
This is a couple of Perl scripts that can make managing new account
requests in EBBS 3.0-BETA-3 or later a snap. Here's how to install them:

1. Copy bbsapply.pl and bbsapprove.pl into ~bbs/bin.

2. In bbsapply.pl, look over the text in all the prompts. You may want to 
   say things differently depending on your bbs policy.

3. In bbsapprove.pl, put your bbs name in place of "this bbs" in the
   $bbsname string. Put your outbound mailer in place of "/usr/lib/sendmail"
   in the $mailer string, if necessary. (A future revision could have these
   just look in etc/bbconfig since these things are there.)

4. In both scripts, make sure the top line "#!/usr/bin/perl" points to where
   perl is on your system. i.e. change to #!/usr/local/bin/perl or whatever.

5. Add lines to the Main menu description in ~bbs/etc/menu.desc like this:

("Join", "Goodbye", "Goodbye", RequestAccount,  
$exec.pause "bin/bbsapply.pl:BBS_USERID=%I,BBS_FROMHOST=%H",
"(J)oin          Apply for an account on this BBS")

6. Add lines to the Admin menu description in ~bbs/etc/menu.desc like this:

("Requests", "Requests", "Exit", AddAccount, 
$exec.pause "bin/bbsapprove.pl:BBS_USERID=%I",
"(R)equests      Process requests submitted via (J)oin")

7. Add a line for RequestAccount to ~bbs/etc/access. If you want all users to
   be able to submit requests, use "RequestAccount=ALL".
 
   If you only want a guest account to be able to submit requests, do this:
   Put "RequestAccount=Guest" in ~bbs/etc/access;
   Add "Guest" to ~bbs/etc/permstrs;
   Create the guest account if needed. Use Admin/Permissions to turn
     on "Guest" permission. You might want to turn off Basic-1 through
     Basic-4 while you're there too. 
   To restrict the guest account if you haven't already, to through
     ~bbs/etc/access and change "ALL" to "Basic-1" (or 2 or 3 or 4) for any
     privilege you don't want guests to have. Like CheckMail, OpenMail,
     SendMail, Post, etc.

8. If you wish, create a file ~bbs/etc/newuser.info with information about
   your system, policies, etc. If this file exists it will be displayed 
   by bbsapply.pl before the account information prompts, and the user will 
   be able to escape at that point if they don't like what they see.

That's it!

acctpkg for EBBS 3.0 created by:
Ray Rocker
rock@seabass.st.usm.edu
