With M+F Intranet Manager, one person must act as administrator for the intranet system. This file is for the use of the system administrator. It describes the various setup and administration procedures for M+F Intranet Manager. All system administrators should read this document before attempting to set up M+F Intranet Manager. They should also read the general help file - Intranet.hlp.

Contents
----------

1.  Introduction
2.  Initial setup
3.  Access restrictions
4.  How it works
5.  Requests
6.  Processing requests
7.  Other admin functions
8.  Registration
9.  Author contact information
10. Legal Information

Warranty Disclaimer : 

M+F Intranet Manager is provided on an "as is" basis without warranty of any kind, expressed or implied. The author will not be held liable for any special, incidental, consequential, direct or indirect damages due to the user's use of M+F Intranet Manager. 

Introduction
--------------

M+F Intranet Manager is a set of shareware programs that enables the users of a Local Area Network to easily set up a "minature Internet" or intranet.  

Functions for the use of the following on the network are provided :

Electronic mail.
Newsgroups.
Bulletin boards.
Online Chat. ( Similar to IRC )
Public sites. ( Similar to FTP )

Although this version ( 1.1 ) is the first publicly available version of M+F Intranet Manager, there have been about 15 restricted beta releases. These have not only been used to test the software, but to look at ways of enhancing it and making it easier to use.

Initial Setup
-------------

Before running M+F Intranet Manager, you should run the setup program ( setup.exe ) to create the required directory and file structure. You will be asked to enter the drive and directory to set up in ( this should not be the root directory of a drive ) and the setup program will automatically create the file and directory structure within that directory. It will also create a configuration file ( intranet.cfg ). You can move the program executables to any directory providing you keep this config file in the same directory.
  
IMPORTANT : To get started, you will also need to create a new section. Sections divide up the users on the system for mailing purposes, and it is up to the system administrator to create as many as necessary. Before anyone can be registered as a user of the system therefore, you must create at least one section using the administration program - Admin.exe ( Please note that the section name should be no longer than 8 characters). You can then register yourself as a user by running Intranet.exe and clicking on "New User". 

Access Restrictions
-----------------------

In order for M+F Intranet Manager to function correctly, you will have to set users access privileges for the various directories in the system. The commands to do this will vary depending on the system you are using, but will usually be something like :

Net Access [directory] [action] [user / user group]:[privileges]

Directory is the directory to which the command applies.
Action is the action to be taken. This is usually /grant for granting access for the first time, /change for changing access rights and /delete for removing access privileges.
User / User Group is the user or group of users to grant the access rights to. To grant for all users you would probably have put "users" or "*users".
Privileges are the type of access rights that the users will have. These are normally R - read, C -create, W - write, X - execute, D - delete, A - able to grant attributes to files and P - able to grant privileges to other users. They normally have to be in the above order.

For example, to give the logon group "Intranet" read and execute only access to "n:\d1490\intranet\internet\public" you might type ( in dos ) :

Net Access n:\d1490\intranet\internet\public /grant Intranet:rx

The setup program will create the directory structure shown below within your specified setup directory. Letters representing the access privileges that you should grant to your users are shown beside each of the directories.

Admess\ - R 
Internet\ - RCWD
Internet\Public - RX
Internet\News - RCW
Internet\Attach - RCWX
Internet\Attach\Dates - RCW
Internet\Bboard\ - RCW
Internet\Blank\ - R
Internet\Online\ - RCW
Internet\Temp\ - RCW

If your system does not support giving specific types of privileges to users, you can give all types privileges to your users, but the intranet will be less secure.

As the system administrator you should have all types of privileges to all of the above directories.

How It Works
-----------------

The system is completely file based and does not use any network specific functions. This means that, in theory, it could work on a standalone computer ( although this would not be much use unless the computer had multiple users ). 

It is necessary that you have a basic knowledge of what functions each of the files and directories in the system performs. To do this we will consider the purpose of each file and directory at a time.

\Admess\uslist - This file stores the all users real names and mail addresses in the format :
[Real Name] [Mail Address]
etc.

\Admess\bbinfo - Unused

\Admess\bbp - This file stores the names of each of the bulletin boards and the username of their creators in the format :
[BBS Name],[Creator]
etc.

\Admess\dirs - This file stores a list of all the public sites in the format :
[Site Name]
etc.

\Admess\external - This file stores a list of all the external network services available to the user in the format :
[Description of service],[Path and filename]
etc.

\Admess\nofusers - This file stores the number of users on the system. This will be in the following format :
[Number of users]

\Admess\sections.lst - This file stores a list of all the sections in the system in the format :
[Section Name]
etc.

\Admess\userlook - This file stores a list of all the users in the system in the format :
[Username],[Mail Address],[Real Name],[Encrypted Password]
etc.

\Admess\allnews.lst - This file stores a list of all the newsgroups in the system in the format :
[Newsgroup]
etc.

\Admess\usnum - This file stores a list of all the usernames in the system in the format :
[Username]
etc.

\Internet\temp\ - Some of the functions in M+F Intranet Manager require the users to send requests to the system administrator for processing. This directory stores requests for things while they are waiting to be processed by the system administrator. These things will have the following extensions :
.bbr - request for a new bulletin board.
.cop - new file for the public area.
.cin - info. about file for the public area.  
.dir - request for a new public site.
.new - request for a new newsgroup.
.req - request for a new user.

\Internet\attach\ - This directory stores files which are sent as attachments to messages. 

\Internet\attach\dates - This directory stores files containing the dates at which the attachments were put in the attachment directory.

\Internet\public\ - This directory stores the files which are placed in the public sites.
Each public site is a sub-directory of this. The root directory contains files holding information about each of the public sites ( extension of .nfo ) and also files containing information about each of the files stored in the public sites ( extension of .fil ).

\Internet\blank\ - Contains nothing. Should be left empty.

\Internet\news\ - This directory stores the files containing the postings which are placed in the newsgroups. Each newsgroup is a sub-directory of this ( e.g. news.computers.hardware will be \Internet\News\Computer\Hardware). Each newsgroup has a file in it with an extension of ".lst" containing a list of all the sub-newsgroups of that one. Each posting is stored in a separate file with an extension of ".~".

\Internet\online\ - This directory stores the files need for online chat. Files with extensions of .msg are the main channel transaction files. Files with extensions of .use will contain a list of all the users in a particular channel. There will also be randomly numbered files which are used for secondary message transaction files. Using the "Clear Online" function in the admin. program will remove these files when they are no longer required. 

\Internet\bboard\ - Stores the bulletin boards. Files with extensions of .bbf contain the main text for each of the bulletin boards and files with extensions of .nfo contain the information for the bulletin boards.

\Internet\group_name\ - Group_name represents the name of a postal group which has been created. In each group directory there will be sub-directories named after the users usernames in those groups. Each users messages are stored in their own directory. In the each users directory there will also be a file called "Address.lst" which stores the address book of that user.

It would be possible to manage the intranet by editing its files using a text editor. It is, however, much easier to use the administration program - admin.exe. If for any reason you do have to edit the files ( e.g. no function is currently provided for removing users ) you MUST be careful not to leave any blank lines at the end of the files.

Requests
----------

When using some of the functions of M&F Intranet Manager, certain requests are passed to you for processing using the administration program - admin.exe. The following functions work like this :-

Creating newsgroups
Creating bulletin boards
Creating public sites
Adding files to public sites.
Requesting new users. 

Processing Requests 
------------------------

In the main screen of the administration program you will see lists of requests. These will in the following format :

New newsgroup
New user
New public Site 	Transfer to public site
New bulletin board

To process all the requests in a list click on the "process" button beside the list. To get information about a request, click on it and the information will be displayed in the panel above. To delete a request, click on it and click the delete button.

Other Admin Functions
-----------------------

Creating a new user : - 
To create a new user enter their details in the main screen and click on "Use New"

Deleting Messages : -
Click on the "Delete Messages" button.
To delete a single message, click on a user, click on the name of the message that you want to delete and then click on "Delete".
To delete all of a users messages click on "Delete All".
To delete everybody's messages before a certain date, enter the date ( this MUST be in the format MM/DD/YY ) which you want to delete before and click on "Delete Before : ".

Deleting newsgroup postings : - 
Click on the "Delete Postings" button.
To delete a single posting, click on the posting that you want to delete and then click on "Delete".
To delete all the postings before a certain date, enter the date ( this MUST be in the format MM/DD/YY ) which you want to delete before and click on "Delete Before : ".

Clearing online :-
It is possible for users names to get "stuck" in the channel user lists. This will clear the channel user lists and also remove unnecessary secondary transaction files.

New section :-
This function will create a new postal section.

External services :-
This function allows you to add and remove external network services.

Deleting files in public areas : - 
Click on the "Delete public files" button.
To delete a file, click on the filename that you want to delete and then click on "Delete".

Del. Bull. Boards :-
This function allows you to delete any bulletin board.

System Ad :-
This function allows you to enter the details of the system administrator which will appear on the "login.." screen.

Attachments :-
This function allows you to delete files that were sent as attachments to messages.
These files are not automatically deleted when the attachments are viewed, and it is up to the  system administrator to delete the older attachments.

Configure Viewers :-
This function allows you to configure the text and picture viewers for M+F Intranet Manager. Note : The text viewer is only used in the administration program and the picture viewer is currently redundant.

Registration
------------

M+F Intranet Manager is shareware and you are obliged to register if you want to continue using it after a 40 day period.


Registration of M+F Intranet Manager costs 40 or $70 per LAN for schools, colleges and other educational establishments and 80 or $140 per LAN for other organisations. For this you will get :-

Full registered latest version of M+F Intranet Manager.

Free minor upgrades and greatly reduced prices on major upgrades.

Lifetime support by e-mail.


If you are not paying in GB or $US you should consult Currency.txt for the appropriate price.


Currently we can only accept payment by check. When sending cheques please make sure that they are made out in the currency local to the bank branch printed on the check. We also accept Eurocheques but again they must be made out in your local currency. We do not accept international money orders or any kind of postal orders from outside the UK. You should make all cheques payable to Neil Ferguson.


To register M+F Intranet Manager fill in the application form in order.txt.


Author Contact Information
----------------------------

We welcome any comments, bug reports, questions or suggestions for future versions that you might have. You can contact the author by e-mail at :

d1490@mcb.rmplc.co.uk

Legal Information
------------------

Copyright : 

M+F Intranet Manager is copyright  Neil Ferguson 1996 - 1997. All rights reserved. 

Distribution :

You are hereby licensed to make as many copies of the Shareware version of this software and documentation as you wish. You may also give copies of the Shareware version to anyone and distribute the Shareware version of the software and documentation via electronic means. 

You are prohibited from charging, or requesting donations, for any such copies, however made, without prior written permission. Disk vendors, however, are permitted to make small charges for the software. 

You should carefully read the following terms and conditions before using this software.  Unless you have a different license agreement signed by the author, your use of this software indicates your acceptance of this license agreement and warranty. 

Licensing agreement : 

This is not free software.  After this software has been installed on a local area network for a period of 40 days, it must either be removed, permanently, or the appropriate registration fee payed.  See the section Registration of M+F Intranet Manager} for further details. When payment is received you will be sent a registered copy of the latest version of M+F Intranet Manager 

If M+F Intranet Manager remains on a local area network after the 40-day evaluation period it is in violation of international copyright laws. 

The individual responsible for the installation of M+F Intranet Manager on the Local Area Network is responsible for upholding the above terms. 

Warranty Disclaimer : 

M+F Intranet Manager is provided on an "as is" basis without warranty of any kind, expressed or implied. The author will not be held liable for any special, incidental, consequential, direct or indirect damages due to the user's use of M+F Intranet Manager. 