_____ ___ .----------------. ____ | |__| |__ ____ | _________ | | | | |___ | | `---' | | .--. .--..-------..--------..--------..--..--. .--..-------. | | | | | || _ ||__. .__||__. .__|| || \ | || ____| | | | `-' || |_| | | | | | | || `| || | __ | | | .-. || _ | | | | | | || |. || |_| | | | | | | || | | | | | | | | || | \ || | | | `--' `--'`--' `--' `--' `--' `--'`--' `--'`-------' | `---------------------------------------------------------------------. |_____________________________________________________________________ | .-------------------..-------..--. .--..-------. | | \_______________ || _ || \ | || ____| | | / || | | || `| || `---. | | .----------' / | | | || |. || ___| | | \ _______/ | `-' || | \ || `----. | | \ \ |_______||__| \__||_______| | | \ `---------------------------------------------' | \____________________________________________________| -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- .-----------------------------------------------------------------------------. | The Chatting Zone (TCZ) - (C)Copyright J.P.Boggis 1993 - 2004 | |-----------------------------------------------------------------------------| | TCZ is free software, which is distributed under version 2 of the GNU | | General Public License (See 'help gpl' in TCZ, the file LICENSE, or | | visit http://www.gnu.org) For more information about TCZ, please | | visit: http://www.sourceforge.net/projects/tcz | `-----------------------------------------------------------------------------' The Chatting Zone is a user-friendly multi-user environment, which is fully user extendable and features integration with the World Wide Web. The only limit is your imagination! -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Introduction: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The Chatting Zone (TCZ) is an advanced multi-user environment for social (Chat) or gaming (Adventure) purposes either privately over any network supporting TCP/IP, or publicly over the Internet. It supports both Telnet and World Wide Web connections and features comprehensive communication facilities, ANSI colour, a topic based BBS (Bulletin Board) system, a restrictable database extension/building system, a sophisticated command language and automatic database self-maintenance and integrity checking. To see TCZ in action, please pay a visit to the original TCZ at http://www.tcz.org, or see the file SITES for a full list of known sites running TCZ-based servers. For full details of The Chatting Zone (TCZ), and other TCZ resources (Latest documentation, source code, binary executables, etc.), please visit: http://www.sourceforge.net/projects/tcz *IMPORTANT*: Copyright information and disclaimer: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Please see the files LICENSE, COPYRIGHT and MODULES. .-----------------------------------------------------------------------. | TCZ is free software, which is distributed under version 2 of the GNU | | General Public License (See 'help gpl' in TCZ, the file LICENSE, or | | visit http://www.gnu.org) For more information about TCZ, please | | visit: http://www.sourceforge.net/projects/tcz | `-----------------------------------------------------------------------' System requirements: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ * Computer with processor equivalent to Intel 80386/80486 or better. Pentium or equivalent processor highly recommended. * One of the following Operating Systems, under which TCZ is known to compile successfully: * Linux-based UNIX system. * POSIX/BSD complient UNIX system with some possible modifications to the code. * Windows '95/'98/NT or equivalent system running under CygWin32. (See http://www.cygnus.com/misc/gnu-win32) Only recommended for development, debugging and experimentation. Not recommeded for full public system. * TCZ is fully memory based for maximum efficiency, so you will need sufficient RAM to hold most of the database in memory. This should not be a problem on most modern PC's and servers. If you're short on RAM or system resources, give out BUILDER flags and set Building Quota limits sparingly. TCZ features an efficient compression routine to reduce database overheads (Especially on large databases), but this requires a greater CPU overhead. * Sufficient disk space to hold the run-time, database and source files (The object files may be deleted after the source is compiled to save on disk space. * (If using the World Wide Web Interface) Access to a standard World Wide Web server, for serving of images used by the interface. Alternatively, TCZ itself can serve the images, but this is nowhere near as efficient. Features: ~~~~~~~~~ * Extensive on-line help and tutorials. * Telnet interface with the following features: * Terminal high-light codes (With suitable termcap file.) * Full ANSI colour support (8/16 colours, background colours, flashing, and underline.) * Telnet negotiation to ensure correctly configured connection. * Optional local echo. * Last command recall ('!!'.) * World Wide Web Interface with the following features: * Clickable links and buttons. * Separate input/output with the need to reload browser. * ANSI colour simulation. * JAVA script enhancements (Automatic scrolling and command box refocus.) * Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) enhancements (Background colours.) * Easy creation/connection of character using fill-in forms. * On-line help and tutorials with topic hyperlinks and search facility. * Scan, profile, etc. accessible as web page without logging in. * Lists of users with scans, profiles, pictures and web sites. * SSL (Secure Socket Layer) support for user privacy. * Graphical map of TCZ. * Graphical smileys :) * Automatic database maintenance, keeping the database free from unused characters and their objects, helping to reduce the rate of database expansion (Which results in increased memory and disk space usage.) * Categorised log file system, which can be accessed by administrators from within TCZ, as well as viewed using your favourite viewer from the host server (I.e: 'less log/filename.log', 'tail -f log/filename.log', etc.) * Command-line options and configuration file (Allows many system parameters of TCZ to be set without recompiling the source code.) * Time/date changes detected and handled by TCZ (Such as daylight saving time (DST) and change of system time from the host server.) * Power failure/resumption detected and handled by TCZ (Providing a UPS is used and connected/configured correctly.) This is implemented using the standard SIGPWR signal. * TCZ server goes to sleep when not in use, saving CPU time and resources on the host server. Configuring: ~~~~~~~~~~~~ (1) Edit include/config.h to suit your Operating System and preferences. (2) You may like to change the maximum log file sizes in src/db.c, if you are short on disk space. (3) Copy the example configuration file lib/example.tcz to lib/default.tcz and edit to suit your requirements. Compiling: ~~~~~~~~~~ (1) Type: cd src (2) Type: make (3) The server and related utility programs will now be compiled. Running: ~~~~~~~~ To start TCZ and generate an empty database, simply type: bin/tcz --generate <DATABASE NAME> & To start TCZ with a previously dumped database (Stored in the 'lib' directory), type: bin/tcz -d<DATABASE NAME> [&] E.g: bin/tcz -dmain & ('&' under UNIX forces running in the background.) File list: ~~~~~~~~~~ [Binary files and scripts (Directory 'bin')...] bin/tcz Executable of TCZ server (Produced when TCZ is compiled.) bin/backup Script to backup database (Can be automated by placing in the system crontab.) bin/arctcz Script to produce tar.gz archive of TCZ source code and library files. [Documentation (Directory 'doc')...] doc/manual.txt TCZ Official Manual - Contains most of the help and information available on-line within TCZ ('lib/help.tcz') within a single file. doc/tczfeatures.txt List of some of the major features/unique features in the TCZ server. doc/tczhistory.txt The history of TCZ. doc/tczintro.txt Basic introduction to TCZ, suitable for E-mailing to prospective new users. doc/tczrules.txt Current rules for users of TCZ at tcz.net (Ammend as you see fit, ensuring you also ammend the copy within 'lib/help.tcz' ('%TOPIC tczrules') also.) doc/tcztutorial.txt More in-depth tutorial for users who are completely new to TCZ (Available on-line as 'tutorial newbie'.) [HTML Interface files (Directory 'tczhtml')...] tczhtml/*.gif Images used by the World Wide Web Interface (Buttons, tczhtml/*.jpg graphics, etc.) These should be placed on a suitable public web server. [Run-time files (Directory 'lib')...] lib/disclaimer.tcz Disclaimer (Shown to users when they create a new character.) lib/help.tcz On-line Help System library file. lib/email.tcz List of E-mail addresses of all users who have set their E-mail address (Produced/updated using the '@dump email' command on TCZ.) lib/forward.tcz List of forwarding E-mail addresses of users who have set their E-mail address (Produced on a daily basis by TCZ, if EMAIL_FORWARDING is #define'd in config.h) This data can be placed in /etc/aliases to produce E-mail forwarding aliases for users of TCZ. lib/title?.tcz Title screens (Displayed in random order to Telnet users when they first connect (Before entering their name, etc.)) 1st title screen is 'lib/title1.tcz', 2nd is 'lib/title2.tcz', etc. lib/tutorial.tcz On-line Tutorial System library file. lib/sites.tcz Registered Internet sites database (Maintained using the '@site' command in TCZ.) lib/tcz.?.?.pid Lock file of running TCZ process. lib/dump.?.?.pid Lock file of running database dumping process. lib/?.?.?.DUMP Temporary database dump file. The Chatting Zone Server... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ USAGE: tcz [<OPTIONS>] Type 'tcz --help' for a full listing of start-up options. TCZ World Wide Web Interface... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ http://machine.domain:8080 Presents user with page containing links to most World Wide Web Interface resources. http://machine.domain:8080/connectform Presents user with a form for connecting their existing character to The Chatting Zone. http://machine.domain:8080/createform Presents user with a form for creating a new character. http://machine.domain:8080/userlist Gives user a list of currently connected users on TCZ, without needing to first connect to TCZ itself. http://machine.domain:8080/help?TOPIC=INDEX& Presents user with TCZ's On-line Help System index. INDEX can be replaced with the name of a help topic for instant access to a particular topic, e.g: TOPIC="version info" http://machine.domain:8080/tutorial&TOPIC=INDEX& Presents user with TCZ's On-line Tutorial System index. As above, INDEX can be replaced with the name of a tutorial for instant access to a particular tutorial, e.g: TOPIC="newbie" Credits and acknowledgements... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Please see the Official TCZ Manual (doc/manual.txt) for a full list of credits and acknowledements (These can be found at the bottom of the manual), or start TCZ, connect and type 'help acknowledgements'.