B> prompt, enter your sysop callsign (the one you
+put in DXVars.pm as $myalias).
+<P>
+<P>I would recommend <B>strongly</B> that you obtain a better telnet
+client than that which comes with windows (I use
+<A HREF="http://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~sgtatham/putty/download.html">PuTTY</A>).
+<P>
+<P>Anyway, if you are rewarded with a display which looks something like:-
+<P>
+<BLOCKQUOTE><CODE>
+<PRE>
+Hello Iain, this is GB7SJP in Amersham, Bucks running DXSpider V1.47
+Cluster: 1 nodes, 1 local / 1 total users Max users 2 Uptime 0 00:00
+M0ADI de GB7SJP 4-Mar-2001 1511Z >
+</PRE>
+</CODE></BLOCKQUOTE>
+<P>You've arrived. Try some commands, and see how they feel. (In
+case you were wondering, "Iain", "M0ADI" and "GB7SJP" all came
+from the version of DXVars.pm that was on the machine when I
+started the winclient.pl)
+<P>
+<P>The interface is very basic. It is a simple command line. There are
+better looking interfaces. Most of the "standard" logging and DX
+Cluster access programs that are capable of connecting via a TCP or
+telnet connection will work as a "Sysop Console" client. You connect
+to "localhost" on the port that you defined in Listeners.pm (usually
+7300). I recommend packages like
+<A HREF="http://www.qsl.net/wd4ngb/telnet.htm">DXTelnet</A>.
+<P>
+<H2><A NAME="ss6.4">6.4 Connecting to other clusters</A>
+</H2>
+
+<P>If you want to connect this to another cluster, then you'll want to
+negotiate a link with someone. For experimental purposes, I'm happy to
+allow folk to connect to GB7DXA (spud.ath.cx), on the understanding
+that the system may or may not be there and may or may not be
+connected to anything particularly useful at any given moment. Contact
+me by
+<A HREF="mailto:g0rdi@blacksheep.org">Email</A> if you
+want me to set up a connection for you.