FrontDoor
Encyclopedia
FrontDoor was one of the most popular mailers in the FidoNet
-compatible networks in the 1990s acting as the physical representation of the written network node connection and mail handling standards. It was a DOS
-based shareware
written by Joaquim Homrighausen (alias JoHo). The FrontDoor system contained a Mailer, an Editor, a Terminal, a serial port
device driver
and configuration utilities.
The task of mailers - the main task of original FrontDoor - was to accept a phone call for a BBS / FidoNet node system; differentiating between human and machine calls (sending the humans to the BBS
while handling all other cases) and if the other end supported the same protocol started a conversation about handling whatever packets had to be exchanged, and calling external programs to handle the traffic.
Originally FrontDoor was a small utility to handle incoming calls, written in 1986. Peter Adenauer of AMS Applied Micro Systems, Inc. of Miami, Florida asked Homrighausen in 1987 to leave his job at Ericsson
and to to the USA and start developing a commercial product based on FrontDoor with Peter Stewart. After several adventurous clashes between the programmers and the company and realising that there wasn't a useful product even after a long development the people parted: Homrighausen went to Australia with the version 1.99c source code while Stewart got the same code which has been used as the basis of InterMail software.
FrontDoor continued its life as shareware as well as a commercial product; the last versions were v2.26 (DOS+OS/2 shareware) and v2.32.mL (DOS+OS/2 multiline commercial).
as well as under most DOS-based multitasking environment (like Windows).
File transfer protocols supported by FrontDoor were Zmodem
, Zmodem/CRC-32, Telink, SEAlink
, SEAlink Overdrive, and Xmodem
/CRC.
FidoNet
FidoNet is a worldwide computer network that is used for communication between bulletin board systems. It was most popular in the early to mid 1990s, prior to the introduction of easy and affordable access to the Internet...
-compatible networks in the 1990s acting as the physical representation of the written network node connection and mail handling standards. It was a DOS
DOS
DOS, short for "Disk Operating System", is an acronym for several closely related operating systems that dominated the IBM PC compatible market between 1981 and 1995, or until about 2000 if one includes the partially DOS-based Microsoft Windows versions 95, 98, and Millennium Edition.Related...
-based shareware
Shareware
The term shareware is a proprietary software that is provided to users without payment on a trial basis and is often limited by any combination of functionality, availability, or convenience. Shareware is often offered as a download from an Internet website or as a compact disc included with a...
written by Joaquim Homrighausen (alias JoHo). The FrontDoor system contained a Mailer, an Editor, a Terminal, a serial port
Serial port
In computing, a serial port is a serial communication physical interface through which information transfers in or out one bit at a time...
device driver
Device driver
In computing, a device driver or software driver is a computer program allowing higher-level computer programs to interact with a hardware device....
and configuration utilities.
The task of mailers - the main task of original FrontDoor - was to accept a phone call for a BBS / FidoNet node system; differentiating between human and machine calls (sending the humans to the BBS
Bulletin board system
A Bulletin Board System, or BBS, is a computer system running software that allows users to connect and log in to the system using a terminal program. Once logged in, a user can perform functions such as uploading and downloading software and data, reading news and bulletins, and exchanging...
while handling all other cases) and if the other end supported the same protocol started a conversation about handling whatever packets had to be exchanged, and calling external programs to handle the traffic.
Originally FrontDoor was a small utility to handle incoming calls, written in 1986. Peter Adenauer of AMS Applied Micro Systems, Inc. of Miami, Florida asked Homrighausen in 1987 to leave his job at Ericsson
Ericsson
Ericsson , one of Sweden's largest companies, is a provider of telecommunication and data communication systems, and related services, covering a range of technologies, including especially mobile networks...
and to to the USA and start developing a commercial product based on FrontDoor with Peter Stewart. After several adventurous clashes between the programmers and the company and realising that there wasn't a useful product even after a long development the people parted: Homrighausen went to Australia with the version 1.99c source code while Stewart got the same code which has been used as the basis of InterMail software.
FrontDoor continued its life as shareware as well as a commercial product; the last versions were v2.26 (DOS+OS/2 shareware) and v2.32.mL (DOS+OS/2 multiline commercial).
Technical aspects
FrontDoor ran under DOS and OS/2OS/2
OS/2 is a computer operating system, initially created by Microsoft and IBM, then later developed by IBM exclusively. The name stands for "Operating System/2," because it was introduced as part of the same generation change release as IBM's "Personal System/2 " line of second-generation personal...
as well as under most DOS-based multitasking environment (like Windows).
File transfer protocols supported by FrontDoor were Zmodem
ZMODEM
ZMODEM is a file transfer protocol developed by Chuck Forsberg in 1986, in a project funded by Telenet in order to improve file transfers on their X.25 network...
, Zmodem/CRC-32, Telink, SEAlink
SEAlink
SEAlink is a file transfer protocol that is backward compatible with XMODEM but features a sliding window system for improved throughput. SEAlink was written in 1986 as a part of the SEAdog FidoNet mailer written by System Enhancement Associates, creators of the famous ARC program...
, SEAlink Overdrive, and Xmodem
XMODEM
XMODEM is a simple file transfer protocol developed as a quick hack by Ward Christensen for use in his 1977 MODEM.ASM terminal program. XMODEM became extremely popular in the early bulletin board system market, largely because it was so simple to implement...
/CRC.
Technical specifications
FrontDoor contains:- a mailer,
- an editor,
- a terminal (TTY, VT-52, VT-100, ANSI X3.64 and AVATAR/0+; IEMSI profiles to login),
- a serial port device driver, and
- configuration utilities.
- Supports DOSDOSDOS, short for "Disk Operating System", is an acronym for several closely related operating systems that dominated the IBM PC compatible market between 1981 and 1995, or until about 2000 if one includes the partially DOS-based Microsoft Windows versions 95, 98, and Millennium Edition.Related...
-based multitasking environments (DR Multiuser DOS, Novell NetWare, LANtastic, POWERLan, MS LAN Manager, DESQview, PC/MOS-386, DoubleDOS, OS/2 2.xx, Windows 3.xx). - Handles virtually unlimited amount of destinations, names and phone numbers (theoretically 1.2 x 1020 entries).
- File transfer protocols: ZModem/CRC32, ZModem, Telink, SEAlink Overdrive, SEAlink, XModem/CRC; no size limit (apart from DOS limits).
- Comprehensive mail management and editing, including filtering functions.
- Temporary DOS shell in nearly every point in the program (swaps itself out)
- Enhanced keyboard layouts in the editor, huge number of macro key sets.
- Printer handling for mail.
- Flexible scheduler for the mailer component.
- Destination based modem reconfiguration.
- FAX handling.
Hardware requirements
It is interesting to compare its system requirements with todays software:- IBM PC, AT, 386, 486, PS/2 or 100% BIOS compatible
- A hard disk with minimum 1 Megabyte of disk space
- An asynchronous telephone modem (hayes compatible)
- A monochrome video card
- 384 kB system memory
- MS or PC DOS 3.10 or above
- A FOSSIL driver (standardised modem handling; examples: X00, BNU, OpusComm, cFos, VX00, DGFossil or VFD)
- EMS memory optional
- AT-style keyboard