AreaFix / FileFix Manager

The AreaFix / FileFix Manager lets sysops manage echomail and file-area subscriptions with hub uplinks directly from the admin web interface. It implements the standard Fidonet AreaFix and FileFix robot protocols.

How It Works

AreaFix and FileFix are robot services run by hub operators. Your node communicates with the robot by sending a specially formatted netmail to the hub:

• To name: `AreaFix` (for echomail areas) or `FileFix` (for file echo areas)
• Subject: the shared password provided by your hub operator (sensitive ? never displayed in the UI)
• Body: one command per line

The hub processes the commands and replies with a netmail containing the results.

Commands

| Command | Meaning | |---|---| | %QUERY | List areas you are currently subscribed to | | %LIST | List all areas available at the hub | | %UNLINKED | List available areas you are NOT subscribed to | | %HELP | Request help text from the robot | | %PAUSE | Pause all subscriptions | | %RESUME | Resume paused subscriptions | | +AREA_NAME | Subscribe to an echo area | | -AREA_NAME | Unsubscribe from an echo area |

Multiple commands may appear in a single message body.

Configuration

Add areafix_password and/or filefix_password to the relevant uplink entry in config/binkp.json:

{
    "uplinks": [
        {
            "address": "1:1/23",
            "password": "session_secret",
            "tic_password": "",
            "areafix_password": "myareafixpassword",
            "filefix_password": "myfilefixpassword"
        }
    ]
}

Both fields are optional. An uplink without either password will not appear in the AreaFix / FileFix Manager page.

Admin UI

Navigate to Admin ? AreaFix / FileFix (or /admin/areafix).

If no uplinks have passwords configured, a setup guide is shown.

Uplink Selector

When multiple uplinks are configured, use the dropdown to select the hub you want to manage. Switching uplinks clears the reply panels.

AreaFix / FileFix Tabs

The page has two tabs: AreaFix (echomail areas) and FileFix (file echo areas). The FileFix tab is disabled if the selected uplink has no filefix_password.

Quick Actions

One-click buttons for the most common commands:

• %QUERY ? request the list of your current subscriptions
• %LIST ? request the full area list from the hub
• %UNLINKED ? request areas available but not yet subscribed
• %HELP ? request help text from the robot
• %PAUSE ? pause all subscriptions
• %RESUME ? resume paused subscriptions

Subscribe / Unsubscribe

Enter an area tag in the text field and click Subscribe or Unsubscribe. This sends a +TAG or -TAG command to the hub.

Freeform Commands

Enter one or more commands in the textarea (one per line) and click Send. Useful for batch operations or commands not covered by the quick actions.

Latest Reply

Shows the most recent incoming reply from the hub. If the reply is parseable as an area list (%LIST, %QUERY, or %UNLINKED response), a searchable table is displayed with:

• Area tag and description
• Subscribe / Unsubscribe action buttons per row
• A search box to filter large area lists
• A Sync to Echo Areas button (see below)
• A collapsible Raw reply section showing the full message body

Sync to Echo Areas

The Sync to Echo Areas button creates or activates local echoareas database rows for each area found in the parsed reply. Sync only runs when you explicitly click the button ? it does not run automatically on reply receipt.

For FileFix responses the sync targets the file_areas table instead.

Sync behaviour: - Existing areas matching the tag+domain: is_active set to true, uplink_address and description filled in if not already set. - New areas: inserted with is_active = true. - The optional deactivate missing mode (available via the API, not the UI) sets is_active = false for areas belonging to this uplink that were not in the list.

Message History

A table of all sent requests and received replies for the selected uplink. Subject lines are automatically masked (replaced with ????????) so the password is never visible. Click a row to expand and read the full message body.

Subject Masking

Any netmail where to_name or from_name contains "areafix" or "filefix" (case-insensitive) has its subject field replaced with ???????? before the data leaves the server. This is implemented in src/MessageHandler.php and covers all display paths including the AreaFix history panel.

API Reference

All endpoints require admin authentication.

GET /admin/areafix

Render the AreaFix / FileFix Manager page.

GET /api/admin/areafix/uplinks

Return the list of enabled uplinks that have areafix_password or filefix_password configured.

Response:

{
    "success": true,
    "uplinks": [
        {
            "address": "1:1/23",
            "domain": "fidonet",
            "has_areafix": true,
            "has_filefix": false
        }
    ]
}

POST /api/admin/areafix/send

Send one or more commands to the hub robot.

Request body:

{
    "uplink":   "1:1/23",
    "robot":    "areafix",
    "commands": ["%QUERY"]
}

Response: { "success": true }

GET /api/admin/areafix/history?uplink=1:1/23

Return AreaFix/FileFix message history for an uplink.

Response:

{
    "success":  true,
    "messages": { "messages": [...], "threaded": true, "pagination": {...} }
}

POST /api/admin/areafix/sync

Sync a parsed area list into the local echo/file area table.

Request body:

{
    "uplink":             "1:1/23",
    "robot":              "areafix",
    "areas":              [{"name": "FIDONEWS", "description": "FidoNet news"}],
    "deactivate_missing": false
}

Response:

{
    "success": true,
    "summary": { "created": 3, "activated": 1, "deactivated": 0 }
}

Backend Class

src/AreaFixManager.php ? key public methods:

| Method | Description | |---|---| | sendCommand($uplinkAddress, $commands, $robot, $sysopUserId) | Send commands via netmail | | parseResponseText($body, $commandType) | Parse hub reply body into area records | | syncSubscribedAreas($uplinkAddress, $domain, $parsedAreas, $deactivateMissing, $robot) | Sync parsed areas to DB | | deactivateArea($areaTag, $domain) | Mark a local area as inactive | | getHistory($uplinkAddress, $sysopUserId) | Fetch message history | | getConfiguredUplinks() | List uplinks with passwords configured |