Berlin, 15.05.97


This folder contains the cgi-interfacing programs for DPBOX. Other scripts
for http access have to be installed in the cgi-bin/ directory of your
http server.

These files are not placed therein because they may be useful for any kind
of remote access to DPBOX and therefore have no direct relationship to a http
cgi extension.

12.09.1999: The dpgate, dpcodeconv and dpputlinks sources are now in the source/
directory.

Please check out the "dpgate" executable. It offers multiple usability:

When called without any arguments, it asks for your callsign and your DPBOX
password, and, if accepted, opens a connection to DPBOX. You can use it to
make DPBOX accessible via telnet or modem logins, or even for a quick sysop
login on the local console.

Additionally, it supports the http-cgi interface of DPBOX or any kind of
scripts you write.

The following options are available when calling "dpgate":

-v                : if first option returns version information
-u <callsign>     : the callsign used to connect to DPBOX
-s <pathname>     : the full path name of the DPBOX socket to be connected
-c <command>      : a single command to be executed by DPBOX. The "dpgate"
                    will finish after execution, this is a very easy way to
                    invoke DPBOX queries in any kind of scriptings or
                    programs. If your command contains spaces, embed it in
                    "" (-c "LIST BBS 2-10").
-i                : interpretation of cgi translation sequences in -c commands
                    (-i -c "this%20is%20a%20test" -> -c "this is a test")

Please note that we use a tricky way to allow "dpgate" to access to the
DPBOX socket: The socket is accessible only for the owner of the DPBOX
process. To allow "dpgate" to connect to when called from users inequal to
that one starting DPBOX, we set the "s" flag with "chmod u+s dpgate". This
moves access control for the DPBOX socket to the access rights of the "dpgate"
process. This is necessary because of httpd otherwise would not be able to open
the socket via "dpgate". Owner of "dpgate" has to be the same as the one of
DPBOX, of course.

-----

A sample script, named "dpc", e.g.:

#! /bin/sh
dpgate -u dl1xyz -s /var/run/dpbox -c "$*"
#end of script

When calling "dpc c < DPBOX", you get returned all message list items to
stdout containing the word "DPBOX" in the subject line.

Have fun with it, see you, 73 Joachim Schurig, DL8HBS
