+ dbavail
+ DB Name Location Chain
+ qsl Local
+ buck GB7ADX
+ hftest GB7DXM
+ G0VGS de GB7MBC 3-Feb-2001 1925Z >
+
+
+
+ 5.4. Looking up databases
+
+ To look for information in a defined database, simply use the dbshow
+ command, for example ...
+
+
+
+ dbshow buckmaster G0YLM
+
+
+
+ will show the information for the callsign G0YLM from the buckmaster
+ database if it exists. To make things more standard for the users you
+ can add an entry in the Aliases file so that it looks like a standard
+ show command like this ...
+
+
+
+ Now you can simply use show/buckmaster or an abreviation.
+
+
+ 5.5. Removing databases
+
+ To delete an existing database you use the dbremove command. For
+ example ...
+
+
+
+ dbremove oblast
+
+
+
+ would remove the oblast database and its associated datafile from the
+ system. There are no warnings or recovery possible from this command.
+ If you remove a database it ceases to exist and would have to be
+ created from scratch if you still required it.
+
+
+ 6. Information, files and useful programs
+
+ 6.1. MOTD
+
+ One of the more important things a cluster sysop needs to do is to get
+ information to his users. The simplest way to do this is to have a
+ banner that is sent to the user on login. This is know as a "message
+ of the day" or "motd". To set this up, simply create a file in
+ /spider/data called motd and edit it to say whatever you want. It is
+ purely a text file and will be sent automatically to anyone logging in
+ to the cluster.
+ 6.2. MOTD_NOR
+
+ This message of the day file lives in the same directory as the
+ standard motd file but is only sent to non-registered users. Once
+ registered they will receive the same message as any other user.
+
+
+ 6.3. Downtime message
+
+ If for any reason the cluster is down, maybe for upgrade or
+ maintenance but the machine is still running, a message can be sent to
+ the user advising them of the fact. This message lives in the
+ /spider/data directory and is called "offline". Simply create the
+ file and edit it to say whatever you wish. This file will be sent to
+ a user attempting to log into the cluster when DXSpider is not
+ actually running.
+
+
+ 6.4. Other text messages
+
+ You can set other text messages to be read by the user if they input
+ the file name. This could be for news items or maybe information for
+ new users. To set this up, make a directory under /spider called
+ packclus. Under this directory you can create files called news or
+ newuser for example. In fact you can create files with any names you
+ like. These can be listed by the user with the command ....
+
+
+
+ show/files
+
+
+
+ They can be read by the user by typing the command ....
+
+
+
+ type news
+
+
+
+ If the file they want to read is called news. You could also set an
+ alias for this in the Alias file to allow them just to type news
+
+
+ You can also store other information in this directory, either
+ directly or nested under directories. One use for this would be to
+ store DX bulletins such as the OPDX bulletins. These can be listed
+ and read by the user. To keep things tidy, make a directory under
+ /spider/packclus called bulletin. Now copy any OPDX or similar
+ bulletins into it. These can be listed by the user in the same way as
+ above using the show/files command with an extension for the bulletin
+ directory you have just created, like this ....
+
+
+
+ show/files bulletin
+
+
+
+ An example would look like this ....
+
+ sh/files
+ bulletin DIR 20-Dec-1999 1715Z news 1602 14-Dec-1999 1330Z
+
+
+
+ You can see that in the files area (basically the packclus directory)
+ there is a file called news and a directory called bulletin. You can
+ also see that dates they were created. In the case of the file news,
+ you can also see the time it was last modified, a good clue as to
+ whether the file has been updated since you last read it. To read the
+ file called news you would simply issue the command ....
+
+
+
+ type news
+
+
+
+ To look what is in the bulletin directory you issue the command ....
+
+
+
+ show/files bulletin
+ opdx390 21381 29-Nov-1999 1621Z opdx390.1 1670 29-Nov-1999 1621Z
+ opdx390.2 2193 29-Nov-1999 1621Z opdx391 25045 29-Nov-1999 1621Z
+ opdx392 35969 29-Nov-1999 1621Z opdx393 15023 29-Nov-1999 1621Z
+ opdx394 33429 29-Nov-1999 1621Z opdx394.1 3116 29-Nov-1999 1621Z
+ opdx395 24319 29-Nov-1999 1621Z opdx396 32647 29-Nov-1999 1621Z
+ opdx396.1 5537 29-Nov-1999 1621Z opdx396.2 6242 29-Nov-1999 1621Z
+ opdx397 18433 29-Nov-1999 1621Z opdx398 19961 29-Nov-1999 1621Z
+ opdx399 17719 29-Nov-1999 1621Z opdx400 19600 29-Nov-1999 1621Z
+ opdx401 27738 29-Nov-1999 1621Z opdx402 18698 29-Nov-1999 1621Z
+ opdx403 24994 29-Nov-1999 1621Z opdx404 15685 29-Nov-1999 1621Z
+ opdx405 13984 29-Nov-1999 1621Z opdx405.1 4166 29-Nov-1999 1621Z
+ opdx406 28934 29-Nov-1999 1621Z opdx407 24153 29-Nov-1999 1621Z
+ opdx408 15081 29-Nov-1999 1621Z opdx409 23234 29-Nov-1999 1621Z
+ Press Enter to continue, A to abort (16 lines) >
+
+
+
+ You can now read any file in this directory using the type command,
+ like this ....
+
+
+
+ type bulletin/opdx391
+ Ohio/Penn DX Bulletin No. 391
+ The Ohio/Penn Dx PacketCluster
+ DX Bulletin No. 391
+ BID: $OPDX.391
+ January 11, 1999
+ Editor Tedd Mirgliotta, KB8NW
+ Provided by BARF-80 BBS Cleveland, Ohio
+ Online at 440-237-8208 28.8k-1200 Baud 8/N/1 (New Area Code!)
+ Thanks to the Northern Ohio Amateur Radio Society, Northern Ohio DX
+ Association, Ohio/Penn PacketCluster Network, K1XN & Golist, WB2RAJ/WB2YQH
+ & The 59(9) DXReport, W3UR & The Daily DX, K3TEJ, KN4UG, W4DC, NC6J, N6HR,
+ Press Enter to continue, A to abort (508 lines) >
+
+
+
+ The page length will of course depend on what you have it set to!
+
+
+ 6.5. The Aliases file
+
+ You will find a file in /spider/cmd/ called Aliases. This is the file
+ that controls what a user gets when issuing a command. It is also
+ possible to create your own aliases for databases and files you create
+ locally.
+
+
+ You should not alter the original file in /spider/cmd/ but create a
+ new file with the same name in /spider/local_cmd. This means that any
+ new Aliases files that is downloaded will not overwrite your self
+ created Aliases and also that you do not override any new Aliases with
+ your copy in /spider/local_cmd/. You must remember that any files you
+ store in /spider/local/ or /spider/local_cmd override the originals if
+ the same lines are used in both files.
+
+
+ The best way of dealing with all this then is to only put your own
+ locally created Aliases in the copy in /spider/local_cmd. The example
+ below is currently in use at GB7MBC.
+
+
+
+ #
+ # Local Aliases File
+ #
+
+ package CmdAlias;
+
+ %alias = (
+ 'n' => [
+ '^news$', 'type news', 'type',
+ ],
+ 's' => [
+ '^sh\w*/buck$', 'show/qrz', 'show',
+ '^sh\w*/hftest$', 'dbshow hftest', 'dbshow',
+ '^sh\w*/qsl$', 'dbshow qsl', 'dbshow',
+ '^sh\w*/vhf$', 'dbshow vhf', 'dbshow',
+ '^sh\w*/vhftest$', 'dbshow vhftest', 'dbshow',
+ ],
+ )
+
+
+
+ Each alphabetical section should be preceded by the initial letter and
+ the section should be wrapped in square brackets as you can see. The
+ syntax is straightforward. The first section on each line is the new
+ command that will be allowed once the alias is included. The second
+ section is the command it is replacing and the last section is the
+ actual command that is being used.
+
+
+ The eagle-eyed amongst you will have noticed that in the first
+ section, the new alias command has a '^' at the start and a '$' at the
+ end. Basically these force a perfect match on the alias. The '^'
+ says match the beginning exactly and the with similar commands.
+
+
+ I have 3 different types of alias in this file. At the top is an
+ alias for 'news'. This is a file I have created in the
+ /spider/packclus/ directory where I can inform users of new
+ developments or points of interest. In it's initial form a user would
+ have to use the command type news. The alias allows them to simply
+ type news to get the info. Second is an alias for the show/qrz
+ command so that those users used to the original show/buck command in
+ AK1A will not get an error, and the rest of the lines are for locally
+ created databases so that a user can type show/hftest instead of
+ having to use the command dbshow hftest which is not as intuitive.
+
+
+ This file is just an example and you should edit it to your own
+ requirements. Once created, simply issue the command load/alias at
+ the cluster prompt as the sysop user and the aliases should be
+ available.
+
+
+
+ 6.6. Console.pl
+
+ In later versions of Spider a simple console program is provided for
+ the sysop. This has a type ahead buffer with line editing facilities
+ and colour for spots, announces etc. To use this program, simply use
+ console.pl instead of client.
+