Hermes II FidoNet Installation Instructions

Read Me First

Before deciding to install the Hermes II FidoNet external, please read the entire contents of the Release Notes file. You may not want to install this specific beta after reading that file. If you choose to continue with the installation, read on.

In addition, please read this entire file before beginning the installation. If this is your first time installing the FidoNet external, do not put the FidoNet external into the Externals folder until you are told to do so.

It is very important that you make a backup copy of your Hermes Files folder before you install the FidoNet code. Once you move to Hermes II 3.5.9b2, you cannot switch back to previous versions of Hermes II.

You must also configure Formula1 in order to call other FidoNet nodes and receive calls from FidoNet nodes.

First-Time Installation Instructions

  1. Replace your existing Hermes II BBS application with the the Hermes II 3.5.9b2 binary.
  2. Start Hermes II 3.5.9b2.
  3. Add a new node to your Hermes II BBS. Quit and restart Hermes II.
  4. Set the type of the new node to None.
  5. Select "Mailer Preferences" from the "Setup" menu.
  6. Enable the "Mailer Aware" checkbox.
  7. Pick the node number of the node you just created in the "Mailer Processing Node" checkbox. This node will now be used for FidoNet mail processing and can no longer receive calls.
  8. Set your FidoNet address and origin line.
  9. Shut down Hermes II and put the FidoNet external in the Externals folder.
  10. Restart Hermes II.

Configuring FidoNet echoes

For each conference that you would like to receive mail for, you need to set the conference type to "Fido Echo" and enter the FidoNet EchoMail area name in the appropriate box in the conference configuration form. When you close the forum setup window, the Mailer Processing Node will show that the FidoNet external has updated its internal list of echomail areas.

Configuring nodes

In addition to adding each of your directly-connected nodes to the Formula1 private nodelist, you must also create a user on your BBS for that node. Follow this procedure for each node:

  1. Log in to one of the nodes on your BBS (not the Mailer Processing Node) using the "Local Logon" feature.
  2. Register as a new user, providing the information of the other FidoNet BBS. Provide the name of the BBS as the name of the user.
  3. When you have returned to the main menu, log out of the BBS as that user.
  4. Use the User Editor to edit the new user.
  5. Set up the user's security so that it has access to any of the FidoNet EchoMail areas that you will be exchanging with the other BBS.
  6. In the "Information" section of the User Edit screen, set the user's "Real Name" to "FidoNet". Make sure to capitalize the 'F' and the 'N'.
  7. Set the "Alias" the fully-qualified FidoNet node address. Make sure to include the point number (".0" for FidoNet BBSs) and domain ("fidonet.org" for FidoNet BBSs). Example: "1:123/456.0@fidonet.org"
  8. Close the User Edit screen.
  9. Log back in as this user.
  10. Press 'D' at the main menu to enter the Defaults screen. Configure the Q-Scan preferences for this user to include only the FidoNet echoes that you will be sharing with the other BBS.
  11. Log out from the BBS.