binkd FAQ

        Frequently Asked Questions on FTN Mailer binkd
        $Date: 2019/01/23 07:16:15 $

    This list of Frequently Asked Questions was compiled from the questions
that were asked in the Russian echo conference RU.BINKD. Some part of the
answers is based on the developers' recommendations. Please send your
comments and updates to Stas Degteff 2:5080/102. This list was translated
from Russian by Michael Dukelsky 2:5020/1042.

    01. Where Can One Find a Current Copy of Stable or Beta binkd Version?
    02. What Is binkd?
    03. binkp Protocol.
    04. What Is binkp.net Domain and Why Is It Necessary?
    05. binkd Doesn't Connect. What Should I Do?
    06. How Can binkd Work via HTTP-proxy?
    07. How Can binkd Work via SOCKS-proxy?
    08. IP-Point: How Can I Make binkd to Get My Mail From My Bossnode?
    09. "start_file_transfer: .: Permission denied" Error.
    10. binkd/win and Dial-up: Dialing-up and Disconnecting Automatically.
    11. I Have Changed binkd Configuration File On-The-Fly. When Will It Be
Reloaded?
    12. How Can binkd Work With T-mail/IP?
    13. Is There At Least One Log Analyzer Under Unix?
    14. binkd Connects Too Slowly Though I Have a High-Speed LAN.
    15. Why Does binkd Not Understand Command Line Options When I Start It From
 inetd?
    16. Can One Make a File Request From binkd?
    17. How Can my binkd Respond to a File Request?
    18. How Can I Add binkd To a Fidonet Box Working With a Modem?
    19. Flags Are Not Created On Receiving a File, Programs Do Not Start.
    20. 'skipmask' Keyword Does Not Work.
    21. binkd Under Windows 3.x.
    22. Different FTN Domains in binkd And a Tosser Without 5D Support.
    23. How Does "domain ... alias-for ..." In The Configuration File Work?
    24. What Does "send: TCP/IP error (-10000)" Mean and How To Cure It?
    25. Argus (Radius) and binkd: Argus Error "Aborting due to carrier loss"
    26. The Outbound Name Has a Comment Char and binkd Doesn't See It
    27. Is There a Possibility to Start an Application On an Event From binkd?
    28. What Is the Difference Between binkd/w32 and binkd/w9x?
    29. I Miss a Chat in binkd And I Want To Synchronize Time!
    30. binkd Receives an Incoming Call Only After an Outgoing One.
    31. "start_file_transfer: ECHO is off.: No such file or directory" Error.
    32. How to Create a Poll Correctly.
    33. What Does the Number in Brackets in the Log Mean?
    34. How to Configure binkd for sending outgoing mail?
    35. What for Does One Need the "share" Directive in the Configuration File?
    36. What for Does One Need the "ftrans" Directive in the Configuration
File?
    37. Why binkd in Windows Works As a Service With Admin Rights Only?
    38. Will Anybody Make Nodelist Support in binkd After All?
    39. Does binkd Support non-ASCII Domain Names?
    A1. I Have Found a Bug in binkd!
    A2. I Want To Talk To Developers.
    A3. I Want To Get Information About Changes In binkd Immediately!
    A4. And When Will binkd Do ... ?


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        01. Where Can One Find a Current Copy of Stable or Beta binkd Version?

    In fileecho AFTNBINKD.

    In Internet:

    Release versions, documentation, log analyzers etc. (Pavel Gulchouck
    2:463/68):
    ftp://cvs.happy.kiev.ua/pub/fidosoft/mailer/b...

    Binaries (windows, os/2):
    http://download.binkd.org
    http://sites.google.com/site/vasilyevmax/fido
      (Max Vasilyev 2:5057/77)

    One may find the sources at github:
    https://github.com/pgul/binkd
    or at synchronized with it CVS server:
    :pserver:binkd@cvs.happy.kiev.ua:/cvs , module binkd, empty password

       Command examples for CVS server.
       Login to the cvs server:
       cvs -d :pserver:binkd@cvs.happy.kiev.ua:/cvs login
       Retrieve the latest sources of the current branch (v.1.1 at the moment):
       cvs -d :pserver:binkd@cvs.happy.kiev.ua:/cvs co binkd
       Retrieve the latest sources of the binkd 1.0.x-stable branch:
       cvs -d :pserver:binkd@cvs.happy.kiev.ua:/cvs co -r binkd-1_0-stable
binkd
       Retrieve the sources of the binkd 1.0.0-release:
       cvs -d :pserver:binkd@cvs.happy.kiev.ua:/cvs co -r binkd-1_0_0 binkd

    Anonymous FTP:
    ftp://cvs.happy.kiev.ua/pub/fidosoft/mailer/b...

    binkd/2 1.1a (current, EMX), compiled everynight:
    FREQ from node 2:221/1, file alias: binkd2e. It's possibe to download from
    BBS of node 2:221/1 (accessed also via telnet:rbb.dy.fi)
    http://rbb.homeip.net/pub/os2/comm/bbs/binkd2...
      (Suomi, Tommi Koivula 2:221/1 & 2:221/360)

    Man page, binkp description, binaries etc. (Stas Degteff 2:5080/102):
    http://binkd.grumbler.org/

    This FAQ list:
    http://binkd.grumbler.org/binkdfaq.shtml.en (or .txt.en)

    The official binkd binaries are named in a way that shows the OS, the
compiler and the way of building the program.

    Windows (32bit) versions:
    binkd.exe, binkdw32.exe - binkd/w32, console, compiled by MS Visual C
    binkd-dll.exe   - binkd/w32, console, MS Visual C, needs msvcrt.dll
    binkd-mingw.exe - binkd/w32, console, MinGW32, needs msvcrt.dll
    binkd9x.exe     - binkd/w9x, w/o a window, compiled by MS Visual C
    binkd9x-dll.exe - binkd/w9x, w/o a window, MS Visual C, needs msvcrt.dll
    binkd9x-mingw.exe - binkd/w9x, w/o a window, MinGW32, needs msvcrt.dll

    OS/2 versions:
    binkd2.exe   - Watcom C compiler, no Perl
    binkd2e.exe  - emx, can load the Perl dll and can work without it
    binkd2pl.exe - emx, Perl is liked staticly (i.e. no need in a Perl dll)
    binkd2eo.exe - emx/omf (multithreaded), no Perl.


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        02. What Is binkd?

    binkd is a fidonet mailer working via Internet and using binkp protocol
(FSP-1018 & other). This protocol is also supported by such mailers as Argus
(win32; RitLabs; https://www.ritlabs.com/en/products/argus/) and it's clones
Radius and Taurus, BForce (unix), Internet Rex program (DOS/W32/OS2) and 
BeeMail (win32; Stephen Proffitt, 1:105/10)

    binkd features:
    - freeware, open source;
    - there are versions for Unix (linux, freebsd, SCO, ...), OS/2 (native
      & EMX), Windows NT/2000/XP and Windows 95/98/Me, Windows 3.x, DOS;
    - it can work as daemon in Unix and as service in Windows NT/2000/XP,
      there is a separate version for working as service in Windows 9x;
    - simple TCP-connection (data integrity is supported at TCP level);
    - BSO (bink-style outbound);
    - ASO (Amiga-style outbound);
    - path translation in ?LO files (it is used when the outbound resides
      on a net drive);
    - personal fileboxes for each node for the files to send and to receive;
    - T-mail-style and The Brake!-style fileboxes are supported;
    - translation of a FTN-address into a domain name (*.binkp.net) is
      supported;
    - a password file in the style of T-mail is supported starting with
      version 0.9.4 and a password file in the style of ifcico starting with
      version 1.0;
    - file requests using SRIF are supported;
    - a flag on receiving files (using a template) may be created;
    - a program on receiving files (using a template) may be started;
    - receiving files (using a template) may be refused starting with
      version 0.9.4;
    - working via a HTTP or SOCKS proxy server (starting with version
      0.9.3.https);
    - password encryption (MD5) starting with 0.9.4 release;
    - traffic encryption starting with version 0.9.5;
    - the remote node IP-address check for an incoming connection is
      supported starting with version 0.9.5;
    - IPv6 support starting with 1.0.0;
    - support of IN SRV DNS records starting with 1.0.0;
    - support of perl hooks starting with 1.0.0;
    - support of bandwidth limitations starting with 1.0.0.


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        03. binkp Protocol

    The name binkp means binkd protocol. It is described in FSP-1018
(FIDOnet standard proposal) and port 24554 is assigned for binkp in
RFC-1700 (request for comments, issued by IANA).

    The file transfer protocol using two-way TCP connection is developed for
FTN mailer binkd. Port 24554 is used on default.

    There are two versions of the protocol: 1.0 and 1.1. They are backward
compatible.  The main difference of version 1.1 is a possibility of making
a FREQ during a session.  Besides binkp 1.1 has at present NR option
(non-reliable mode dealing with a non-reliable channel) and ND option (no
dupes mode protecting from repeated file transmission), MD5 (password
hashing), CRYPT (traffic encryption).

    Protocol version 1.0 is supported by binkd, version 1.0 is implemented
in Argus and its clones (binkp is implemented there with addition of FREQ
processing technique of its own and other changes), in MBSE, Internet Rex,
BForce and others. In Internet Rex (version 2.24 and later) an incompatible
variant of binkp 1.1 of its own is implemented.

    One can find the protocol description here:
http://binkd.grumbler.org/binkp


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        04. What Is binkp.net Domain and Why Is It Necessary?

    'binkp.net' is the domain registered for FTN-address to Internet
domain name translation. It is used primarily at binkp connections. The
address 1:2/3.4 is translated to the domain name p4.f3.n2.z1.binkp.net;
after that binkd (or another IP mailer) obtains the node IP-address by
means of the operating system. If the domain name exists one can try to set
a connection.

    A node can get address in the binkp.net domain by one of the two ways:
set her address for incoming binkp connections in the official fidonet
nodelist,
or specify it manually via http://binkp.net interface (and then sysop can 
set address from binkp.net in the nodelist).


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        05. binkd Doesn't Connect. What Should I Do?

    1. Please check whether the remote node responds at port 24554 using
the 'telnet' command.  If a connection is not set check whether your
computer is connected to the net at this moment (using ping command). If
the checks are successful then check binkd configuration. Increasing the
loglevel to 6 or more can help here.


    Here are some examples for node 2:5080/68:

    1.1.
    (The control characters are removed from the telnet reply and it is
broken down to lines for the sake of convinience)

    m:\>telnet f68.n5080.z2.binkp.net 24554

    -.OPT CRAM-MD5-593e3e5411515fc1cf75816bb74e41d0-SYS Academ
    -ZYZ Alexei Kuklin-LOC Ekaterinburg, Russia-NDL 115200,TCP,BINKP,HUB
    -%TIME Tue, 20 Feb 2001 15:25:20 +0500- VER binkd/0.9.4/Win32 binkp/1.1
    - 2:5080/68@fidonet-OPT ND

    M:\>ping f68.n5080.z2.binkp.net

    Pinging fido68.imp.uran.ru [195.19.130.68] with 32 bytes of data:

    Reply from 195.19.130.68: bytes=32 time=505ms TTL=122
    Reply from 195.19.130.68: bytes=32 time=555ms TTL=122
    Reply from 195.19.130.68: bytes=32 time=406ms TTL=122
    Reply from 195.19.130.68: bytes=32 time=372ms TTL=122

    The node works. Check your binkd configuration. Maybe the timeout is too
small (it is the time necessary for setting up a connection, it can be
evaluated using the delay before response in telnet).

    Another case: telnet connects but ping says "Request timed out".

    M:\>ping f68.n5080.z2.binkp.net

    Pinging fido68.imp.uran.ru [195.19.130.68] with 32 bytes of data:

    Request timed out.
    Request timed out.
    Request timed out.
    Request timed out.

    It means that ICMP messages are forbidden somewhere between your nodes.
That does not influence binkd performance.



    1.2.

    M:\>ping f68.n5080.z2.binkp.net

    Unknown host f68.n5080.z2.binkp.net

    Such a reply means that your computer could not find a DNS entry for the
node.  Check the DNS configuration in your system. If it is correct make
sure the DNS server works and the remote node address is correct.



    1.3.

    If ping replies positively but telnet cannot set up a connection it is
possible that binkd is not started at the remote node currently. Try to ask
the node's sysop whether his/her binkd is started. If it is started and can
connect to other nodes then access to port 25554 is denied by the firewall
of your net. Try to start binkd via a proxy server (see "How Can binkd Work
via HTTP-proxy" and "How Can binkd Work via SOCKS-proxy".


    1.4.

    M:\>ping -w 5000 f68.n5080.z2.binkp.net

    Pinging fido68.imp.uran.ru [195.19.130.68] with 32 bytes of data:

    Reply from 195.19.130.68: bytes=32 time=3674ms TTL=122
    Request timed out.
    Reply from 195.19.130.68: bytes=32 time=4232ms TTL=122
    Request timed out.

    Telnet sometimes connects to port 24554 but more often it does not.


    The node works but the link channel between the partners is overloaded or
too slow.  Because of that binkd connects not at every try (some IP packets
are lost) or it does not connect at all (the time to wait for the remote
node reply is too small).  You cannot get it over in the first case because
the packets are lost in their way and you cannot improve it. In the second
case one should increase timeouts in the binkd configuration file (the
values are in seconds):

    timeout 60
    connect-timeout 300
    call-delay 60

    If increasing the values does not help then change your uplink.


    1.5.
    Telnet does not connect to the port 24554 and the remote host does not
reply to ping.

    The node does not reply. Possible variants are:

    1 - your computer or the remote node is disconnected from the internet at
the moment or routing is corrupt (the line is broken, power supply is
switched off, some of the internet providers carries out maintenance work
etc.) so please make several tries later.

    2 - your computer is in Intranet and getting out to the internet is
possible only via a proxy server. See "How Can binkd Work via HTTP-proxy",
"How Can binkd Work via SOCKS-proxy".


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        06. How Can binkd Work via HTTP-proxy?

    It is not a rare case when users go out to the internet from their
corporate LAN exclusively via the proxy server based at the only computer
connected to the internet. Thus binkd cannot make a direct connection to
the remote node and one must use the proxy server.  Proxy servers support
was included in versions 0.9.3.https, 0.9.4 and the later ones.

    One can use binkd via a HTTP proxy only if CONNECT host 24554 command
is allowed in the proxy server or the CONNECT command is allowed for all
remote ports.  The command is usually used for the secure HTTP protocol
(URLs of the "HTTPS://..." type), it is also known as S-HTTP. Because of
that such a proxy is quite often referred to as a HTTPS proxy.

    If binkd reports of an authorization error then the necessary command
is prohibited in the proxy configuration or it is allowed for some ports
only (usually 443).

    Suppose the connected to the Internet computer has the IP address
192.168.0.1 in its LAN and the proxy server at the computer responds on
port 3128. Here is the line in binkd configuration file necessary for
working via the HTTP proxy.

    1. A proxy server without user authorization (no login and password are
demanded):

    proxy 192.168.0.1:3128

    2. A proxy server with user authorization (it is necessary to type login
and password, e.g. login "user", password "password":

    proxy 192.168.0.1:3128/user/password

    3. Microsoft proxy server with NTLM protocol of user authorization (one
must be inside a domain).  Suppose login is "user", password is "password",
the user computer is "host" and the domain name is "ntdomain":

    proxy 192.168.0.1:3128/user/password/host/ntdomain

    If the proxy server administrator has allowed connection only to some
selected ports (usually to port 443) then binkd reports "Connection
rejected by proxy". Here is an example:

      31 Mar 16:48:43 [59987] BEGIN, binkd/0.9.3/SOCKS/HTTPS -p BINKD.CFG
      31 Mar 16:48:43 [59987] clientmgr started
    + 31 Mar 16:48:43 [40423] call to 2:5000/44@fidonet
      31 Mar 16:48:43 [40423] trying 195.209.235.3, port 24554...
      31 Mar 16:48:43 [40423] connected to proxy.osu.ru:24554
--- hpt/lnx 1.9.0-cur 21-02-18
 * Origin: Moscow, Russia (2:5020/1042)