FlexDigi Remote SYSOP Control

FlexDigi Remote Sysop Control

by Charles Brabham N5PVL

Remote Control of a Node

It is important to be able to make minor adjustments to your node without making a physical trip to the node site. The following will explain how almost everything can be altered or controlled as needed, simply by using the special FlexNet version of BCT (BayCom Term) which is available at the FlexNet web site. This term program is powerful, easy to use, and runs under DOS or Windows.
You may find that you can do the same things with your favorite term program as well, but since most FlexDigi sysops have a copy of BCT handy, that's what I will use here for the examples.

The Password

The program FLEXPASS.EXE, included with the FlexNet distribution, allows you to set a password for the node, for sysop access. To use FLEXPASS.EXE to generate a password, first create a text file named PASS.TXT, which should only contain a 15 to 80 character password string, followed by a carraige return. Be sure that FLEXPASS.EXE and PASS.TXT are both in the FLEXNET directory of the node's computer.

Then, to create your password, type:

FLEXPASS PASS.TXT

The program then puts the password string contained in PASS.TXT into the FLEXNET.FPR file which contains all the station parameters. The password string is then ready to use.

Using the Password

Once the node has a password, you can then connect to the node from a remote location and request sysop privelege with the SY command. The node will then return five numbers, which correspond to five randomly picked charaters from your password string. Here's an example, with the password string being WEROUTEEVERYTHING, 17 characters long. A longer password provides more security, so it's best to use an 80 character string. I'm using just 17 characters here in order to simplify this demo.

>>> 13:24 Connected to N5PVL
PC/FlexNet V3.3g

Welcome to FlexNet!

(Q)uit (H)elp (I)nfo

=>sy

N5PVL> 2 8 13 15 7
eetie

=>

In my response (eetie) the first e in eetie is the 2nd character in the password string WEROUTEVERYTHING, the second e is the 8th, t the 13th, i the 15th, and e the 7th.

Note that FlexNet does not indicate whether the password negotiation was successful or not. Also, for security reasons, you can add additional characters before and after the password to confuse anybody watching what you are doing on the air. So eetie could have been uydvfegeetievgirewmnhgfdopreerty and worked just as well... As long as the password response string is embedded in there somewhere, it will work.

Changing Station Parameters

Once you have negotiated the password, a good test is to make your desired changes, then check to see if they worked. If you can't change the station parameters, you didn't get the password negotiated, and do not have sysop permission.

Here's a simple example, where I change the node's MYCALL parameter:

=>my
mycall: N5PVL SSIDs: 0-3
=>my kb5iwt 0 4
mycall: KB5IWT SSIDs: 0-4
=>p

First, I looked at the current MYCALL (N5PVL) by typing MY by itself. FlexNet then displayed MYCALL, along with the SSID's I had specified in the initial setup.
Then, I entered MY KB5IWT 0 4 which changed both the node's callsign and SSID assignments. The node responded by displaying the changes.

The same method can be used with the MO, P, and L commands to make changes in the station's basic setup. These will not automatically display like MYCALL does, but you can display them yourself by using the appropriate commands.

Changing the Stations Text Files

With sysop privelege, you can also easily change the *.FPR text files such as B.FPR (beacon text) , H.FPR (HELP Text) and so on, by using the W (Write) sysop command. This is especially handy with regards to the A (announce) text which is used by some sysops to announce meetings, ham-fests, local connections, and so on.

One very basic way to use the W command to re-write on of the node's files is as follows. I will be changing a short file, LO.FPR, which is sent to local (direct) connectees. First, I will look at the old LO file, then write in a new version:

=>lo

(Q)uit (H)elp (I)nfo

=>w lo.fpr
Writing C:\FLEX\L.FPR

(Q)uit (H)elp (I)nfo (A)nnouncements

Z
Write OK!
=>lo

(Q)uit (H)elp (I)nfo (A)nnouncements

=>

Above, I manually typed in the new (lo)cal text, ending with a CONTROL-Z.

...But there's a better way! The term program BCT has a READ command, which sends a text file. There's no need for an example, as it would look identical to what is shown above. The difference is that I would simply send a text file with the desired changes, instead of typing them in manually, and then follow up with a CONTROL-Z.

To use BCT's READ command, first send the node the W command along with the name of the file to be changed. When it responds with: Writing C:\FLEX\L.FPR then type the escape character in BCT, which gives you BCT's command prompt, a colon. After the colon, type READ, followed by the disk location and name of the text file you wish to send. After it's sent, backspace out BCT's command prompt (colon) and send a CONTROL-Z to the distant node, which will close the new file on the remote system.

As you can imagine, using BCT's READ command along with a pre-edited text file will simplify the modification of longer text files such as H.FPR and I.FPR.

Note: Since writing this article, I have begun to use the PAXON terminal program for Windows to do all of my remote node, BBS, and cluster maintainence. PAXON has a truly great system for file transfers that simplifies and speeds up the process considerably. PAXON also handles the password string response for FlexNet nodes automatically, padding the response with garbage characters before and after the password response for security.

If your node computer also runs a copy of FBB BBS, then you have FBBDOS at your disposal when working with both the BBS and node's files, (with sysop privelege) and this will simplify and speed up the process as well. You can easily transfer text and executable files. Both PAXON and FBB use the AUTOBIN protocol for transfering executables, zipfiles, and so on. I use it for everything, text files and all.