Fully ARexx driven

• All menus are rexx scripts and are therefore totally configurable
• Optional global command system
  • Could even be used to run a system exactly like CompuServe!

NO HARDCODED TEXT

• Every single character in Zeus is configurable!
• Auto ANSI code removal and 8 bit translation

Powerfull 'watcher' system

• 20 Function key slots for running external programs or inserting text
• Data screen shows useful BBS information:
  • Number of users
  • Number of calls today (and total calls)
  • Number of files/messages online
  • Graph showing all-time and session calls statistics
• ANSI watcher:
  • Ultra fast 2-16 colour ANSI display
  • Supports Amiga codes
  • Optional pre-scroll "jumpy" mode for faster scrolling.
• RIP watcher:
  • HiRes 16 colour graphics display
  • Local RIP terminal
• CON watcher
  • Open a window on any screen

IEMSI Support

• Allows users to login instantly

ANSI Music Support

Optional Control screen

• Configurable menus for starting BBS related programs (GUI Editor)
• Screen settings:
  • Any resolution
  • 2-16 editable colours
  • Any font
  • Supports IFF backdrops
• Zeus programs can put 'icons' on the control screen, managed by the built-in ZeusDock program
  • Example 'ChatStatus' program graphicaly shows whether the SysOp is available for paging or not. Just click to change!
• Voyeur - the Line Watcher, giving a realtime overview of every node
  • Pop up the current watcher for any line to see exactly what the user is doing
  • View or edit the caller's user details directly from the line list
  • Boot a user offline, with confirmation
  • Resizable, snapshottable windows, and can iconify onto the Control screen
• System Graphs - real-time, resizable CallerStat and TimeStat utilities showing BBS uptime and online-time per hour
• The control screen is public so you can set other programs to open their windows on it. I.E. TrapDoor

Text System

• Supports 256 menu sets and 256 languages
• Possible 66050 filename combinations for EACH text file
• GUI Menu Set and Language editors
• Optional text buffering system
  • Definable number of files to keep in memory
  • Optional file length limit

BBS Nodes

• Unlimited amount of nodes
• GUI Node setup program
• Serial options:
  • Supports any serial device/unit
  • Baud rates from 110-292000
  • Carrier, DSR and Rad-Boogie can be enabled/disabled
  • Full control over parity, char length, handshaking, stop bits
  • Floating baud rates supported
  • Owndevunit.library - automatically releases the serial port to another program (e.g. an Internet dial-up stack) when needed, then reclaims it afterwards, with no need to quit Connector or ZMailer
• Native Telnet support - lines can accept Telnet connections directly, with no external telnet daemon required
  • TelnetListener answers incoming Telnet connections on a configurable TCP port
  • Multiple Telnet lines can share a single listening port
  • File transfers (Zmodem, Hydra and other supported protocols) work correctly over Telnet connections, not just serial/modem lines
• Nodes can be started from any front end software, or from the supplied 'Connector' front end utility (Telnet lines use the equivalent 'TelnetConnector')

ZMailer - FidoNet Front-Door

• ZMailer is Zeus's own FidoNet "front-door", included with every BBS
• Automatically detects whether an incoming call is a human user or a FidoNet mail session, and routes it accordingly
• Full EMSI handshake support for automatic mail exchange
• Dials out to poll other systems and exchange mail on a schedule
• File Requests (FREQs) - lets other FidoNet systems request and download files directly from your file base, without logging into the BBS
• Fax and voice call handling, with configurable external program hooks
• Caller ID logging and full accounting/Traplist integration
• Cloneable line configurations - set up one line and copy its settings to others in a click

TelnetS - Secure Telnet Support

• Telnet connections can be secured with TLS/SSL (via AmiSSL) for encrypted logins and traffic
• Self-signed certificate generation and management from a GUI (Prefs/Lines)
  • Selectable RSA key size
• RenewLineCertificates - a scriptable, headless command-line tool for renewing certificates without a GUI, ideal for automation and cron

User Specifications

• Unlimited number of users
• Each user has their own directory
• Fast user list scanning:
  • Alphabetical or Chronological
  • Forwards or Backwards
• GUI User Editor
• Banned User support with full AmigaDOS wildcards
• UserManager program:
  • Delete users (with AmigaDOS wildcard support)
  • Strip Users (who haven't called in 'x' amount of days)
  • UnDelete users
  • Rebuild and Optimise user file
• BootUser utility chucks users offline

Bulletins

• 'RealTime' GUI Bulletin Editor
• Minimum/Maximum access
• Bulletins can be set to expire at a certain date/time
• CLI Bulletin Manger:
  • Add/Remove bulletins
  • Update bulletins which have been changed recently
  • Set expiry infomation

Message Specifications

Every message area in ZEUS is assigned to an "mb" library. An "mb" (message base) library defines the low-level functions that manipulate the messages as they are stored on disk.

This means that various formats of messages can be accessed by ZEUS completely transparently.

Currently available message libraries are:

• mbzeus.library - an extremely fast indexed message system.
• mbstarmsg.library - standard FTSC-1 message system (as used with TrapDoor and Foozle).
• mbuunews.library - RNEWS format UseNet news.
• ZEUS Internal FTS Mail Processor
  • 5-dimensional operation
  • Superlative Import speeds
  • Auto-area creation
  • Built-in AreaFix support
    • Uplink support
    • Full control.
  • Pass-through areas.
  • Echomail file attach support.
  • Fully-featuring routing system
  • Automatic Archive/Packet type switching on detection.
  • FTS-1, 39, 48 and 45 packet import/export support.
  • Inbuilt Tick Processor
  • Name->Address Remapper
• EMailGate - tunnels FidoNet-type network traffic over ordinary E-Mail (SMTP/POP3), so points can be linked purely by e-mail from anywhere in the world with no direct dial-up or FidoNet-native transport required
• Fully functional news and email gating system
  • Zeus features superlative gating abilities
  • Dupe detection
  • Reply linking
  • Message Bouncing
  • Extremely quick index format.
  • Support for Dynamic IP Internet accounts
  • Secure mail retrieval via POP3S (POP3 over SSL/TLS, port 995) using AmiSSL
• Unlimited number of message areas
  • Fields include for each message area -
    • Low and High Accesses,
    • Gender required to access area
    • Minimum age to access area
    • Usenet follow-up base
  • Message Base type
    • Local
    • Echomail
    • UUCP
    • Netmail
    • UUCP Mail
  • Message Base Storage type
    • Standard ZEUS format
    • StarMsg (#.msg) format
    • NNTP network format
    • Tin format
    • Elm Mail format
  • Flags -
    • Private Base (All Messages are automatically made Private)
    • Aliases (Aliases are used by default)
    • Hi-ASCII Stripping
    • Delete Own Written Messages
    • Allowing Quoting in Base
  • Processor for each written message allowing -
    • Jive, Kraut & Valley Girl (amongst others) message translators!
• Unlimited number of External Message Editors
  • Line Editor Supplied
  • Full Screen Editor
  • Local Users may use Local Editors (e.g. CED)
• Waiting Mail support
• Forward and Reverse Reply Linking
• Anonymous Sender and Recipient Fields
• Message Display system -
  • Configurable Coloured Quote lines
  • Configurable Coloured or Hideable Kludges, Seen-Bys, Paths
• Message Signature Support
• Message Searching System by -
  • Sub-string within Text,
  • Exact or Sub-string within From, To and Subject fields
• Stored High Pointers for each User
• Fully Intuition-Based GUI Configuration Utilities for every aspect of the powerful Message Configurations
  • Message Area Editor
  • Message Display Colour Editor
  • Network Configuration
    • FidoNet Addressing
    • FidoNet Export/Import Systems
    • FidoNet Netmail Routing
  • Message/File/Signature Editor Configuration Program
• Graphical Display of Current Message Statistics (include High, Low and High Sent By Net pointers)
• Full Logging to Screen and Disk
• Phoenix - the built-in QWK/BlueWave offline mail packer door

File Specifications

• Unlimited number of file areas
  • Fields include -
    • Low and High Accesses required
    • Minimum BPS rate to download and upload
    • The Minimum Age required
    • Files require validation
  • Areas can be made to use standard 8.3 MS-DOS filenames only
• Multiple Path Support
• Transfer Sub-System
  • Supports the HYDRA bi-directional file transfer and chat mode protocol.
  • Supports enhanced XPR 2.001 libraries such as Dmodem
  • Supports standard XPR libraries, including -
    • Zmodem Batch
    • Zmodem-8k
    • ZedZap
    • Ymodem
    • Xmodem
  • Files can be checked for duplication before upload
  • File Report Statistics can easily be obtained through Rexx
• Number of files limited only by disk-space
• Index files work equally well with a large or small file base
• Very fast scanning system
• Scans can be based upon -
  • Chronology
  • Alphabetically
  • Globally
  • By Date order
• All Scans can be performed both forwards and backwards
• Very quick index base format which protects against disk fragmentation by storing the file descriptions in just a few, sorted indexes
• CD-ROM/Slow Device pre-copy supported
• Signal access means that multidisk-disk CD-ROM players are never left changing back and forth over disks, but copy a file at a time
• Each file has a unique index number for quick retrieval
• Rebuild/Optimise Utility supplied to keep index files trimmed and working efficiently
• Informative File Structure includes -
  • Index Number
  • File Name
  • File Size
  • Upload Date
  • Last Download Date
  • Number Of Downloads file has had
  • Name of User who uploaded the file
• Flags include
  • Unvalidated File
  • Free File (no impact on credit ratios)
  • Temporarily deleted file
  • Off-line file
• File Description can be of unlimited length, to include all relevant information about each file
• Users may insert their own comments about each file
• New Uploaded files, through Rexx, can be
  • Checked for viruses
  • Stripped of BBS adverts
  • Stripped of unwanted files
  • and BBS adverts may be added to archive
• Marking Files
  • Unlimited number of marked files
  • Marked files can be added in ranges such as `#-#`, `#,#,#-#`
  • AmigaDOS wildcards supported when marking files 'ZEUS#?.?HA`
  • User can delete, using ranges, currently marked files
• Credit System
  • File Ratio
  • Byte Ratio
  • Max Bytes per Day
  • Max Files per Day
  • Free Files allowed before first Upload
  • Free Bytes allowed before first Download
• All Credits can be disabled
• In-built File lister Program
• Powerful GUI File Editor program
  • Allows powerful Adding, and Bulk uploading of files
  • GUI Editing of currently on-line files
  • Links to your favourite Local Editor to edit file descriptions
  • Allows easy and powerful perusal of your file bases
• Fully Intuition-Based GUI Configuration Utilities for every aspect of the powerful File Configurations
  • File Area Editor
  • Available BPS rate Editor
  • General File Configuration Editor
  • XPR Protocol Editor

Integrated Features

Some of the more powerful features of ZEUS interact with the File, Msg and Main BBS Server.

• A Powerful User Template System. Each Template can be attached to a different access level, and set to the default settings by the GUI User Editor. However, each user may have different template accesses to the defaults, and these can be changed by the User Editor
  • Each Template can specify -
    • Max Calls Per Day
    • Max Minutes Per Call
    • Max Minutes Per Day
    • File Ratio
    • Byte Ratio
    • Max Bytes Per Day
    • Max Files Per Day
    • Free Files
    • Free Bytes
    • Max Written Messages Per Day
  • Each File Area can have different Access Bits set -
    • Access File Area
    • View Files in Area
    • Download Files in Area
    • Upload Files in Area
    • Edit Files Uploaded by User in Area
    • Edit any File in Area
    • Access Unvalidated Files in Area
    • Validate any Files in Area
    • Delete any File in Area
    • SysOp access in Area
  • Each Message Area can have different Access Bits set -
    • Access Message Area
    • Read Messages in Area
    • Write Messages in Area
    • Write Private Messages in Area
    • Read Private Messages in Area
    • Kill Messages Written by User in Area
    • Kill any Messages in Area
    • Attach Files to Messages in Area
    • Send Crash Netmails in Area
    • SysOp access in Area
• Message and file areas to be added into Special Interest Groups, to divide large BBSs into manageable pieces
  • Unlimited Number of SIGS
  • Low and High Accesses Required
• DataManager - safely resynchronises on-disk message and file data after renumbering or reconfiguring areas, so nothing gets lost or misfiled
• UpdateConfigs - pushes configuration changes live without restarting Zeus
• Archiver System. For use with uploaded files, viewing files and unpacking mail, archivers are configured in a GUI Configuration program for universal use of which ever archive formats you wish to support
  • Recognition strings - Allow archive types to be detected without the use of a three letter postfix
  • Pack and Unpack Strings
  • Support for most known archivers
• SysOpReport - an automated daily SysOp health-check tool, run from a script to keep the SysOp informed
  • Checks for users and files pending validation
  • Flags freshly auto-created, unconfigured message areas and areas not assigned to any SIG
  • Runs a Mail Processor configuration sanity check
  • Monitors TelnetS certificate expiry, warning at 30 days and critical at 5 days/expired
  • Optional AUTORENEW mode automatically renews a critical certificate on the spot
  • Text-only report with scriptable exit codes, suitable for cron and automation