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. If specified, message is both stored and broadcasted to all users logged in at the time. See also /ALL and /BELL. 2 /EDIT Determines whether or not the editor is invoked to edit the message you are adding. 2 /NODES=(nodes[,...]) Specifies to send the message to 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. 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 /SHUTDOWN 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 the general message file. 2 /SYSTEM This option is restricted to privileged users. If specified, message is both saved in the general 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. 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 COPY Copies a message to another folder without deleting it from the current folder. Format: COPY folder-name 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 seperately, 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: SET ACCESS, SET BBOARD, REMOVE. 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). 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 /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, you will need this to be created by a privileged user. If the 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). 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 /SEMIPRIVATE Similar to /PRIVATE, except that the folder is restricted only with respect to adding or modifying messages. All users can read the 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 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. Format: DELETE [message-number] The message's relative number is found by the DIRECTORY command. 2 /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. 2 /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. 2 /FOLDERS Lists the available message folders. 2 /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-point 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 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. Format: FILE file-name 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. 1 Folders All messages are divided into separate folders. The default folder is GENERAL, in which also is stored SYSTEM messages. 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. Note, however, that the display of topics of new GENERAL folders is not controlled by this command, and that READNEW is the default for the GENERAL folder. Instead of SET READNEW, SET BRIEF can be specified, which will only cause a brief message upon logging in indicating there are new message in the specified folder. Additionally, a user can be immediately alerted when a new message has been added to a folder by the SET NOTIFY command. A folder can be restricted to only certain users, if desired. This is done by specifying CREATE/PRIVATE. Afterwards, access to the folder is controller 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. 1 HELP To obtain help on any topic, type: HELP topic 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 The input for the recipient name is exactly the same format as used by the MAIL utility. 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 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. 2 /NAME /NAME=foldername Specifies a new name for the folder. 2 /OWNER /OWNER=username Specifies a new owner for the folder. 1 MOVE Moves a message to another folder and deletes it from the current folder. Format: MOVE folder-name 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. 1 PRINT Queues a copy of the message you are currently reading (or have just read) for printing. The PRINT command can take optional qualifiers. Format: PRINT 2 /HEADER /[NO]HEADER Controls whether a header containing the owner, subject, and date of the message is printed at the beginning. The default is to write the header. 2 /NOTIFY /[NO]NOTIFY Indicates that you will be notified by a broadcast message when the file or files have been printed. If /NONOTIFY is specified, there is no notification. The default is /NOTIFY. 2 /QUEUE=queue-name The name of the queue to which a message is to be sent. If the /QUEUE qualifier is not specified, the message is queued to SYS$PRINT. 1 READ Displays the specified message. If you do not specify a message, then the first time you enter the command, the first message in the folder will be displayed. However, if there are new messages, the first new message will be displayed. Each time you enter the command, the next page, or if there are no more pages, the next message will be displayed. Format: READ [message-number] The message's relative number is found by the DIRECTORY command. If you specify a number greater than the number of messages in the folder, the last message in the folder will be displayed. NOTE: The READ command can be abbreviated by omitting the READ command, i.e. typing the command "2" is equivalent to "READ 2", and simply hitting the key is equivalent to "READ". 2 /PAGE /[NO]PAGE Specifies that the display of the message will pause when it reaches the end of the page. If /NOPAGE is specified, the whole message will be displayed. This is useful for terminals that can store more than one screenful at a time, and that have a remote printer that can then print the contents of the terminal's memory. 2 /SINCE=date Specifies to read the first message created on or after the specified date. If no date is specified, the default is TODAY. 1 REMOVE Removes a folder. Only the owner of a folder or a privileged user can remove the folder. Format: REMOVE folder-name 1 REPLACE 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 promptted 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: REPLACE [file-name] 2 /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. 2 /EXPIRATION Specifies that the message expiration date is to be replaced. 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. 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=n 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 Specifies that the message is to expire after the next computer shutdown. This only applies to general or system messages. 2 /SYSTEM Specifies that the message is to be made a SYSTEM message. This is a privileged command and only applies to the GENERAL folder. 2 /TEXT Specifies that the message text is to be replaced. 1 RESPOND Invokes the VAX/VMS Personal Mail Utility (MAIL) to send a reply mail message to the owner of the currently read message. If the owner of the message is not a valid user, it is assumed that the message was from a network, and the message is searched for a line starting with "From:". The username is then extracted from that line, and the necessary mail routine to send over the network is invoked. 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 preceeded by "RE: ". 1 QUIT Exits the BULLETIN program. 1 SEARCH Searches the currently selected folder for the message containing the first occurrence of the specified text string. Format: SEARCH [search-string] message searches for the given search-string in the currently selected folder. The search starts from the beginning of the messages in the current folder. If a "search-string" is not specified, a search is made for the previously specified string, starting after the message you are currently reading (or have just read). 1 SELECT Selects a folder of messages. See HELP Folders for a description of a folder. Once a folder has been selected, all commands, i.e. DIRECTORY, READ, etc. will apply only to those messages. Use the CREATE command to create a folder. Use the DIRECTORY/FOLDER command to see the list of folders that have been created. Format: SELECT [folder-name] Omitting the folder name will select the default general messages. 1 SET The SET command is used with other commands to define or change characteristics of the BULLETIN Utility. Format: SET option 2 ACCESS Controls access to a private folder. A private folder can only be selected by users who have been granted access. Only the owner of that folder is allowed to grant access. Format: SET [NO]ACCESS id [folder-name] The parameter "id" is the id in the system Rights Database to which access is being affected. For more infomation concerning usage of private folders, see HELP CREATE /PRIVATE. 3 /ALL Specifies that access to the folder is granted to all users, in other words the folder is made no longer private. /ALL is specified in place of the id name after the SET ACCESS command: SET ACCESS /ALL [folder-name] 3 /READ Specifies that access to the folder will be limited to being able to read the messages. 2 BBOARD Specifies a username to be used as a BBOARD destination. Mail which is sent to that user are converted into messages. This command will apply to the selected folder, and each folder can have it's own BBOARD. If no folder is selected, the general message file is modified. Only privileged users or owners of the folders can set BBOARD. Note: The specified account must have the DISUSER flag specified in the system authorization file, and it either must be given SYSTEM privileges, or the scratch bboard_directory (specified when compiling BULLETIN) must have world rwed protection. Format: SET BBOARD [username] 3 /EXPIRATION /EXPIRATION=days /NOEXPIRATION Specifies the number of days the message created by the BBOARD is to be retained. The default is 14 days. The highest limit that can be specified is 30 days. This can be overridden by a user with privileges. If /NOEXPIRATION is specified, messages will become permanent. 3 /SPECIAL Specifies that the input for incoming mail is not the normal VMS MAIL. Specifying a username is optional. To remove this feature, you must either SET NOBBOARD, or SET BBOARD and specify a username. See installation notes for how to use this feature. 2 BRIEF Controls whether you will be alerted upon logging that there are new messages in the currently selected folder. This cannot be specified for the GENERAL folder. The BRIEF setting contrasts with the READNEW setting, which causes a listing of the description of the new messages to be displayed and prompts the user to read the messages. Setting BRIEF will clear a READNEW setting (and visa versa). Format: SET [NO]BRIEF 3 /DEFAULT Specifies that the SET [NO]BRIEF command be applied to all users for the specified folder. This is a privileged qualifier. It will only affect new users. 2 FOLDER Select a folder of messages. Identical to the SELECT command. See help on that command for more information. Format: SET FOLDER [folder-name] 2 LOGIN Controls whether the specified user will be alerted of any messages, whether system or non-system, upon logging in. If an account has the DISMAIL flag set, SET NOLOGIN is automatically applied to that account during the first time that the account logs in. However, this will not occur if DISMAIL is set for an old account. Additionally, removing the DISMAIL flag will not automatically enable LOGIN. (The reason for the above was to avoid extra overhead for constant checking for the DISMAIL flag.) Format: SET [NO]LOGIN [username] 2 NOTIFY Specifies whether you will be notified via a broadcast message when a message is added to the selected folder. Format: SET [NO]NOTIFY 3 /DEFAULT Specifies that the SET [NO]NOTIFY command be applied to all users for the specified folder. This is a privileged qualifier. It will only affect new users. 2 PRIVILEGES Specifies the privileges that are necessary to use privileged commands. Use the SHOW PRIVILEGES command to see what privileges are presently set. This is a privileged command. Format: SET PRIVILEGES privilege-list Privilege-list is the list of privileges seperated by commas. To remove a privilege, specify the privilege preceeded by "NO". 2 READNEW Controls whether you will be prompted upon logging in if you wish to read new non-system or folder messages (if any exist). The default is that you are prompted. In order to apply this to a specific folder, first select the folder (using the SELECT command), and then enter the READNEW command. For messages in folders other than the GENERAL folder, both prompting and display of topics of new messages are controlled by this command. Format: SET [NO]READNEW 3 /DEFAULT Specifies that the SET [NO]READNEW command be applied to all users for the specified folder. This is a privileged qualifier. It will only affect new users. 1 SHOW The SHOW command displays information about certain characteristics. 2 FOLDER Shows information about a folder of messages. Owner and description are shown. If the folder name is omitted, and a folder has been selected via the SELECT command, information about that folder is shown. Format: SHOW FOLDER [folder-name] 3 /FULL Controls whether the access list and the BBOARD information for the folder is displayed. This infomation is only those who have access to that message. 2 NOTIFY Shows whether NOTIFY has been set for this folder. (See HELP SET NOTIFY). 2 PRIVILEGES Shows the privileges necessary to use privileged commands. 2 READNEW Shows whether READNEW has been set for this folder. (See HELP SET READNEW).