Hello All!

As you may well have noticed with the June release of the archive ELST2206.ZIP there are two new files namely:

BACKBONE.RPT
BACKBONE.NA

These files contain the content from the ELIST system as well as all other echo's that 'should' be available from your fido unlink echo hub.

The BACKBONE.NA file can be used by your areamgr to auto add new areas to your system when downlinks request to be added to the area, assuming your
areamgr can handle this procedure.

If using the BBS system MBSE it just entails to look at that file (BACKBONE.NA)
in the file area set up by going in to the setup program mbsetup
and from the top menu selecting 9 Edit Echomail groups then select 1 Edit Echomail Groups and for the Fido Echo group select it and change 19 Areas (name
of the areas file) to BACKBONE.NA

Then just press return to leave all menu's. Job done.

Your system will now auto add all new echos as listed in the BACKBONE.NA file when ever a down link request any.

Similar should be available in your chosen software that looks after echo management processing.

The BACKBONE.NA file has been in existence for many years but was not kept up to date at least since 2019 and it is now fully supported by the elist system.

If you have added a new echo area to fido and it is not shown send submission details to me at Vincent Coen, 2:250/1 and I will add it in for you.

Likewise, if you know the description for any existing echo's that do not have a description, send in a file containing the details where the file follows the
following format :

AAA.BBB.DES

Where AAA = Group Name (FIDO)
Where BBB = Echo Tagname
and .DES is the file extension name

Note that all is in UPPER CASE.
Example: FIDO.ECHOLIST.DES

Each text line can be up to 75 Characters long using characters from the following :

A - Z, a - z, 0 - 9 with period and comma as needed.

This file should be sent to 2:250/1 and I will pass it to the elist system at 2:25/21 having checked the content.

Do not do this for echo areas that are classed restricted distribution such as a few nodes in a given Net as there will always be nodes trying to get areas that have no relevance to them and like wise that are other types of special purpose for a limited audience.

The BACKBONE.NA and BACKBONE.RPT lists all generally available echo's but it does NOT mean that specific nodes can read them let alone write to them, such as areas designed strictly for the nodes of a region.



Vincent Coen on behalf of elistmaint.

--- Mageia Linux v8 X64/Mbse v1.0.8/GoldED+/LNX 1.1.5-b20180707
* Origin: Air Applewood, The Linux Gateway to the UK & Eire (2:250/1)