AOL callers¶
The classic AOL client, dialing in¶
AOL's own client (2.5 to 4.0) never types at a login prompt. It dials a
network, AOLnet, SprintNet or Tymnet, and its CCL script answers that
network's prompts. Then it speaks P3, AOL's own protocol, to the AOL host.
With [aol] enabled = yes, modemmenu plays the network and then joins the
line to host. That is D-Modem/bbs's
AOL front end ([aol] there), where the caller signs on with their BBS
name and password.
modemmenu tells which network the client expects from what its script
does at the login prompt. The strings are the ones AOL 3.0's
AOLNET.CCL, SPRINT.CCL and TYMNET.CCL wait for.
| Network | The script | modemmenu |
|---|---|---|
| AOLnet | waits for UQKT1, answers aol |
says UQKT1 before the first login prompt, then CONNECTED |
| SprintNet | sends @D |
asks TERMINAL=, gives the @ prompt, answers par? 11 with the line's speed, and C <address> with <address> CONNECTED |
| Tymnet | sends A, with no line end |
asks PLEASE LOG IN:, answers the login with + and the host's name with CALL CONNECTED |
| P3 | a script of one's own that starts P3 at once | joins the line to the host at the first packet |
In the client's Setup, add the D-Modem line's phone number as an access number of the network to play, and pick it.
networks limits which of these modemmenu plays. Leave out aolnet to
keep its UQKT1 line off every caller's screen. With AOLnet or SprintNet
played, the names aol and @D at the login prompt are the client's,
not a user's. A caller's name beginning with A is still a name, because
a person types on while the Tymnet script waits seconds for an answer.
The call is logged (AOL client (sprintnet) at the login prompt, then
aol: to localhost:5190, then how long it lasted). modemmenu's own
logins, time limits and menus don't apply to it: the BBS signs the caller
on and keeps its own limits.