1 ADD Adds a message to the specified folder. A file can be specified which contains the message. Otherwise, BULLETIN will prompt for the text. BULLETIN will ask for an expiration date and a header to contain the topic of the message. Format: ADD [file-name] All the qualifiers except for /EDIT and /NODES are restricted to users with SETPRV privileges. 2 /ALL This option is restricted to privileged users. It is used in conjunction with the /BROADCAST qualifier. If specified, all terminals are sent the message. Otherwise, only users are sent the message. 2 /BELL This option is restricted to privileged users. It is used in conjunction with the /BROADCAST qualifier. If specified, the bell is rung on the terminals when the message is broadcasted. 2 /BROADCAST This option is restricted to privileged users and SYSTEM folders. If specified, a message is both stored and broadcasted to all users logged in at the time. If the folder is remote, a message will be broadcast on all nodes which are connected to that folder, unless /LOCAL is specified. A node which does not have BULLCP running cannot have a message broadcasted to it, (even though it is able to create a remote folder). See also /ALL and /BELL. 2 /CLUSTER /[NO]CLUSTER This option specifies that broadcasted messages should be sent to all nodes in the cluster. /CLUSTER is the default. 2 /EDIT /[NO]EDIT Determines whether or not the editor is invoked to edit the message you are adding. /EDIT is the default if you have added /EDIT to your BULLETIN command line. 2 /EXPIRATION /EXPIRATION=time Specifies the time at which the message is to expire. Either absolute time: [dd-mmm-yyyy] hh:mm:ss, or delta time: dddd [hh:mm:ss] can be used. 2 /FOLDER /FOLDER=(foldername,[...]) Specifies the foldername into which the message is to be added. Does not change the current selected folder. Folders can be either local or remote folders. Thus, a nodename can precede the foldername (this assumes that the remote node is capable of supporting this feature, i.e. the BULLCP process is running on that node. If it is not, you will receive an error message). If the the foldername is specified with only a nodename, i.e. FOO::, the foldername is assumed to be GENERAL. NOTE: Specifying remote nodes is only possible if that remote node is running a special BULLCP process. If it isn't, the only way to add messages to that remote node is via the /NODE command. However, /FOLDER is a much quicker method, and much more versatile. You can specify logical names which translate to one or more folder names. I.e. $ DEFINE ALL_FOLDERS "VAX1,VAX2,VAX3", and then specify /NODES= ALL_FOLDERS. Note that the quotation marks are required. When using /FOLDER for remote nodes, proxy logins are used to determine if privileged options are allowed. If they are not allowed, the message will still be added, but without the privileged settings. 2 /LOCAL Specifies that when /BROADCAST is specified for a remote folder, the message is broadcasted ONLY on the local node. 2 /NODES /NODES=(nodes[,...]) Specifies to send the message to the listed DECNET nodes. The BULLETIN utility must be installed properly on the other nodes. (See installation notes). You can specify a different username to use at the other nodes by either using the USERNAME qualifier, or by specifying the nodename with 2 semi-colons followed by the username, i.e. nodename::username. If you specify a username, you will be prompted for the password of the account on the other nodes. Additionally, you can specify logical names which translate to one or more node names. I.e. $ DEFINE ALL_NODES "VAX1,VAX2,VAX3", and then specify /NODES=ALL_NODES. Note that the quotation marks are required. NOTE: It is preferable to use /FOLDER instead of /NODE if possible, since adding messages via /FOLDER is much quicker. 2 /NOINDENT See /TEXT for information on this qualifier. 2 /PERMANENT This option is restricted to privileged users for the GENERAL folder, but available to all in other folders. If specified, message will be a permanent message and will never expire. 2 /SUBJECT /SUBJECT=description Specifies the subject of the message to be added. 2 /SHUTDOWN /SHUTDOWN[=nodename] This option is restricted to privileged users. If specified, message will be automatically deleted after a computer shutdown has occurred. This option is restricted to SYSTEM folders. If the bulletin files are shared between cluster nodes, the message will be deleted after the node on which the message was submitted from is rebooted. If you wish the message to be deleted after a different node reboots, you have the option of specifying that node name. NOTE: If the folder is a remote folder, the message will be deleted after the remote node reboots, not the node from which the message was added. The nodename cannot be specified with a remote folder. 2 /SYSTEM This option is restricted to privileged users. If specified, message is both saved in the folder and displayed in full as a system message when a user logs in. System messages should be as brief as possible to avoid the possibility that system messages could scroll off the screen. This option is restricted to SYSTEM folders. 2 /TEXT Specifies that the text of the previously read message should be included at the beginning of the new message. The previous message must be in the same folder. This qualifier is valid only when used with /EDIT. The text is indented with > at the beginning of each line. This can be suppressed with /NOINDENT. 2 /USERNAME Specifies username to be used at remote DECNET nodes when adding messages to DECNET nodes via the /NODE qualifier. 1 BACK Displays the message preceding the current message. 1 BULLETIN The BULLETIN utility permits a user to create a message for reading by all users. Users are notified upon logging in that new messages have been added, and what the topic of the messages are. Actual reading of the messages is optional. (See the command SET READNEW for info on automatic reading.) Messages are automatically deleted when their expiration date has passed. 1 CHANGE Replaces or modifies existing stored message. This is for changing part or all of a message without causing users who have already seen the message to be notified of it a second time. If the text of the message is to be changed, a file can be specified which contains the text. Otherwise, you will be prompted for the text. The expiration info and header can also be changed. If neither no qualifiers are added to the command, it is assumed the whole message will be replaced. Format: CHANGE [file-name] 2 /EDIT /[NO]EDIT Determines whether or not the editor is invoked to edit the message you are replacing. The old message text is read into the editor unless a file-name or /NEW is specified. /EDIT is the default if you have added /EDIT to your BULLETIN command line. 2 /EXPIRATION /EXPIRATION[=time] Specifies the time at which the message is to expire. Either absolute time: [dd-mmm-yyyy] hh:mm:ss, or delta time: dddd [hh:mm:ss] can be used. If no time is specified, you will be prompted for the time. 2 /GENERAL Specifies that the message is to be converted from a SYSTEM message to a GENERAL message. This only applies to the GENERAL folder. 2 /HEADER Specifies that the message header is to be replaced. You will be prompted for the new message description. 2 /NEW If the editor is to be used for replacing the text of the message, NEW specifies not to read in the old message text, and that a totally new text is to be read in. 2 /NUMBER /NUMBER=message_number Specifies the message number to be replaced. If this qualifier is omitted, the message that is presently being read will be replaced. 2 /PERMANENT Specifies that the message is to be made permanent. 2 /SHUTDOWN[=nodename] Specifies that the message is to expire after the next computer shutdown. This option is restricted to SYSTEM folders. 2 /SUBJECT /SUBJECT=description Specifies the subject of the message to be added. 2 /SYSTEM Specifies that the message is to be made a SYSTEM message. This is a privileged command and is restricted to SYSTEM folders. 2 /TEXT Specifies that the message text is to be replaced. 1 COPY Copies a message to another folder without deleting it from the current folder. Format: COPY folder-name [message_number][-message_number1] The folder-name is the name of the folder to which the message is to be copied to. Optionally, a range of messages which are to be copied can be specified following the folder name, i.e. COPY NEWFOLDER 2-5. 2 /ALL Specifies to copy all the messages in the old folder. 2 /MERGE Specifies that the original date and time of the copied messages are saved and that the messages are placed in correct chronological order in the new folder. This operation is lengthy if the new folder is large. 2 /ORIGINAL Specifies that the owner of the copied message will be the original owner of the message. The default is that the copied message will be owned by the person copying the message. 1 CREATE Creates a folder of messages. This is similar to the folders in the VMS MAIL utility. Folders are often created so that messages of a similar topic are grouped separately, or to restrict reading of certain messages to specified users. Once created, that message is automatically selected (see information on SELECT command). The commands that can be used to modify the folder's characteristics are: MODIFY, REMOVE, SET ACCESS, SET BBOARD, SET NODE, and SET SYSTEM. Format: CREATE folder-name The folder-name is limited to 25 letters and must not include spaces or characters that are also invalid in filenames (this is because the folder is stored in a file name created with the folder name). NOTE: Creation of folders may be a restricted command if the installer has elected to install it as such. This is done by modifying BULLCOM.CLD. 2 /BRIEF Specifies that all users automatically have BRIEF set for this folder. Only a privileged user can use this qualifier. (See HELP SET BRIEF for more information.) 2 /DESCRIPTION /DESCRIPTION=description Specifies the description of the folder, which is displayed using the SHOW FOLDER command. If omitted, you are prompted for a description. NOTE: If this folder is to receive messages from a network mailing list via the BBOARD feature, and you wish to use the POST and RESPOND/LIST commands, the address of the mailing list should be included in the description. This is done by enclosing the address using <> and placing it at the end of the description, i.e. INFOVAX MAILING LIST 2 /NODE /NODE=nodename Specifies that the folder is a remote folder at the specified nodename. A remote folder is a folder in which the messages are actually stored on a folder at a remote DECNET node. The specified nodename is checked to see if a folder of the same name is located on that node. If so, the folder will point to that folder. This capability is only present if the BULLCP process is created on the remote node via the BULL/STARTUP command. If the remote folder name is different from the local folder name, the remote folder name is specified using the /REMOTENAME qualifier. NOTE: If one node add a message to a remote node, other nodes connected to the same folder will not immediately be aware of the new message. That information is only updated every 15 minutes (same algorithm for updating BBOARD messages), or if a user accesses that folder. 2 /NOTIFY Specifies that all users automatically have NOTIFY set for this folder. Only a privileged user can use this qualifier. (See HELP SET NOTIFY for more information.) 2 /OWNER /OWNER=username Specifies the owner of the folder. This is a privileged command. 2 /PRIVATE Specifies that the folder can only be accessed by users who have been granted access via the SET ACCESS command. Note: This option uses ACLs and users who are granted access must be entered into the Rights Data Base. If the RDB does not exist on your system, a privileged user will have to create it. If a user is not in the RDB, this program will automatically enter the user into it (unless this feature was disabled during the compilation of this program). NOTE: See HELP SET ACCESS for more info. 2 /READNEW Specifies that all users automatically have READNEW set for this folder. Only a privileged user can use this qualifier. (See HELP SET READNEW for more information.) 2 /REMOTENAME /REMOTENAME=foldername Valid only if /NODE is present, i.e. that the folder is a remote folder. Specifies the name of the remote folder name. If not specified, it is assumed that the remote name is the same as the local name. 2 /SHOWNEW Specifies that all users automatically have SHOWNEW set for this folder. Only a privileged user can use this qualifier. (See HELP SET SHOWNEW for more information.) 2 /SEMIPRIVATE Similar to /PRIVATE, except that the folder is restricted only with respect to adding or modifying messages. All users can read the folder. 2 /SYSTEM Specifies that the folder is a SYSTEM folder. A SYSTEM folder is allowed to have SYSTEM and SHUTDOWN messages added to it. By default, the GENERAL folder is a SYSTEM folder. This is a privileged command. If this is a remote folder, /SYSTEM cannot be specified unless the folder at the other node is also a SYSTEM folder. 1 CURRENT Displays the beginning of the message you are currently reading. If you are reading a long message and want to display the first part of the message again, you can enter the CURRENT command. Format: CURRENT 2 /EDIT Specifies that the editor is to be used to read the message. This is useful for scanning a long message. 1 DELETE Deletes the specified message. If no message is specified, the current message is deleted. Only the original owner or a privileged user can delete a message. Note that the message is not deleted immediately, but its expiration is set 15 minutes in the future. This is to allow a user to recover the message using the UNDELETE command. If you want the message deleted immediately, use the /IMMEDIATE qualifier. Format: DELETE [message_number][-message_number1] The message's relative number is found by the DIRECTORY command. It is possible to delete a range of messages by specifying two numbers separated by a dash, i.e. DELETE 1-5. However, a range cannot be specified if the folder is remote. 2 /ALL Specifies to delete all the messages in the folder. Note: This will not work for remote folders. Only one message can be deleted from a remote folder at a time. 2 /IMMEDIATE Specifies that the message is to be deleted immediately. 2 /NODES /NODES=(nodes[,...]) Specifies to delete the message at the listed DECNET nodes. The BULLETIN utility must be installed properly on the other nodes. You can specify a different username to use at the other nodes by either using the USERNAME qualifier, or by specifying the nodename with 2 semi-colons followed by the username, i.e. nodename::username. If you specify a username, you will be prompted for the password of the account on the other nodes. The /SUBJECT must be specified to identify the specific message that is to be deleted. Additionally, you can specify logical names which translate to one or more node names. I.e. $ DEFINE ALL_NODES "VAX1,VAX2,VAX3", and then specify /NODES=ALL_NODES. Note that the quotation marks are required. 2 /SUBJECT /SUBJECT=subject Specifies the subject of the bulletin to be deleted at a remote DECNET node. The DECNET node must be specified with the /NODE qualifier. The specified subject need not be the exact subject of the message. It can be a substring of the subject. This is in case you have forgotten the exact subject that was specified. Case is not critical either. You will be notified if the deletion was successful. 2 /USERNAME Specifies username to be used at remote DECNET nodes when deleting messages on other DECNET nodes via the /NODE qualifier. 1 DIRECTORY Lists a summary of the messages. The message number, submitter's name, date, and subject of each message is displayed. Format: DIRECTORY [folder] If a folder is specified, that folder is selected before the directory is listed. 2 /DESCRIBE Valid when used with /FOLDERS. Specifies to include description of folder. 2 /FOLDERS Lists the available message folders. Shows last message date and number of messages in folder. An asterisk (*) next to foldername indicates that there are unread messages in that folder. 2 /MARKED Lists messages that have been marked (indicated by an asterisk). After using /MARKED, in order to see all messages, the folder will have to be reselected using the SELECT command. 2 /NEW Specifies to start the listing of messages with the first unread message. 2 /SINCE /SINCE=date Displays a listing of all the messages created on or after the specified date. If no date is specified, the default is TODAY. 2 /START /START=message_number Indicates the first message number you want to display. For example, to display all the messages beginning with number three, enter the command line DIRECTORY/START=3. Not valid with /FOLDER. 1 EXIT Exits the BULLETIN program. 1 EXTRACT Synonym for FILE command. 1 FILE Copies the current message to the named file. The file-name parameter is required. If the file exists, the message is appended to the file, unless the /NEW qualifier is specified. Format: FILE [message_number][-message_number1] A range of messages to be copied can optionally be specified, i.e. FILE 2-5. 2 /ALL Copies all the messages in the current folder. 2 /HEADER /[NO]HEADER Controls whether a header containing the owner, subject, and date of the message is written in the file. The default is to write the header. 2 /NEW Specifies that a new file is to be created. Otherwise, if the specified file exists, the file would be appended to that file. 1 Folders All messages are divided into separate folders. The default folder is GENERAL. New folders can be created by any user. As an example, the following creates a folder for GAMES related messages: BULLETIN> CREATE GAMES Enter a one line description of folder. GAMES To see the list of available folders, use DIRECTORY/FOLDERS. To select a specific folder, use the SELECT command. If a user selects a folder and enters the SET READNEW command, that user will be alerted of topics of new messages at login time, and will then be given the option of reading them. Similar to READNEW is SHOWNEW, which displays the topics but doesn't prompt to read them. Even less is SET BRIEF, which will cause only a one line output indicating that there are new messages in the folder. There also is the SET NOTIFY option, which will cause a message to be broadcast to a user's terminal alerting the user that a new message has been added. A folder can be restricted to only certain users, if desired. This is done by specifying CREATE/PRIVATE. Afterwards, access to the folder is controlled by the creator by the SET [NO]ACCESS command. If /SEMIPRIVATE rather than /PRIVATE is specified, all users can read the messages in the folder, but only those give access can add messages. A folder can be converted into a remote folder using CREATE/NODE or SET NODE. A remote folder is one which points to a folder on a remote DECNET node. Messages added to a remote node are actually stored on the folder on the remote node. The BULLCP process (created by BULLETIN/STARTUP) must be running on the remote node for this option to be used. A folder can be specified as a SYSTEM folder, i.e. one in which SYSTEM/ SHUTDOWN/BROADCAST messages can be added. By default, the GENERAL folder is a SYSTEM folder (and cannot be changed). One use for this is to create a remote SYSTEM folder which is shared by all nodes, so that the GENERAL folder is used for messages pertaining only to the local host, while the remote folder is used for messages pertaining to all nodes. Another use is to create a folder for posting SYSTEM messages only meant for a certain UIC group. This is done by creating a PRIVATE SYSTEM folder, and giving access to that UIC group. Only users in that UIC group will see the messages in that folder when they log in. 1 HELP To obtain help on any topic, type: HELP topic CTRL-Y only breaks out of a command when no files are open. Otherwise, use CTRL-C, which will abort the program. However, unlike CTRL-Y, you can not resume execution using the VMS CONTINUE command. Also note that CTRL-C will not abort if BULLETIN is waiting for input from the terminal. 1 INDEX Gives directory listing of all folders in alphabetical order. If the INDEX command is re-entered while the listing is in progress, the listing will skip to the next folder. This is useful for skipping a particular folder. It also can be used to continue the listing from where one left off after one has read a message. Format: INDEX 2 /MARKED Shows only messages that have been marked (indicated by an asterisk). 2 /NEW Specifies to start the listing of each folder with the first unread message. Otherwise, the listing will start with the first message in the folder. If the INDEX command is re-entered for continuing the listing, /NEW must be respecified. 2 /RESTART If specified, causes the listing to be reinitialized and start from the first folder. 1 KEYPAD +--------+--------+--------+--------+ | PF1 | PF2 | PF3 | PF4 | | GOLD | HELP | EXTRACT|SHOW KEY| | |ST NOKEY| FILE |SH KY/PR| |--------|--------|--------|--------| | 7 | 8 | 9 | -- | | ADD | REPLY | MAIL |READ/NEW| | ADD/EDI|RP/ED/TE|M/NOHEAD|SHOW NEW| |--------|--------|--------|--------| | 4 | 5 | 6 | , | | CURRENT| RESPOND| LAST | DIR/NEW| |CURR/EDI|RS/ED/TE| | INDEX | |--------|--------|--------|--------| | 1 | 2 | 3 |ENTER | | BACK | PRINT | DIR | | | NEXT |P/NONOTI|DIR/FOLD| | |--------+--------|--------| ENTER | | 0 | . | SELECT | | SHOW FOLDER/FULL| DELETE | | | SHOW FLAGS | UNDELE | | +-----------------+--------+--------+ 1 LAST Displays the last message in the current folder. Format: LAST 1 MAIL Invokes the VAX/VMS Personal Mail Utility (MAIL) to send the message which you are reading to the specified recipients. Format: MAIL recipient-name[s] The input for the recipient name is exactly the same format as used by the MAIL utility. 2 /HEADER /[NO]HEADER Controls whether a header containing the owner, subject, and date of the message is written in the mail. The default is to write the header. 2 /SUBJECT /SUBJECT=text Specifies the subject of the mail message. If the text consists of more than one word, enclose the text in quotation marks ("). If you omit this qualifier, the description of the message will be used as the subject. 1 MARK Sets the current or message-id message as marked. Marked messages are displayed with an asterisk in the left hand column of the directory listing. A marked message can serve as a reminder of important information. The UNMARK command sets the current or message-id message as unmarked. Format: MARK [message-number or numbers] UNMARK [message-number or numbers] NOTE: The list of marked messages are stored in a file username.BULLMARK in the directory pointed to by the logical name BULL_MARK. If BULL_MARK is not defined, an error message will be displayed when attempting to mark a message. BULL_MARK may be defined system wide, depending on whether the system manager has decided to do so. 1 MODIFY Modifies the database information for the current folder. Only the owner of the folder or a user with privileges can use this command. Format: MODIFY 2 /DESCRIPTION Specifies a new description for the folder. You will be prompted for the text of the description. NOTE: If this folder is to receive messages from a network mailing list via the BBOARD feature, and you wish to use the POST and RESPOND/LIST commands, the address of the mailing list should be included in the description. This is done by enclosing the address using <> and placing it at the end of the description, i.e. INFOVAX MAILING LIST 2 /NAME /NAME=foldername Specifies a new name for the folder. 2 /OWNER /OWNER=username Specifies a new owner for the folder. If the owner does not have privileges, BULLETIN will prompt for the password of the new owner account in order to okay the modification. 1 MOVE Moves a message to another folder and deletes it from the current folder. Format: MOVE folder-name [message_number][-message_number1] The folder-name is the name of the folder to which the message is to be be moved to. Optionally, a range of messages which are to be moved can be specified following the folder name, i.e. COPY NEWFOLDER 2-5. However, if the old folder is remote, they will be copied but not deleted, as only one message can be delted from a remote folder at a time. 2 /ALL Specifies to move all the messages from the old folder. Note: If the old folder is remote, they will be copied but not deleted, as only one message can be deleted from a remote folder at a time. 2 /MERGE Specifies that the original date and time of the moved messages are saved and that the messages are placed in correct chronological order in the new folder. This operation is lengthy if the new folder is large. 2 /ORIGINAL Specifies that the owner of the moved message will be the original owner of the message. The default is that the moved message will be owned by the person moving the message. 1 NEXT Skips to the next message and displays it. This is useful when paging through the messages and you encounter a particularly long message that you would like to skip over.