The following relates to all versions of DXSpider and is not platform related. +
At this point you will need to create 2 additional directories under +"C:\Spider." Make directories "C:\spider\local" and "C:\spider\local_cmd". +If "C:\spider" is missing, go back and figure out why, because it shouldn't be. +
Now create your own local copy of the DXVars.pm file by:-
-
+
+copy c:\spider\perl\DXVars.pm.issue
+c:\spider\local\DXVars.pm
+
+Now you'll need to edit this file using a text editor like Notepad. If nothing +else, you can simply +
+
+
+cd \spider\local
+
+and then +
+
+
+notepad DXVars.pm
+
+to bring up an editor window containing the file. As an absolute +minimum you must adjust the following items in DXVars.pm:- +
+
You really also ought to update the $myqth and $myemail variables. And +unless you are absolutely certain you know what you're doing, you +should change nothing else in this file. Note that if you use an "@" or +a "$" character in one of the above strings (typically in $myemail) you must +write them as "\@" or "\$". +
+
Login as sysop and create a file in /spider/local_cmd called crontab. -Edit it with your favourite editor and add a line like this (I have included -a comment) +
If you want to enable inbound "TELNET" connections (or you are running +Windows 98, NT, 2000 or XP), you've got a little more work to do. From a +handy "DOS box" that's not doing anything else, do the following:- +
+
+
+copy \spider\perl\Listeners.pm \spider\local
+cd \spider\local
+notepad listeners.pm
+
+The following line need attention:-
-# check every 10 minutes to see if gb7xxx is connected and if not
-# start a connect job going
+# ["0.0.0.0", 7300],
+
+On my machine, I've simply uncommented the "0.0.0.0" entry by +removing the '#' from the front of the line. +
You MUST carry out this step if you are +running on a Windows 98, NT, 2000 or XP based system +
If you don't have a static hostname for your machine, and you +intend to allow folk to connect to your machine across the +internet, then I'd suggest you pay a visit to www.dyndns.org and +create one for yourself. While it's free, it will take a modest +amount of effort on your part to read, understand and +implement what needs to be done to set this up. +
+
If your machine is connected to the internet and you don't +want to allow your machine to be visible to the outside world you +should change the "0.0.0.0" to "127.0.0.1" [which is +"localhost"]. This will then only allow connections from inside your +machine. As was said earlier: if you aren't running Win9x (or you want +to use DXTelnet or somesuch), then you need to have the machine +listening at least to "127.0.0.1" ("0.0.0.0" means all IP +addresses). +
+
On the assumption that you'll be using the SV2AGW Packet Engine +to interface your radios to the cluster, it would be a good idea to +download the Packet Engine software! You can get this software from: +
+http://www.raag.org/sv2agw/agwpe.zip
Depending upon your TNCs, you may also need to get: +
+http://www.raag.org/sv2agw/drivers.zip
A couple of the tools: +
+http://www.raag.org/sv2agw/agwterm.zip
+http://www.raag.org/sv2agw/agwmonitor.zip
will also help with troubleshooting of the RF links themselves. +
Install and configure AGWPE. You should now create your own local copy of +AGWConnect.pm by:- +
+
+
+copy c:\spider\perl\AGWConnect.pm
+c:\spider\local\AGWConnect.pm
and then
-
The callsign involved will be the callsign of the cluster node you are -going to connect to. This will now check every 10 minutes to see if -gb7xxx is connected, if it is then nothing will be done. If it is not, -then a connect attempt will be started. +
+
+notepad AGWConnect.pm
+
+to bring up an editor window containing the file. You must +consider adjusting the following items in AGWConnect.pm:-
-
There are probably lots of other things you could use this crontab file for. -If you want to know more about it, look at the -DXSpider website -at the cron page where it is explained more fully. +
The login ID and passwd only need to be set if you are accessing AGW separately +via its web interface. This interface is normally not needed for use with DXSpider. +
+
Next you need to create the initial user files, etc. A tool is +supplied which will do this for you. To run the tool:- +
+
+
+cd \spider\perl
+perl create_sysop.pl
+
+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. +
Depending on how brave you are, you might now care to try the +following:- +
+
+
+perl cluster.pl
+
+If you did everything you were told, your DOS window will now +hold a display which looks something like:- +
+
+
+DXSpider DX Cluster Version 1.50
+Copyright (c) 1998-2002 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)
+
+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) +
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:- +
+
+
+cd \spider\perl
+perl winclient.pl
+
+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:- +
+
+
+Menu->Start->Run
+telnet localhost 7300
+
+On getting the login: prompt, enter your sysop callsign (the one you +put in DXVars.pm as $myalias). +
+
I would recommend strongly that you obtain a better telnet +client than that which comes with windows (I use +PuTTY). +
+
Anyway, if you are rewarded with a display which looks something like:- +
+
+
+Hello Iain, this is GB7SJP in Amersham, Bucks running DXSpider V1.50
+Cluster: 1 nodes, 1 local / 1 total users Max users 2 Uptime 0 00:00
+M0ADI de GB7SJP 4-Mar-2001 1511Z >
+
+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) +
+
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 +DXTelnet. +
+
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 +Email if you +want me to set up a connection for you.