Outpost Packet Message Manager
News, Notes, and Updates
Here's news, information, a little history, and updates for Outpost users on what's going on with Outpost. Thanks to all the contributors for sharing your discoveries and observations.
8 Aug 2011 v2.5 c033
Jim KN6PE
This update includes a rewrite of Ics213mm, tighter integration with PacFORMs, and some other minor changes and fixes. See the Release Information for the details.
21 Mar 2011 v2.5 c021
Jim KN6PE
This update addresses a couple of problems and feature requests to the Outpost suite. See the Release Information for the details. Additionally, a new presentation by Santa Clara County RACES made to Alameda County RACES was posted.
26 Dec 2010 v2.5 c014
Jim KN6PE
This is release delivers several new features, enhancements, and bug fixes to the Outpost suite. See the Release Information for the details.
14 June 2010 v2.4 c099; various changes
Jim KN6PE
This update makes 12 changes -- fixes and additions -- to the Outpost suite. See the Release Information for the details.
4 April 2010 v2.4 c089; JNOS optimization, other changes
Jim KN6PE
This update addresses several problems and requests for JNOS support. I hope to get an App Note out on how Outpost and JNOS can work together in an optimized manner.
28 January 2010 v2.4 c082; BPQMailChat fix
Jim KN6PE
This update hopefully addresses the last BPQMailChat defect; Outpost with this new BBS is reported as working well together.
11 January 2010 v2.4 c081 is now available
Jim KN6PE
This update resolves a bunch of issues identified since the first v2.4 release. See the README240 file for details.
30 December 2009 v2.4 c075 is now available
Jim KN6PE
Outpost v2.4 is now available. See the README240 file for installation details. The release includes the following executables:
| Program | Version | Description |
| Outpost.exe | 2.4 c075 | Outpost Main Program |
| Opscripts.exe | 1.1 c004 | Scripting Language and Processor |
| Opupdate24.exe | 2.4 c039 | Data migration program; Updates the v2.2 to v2.4 data structures. Runs at installation. |
| Ipserial.exe | 2.4 c006 | Interactive Packet, serial program |
| Ipagwpe.exe | 2.4 c006 | Interactive Packet, AGWPE program |
| Iptelnet.exe | 2.4 c006 | Interactive Packet, TELNET program |
| Ics213mm.exe | 1.0 c099 | ICS 213 Messaging |
| Opdirect.exe | 2.4 c044 | Opdirect Message Capture System, receives messages from PacFORMS and Ics213mm.exe, and creates Outpost messages. |
15 December 2009 Outpost runs on Windows 7
Andy KI6SEP, Howard W7HGA, Bob KE6GYD
All reported no problems running Outpost on the Windows 7 O/S. Andy says, "VERY limited usage and it worked fine. Send & received ~6 messages, ran some scripts, sent some PACForms." Howard reported: "I built a small pc (Atom processor) and I am using Windows 7 with Outpost. I have not had any problems with loading or running Outpost." Bob stated: "I have it loaded and running on Win7 64bit and connected to a kpc3 pbbs with no prob."
17 February 2009 Outpost runs on Windows 7 BETA
Wes KG6PV
Wes reported "Outpost worked for me on 7 without needing a Vista upgrade. I installed the Windows 7 beta on a spare hard drive and then loaded Outpost (ver 2.3.0 c27) and PacForms. Both programs worked properly..."
31 December 2008 v2.3 c027 Update is available
Jim KN6PE
This release corrects several minor defects reported since the original v2.3 release. See the v2.3.0 Release Information for what's changed in this release.
9 October 2008 v2.3 Update is available
Jim KN6PE
This release adds Outpost Scripting as well as a variety of enhancements and fixes. See the v2.3.0 Release Content Description Doc for information on this release.
3 June 2008 v2.2.2 Update is available
Jim KN6PE
This update adds a mix of new features, enhancements, and bug fixes to all
of Outpost's programs. See the v2.2.2
Release Content Description Doc for information on this release.
16 December 2007 v2.2.1 Release Content
Description
Jim KN6PE
Release v2.2.1 is a minor release that supports several new enhancements to
Outpost. it also introduces "Scripting" as a means for
expanding Outpost automation. See the v2.2.1
Release Content Description Doc for information on this release. .
16 November 2007 v2.2c229 Update is available
Jim KN6PE
This update adds support for the KAM-4 PBBS.
9 November 2007 v2.2c228 Update is available
Jim KN6PE
This update resolves all send and receive problems for the
DXNET BBS as reported by the Arapahoe County ARES (D22) group. It also
supports PacForms, Santa Clara County's direct messaging procedures.
PacForms will be introduced in an App Note in the near future.
3 July 2007 v2.2c209 Update is available
Jim KN6PE
This update addresses several problems with the v2.2 release, particularly
around direct telnet access for Winlink. See the Release
Summary for a list of what's been changed. As a side note, v2.2
has been the toughest release to date, particularly around several aspects
of the solution that were difficult to test without direct access to one of
several environmental conditions. The implication is that I will need
to rely on the users to help with some of the pre-release check-out.
While that worked out well prior to the v2.2 release, Outpost users continue
to show creative ways of using the program that I could never have imagined!
14 May 2007 v2.2c205 Update is available
Jim KN6PE
This update addresses 2 problems that were identified since the original v2.2c194 release. You should update Outpost if you
(i) connect to a PK-232, DSP-232, or PK-88 PBBS that is local to your
PC, or experiencing Error 13 Type Mismatch errors during a Send/Receive Session with a KPC3 PBBS.
26 April 2007 v2.2c198 Update is available
Jim KN6PE
This is an update to all 4 Outpost programs previously released with v2.2
that resolves 5 defects discovered since the v2.2 release. Note: there
will be at least one more bug-fix release to address a late arrival that did
not make it into this release.
15 April 2007 v2.2 docs now available
Jim KN6PE
Updates were made to the Users Guide, Troubleshooting,
and Application Notes. Additionally, the HOW-TO
files that are delivered with the distribution have been added as an on-line
reference.
7 April 2007 Version 2.2.0 is now available
Jim KN6PE
This release delivers Telpac support and other BBS handling
enhancements. Read up on the v2.2
description and the v2.2 changes.
15 January 2007 SCC RACES Application Note
Jim KN6PE
This document is an Outpost implementation and policy guide for Santa
Clara County RACES that defines the setups and configuration needed to
support packet activities in the County. See the application
note for details.
5 November 2006 v2.1.2 Update
Jim KN6PE
Resolves 2 issues, repackages v2.1 with the v2.1.1 changes into a stand-alone release.
See the release information for
details.
22 October 2006 v2.1.1 Update
Jim KN6PE
Resolves a critical issue required for Santa Clara County's custom
W6XSC-1 BBS, and others. See the release
information for details.
15 October 2006 KA-Node Application Note
Jim KN6PE
The KA-Node/NetRom feature takes a bit if understanding to get it up
and running. This application
note steps through a real example of configuring Outpost to access
an F6FBB BBS by means of a KA-Node and Net/Rom node.
8 October 2006 v2.1 release
Jim KN6PE
The v2.1 release is an upgrade to Outpost v2.0.4. Introduces
several new features including KA-Node support, Tactical Calls, and
about 20 other enhancements. See the Readme210
and Readme210-CONFIG files for details.
24 May 2006 Outpost User Group is up and
running
Jim KN6PE
Special thanks to Art AB6HB for helping to get an Outpost User group set
up in Yahoo. If interested in joining, check out OutpostPacket
at Yahoo.com.
6 May 2006 Outpost at EMCOMMWEST'06
Jim KN6PE
I had the pleasure to give a presentation on Outpost at the
EMCOMMWEST'06 Conference held at the Atlantis
Resort, Reno NV. It was great to put some faces with names and
get a chance to hear how people have been using Outpost. The talk
addressed how Outpost supports the mission that Emergency Communicators
have been asked to undertake. Check out the Outpost
at EMCOMMWEST'06 presentation for another approach on how to think
about Outpost.
19 February 2006 Outpost on Windows'95
Bruce KC8VHR
Bruce reported that he has been able to get Outpost working on not
just one Windows'95, but up to 7 laptops and 2 boxes. Check out
his Outpost-on-WX'95
application note for the details on how he did it.
8 February 2006 v2.0.4 User Guide is available
Jim KN6PE
The v2.0.4 users guide has been
updated. All sections have been updated to reflect the changes found
in this release.
5 February 2006 v2.0.4 Update
Jim KN6PE
The v2.0.4 release is an update to Outpost v2.0. As an update, a
full install is not required resulting in changes to the various program
data file. This update can be applied over v2.0 (and it should be) to
take effect. See the Readme204
file for details.
20 August 2005 Ip2.0.2 Update
Jim KN6PE
The Ip2.0.2 update fixes 2 problems with the 3 Interactive Packet programs
that are available with the v2.0 release. See the Readme202
file to determine if you should install it, and the steps to perform the
update. Thanks Klaus VE3KR and Robert KD6INI for reporting these
problems.
28 July 2005 Telnet Timeouts
Art N9ZZK
Art reports that, when attempting to query a BBS by Telnet with LOTS of
bulletins, the recommended 5000 mses (5 second) timeout is not sufficient
when retrieving the message list. Art has set his to 25000 msec and
this works well.
20 July 2005 v2.0 User Guide is available
Jim KN6PE
The user guide is updated. The key changes is an expanded Section 4
(Setting up Interfaces) and Section 13 (Interactive Packet Window) to
address Serial, AGWPE, and Telnet. All other v2.0 features are also
included. An updated Training Package is still pending.
16 June 2005 v2.0 Release
Jim KN6PE
Version 2.0 is available. The big change in Outpost 2.0
is the addition of support for AGWPE and Telnet for F6FBB BBSs. There are a
series of other enhancements and bug fixes that are also included.
22 Mar 2005
Jim KN6PE
Updated Support and Troubleshooting pages to reflect current re-occurring
problems that are being reported.
29 Dec 2004 v1.3.3
Jim KN6PE
Version 1.3.3 is the culmination of 2 releases that addressed a critical
MSYS BBS problem (double-spacing of uploaded messages) that was
"re-introduced" since the v1.2.7 release. If you are an MSYS
user, v1.3.3 is a MUST. See the Readme133
file for details. Thanks to George W9GWP for an up-and-running MSYS
BBS for test purposes!
26 Dec 2004 v1.3.1, Training material now available
Jim KN6PE
Version 1.3.1 is an Update to address a problem with Outpost running with
the XP Style enabled. See the Readme131
file to determine if this is relevant to you. Also, the training
material is now available here.
This is an easier read than plowing through the 80+ pages of the user guide!
21 Dec 2004 v 1.3 User guide is now available
Jim KN6PE
The v1.3 User Guide is now up on the website and available for download here.
The Training Slide Package is next and should be available within a few
days.
19 Dec 2004 Version 1.3.0 is now available
Jim KN6PE
The v1.3 release is now available. For a description on the
fundamental differences between v1.3 and previous releases, see the Release
Announcement. For details on the release, check out the release
content, then scroll down to the V1.3 release information.
22 Nov 2004 Preview -- Version 1.3.0
Jim KN6PE
The Version 1.3 Release Content Description
document is complete and available for download. check out what's
planned by taking a look at the doc.
10 Oct 2004 Version 1.2.7
Jim KN6PE
Version 1.2.7 is a maintenance release that addresses specific problems with
interacting with the MSYS BBS. Key changes include general removal of
Line Feeds (LFs) sent as part of all BBS messages, and the addition of MSYS
Message Subject and Text prompt detection. If you are an MSYS user, this
is a must-have release. A few other changes were also included in this release. Check
out the v1.2.7 release content
for details.
Special thanks to George W9GWP and the Lake County (IL) Digital Group for helping to troubleshoot and validate the fix. Also, George, the Sysop for the KC9GAX MSYS BBS, has offered to help any Outpost user with questions about interacting with an MSYS BBS. Please contact George by email at w9gwp@yahoo.com.
04 Sep 2004 Version 1.2.1
Jim KN6PE
Version 1.2.1 is a maintenance release that addresses several problems that
were discovered in v1.2. Unless you are experiencing any of these specific
problems, there is NO NEED to upgrade to this release. Check out the v1.2.1
release content for a description of what's changed.
17 Aug 2004 SV1AIZ BBS Support
Jim KN6PE
A pilot version of v1.2.1 was released with support for the SV1AIZ BBS
software. The key difference was the formatting of the date/time in
the message list. While the implementation in Outpost appears to have
been successful, Jim KB9MMC reports that the BBS software was not as stable
as they hoped.
30 May 2004 Version 1.2
Jim KN6PE
Version 1.2 is now available on the website. While v
1.1 focused on filling in some of the base Outpost functionality, v 1.2 is
the first release that has expanded the capabilities of the program with new
features such as Online Reports and Selective Bulletin Retrieval.
Thanks to all those who contributed suggestions and ideas.
8 May 2004 Version 1.2 Release Content
Description available
Jim KN6PE
The scope of Release 1.2 is locked down and a detailed description can be
found here. Release 1.2 should be
out by early June or as soon as I complete the system test.
20 April 2004 Version 1.1.4
Jim KN6PE
This is the companion release to version 1.0.6. Version 1.1.4 is an
optional release and not required to be installed. However, if you are
hesitating upgrading from 1.0 out of fear of loosing your mail, this is a
way to do it. Let me know and I'll send you detailed
instructions.
19 April 2004 Version 1.0.6
Jim KN6PE
While extensions are in progress with 1.1 (and plans in place for 1.2), this
release of 1.0.6 adds an Export Feature to anyone still on the 1.0 base
version so that messages can be exported and imported into Version 1.1.4
(soon to be released).
3 April 2004 Version 1.1.2
Jim KN6PE
Version 1.1.3 fixes 3 problems discovered with the 1.1
release. See the Information on Version
1.1 link, section on 1.1.1, for details.
14 March 2004 App Note on Sending Spreadsheet
Data
Jim KN6PE
The first Outpost Application Note (2004-01)
was released that described 2 methods for sending data stored in a
spreadsheet using Outpost.
22 March 2004 Training material
Jim KN6PE
The first pass at some Outpost training material is available
(Training and a Tour). See the "Documentation and Training"
link on the Outpost home page. Your suggestions ideas for other
training items are appreciated.
14 March 2004 Version 1.1.1
Jim KN6PE
Version 1.1.1 fixes a couple of problems discovered with the 1.1
release. See the Information on Version
1.1 link, section on 1.1.1, for details.
11 March 2004 Installing Version 1.1 over
1.0.1
Phil KF6ZSQ, Santa Clara County (CA) Hospital Group
"I installed OUTPOST 1.1 over the top of 1.0.1 on Win ME
using the NT-2K-XP version of Outpost and got several errors when I
attempted to execute it. I went back and de-installed BOTH versions,
which showed up in the Install/De-Install window. I then re-installed 1.1
and 1.1 executed OK."
8 March 2004 USB-to-9-pin Serial cable
Phil KF6ZSQ, Santa Clara County (CA) Hospital Group, reports that he
"... successfully sent a fairly long packet message (A DEOC-9 web form result) to the County BBS from El Camino Hospital using the Hospital Net Laptop and Outpost.
It went fairly fast, ~1 to 2 min. The key was to set hardware flow control on, and 9600 baud within Outpost. The Laptop used a Radio Shack USB to 9-pin serial cable, which on the Laptop, comes out as COM-1, even though the RS instructions said it would be
COM-3."
7 March 2004 Version 1.1
Jim KN6PE
"Thanks for all the feedback you've sent in over the
last few months on Outpost. Based on your comments, Version 1.1 is now
available and incorporates a lot of your suggestions into a release that has
an overall focus on usability. The website has a good summary of
what's changed since Version 1.0 (click on the "What's New in Outpost
Version 1.1" link). There is also a link to a document that goes into
more detail on the changes. If/when you download it, please note that
most (not all) of the new configuration files are NOT backward compatible
with version 1.0. Take a look at the README file for details and
exceptions."
10 February 2004 MSYS BBS
Jim KB9MMC, Milwaukee ARES,
reports that Outpost [version] 1.0.5 is up and running with
the MSYS BBS. They will be performing a series of messaging tests with the system for a month or
so.
19 October 2003 Version 1.0.1
Outpost TNC Message Manager Version 1.0.1 is available
for download.
22 July 2003 Version BETA v0.96, One-station
Difipeat hop
"
26 May 2003 Looking for Beta Testers
Outpost is introduced to the Santa Clara Valley packet users.
November 2002 Outpost development begins
Outpost was conceived out of a requirement to address a specific need I
experienced in Cupertino.
General Feedback
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