====== Synchronet Classic Shell — User Guide ======

The **Synchronet Classic** command shell (''default.js'') is the default shell on most Synchronet BBSes. It emulates the original Synchronet v1 user interface and is what Synchronet "looks like" to most people who've never been told otherwise.

This guide describes the **shell-specific** parts of using a BBS that runs Classic — the prompts, the menu layout, and the keys you press at each prompt. Many of the commands you'll press here actually open separate sections (mail, message base, chat, user settings, etc.); the page for each of those sections describes what happens //after// the key is pressed.

If your BBS uses a different shell, see [[user:shell:|Command Shells]].

The captures on this page are from a Synchronet v3.22 BBS in UTF-8 / ANSI mode. On a US-ASCII terminal the BBS substitutes plain ASCII (''+--+'') for the line-art glyphs shown below; the menu meaning and command keys are the same.

===== Prompts =====

Classic has two primary command prompts plus a handful of context-specific prompts:

  * **Main prompt** — the top-level command prompt, displayed once you've completed logon. From here you reach mail, message bases, chat, configuration, etc.
  * **File Transfer prompt** — the prompt inside the File Transfer Section. From here you list, search, download, upload, and manage files. (The File Transfer Section is part of the Classic shell.)

==== The Main prompt ====

The Main prompt is identified by **square brackets** ''[ ]'' surrounding the **group/sub-board number** indicators:

  ￭ Main ￭ 3:58:42 [1] Main [1] Notices:

The fields are:

  * ''￭ Main ￭'' — the prompt name
  * ''3:58:42'' — your time remaining online (or time spent online if you have a //time exemption//)
  * ''[1] Main'' — your current message **group** (number and name)
  * ''[1] Notices'' — your current **sub-board** (number and name)

==== The File Transfer prompt ====

Pressing ''T'' at the Main prompt enters the **File Transfer Section**. The prompt is identified by **parentheses** ''( )'' around the **library/directory number** indicators:

  ￭ File ￭ 3:59:07 (1) Main (1) Synchronet:

  * ''￭ File ￭'' — the prompt name
  * ''3:59:07'' — time remaining
  * ''(1) Main'' — current file **library**
  * ''(1) Synchronet'' — current **directory**

===== Quick key-sequence guide =====

Throughout this guide, command titles are followed by a quick key-sequence guide showing the **exact keystrokes** to enter the command without pausing at menus:

  * Sequences inside ''[ ]'' (square brackets) are entered from the **Main prompt**.\\ Example: ''Send E-mail [ES]'' means type ''E'' then ''S'' from the Main prompt.
  * Sequences inside ''( )'' (parentheses) are entered from the **File Transfer prompt**.\\ Example: ''Find File (F)'' means type ''F'' from the File Transfer prompt.
  * Sequences inside ''{ }'' (curly braces) work from **either** the Main or File Transfer prompt.\\ Example: ''Join Multinode Chat {CJ}'' means type ''C'' then ''J'' from either prompt.

Command keys are **case-insensitive** — ''E'' and ''e'' are equivalent, as are ''es'' and ''ES''. This is true of every stock Synchronet shell (and almost any third-party shell you're likely to encounter), so this guide writes the keys in uppercase as a convention only.

===== Asking for the menu =====

Synchronet's Classic shell uses an //expert mode// model:

  * **Expert mode off** (default for new users — //Novice// mode): the menu of available commands is automatically redisplayed at every new command prompt.
  * **Expert mode on**: the menu is hidden until you ask. Saves screen real estate and call time once you know the keys.

You toggle expert mode in the [[user:settings|User Settings]] menu (''X''). At any prompt, **''?''** redisplays the menu. **''/?''** does the same inside the chat section or the built-in line editor (where bare ''?'' is a valid character to type).

===== Main Menu =====

Press ''?'' at the Main prompt:

   ￭￭ Read/Post Messages      ￭￭ Message Area Selection   ￭￭ Electronic Mail
  ┌──┐                       ┌──┐                        ┌──┐
  │ N│ New message scan      │ J│ Jump to new msg area   │ E│ Read/Send E-mail
  │ R│ Read message prompt   └──┘   * List sub-boards    └──┘
  │ L│ List/View messages          /* List groups         ￭￭ Other Commands
  │ V│ View/Vote-in Polls      { }  # Select sub-board   ┌──┐
  │ Q│ QWK packet transfer     [ ] /# Select group       │ D│ Default user config
  │ P│ Post msg /Poll /Meme                              │ &│ Message scan config
  │ A│ Post auto-message      ￭￭ Go to                   │ U│ User lists
  └──┘                       ┌──┐                        │ I│ Information
   ￭￭ Message Search         │ T│ File Transfer section  │/A│ Change your avatar
  ┌──┐                       │ G│ Text file section      │/L│ Node activity
  │ F│ Find text in messages │ C│ Chat section           │^K│ Ctrl-key Menu
  │ S│ Scan for msgs to you  │ X│ External programs      │ O│ Logoff BBS (or /O)
  └──┘                       └──┘                        └──┘
    Anytime │ Ctrl-U Who's online Ctrl-P Send private msg Ctrl-C Abort cmd/text

The boxes group the commands by purpose. Single-letter entries (''N'', ''R'', ''E''…) are typed at the prompt. Entries shown as ''/A'' or ''/L'' are slash commands. ''^K'' is //Ctrl-K// — see [[user:ctrl_keys|Control-key commands]].

==== Main prompt command reference ====

=== Read / Post Messages ===

^Key^Action^
|''N''|**New message scan** — scan for messages posted since you last read each sub-board. Prompted: S = current sub-board, G = current group, A = all groups. Quick keys: ''[NS]'', ''[NG]'', ''[NA]''.|
|''R''|**Read Messages** — enter the [[user:msgbase#reading_messages|Read Messages prompt]] for the current sub-board.|
|''L''|**List/View messages** — list message titles (subjects) in the current sub-board.|
|''V''|**View/Vote-in Polls** — scan sub-boards for open polls you haven't voted on yet. See [[user:msgbase#polls_and_voting|Polls and voting]].|
|''Q''|**QWK packet transfer** — download or upload a [[user:qwk|QWK offline-mail packet]].|
|''P''|**Post message / Poll / Meme** — post a new message in the current sub-board. ''/P'' opens the poll-creation wizard instead.|
|''A''|**Auto-message** — read or update the shared [[user:automsg|auto-message]] shown at every logon.|

=== Message Search ===

^Key^Action^
|''F''|**Find text in messages** — search message bodies across the current sub-board (or wider).|
|''S''|**Scan for messages to you** — scan for messages addressed specifically to your username across your scan list.|

=== Message Area Selection ===

^Key^Action^
|''J''|**Jump to new msg area** — jump directly to a sub-board that has new messages (shortcut to avoid navigating the group/sub-board tree).|
|''*''|List all sub-boards in the current group.|
|''/*''|List all groups.|
|''#''|Jump to sub-board //#// in the current group (e.g. ''3'' selects sub-board 3).|
|''/#''|Jump to group //#//.|
|''{'' / ''}''|Previous / next sub-board.|
|''['' / '']''|Previous / next group.|

=== Electronic Mail ===

^Key^Action^
|''E''|**Read/Send E-mail** — enter the [[user:mail|Electronic Mail]] section (your private inbox and compose functions).|

=== Go To ===

^Key^Action^
|''T''|**File Transfer section** — enter the [[user:files:|File Transfer Section]] (browse, download, upload files).|
|''G''|**Text file section** — enter the [[user:textfiles|Text File Section]] (online text files and articles).|
|''C''|**Chat section** — enter the [[user:chat|Chat Section]] (multinode, IRC, sysop page, etc.).|
|''X''|**External programs** — enter the [[user:doors|External Programs / Doors]] menu (door games, utilities).|

=== Other Commands ===

^Key^Action^
|''D''|**Default user config** — open the [[user:settings|User Settings]] menu (terminal preferences, toggles, password, etc.).|
|''&''|**Message scan config** — configure new-scan sub-board lists and scan pointers. See [[user:msgbase#configuration|Message Scan Configuration]].|
|''U''|**User lists** — view [[user:list|user listings]] (who's on now, user roster, etc.).|
|''I''|**Information** — open the [[user:info|Information menu]] (system info, version, sub-board info, your stats).|
|''/A''|**Change your avatar** — set the avatar image others see next to your posts.|
|''/L''|**Node activity** — show a log of recent node activity (logons, logoffs, page requests).|
|''^K''|**Ctrl-key menu** — display the [[user:ctrl_keys|Control-key command]] reference.|
|''O''|**Logoff** — log off with confirmation. ''/O'' logs off immediately without confirmation.|

=== Anytime ===

^Key^Action^
|''Ctrl-U''|[[user:ctrl_keys#ctrl-u_-_list_users_online|List users online]] — works at any prompt, including inside other sections.|
|''Ctrl-P''|[[user:ctrl_keys#ctrl-p_-_send_instant_message_telegram|Send private message]] — works at any prompt.|
|''Ctrl-C''|Abort current output / command.|

===== File Transfer Menu =====

Press ''?'' at the File Transfer prompt:

  ───── List/Flag Files ──────┬── File Area Selection ────┬─── File Search ─────
                              │                           │
     L List files in dir      │ J Jump to new file area   │  F Find text in descrip
     N New file scan          │ ──────────────────────    │  S Search for filename
     E Extended file info     │      * List directories   │
                              │     /* List libraries     ├──── Other Commands ──
   ─── Upload/Download ────   │ { }  # Select directory   │
                              │ [ ] /# Select library     │  & File scan config
     D Download file          │                           │  R Remove/edit file
     U Upload file            ├──────── Go to ────────    │  I Information
    /D Download from user     │                           │  V View file contents
    /U Upload to user         │ Q Main/Message section    │ /L Node activity
     Z Upload to sysop        │ C Chat section            │ ^K Ctrl-key menu
     B Batch/Bi-dir xfers     │ T Temp dir/Archive cmds   │  O Logoff BBS (or /O)
                              │                           │
    Anytime │ Ctrl-U Who's online  Ctrl-P Send private msg  Ctrl-C Abort cmd/text

The library/directory navigation keys (''*'', ''/*'', ''#'', ''/#'', ''{}'', ''[]'') mirror the Main prompt's group/sub-board keys — same idea, applied to file libraries. For a full description of what each function does, see [[user:files:|File Transfer Section]].

===== Chat =====

''C'' at the Main prompt opens the **Chat Section** — see [[user:chat|Chat]] for the full menu, command reference, and a live capture.

===== Information menu =====

Press ''I'' from the Main prompt:

  ┌───────────────────────────────┐
  │ Main Section Information Menu │
  ├───────────────────────────────┴──────┐
  │ Y Your statistics                    │
  │ I System information                 │
  │ V Synchronet version information     │
  │ S Information on current sub-board   │
  ├──────────────────────────────────────┤
  │ Q Quit to Main menu                  │
  └──────────────────────────────────────┘

  Info:

''Y'' shows your account stats (calls, time used, uploads/downloads, etc.). ''I'' shows BBS-wide info (sysop, location, server software, hours of operation). ''V'' shows Synchronet build/version. ''S'' shows description and statistics for the current sub-board.

===== Logoff =====

''O'' from the Main or File Transfer prompt logs off (with confirmation). ''/O'' (slash-O) logs off immediately, no confirmation.

===== What's not part of the shell =====

The following are **not** part of Classic — Classic just calls them. See the linked pages:

  * [[user:login:|Logging on]] — handled by the login module before Classic starts
  * [[user:settings|User Settings menu]] — invoked by ''D'' from the Main prompt
  * [[user:editor|Composing a message]] — handled by your chosen [[user:editor|message editor]] (internal line editor or external)
  * [[user:mail|Mail]], [[user:msgbase|Message bases]], [[user:chat|Chat]] — separate sections opened by Classic's mail/messages/chat keys
  * [[user:list|User Listings]] — List Users, List Nodes, Who's Online
  * [[user:qwk|QWK packet menu]]
  * [[user:ctrl_keys|Control-key commands]] (Ctrl-S/Q/C/U/P/K/T) — work the same in any shell

===== See Also =====

  * [[user:shell:|Command Shells]]
  * [[user:|User Documentation]]
  * [[custom:command_shell|Command Shell — sysop perspective]]

{{tag>user shell classic main file menus}}
