This text file contains some parts of the WaterGate
documentation. It is intended as an introduction that
you can read before you download WaterGate.

The most current version is 0.19, release 950903.
The filename of the distribution archive is WG950903.ZIP


WaterGate is a message processing system. It can handle
netmail and echomail in Fidonet Technology (FTN) format and
Internet e-mail and Usenet news in UUCP format. It can
distribute and gate the messages from and two the formats
supported. It works by processing files and is thus not
capable of transferring files.

Features

   - Fidonet message processing: netmail and echomail
   - Internet/Usenet message processing: e-mail and news
   - Gateway between Fidonet and Usenet
   - Supports 65,000+ areas and nodes
   - Support for *.MSG, Squish, and JAM message bases
   - Built-in Remote Area Manager for Fidonet and UUCP(!)
   - Utility program to perform messagebase maintenance
   - Configuration program with friendly user interface
   - Context sensitive online help "everywhere".
   - The fastest, most complete and most user friendly around!

Compatible with

   - FrontDoor/InterMail
   - BinkleyTerm/TIMS
   - d'Bridge
   - Waffle's UUCICO/FX-UUCICO

Requirements

   - An IBM Compatible computer (XT/AT/386/486/Pentium)
   - MS-DOS, OS/2, Windows '95 or compatible Operating System
   - At least 500Kb of available memory
   - Optionally some XMS/EMS memory
   - Enough hard disk space depending on your configuration

To operate effectively, you probably need a Fidonet compatible
mailer such as FrontDoor or BinkleyTerm. Also, if you want to
exchange mail with a the UUCP mechanism, a program such as
UUCICO or the faster FX-UUCICO is needed. These programs
should be available on any large BBS or FTP site.


WaterGate was written to simplify the process of connecting
both Fidonet and UUCP compatible systems by integrating the
four steps needed to build a Fidonet/UUCP message host:

  1) Process and distribute UUCP messages, for us and other
     systems.

  2) Process and distribute Fidonet messages, for us and other
     systems.

  3) Translate (gate) messages between the two formats.

  4) Import either style message into message bases.

So, no matter if you are a Fido point, node, hub, zonegate, or
UUCP node or hub, WaterGate is the program to use for
processing all your netmail, echomail, mail and news.

In addition to that, it is loaded with tools and features like
AreaFix for both Fidonet and UUCP(!!), mailing list server,
read-only areas, file robot and options to import data from
your previously favorite programs. We plan to support other
transport mechanisms and mailers in future as well. It was
designed to do this.

We hope WaterGate achieves its design goals: ease of
configuration of both WaterGate and your complete mail
processing system, speed of operation, computability, and
stability.

The authors


The authors can be contacted at the following addresses:

Ramon van der Winkel  
     Internet: ramon@wsd.wline.se

Martijn Dijksterhuis
     Fido: 2:280/802.6@fidonet.org
     Internet: martijnd@dijkline.wlink.nl

Michel van der Laan
     Internet: michel@nijenrode.nl

There is also a newsgroup: ALT.BBS.WATERGATE