Subj : can someone help please?
To   : Jimmy Day
From : Jasen Betts
Date : Sat Sep 28 2002 08:09 am

 JD> 3)  Some packets give the error "control.dat not found" - tried on 4
 JD> different OLRs, and PKUNZIP -t shows that there is indeed NO
 JD> control.dat file. Looks like all the other files are there.  So why no
 JD> control.dat file?

hmmm control.dat has all the echo names in it... it would be hard to build
one of them, but once built it'd probably stay good

put numbers in first and when you figure them out change the numbers to
match the names of the echoes.

really you control.dat hould be in the packets you download, complain to
the sysop and/or try a different BBS?

 JD> Maybe someone could point me to an explanation of the
 JD> structure of these various file types?

(from a qwk-format doc)

Within the compressed QWK file are quite a number of other component
files. We'll start with the one called CONTROL.DAT since it is the
easiest to describe. It is an ASCII text file so if you have one handy,
you can follow along.

Generic BBS            ; Line # 1
Seattle, WA            ; Line # 2
206-555-1212           ; Line # 3
Joe Sysop, Sysop       ; Line # 4
00000,GENBBS           ; Line # 5
01-01-1991,00:00:00    ; Line # 6
MARY USER              ; Line # 7
MENU                   ; Line # 8
0                      ; Line # 9
0                      ; Line #10
254                    ; Line #11
0                      ; Line #12
Main Conf              ; Line #13
....                    ; Line # x
254                    ; Line # x
Last Conf              ; Line # x
HELLO
NEWS
GOODBYE

Line # 1 - This is the BBS name where you got your mail
           packet.

Line # 2 - This is the city and state where the BBS is
           located.

Line # 3 - This is the BBS phone number.

Line # 4 - This is the sysop's name.

Line # 5 - This line contains first the serial number of the
           mail door followed by the BBS ID. Note the BBS ID
           as it will be used later in this article.

Line # 6 - This is the time and date of the packet.

Line # 7 - This is the uppercase name of the user for which
           this packet was prepared.

Line # 8 - This line contains the name of the menu file for
           those who use the Qmail reader/door. Almost all
           other mail doors leave this line blank.

Line # 9 - No one seems to know what this line is meant for.

Line #10 - No one seems to know what this line is meant for.
           (Note: Both of these ALWAYS seem to be 0)

Line #11 - This line is the maximum number of conferences
           MINUS 1.

Line #12 - This line is the first conference's number. It is
           usually 0 but not always.

Line #13 - This line is the name of the first conference. It
           is 10 characters or less.


Lines 12 and 13 are repeated for as many conferences as listed in line
11.

Anything you see after the last conference name can be ignored as that
information isn't usually provided by mail doors. One exception to this
is the Markmail door.


 JD> 4)  Some packets also give unpack errors, CRC errors.  What's that mean?

Means the BBS is using a buggy zipper, or  possilbly there's something
wrong with the transfer protocol.

 JD> 5)  As for reply packets - what's the difference between *.NEW and *.REP?
 JD> Maybe one goes with QWK and the other with BW?

..REP is for .QWK., dunno BW

 -=> Bye <=-

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 * Origin: Love is sentimental measles. (3:640/531.42)

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