E Chat 2.5

e-chat 2.5.zip

Name: e-chat 2.5
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Type: Compressed (zipped) Folder
Date modified: 10/16/2002 6:49 PM
Date created: 8/19/2008 6:08 AM
Date accessed: 8/19/2008 6:08 AM

readme.txt

e_Chat 2.5 Set Up

Thanks for purchasing e_Chat, my enhancement of Matt Hahnfeld's excellent EveryChat(tm) script. I think you will find this script to be one of the best blends of usability and efficiency on the Net. It requires a bit more set up than other scripts, but if you've successfully installed other cgi scripts, you should have no problems.

**********FEATURES:***********

New User Functions -- now users can:

1.) choose a Framefree option -- For those who can't do frames, this option is automatically selected. For those who won't do frames, a selectable Framefree option is available via the help page.

2.) choose a text color -- Users seem to enjoy this feature. I included it because it makes it a lot easier for the eye to follow the conversation as it scrolls down (or up) the page.

3.) view messages as they scroll down from the top, or up from the bottom. Users of other types of chat, like AOL or IRC, will appreciate this option.

4.) send private messages to other users, in Javascript prompt boxes if possible. Users can ignore private messages if they prefer.

7.) enter their E-mail address on log on, and their nickname will be a mailto: link.

Administrative Functions -- Now this site's owner can:

*1.) designate "Registered Users," who own a particular Nickname and have a custom log on message.

*2.) Choose a "high or low octane" running mode, depending on the speed of their server.

*3.) provide a list of words, and their translations, allowing e_Chat to automatically replace %naughty words with more acceptable, or comical substitutes.

4.) ban users (via REMOTE_HOST). Three mouse clicks and any offender is unable to send messages or log on. The REMOTE_HOST data remains in the banlist.txt file until you edit it. (The REMOTE_HOST variable is a text equivalent of the user's IP, and is more specific than the domain name.)

5.) edit the banlist to ban by domain or partial REMOTE_HOST string. Essential for quick permanent banning.

6.) A log is automatically kept of messages. This log can be viewed from the admin frame, copied as text or html via your browser, and deleted. You can opt for an abbreviated form of the log, just including log-ons, log-offs, and messages with %naughty words.

7.) A click of your mouse clears the messages window. *This function now fixes a busted page as well.

*NOTE: The admin functions require frames. Each room has its own admin page, and there's no master admin page for all rooms.

************FILE LIST*****************

NOTE: The files common to all rooms are found in the "parent" directory. The files for each separate room are stored in subdirectories of this directory. (The room included with the files you downloaded is called "main.")

YOUR "parent" DIRECTORY CONTAINS:

echat.cgi - The primary chat script. (If you need to put your cgi files in a separate cgi-bin directory, just remember that the path assignment in the scripts ($filepath) still needs to point back to this "parent" directory. If necessary, these files can be renamed from *.pl)

admin.cgi - performs the administrative functions. (See above.)

index.htm (empty) - This is an empty HTML page that keeps people from nosing around your parent directory. ;-) You can replace this with a menu if you prefer.

readme.txt - this file.

YOUR "main room" SUBDIRECTORY CONTAINS:

index.htm - contains the frameset for the frames version, and also includes a form (in the <NOFRAMES> section) for entry to the no-frames version.

messages.htm - This page stores and displays the chat messages.

rmessges.htm - This page displays the messages in reverse order.

chatform.htm - This is the log-on form that appears at the bottom of the frames page.

help.htm - This page is first displayed with the log on form. It explains how to log on, and includes some extra info about the chat.

help2.htm - This page is displayed when the HELP link is clicked. It describes the various user functions.

help3.htm - This is instructions for converting to the Framefree view.

admframe.htm - This is the frameset for the administrator's page. (It includes an added frame for the admin functions.)

admin.htm - the page that appears in admframe.htm, which displays the admin form. You may want to rename this, as it wouldn't be hard to guess. (See below)

banlist.txt - the file where the REMOTE_HOST info for banned users is stored.

chatters.txt - contains user information and is temporary storage for private messages.

log.htm - Keeps a copy of all messages posted to the room.

***************************************
* SETUP *
***************************************

A.) echat.cgi -

1.) Top line (path to perl) - should read #!/usr/local/bin/perl or #!/usr/bin/perl depending on the location of perl on your server. (Just check your other perl scripts and match them.)

2.) $filepath - The path to your "parent" directory. (Ex. If the complete path to your 'main' subdirectory is /usr/domain/echat/main, then $filepath = '/usr/domain/echat'. DO NOT INCLUDE A TRAILING SLASH.

3.) $fileurl - The URL of you parent directory.

4.) $exiturl - The full URL that the user is directed to at log-off.

5.) $list - The name of the file containing user info and private messages. You'll want to changes this to something secret before you go public.

B.) admin.cgi -

1.) Top line - Same as echat.cgi.

2.) $filepath - Same as echat.cgi.

3.) $fileurl - Same as echat.cgi.

4.) $list - Same as echat.cgi.

4.) $restore - The name of your preferred message page.

C.) index.htm, and chatform.htm - Modify each of these forms so that ACTION= the path to echat.cgi. A full URL is sometimes required here.

D.) admin.htm - Modify this form so that ACTION= the path to admin.cgi. A full URL is sometimes required here.

E.) Upload and set permissions:

echat.cgi and admin.cgi - 755,
all room subdirectories (Ex. main) - 777.
messages.htm, rmessges.htm, log.htm, and all *.txt files - 777.

That's it! Type in the URL to the index.htm which is in the directory of the room you want to enter, and you're there! (Ex. http://www.drizware.com.) You could edit down to the "kansas-city" part. The ban is still permanent, but you're only excluding the offender and users from Kansas City that use ATT.

Sometimes the REMOTE_HOST string is not returned, and you have just the user's IP. (Ex. 123.254.2.99) You can still ban using IP, and there's a fair chance that its static (unchanging) so the ban is permanent. If you want to shorten the IP, leave the first two numbers. They're usually the equivalent of the domain.

Unfortunately, there's no perfect solution here, and it's up to you to decide what's preferable: excluding no one, including trouble-makers; or banning those offenders, and in the process running a slight risk (~1% - 10% if you ban by domain) of excluding an innocent person from your chat. However, editing does help keep that chance as low as possible.

*****************TO ADD ROOMS:*****************

1.) Create a subdirectory in your "parent" directory with the same name as your new room name. Copy all files from "main" to your new subdirectory.

2.) Modify admin.htm, index.htm, chatform.htm, so that each of these forms sends the new room name. (Replace "main" with the new room name.)

3.) That's it!! Type the URL to the new room, and you're there! The user page is .../e_chat/newroomname/index.htm, and the admin frame is .../e_chat/newroomname/admframe.htm.

*********************CUSTOMIZE echat.cgi**********************

These are extra variables in the configuration section of echat.cgi:

NEW - $timefix - Allows you to add or subtract from the hour part of your server.

NEW - $netscape_mode, etc. - Allows you to change the text of the generated links, or replace those links with images, if you prefer.

@drizware.com$mode - Sets the "speed" of the chat. Leave as-is ('high'), unless your provider complains, due to a slow or overworked server. If set to 'low', the chat refresh rate will slow, there will be no [Netscape Mode] option, and the log will only store log-ons, log-offs, and statements including %naughty words. these changes will significantly reduce server load, without eliminating any essential chat function.

$header - The HTML header of your message pages. You can change the colors, and add the background image of you know some HTML.

$timeout - Determines how many seconds the script waits before deleting a user from the Occupant's list. (300 sec = 5 min). This is to clear the list of users who didn't log off.

$lightsout - If 'yes', the last user to log out will trigger a message clear.

$private - If 'yes', private messages are enabled.

$lockon - See "File Locking," above.

Lastly, there is a lot of HTML in echat.cgi. It should be easy to spot, so go ahead and customize it! Just be careful not to change any of the lines outside the single or double quotes! Also, if the HTML is enclosed in double quotes ("), place a backslash in front of any double quotes that you add. (/")

If you have any problems, and you've read this file thoroughly, you can E-mail me for help at mbagneski@drizware.com.

Thanks Again!

Mb

main/banlist.txt

main/chatters.txt

ted 127.0.0.1 890416006

Files

admin.cgi
conflict2k.com.URL
echat.cgi
help.htm
index.html
readme.txt
main/admframe.htm
main/admin.htm
main/banlist.txt
main/chatform.htm
main/chatters.txt
main/help.htm
main/help2.htm
main/help3.htm
main/index.htm
main/log.htm
main/messages.htm
main/rmessges.htm

Price: $0.00

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