Copyright (C) 1995 Metropolitan Human Services Commission. All rights reserved.
No part of this document may be copied or reproduced in any form or by any means without prior written consent of MHSC.
MHSC MAKES NO WARRANTIES WITH RESPECT TO THIS DOCUMENTATION AND DISCLAIMS ANY IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OF FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. THE INFORMATION IN THIS DOCUMENT IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE WITHOUT NOTICE. MHSC ASSUMES NO RESPONSIBILITY FOR ANY ERRORS THAT MAY APPEAR IN THIS DOCUMENT.
The People and Information Exchange (PIE) is an on-line information system designed to serve the human services systems in Franklin County and Columbus. It was designed by the Metropolitan Human Services Commission to support the planning needs of its Board of Trustees and the major funding systems, service providers and other members of the Columbus and Franklin County community.
This User's Guide is provided to PIE users to introduce the PIE system, explain how to install and configure software to operate PIE, and describe basic PIE commands. The following is a description of its chapters:
Kermit Software for Text-Based Mode
Citrix Remote Link (RLINK) Software for Graphics-Based Mode
This User's Manual will continue to be updated and revised as often as
necessary. This manual is also available on-line, and can be accessed
via the menu system or on Netscape at PIE Documentation and Help.
The Metropolitan Human Services Commission (MHSC) is a nonprofit agency established in 1977 to assist the Columbus and Franklin County community in planning and coordinating the provision of human services to its residents. The city, county and United Way fund the Commission, and each entity appoints six members to the MHSC Board of Trustees.
The mission of MHSC is to assist the Columbus and Franklin County community build and maintain a human services system that is responsive to changing needs and effective in achieving dignity, well-being and self-sufficiency for all residents.
The goal of MHSC is to institute quality community planning within the human services system that achieves the dignity, well-being and self-sufficiency of all residents in the Columbus and Franklin County community.
This goal will have been accomplished when the community continually:
MHSC fulfills its mission in a variety of ways. First of all, it educates and informs the community at large about the need for and value of human services, by communicating its message that "human services are for everyone." Secondly, MHSC develops, analyzes, maintains and disseminates relevant, current information on human services needs and services. Thirdly, MHSC staff work with planning and funding agencies to improve their abilities to plan individually and in coordination with one another. And, finally, MHSC monitors the human services system and reports to the community on progress that it has made in achieving dignity, well-being and self-sufficiency for all residents.
Over the years, our community has witnessed increasing demand, dwindling resources and shifting responsibility in the human services arena. For many human services providers, planning has necessarily become more demanding, more collaborative and more flexible. It is our hope that MHSC can continue to impact how these providers and the people whom they serve can improve the quality of life in the greater Columbus area.
PIE is designed to help MHSC fulfill its mission. It will do this by improving the quality of information the MHSC staff and board have at their disposal as they formulate recommendations for the human services community. It also makes this information easily available to funders and providers of human services programs for use in their planning efforts.
PIE provides the computer capacity and quality-assurance oversight needed to build a shared pool of information about human services conditions, services and costs. The initial users of PIE will include the 15 funding systems in Franklin County and other agencies which provide human services. All 15 funders will contribute data about their agencies' programs, plans and expenditures. Much of this data is already available on PIE, and will continue to be updated regularly. These local funders can access this shared pool of information. PIE will offer the following services to the funders:
These possibilities are only the beginning. PIE's potential as a human services information system for Franklin County is only limited by the creativity of the organizations that contribute to it. MHSC is willing to explore any potential use of PIE that will improve community planning.
PIE provides easy access to the MHSC information system. With a computer and a modem, you can access PIE from your home, office, or anywhere. A subscription to PIE allows you to:
Human services is a broad subject with a variety of specialties. PIE provides an opportunity for people with expertise in these specialties to share their knowledge in the hope of finding a better way to address human services needs. PIE is made available to the local human services community through the information and research function of the Metropolitan Human Services Commission.
PIE is the only electronic information system dedicated exclusively to the local health and human services community. PIE provides two major features: access to MHSC's information system and electronic communications with MHSC and other PIE users.
MHSC's Information System currently has the following databases available on PIE:
In addition, PIE offers the following networking/communications capabilities:
You must have the following items to take advantage of PIE's features:
These hardware and software components are the minimum required to get data and information from PIE, as well as to utilize the email and other networking capabilities.
Users of DOS 3.3, Windows 3.1 or newer or OS/2 2.0 or newer who also have:
If you have any questions about the technical requirements, MHSC staff
can assist you; please call 224-1336 or send email to
admin@pie.mhsc.org.
For you to access the information and services available over PIE, you will need to establish a connection between your computer and the PIE computer located at the Metropolitan Human Services Commission. This chapter provides simple instructions to do just that.
As you proceed through the steps below, you will need to know the answers to some questions about the hardware and software you are using. Often, these answers can be found in your system's manuals or set-up screens. Your local computer expert can also help you. If you are still stumped, contact the Information Services Division of MHSC at (614) 224-1336.
Once you have access to this information, you should fill out the "Troubleshooting and Questions" form that is included in your PIE User's Kit. This form will help MHSC staff assist you with future problems when you call our office.
Citrix Remote Link (RLINK). Go to Chapter
Four of this manual to continue.
Kermit. Go to Chapter Three
of this manual to continue.
Remember, if you need help as you proceed through these steps, contact the Information Services Division of MHSC at (614) 224-1336.
Kermit Software for Text-Based ModeSee section Chapter Two: Getting Hooked Up on Pie, before reading this chapter, for information about installation of software for your system. The answers to the questions in Chapter Two are required for the successful installation of PIE software.
This section is for PIE users who will be using text-based mode. This means that
This chapter will provide step-by-step instructions for installing the
Kermit communications software. Installing Kermit may not
be necessary if you already have an existing communications program that
operates using a VT terminal and Kermit transfer protocol. Such
programs include ProComm Plus, Crosstalk, Hyperaccess and others. See
your users manual or your local computer guru for this information.
Kermit Software for Text-Based Users
The Kermit application is a program that utilizes your computer's
modem to communicate with PIE. You need to install Kermit onto
your system. Depending on your operating system, you may need to
configure Kermit to work with your computer settings and modem settings
before actually being able to run it. To do this, you will need to know
which operating system you are using (DOS, Windows or OS/2), know the
type and speed of your modem, identify the communications (COM) Port
where your modem is connected to your computer and have at least 2
megabytes of free disk space on your hard drive.
See section Kermit for OS/2 Users, if you are an OS/2 User. See section Kermit for DOS Users, if you use DOS.
Users of OS/2 can install CKermit at either the DOS or OS/2
prompt (such as C:\). To do this, insert the disk provided and
use the following instructions. CKermit's installation program will
automatically ask you questions pertaining to your modem's type and
speed during installation.
C, then type C:. If you're already in
drive C, then type:
cd \
Hit ENTER.
a:install and ENTER. The program will give the following
prompts:
Please enter the complete path where you want C-Kermit to be installed. Just press the Enter key to accept the default path, C:\CKERMIT\...
Hit the ENTER key if you want to keep C:\CKERMIT as the
directory for Kermit. If not, type in the directory (i.e., drive
and path) where you would like Kermit installed and type
ENTER.
After hitting the ENTER key, another message will appear on the screen:
You have asked that C-Kermit be installed in C:\CKERMIT\. Is this correct? (Yes/No):
This message will be different if you changed the directory name. Make
sure the directory is correct and type yes. After answering
yes, more messages will appear:
Creating destination directory C:\CKERMIT\... C-Kermit is designed to work with many different brands of modems. Please choose your preferred modem type from the following list: attdtdm attisn attmodem att7300 ccitt-v25bis cermetek concord courier df03-ac df100-series df200-series digitel-dt22 gdc-212a/ed hayes microcom none penril pep-telebit racalvadic rolm slow-telebit sportster telebit unknown usrobotics-212a v32-telebit v42-telebit ventel Pressing the Enter key by itself selects HAYES...
Type the name of your modem if it appears on the list, or type the name
that best fits your type of modem. If your modem name does not appear
on the list, try using Hayes or just typing ENTER. The program
will verify your answer. Just type yes if it is correct. [If
you do not know your modem's type, check your Modem User's Manual, ask
your local computer guru or contact MHSC by email
(admin@pie.mhsc.org) or by phone (224-1336)].
The program will then ask you to choose the communications (COM) port where your modem is connected. Most computers use the ISA and EISA options (COM1, COM2, COM3, or COM4). If you do not know where your modem is located, you need to find out by checking the back of your computer or your operating system manual. Call MHSC if you need further assistance.
The installation program will again verify your answer.
The program will ask for your modem's speed, in bits per second (bps).
If you know the bps rate, type it in. [If you do not know your modem's
speed, check your Modem User's Manual, ask your local computer guru or
contact MHSC by email (admin@pie.mhsc.org) or by phone
(224-1336.]
The installation program will again verify your answer.
Finally, the program will ask you to choose the type of session
in which Kermit will operate. As an OS/2 User, you should be familiar
with the differences between these two choices, so just choose one of
them or type ENTER. The program will verify your answer.
The installation program above creates the C:\Kermit directory on
your hard drive and copies the required files there. All you need to do
is be patient for a few minutes as this process continues.
Installation is now complete, to start Kermit, change the default directory to the Kermit directory and execute one of the following commands:FULL.CMD-- Kermit for Full-Screen SessionsCKERMIT.CMD-- Kermit for Windowed Sessions (OS/2) See the `README.DOC' file for recent updates and information.
C:\Kermit>). To run one of the above programs, type the name of
that program at this prompt. For example, if you want to run Kermit in
a DOS session, which is always full-screen, then type ckermit.
The CKERMIT> prompt will appear after some messages on the screen
that you can ignore. See section Getting into PIE, for instructions for using
this software to start PIE.
To install Kermit at a DOS prompt (such as C:\),
insert the disk provided and use the following instructions.
C, then type C:. If you're already in
drive C, then type:
cd \
Hit ENTER.
mkdir and the name of the new directory.
For example:
mkdir kermit
If successful, you will be returned to the C:\ prompt, and the
new directory, C:\KERMIT will be created but will not yet appear
on the screen.
A:) to the new
C:\KERMIT directory by typing the following command line:
xcopy A:\*.* C:\KERMIT /s
Hit ENTER. DOS will copy the Kermit files to your new
C:\KERMIT drive.
EDIT
as it is used below if you do not know what editors exist on your system.
Follow these steps to edit the file:
C:\Kermit directory by typing:
cd kermit
Hit ENTER.
edit mscustom.ini
set port and change the "1"
to whatever communications (COM) port your modem is set on (i.e. 1, 2,
3 or 4).
set speed and change "9600" to
the Kermit setting for your modem's speed (bps rate). Use the following
table for conversion of your modem's designated speed to what you should
set in the Kermit file:
set flow control and change xon/xoff to
RTS/CTS. If your modem is not set for flow control, or if you do
not know if it is, then leave this line as it appears. If PIE doesn't
work on the first try, you can change xon/xoff to RTS/CTS
and try it again.
Save command, not Save As. (If you are in a word processor such as WordPerfect, you will need to save the file as a DOS text file or it will
not work.) If you are using the DOS Editor, type the following:
ALT (the ALT key) f s [no spaces, just letters]
Once the file has been saved, you can exit the editor by typing:
ALT f x [no spaces]
C:\Kermit directory by typing:
cd kermit
Hit ENTER. You should get the C:\KERMIT> prompt. Type
kermit at this prompt, and the program will begin running.
Setting up Kermit can be somewhat complicated. If you follow the above steps, you should have little trouble. There is, however, always the risk of typing and syntax errors. If it does not work the first time, try again. If, after a second and maybe a third attempt, it still does not run, call MHSC staff for assistance at 224-1336. We can best help you if you know the type of computer, operating software and type and speed of your modem; a form to fill out with this information is contained in your PIE User's Kit. If you do not have this information, however, we can help you find it. Also, it is often helpful if you keep track of any messages the computer gives you.
This section is for people who are using text-based mode and wish to connect to PIE. If you are trying to connect to PIE in graphics-based mode, See section Connecting to PIE. For more information about text and graphics-based modes in PIE, See section Chapter Two: Getting Hooked Up on Pie.
When you run Kermit, you will see an addition to your regular
prompt:
C:\KERMIT> C-Kermit> (OS/2 Users)
or
C:\KERMIT> Kermit> (DOS Users)
At this point, type dial and the phone number for PIE's
text-based mode (t224-4264 or t9w224-4264 if you have to dial the prefix
"9" first). A connection will be made, and then the Kermit
prompt will appear again, with the message that says in order to
connect, you need to type connect. (Note: If you are using a
phone line the requires a prefix, such as "9," to get an outside line,
use the prefix and the letter "t" (for "tone dial") and the letter "w"
(for "wait for dial tone") before the number, like this:
t9w224-4264.
When you type connect, Kermit will connect to PIE, and the
PIE prompt will appear asking for your login name. See section Getting Around on PIE, for more information about how to use PIE from this point.
Kermit
To exit Kermit, you need to be in the main menu called "Welcome
to PIE!" Select "Log off" by typing a 3 and ENTER. Kermit
will close the connection and take you back to the DOS or OS/2 prompt at
which you started the session.
Citrix Software for Graphics-Based ModeBefore reading this chapter, See section Chapter Two: Getting Hooked Up on Pie, for information about installation of software for your system. The answers to the questions in Chapter Two are required for the successful installation of PIE software.
This section is for users in PIE's graphics-based mode. You can use graphics-based mode if
The Citrix Remote Link (RLINK) application is a program that utilizes
your computer's modem to communicate with PIE at high speeds so that
color graphics and the mouse can be used. You need to install
RLINK and configure it to talk to your particular type of modem.
This chapter will provide step-by-step instructions to install the
RLINK software. You will need to know the
type and speed of your modem and you will need to have at least 2
megabytes of free disk space on your hard drive to install RLINK.
RLINK Software for Graphics-Based Users
To install RLINK, at a DOS prompt (such as C:\) insert the
disk provided and follow these instructions exactly, step-by-step:
C, then type C:. If you're already in
drive C, then type cd \ and ENTER.
a:install and ENTER. The program will ask you the following
questions. Most likely it will work fine if you just hit ENTER after each
question; this will select the answer in brackets, which is called the default.
? Where do you want RLINK installed? [C:\RLINK]
C is where your hard drive is located, then this default is
okay and you can hit ENTER. If you have your hard drive represented
by another letter, replace the C with that letter by typing
X:\RLINK, where X is the letter of your hard drive.
? Do you wish to change any install options? [N]
C:\RLINK directory on your
hard drive and copies the required files there. All you need to do is
be patient for a few minutes as this process continues.
Installation is now complete, to start Remote Link, change the default directory to the Remote Link directory and execute one of the following commands:RLINK.EXE-- Remote Link for DOSTEXTLINK.EXE-- Remote Link for DOS (text only)RLINK2.EXE-- Remote Link for OS/2 (text only) SeeREADME.DOCfile for recent updates and information.
At the bottom of the screen there should be a DOS prompt
(C:\RLINK>). To run one of the above programs, type the name of
that program at this prompt. For example, if you want to run Remote
Link for DOS, which is the full version that includes graphics
capability, then type RLINK. The Main Menu for that version of
Remote Link will appear.
You are now ready to set up Remote Link.
At the Citrix Remote Link (RLINK) Main Menu, use the following
instructions to tell the software what type of modem you are using and
where it can find it.
AppServer List by typing S.
Actions.
A for Add.
224-4263, the phone number for PIE (found in the PIE
Packet). If you are using a phone line that requires a prefix to dial
out, such as a "9," then add that prefix with the number and the letter
"w" to the phone number, like this: 9w224-4263.
ASYNC]
ASYNC.
ICA]
ICA.
Generic Modem. If your modem is not on the list, make sure that
the Baud Rate, Flow Control and Error Correction
settings below are compatible with your modem.
COM1 ]
Modem Type that you chose
above.
NONE,8,1]
NONE,8,1
RTS/CTS ]
Modem Type that you chose
above.
NO by moving to the word "NO" and hitting the SPACE BAR,
this will allow the modem to do error correction. If your modem does
not support error correction, set this option to YES. This item
is NOT set by your Modem Type choices above.
NO as above. If your modem does not support compression, set
this option to YES. This item is NOT set by your
Modem Type choices above.
LABEL: [The People and Information Exchange] DESCRIPTION: [On-line information system -- MHSC] PHONE: [614-224-4263] LOGINNAME: [LEFT BLANK ] PASSWORD: [LEFT BLANK ] USER PROGRAM: [LEFT BLANK ] WORK DIRECTORY: [LEFT BLANK ] CONNECTION TYPE: [ASYNC] EMULATION MODE: [ICA] MODEM TYPE: [ZOOM 14400 v32bis FaxModem] DEVICE NAME: [COM2] BAUD RATE: [19200] DEVICE PARAMETERS: [NONE,8,1] FLOW CONTROL: [RTS/CTS] ERROR CORRECTION: ( ) YES (X) NO COMPRESSION: ( ) YES (X) NO SCRIPT FILE: [LEFT BLANK ] F1=Help F2=Save F3=Exit F4=Save & Exit F6=List F7=AdvancedNote that the above are only examples. Each modem and each computer will have different settings.
Save
and Exit the settings screen. Then hit ESC to return to the Main
Menu.
The other options on your screen do not need to be modified now but they may meet further needs at a later time. For now, explore and use them at your own risk.
If a DOS prompt appears on the screen because you accidentally hit
O for OS/2 Command Prompt, just type exit at the
prompt and you will return to the Main Menu.
At this point you should see the Remote Link Main Menu screen.
You are now finished with the install diskette and can remove it from
the drive and put it back in the PIE Kit for future reference. The next
section describes how to connect to PIE.
At the Main Menu type D for Dial/Connect to Server. Hit
ENTER to choose PIE. A Dialing Status box will appear and
the codes being sent to your modem will be displayed below it. Wait a
minute or two, and the connection will be made. See section Getting into PIE, for information about getting on PIE after making the
connection.
RLINKx at the RLINK Main Menu. (See section Getting Around on PIE, for information about disconnecting). A Warning Box
will appear. Hit ENTER and you will return to DOS.
This chapter is for PIE users who are in text-based mode and have
installed the Kermit communications software or its equivalent.
See section Chapter Six: PIE Basics -- Graphics-Based Mode, if you are using graphics-based mode and have
installed Citrix Remote Link (RLINK).
Getting into PIE in text-based mode is as easy as...well...pie. The only difference between text-based mode and graphics-based mode is that you will see text all the time while you're on PIE, while graphics-based users will see icons (i.e., pictures with words that describe functions).
After using Kermit software to connect to PIE, the Login:
and Password: prompts will appear. Type your loginname and
password (as provided in the PIE Packet). Your screen will exhibit the
Welcome to PIE! screen and menu as shown below.
Welcome to PIE!
Copyright (C) 1995 Metropolitan Human Services Commission.
All rights reserved.
1. Electronic mail
2. Access MHSC's databases and the Internet
3. Log off
Enter selection:
To access MHSC's data on PIE, type the number 2 (Access
MHSC's Databases and the Internet) and hit ENTER to access MHSC
data on PIE.
Once in PIE you have several options for getting around in the menus. First of all, you can see some of these options at the bottom of every screen. Secondly, you can type the ? (Shft-/) and get a list of additional keys that you can use.
The following is a list of commonly used keys and their functions while in text-based PIE.
Really quit?
(y/n). Just type y and ENTER to exit PIE.
These keys may vary depending on the host to which you are connected. Usually you can hit the ? and get help for that host. If that doesn't work, be sure to check the bottom of the screen for instructions on how to get help.
Another useful convention in Gopher is the use of symbols to represent certain types of links. The following table shows the most common symbols:
Gopher objects: Item tag Type Description -------------------------------------------- (none) 0 file / 1 directory <) s sound file <Bin> 9 binary file <PC Bin> 5 DOS binary file <CSO> 2 CSO (ph/qi) phone-book server <TEL> 8 telnet connection <3270> T telnet connection (IBM 3270 emulation) <MIME> M Multi-purpose Internet Mail Extensions file <HTML> h HyperText Markup Language file <?> 7 index-search item <??> (none) ASK form
These symbols appear at the end of each item in a menu(1). Some of these symbols, such as <TEL>, will prompt you with a query box before executing the item.
Bookmarks mark your place, just like when you are reading a book. If you want to save your place so you can come back to it later, use the following commands.
a
Add -- Type a to save your current place in PIE. Make sure
you are viewing the appropriate item that you want to be able to see
again. If you are viewing a document, for instance, and you want to be
able to see that document AND the others related to it at the same
place, then you will need to go back one screen and type a so that
you can view that document and the others related to it. When you type
a, a query box will appear and ask you what you want to name the
bookmark. You can use the suggested name, or create your own. Whatever
you enter in this box will show up on your Bookmark list when you view
it.
v
View -- Type v whenever you want to view the items in your
bookmark file. This key will take you to a menu listing of all those
files that you have added using a to your Bookmark List. You can
use v at any menu.
d
Delete -- Use the d key to delete an item from your
Bookmark List. To use this key, go to your Bookmark List (v),
move to the item you want to delete, and hit d. PIE will not
verify your selection, so be careful. Also, note that d has a
different function in other parts of PIE, so make sure you are in your
Bookmark List if you are using it here.
Electronic mail (Email) is a useful function on PIE for communicating with others who have PIE accounts as well as colleagues who have accounts on other systems (i.e., CompuServe, Freenets, and other Internet hosts). There are various editors available for viewing email, and MHSC has chosen one that is both easy to learn and has an adequate number of functions.
This section of the manual will not tell you everything there is to know about PIE's email/text editor. It will give you the help needed to do basic email functions: read, send, save, reply to and forward messages.
The text editor being used to read email for text-based users is called PINE. PINE comes with its own help documentation on-line. To access this documentation, simply type the ? once you get into PINE.
To start PINE, go to the PIE Main Menu and move to the item that says
Email and hit ENTER.
The following functions and keys will help you use PINE's basic email functions. Type ? for more information about advanced functions in the the PINE help documentation.
Email Addresses
pie.mhsc.org. It is written:
username@pie.mhsc.orgIf another PIE user is writing to you, or if you are sending a message to another PIE user, then you only need to use the username, because you are both at the same domain. When you send messages to people who are not PIE users, you will need to know their full email address. Some usernames are clearly related to the person's actual name, but some have no relation whatsoever. CompuServe, for example, uses an arbitrarily assigned number as the username for each person. Therefore, most CompuServe addresses look like this:
12345.6789@compuserve.comFor further information about usernames and domain names, send an email message to
admin@pie.mhsc.org, or check out any of the several
books available in the library about the Internet.(2)
Compose Messages
Compose. From PINE's main menu (not PIE's), type c. An
editor screen will appear, with an email header at the top. The first
part of this header is the address (To :). Type in the address
for the person to whom you are sending a message. (See Addresses below
for more information.)
Use the CC : line for those people to whom you would like
to "copy" the message.
Ignore the Attachment : line for now.
Use the Subject: line for the subject of your message. While
PINE does not require a subject, it is important for you to use one. See
the section about viewing email below for further understanding of the
importance of subjects.
After entering all of these lines as needed, the -----Message
Text----- line is highlighted, and the cursor moves to the first blank
line of the screen. Type your message here. Be sure to end the message
with some kind of line that tells the receiver who you are and how to
reach you via email. Some mail applications don't give this information
completely when the mail is sent.
When you are finished with the message, type Ctrl-x (^X) to
send it. You are done composing, and there should be a prompt at the
bottom of the screen that asks Send message? (y). Answer y
or just hit ENTER.
View Messages
Inbox folder. Your Inbox is the mailbox on PIE to
which all your new messages are sent.
Once the index for your Inbox is listed, you can read any message by
simply moving to that message using the arrow keys and hitting
ENTER. The message text will appear, along with the message headers
that tell you where the message originated and the subject of the
message. You will find subjects very important when you start receiving
a lot of mail because they make it easy to sort through the mail and
delete unwanted messages without having to view them.
Reply to Message being Viewed
Include original message in reply? (y/n/^C) [n]If you want the receiver to see the message that he or she sent to you, then type y. If not, then just hit ENTER. An editing screen will appear. Type your reply, and hit Ctrl-x to send it.
Deleting and Saving Messages
Inbox folder. It will appear again if you haven't deleted
it. Another way to save messages is by creating another folder and
saving them to that folder. To do this, type s, and a folder
query will appear. Type in a name for the new folder (make it something
that you'll remember later) and hit ENTER. It will ask if you want
to create the folder (assuming it doesn't already exist). Answer
y. PINE will create the folder and save that message there.
To view messages in a folder other than your Inbox, go to the
PINE Main Menu, type L, and a list of all your email folders
appears. Select one by moving the cursor with the arrow keys and hit
ENTER. An index for that folder will appear, and you can use it as
you would your Inbox folder.
Please note that each message in each folder takes up space on PIE,
which is limited. Use delete and save often, and check your extra
folders for unneeded messages periodically.
These are the basic PINE functions for using email. If you want to know about advanced functions, see the on-line help in PINE.
Saving in PIE is the same as saving on your computer at the office or at home. Saving records the file that you are viewing on a disk, but in this case, that disk is in PIE. Because PIE is a totally separate computer system from your own computer, it has its own operating system (UNIX) and its own directories and filename conventions.
You can only save files to the PIE directory. View the document you want to save and then type s to save it. A query box will appear asking you what to name the file. These filenames are not limited to 8 characters and a 3-letter extension. You can have several characters and as many periods as you want. Do not make the filename overly complex, however. In the future you may need to search for one file, and it is much more difficult to find files with long filenames.
Once a file is saved, you can do several things. You can use a process called File Transfer Protocol (FTP) to transfer that file from PIE's directory to your computer's hard drive or a floppy disk. You can start email or some other text editor on PIE and view the file at your home PC. Or you can send the file to someone using email. More information on these functions will be distributed as needed. Call MHSC for more information.
If your computer is properly connected to a printer, you can print
documents using the communications software (i.e., Kermit). Type
ALT-p at the screen you wish to have printed. The screen will be
printed on your printer according to the configuration of your printer
and your computer. Unfortunately, this is the only way that documents
can be printed in text-based mode at this time. Future versions of PIE
will include other options for printing.
This chapter is for PIE users who are in graphics-based mode and have
installed the Citrix Remote Link (RLINK) software. People using
text-based mode who have installed Kermit should See section Chapter Five: PIE Basics -- Text-Based Mode.
If your computer is not running with the above capabilities, then you should be using the text-based mode for accessing and getting around in PIE. See section Chapter Two: Getting Hooked Up on Pie, for more information about PIE's modes and their differences.
Getting into PIE in graphics-based mode is as easy as...well...pie. The only difference between text-based mode and graphics-based mode is that in text-based mode you will see text all the time while you're on PIE, while graphics-based users will see icons (i.e., pictures with words that describe functions).
After using RLINK to connect to PIE, your screen will exhibit the
PIE Folder Window. This window shows you the PIE Folder, a collection
of icons (little pictures) that will run the named programs when you
double-click on them with the mouse. Some of the programs will be used
for accessing data, and others will be for other PIE functions like
email and newsgroups. Not all of these programs are explained in this
first version of the manual.
To get into PIE, double-click on the icon named "PIE." The screen will blink and the Home Page for PIE will appear in a window, with a menu line at the top and several function buttons in color under it. You are now in the PIE Home Page, where you will find PIE documentation and MHSC's human services planning and funding information.
The following is a list of functions and the methods to execute them while in graphics mode. Many of these functions use the mouse and conventional descriptions of mouse manipulation (i.e., drag and drop, point and click, etc.). See your operating system manual for the definition of these mouse terms if you do not already know them.
Exiting PIE
Moving Up and Down Pages
Click to Enter Item
Move Backward a Screen
Load a Different URL and Bookmarks
(Quicklists) below.)
Save a Document
C:). Click on File, then Save As.
The source document for the item you are viewing will be named in the
"File Name" area. To save a document, click on the arrow next to the
"Save File as Type" box at the bottom of the window. When the list of
File Types appears, click on All Files. Then go back up to the "File
Name" box, click inside it, delete the current filename and replace it
with one of your own choosing, using the conventions of your computer
(usually 8 characters, a period, and 3 characters, maximum). Then hit
ENTER. Saving is only used for documents that you can already see
on the screen, like text files.
Mail a Document
Load a Different URL Document
http://www.internic.net/welcome.html (HTML and World Wide Web) gopher://pie.mhsc.org (Gopher) ftp://nic.nsf.net/subdirectory/filename (FTP) telnet://freenet.columbus.oh.us (Telnet)
The ftp and telnet functions often require additional knowledge of the
host site to which you are connecting. See the help documentation at
that site for further information (usually found in some sort of file
named README.
Halt Loading a URL
OPTIONS and uncheck the "Auto Loading
Graphics" option and that function will be disabled. Then, to see
graphics, you will have to click on their icons that appear on the
screen in their place.
Bookmarks (Quicklist)
Electronic mail (Email) is a useful function on PIE for communicating with others who have PIE accounts as well as colleagues who have accounts on other systems (i.e., CompuServe, Freenets, and other Internet hosts). There are various editors available for viewing email, and MHSC has chosen one that is both easy to learn and has an adequate number of functions.
This section of the manual will not tell you everything there is to know about PIE's email application. It will give you the help needed to do basic email functions: read, send, save, reply to and forward messages.
When the PIE window comes up (it should be the first thing you see after the Windows 3.1 logo screen), double-click on the icon that says Email. This will run the Email application. At least one Window called "IN" will appear. This is your Inbox, where all of your incoming messages will be stored. The Inbox is updated regularly by the email software.
The following instructions will help you in using Email functions:
Email Addresses
pie.mhsc.org. It is written:
username@pie.mhsc.orgIf another PIE user is writing to you, or if you are sending a message to another PIE user, then you only need to use the username, because you are both at the same domain. When you send messages to people who are not PIE users, you will need to know their full email address. Some usernames are well-related to the person's actual name, some have no relation whatsoever. CompuServe, for example, uses an arbitrarily assigned number as the username for each person. Therefore, most CompuServe addresses look like this:
12345.6789@compuserve.comFor further information about usernames and domain names, send an email message to
admin@pie.mhsc.org, or check out any of the several
books available in the library about the Internet.(3)
Reading Messages
Sending Messages
admin@pie.mhsc.org. He will reply to your
message within a day so you will know your email is working.
Replying to Messages
Forwarding Messages
Deleting Messages
Cancelling a Message
Saving Email
Exiting Email
If you are viewing a text document, you can save that document directly
to your local hard drive (drive C:). Click on Save As. The
source document for the item you are viewing will be named in the "File
Name" area. To save a document, click on the arrow next to the "Save
File as Type" box at the bottom of the window. When the list of File
Types appears, click on All Files. Then go back up to the "File Name"
box, click inside it, delete the current filename and replace it with
one of your own choosing, using the conventions of your computer
(usually 8 characters, a period, and 3 characters, maximum). Then hit
ENTER. Saving is only used for documents that you can already see
on the screen, like text files.
Depending on your type of system, the file that is saved may have codes inserted into it that make it difficult to read. MHSC is currently working on an upgrade to PIE that will eliminate this problem. In them eantime, you can either delete all the codes manually, or print from PIE to a text (ASCII) file and they will be deleted.
Downloading files is slightly different than saving. Saving a file is usually done to retain text files. Downloading is used for other types of files, like software programs, graphics and sound files, and is done by using a particular type of transfer protocol that saves the file as a binary file instead of a text file. These files must be read by a program that understands how to read the particular type of file (such as Harvard Graphics for a graphics file).
In Netscape, when you click on a graphics file or another type of downloadable file, Netscape automatically downloads the file to a directory on your PC. You can then read the file using some kind of software program that is compatible with the type of file, if you have such software on your system. If Netscape can find this software, it will run it for you and show you the image or play the sound that you downloaded. Since Netscape only recognizes certain types of software for this purpose, it is likely that you will have to operate the software and learn to use the file on your own.
Uploading is the reverse of downloading. You start with a file on your computer, and you upload it to PIE using the transfer protocol mentioned above. Uploading will be used when agencies wish to update their data. You will format the data on your computer in such a way that PIE can use it, and then you will upload the data files onto PIE. See section Updating PIE Data, for more information.
To upload a file, the file must be in the Netscape directory. If the file is not already there, use the Windows File Manager or DOS to move it. (See your operating system manual for more information about moving files on your computer.)
You must use the File Transfer Protocol (FTP) in the PIE Folder to upload files while you are in graphics-based mode.
For more information about file formats and uploading your data to PIE,
please consult with MHSC staff at 224-1336 or email us at
admin@pie.mhsc.org.
To print files from PIE, use your computer's print screen function by simply pushing the PRINT SCREEN key or the SHIFT and PRINT SCREEN keys together.
To print graphics, you must save the graphic (a.k.a. downloading) and then open the saved graphic file in a grpahics program, and then print it using the graphics program. PIE does not include a graphics program that will print the graphic for you at this time.
Advanced printing capabilities on PIE are forthcoming. New versions of the PIE software will be outshortly and these will allow better printing methods.
You will be able to update the data that your agency contributes to PIE by accessing PIE from your own computer and executing a procedure called uploading. Uploading uses File Transfer Protocol (FTP) software to load a file from your computer onto PIE. This function is not yet available, but it is planned to be made available for use in the first quarter of 1995. We will provide detailed instructions for users when this function is operating. In the meantime, please send your data by mail to the Metropolitan Human Services Commission, 360 South Third Street, Columbus, OH 43215 or call (614) 224-1336 for more information.
MHSC will distribute manual updates as necessary. Dates will appear on all manuals, as will version numbers.
When such updates are distributed, we will coordinate their distribution with each agency's PIE representative. See the list of PIE Users on PIE for the name of your representative. Keeping your PIE notebook current will allow for the easiest, best and most effective use of PIE.
RLINK.
RLINK
RLINK
Kermit
RLINK
Kermit
Kermit
RLINK installation
RLINK, connecting to PIE
RLINK, exiting