Spider allows the creation of local or remote databases. It supports -chained databases, allowing several different databases to be scanned -with one simple command. Importing of databases is limited at present -to the standard AK1A databases such as OBLAST and the DB0SDX QSL -database but will expand with time. +
From 1.48 onwards it will become increasingly possible to control DXSpider's +operation with scripts of various kinds.
-
Creating a database could not be more simple. All the commands are -sent from the cluster prompt as the sysop user. -
To create a database you use the command dbcreate. It can -be used in 3 different ways like so .. +
The directory /spider/scripts is where it all happens and is used for several +things. Firstly it contains a file called startup that can be used to call +in any changes to the cluster from the default settings on startup. This +script is executed immediately after all initialisation of the node is done +but before any connections are possible. Examples of this include how many +spots it is possible to get with the sh/dx command, whether you want +registration/passwords to be permanently on etc. An example file is shown +below and is included in the distribution as startup.issue.
-dbcreate <name>
+#
+# startup script example
+#
+# set maximum no of spots allowed to 100
+# set/var $Spot::maxspots = 1
+#
+# Set registration on
+# set/var $main::reqreg = 1
+#
+# Set passwords on
+# set/var $main::passwdreq = 1
+#
To simply create a database locally, you just tell the command the -name of the database. This does not create the actual database, it -simply defines it to say that it exists.
-
-
-dbcreate <name> chain <name> [<name>...]
-
-This creates a chained database entry. The first database will be -scanned, then the second, the third etc... +
As usual, any text behind a # is treated as a comment and not read. +
Secondly, it is used to store the login scripts for users and nodes. Currently +this can only be done by the sysop but it is envisaged that eventually users will +be able to set their own. An example is included in the distibution but here is +a further example.
-dbcreate <name> remote <name>
+#
+# G0FYD
+#
+blank +
+sh/wwv 3
+blank +
+sh/dx
+blank +
+t g0jhc You abt?
+blank +
This creates a remote entry. the first name field is the database -name at the remote node, then the remote switch, then the actual -node_call of the remote node, for example... +
The lines in between commands can simply insert a blank line or a character +such as a + sign to make the output easier to read. Simply create this script +with your favourite editor and save it with the callsign of the user as the +filename. Filenames should always be in lower case.
-
-
-dbcreate buckmaster remote gb7dxc
-
-Remote databases cannot be chained, however, the last database in a -chain can be a remote database. -
-
The only databases that Spider can currently import are the standard -AK1A databases such as OBLAST or the DB0SDX qsl and address database. -This will be added to with time. -
To import such a database, first put the file somewhere useful like /tmp -and then issue the following command ... +
Commands can be inserted in the same way for nodes. A node may wish a series +of commands to be issued on login, such as a merge command for example.
-
-
-dbimport oblast /tmp/OBLAST.FUL
-
-This will update the existing local oblast database or create it if -it does not exist. -
-
Once a database is created, you will want to check that it has been -added. To do this use the dbavail command. This will -output the available databases. For example ... -
-
-
-dbavail
-DB Name Location Chain
-qsl Local
-buck GB7ADX
-hftest GB7DXM
-G0VGS de GB7MBC 3-Feb-2001 1925Z >
-
--
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 ... -
-
-
-'^sh\w*/buc', 'dbshow buckmaster', 'dbshow',
-
-Now you can simply use show/buckmaster or an abreviation. -
-
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. +
Thirdly, there are 2 default scripts for users and nodes who do not have a +specifically defined script. These are user_default and +node_default