


                                                  SDN INTERNATIONAL(sm)
                                     The Shareware Distribution Network




                                   SDNmaker(c) revision April 20th 1996
                  (c)Copyright 1996 by Ray L. Kaliss as The SDN Project



                                  
                                  http://www.pcnet.com/~kaliss/sdn.html
                                     The SDN Project BBS 1-203-634-0370
                                                      Fidonet 1:141/840
                                                         kaliss@sdn.com








                           SDN International(sm)
                           SDNMaker(c)   Utility
                                Version 1.0

             For Commercial Distribution Services Submissions




COPYRIGHT NOTICE
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
     SDNMaker is Copyright  1996 by Ray L.  Kaliss as  The SDN Project.
     All rights are  reserved.  SDNMaker may be distributed  as a whole
     and complete package and is  intended for preparation of shareware
     programs  for   submission  to   SDN  International's   Commercial
     Distribution Services.




LIMITED LICENSE
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
     Shareware authors and  publisher are allowed a  limited license to
     use SDNMaker to  prepare shareware programs for  submission to SDN
     International.   It is  a violation  of copyright  license to  use
     SDNMaker for any other purpose.   SDNMaker and it's information is
     periodically updated,  authors should  inquire for  updates before
     using.   By submitting  through the  use of  SDNMaker, the  author
     agrees to  current distribution fees and  policy as posted  at The
     SDN   Project   BBS   in  Meriden,   Connecticut,   U.S.A.    Data
     1-203-634-0370.

     Use of SDNMaker  contitues agreement with the criteria  of the SDN
     Author Kit guidelines for submission to SDN.







                               C O N T E N T S
                               ---------------

             CONTENTS                                    CHAPTER
             --------                                    -------

             Purpose......................................... 1

                    Password............................... 1.1

             Operation....................................... 2

                    SDN.ID................................. 2.1

                    VENDINFO.DIZ..........................  2.2

             Price List and Fees............................. 3

             Submitting To SDN............................... 4

                    Postal Mailing......................... 4.1

                    Direct Uploading....................... 4.2

                    FTP Incoming........................... 4.3

                    Fidonet File-Attach.................... 4.4

             Confirmation.................................... 5

             Obtaining Current Information................... 6

             ..................................................










1. PURPOSE
~~~~~~~~~~
     SDN International(sm) is the Shareware Distribution Network.  With
     the  cooperation  of  amateur   and  commercial  networks,  online
     services, and electronic media, SDN  is the worlds first shareware
     distribution network.  SDN  is designed to aide  the new shareware
     author who  does not  have the  means for  significant world  wide
     marketing and  distribution, and  the experienced  author managing
     out-sourced  distribution  as  part   of  a  successful  shareware
     business plan.

     Unless an  author has  no-charge access  to online  services, long
     distance calls, dial up service providers, satellite services, and
     thousands of bulletin boards world  wide, SDN distribution is less
     expensive than an author's own  distribution efforts, and far more
     effective.

     SDNMaker  packages the  shareware  author's  program, allows  site
     selection, records distribution information,  and allows an author
     to submit electronically.  The result of SDNMaker is an encrypted,
     secured and authenticated  package to be submitted  for processing
     distribution.

     SDNMaker should be  used to prepare all submissions  to SDN except
     public service submission limited to Fidonet.


     1.1 PASSWORD
     ~~~~~~~~~~~~
     SDNMaker uses a verified password, assigned by SDN International.

     If this is  the first time you  are using SDNMaker and  do not yet
     have an  assigned password, you should  enter '?' at  the password
     prompt and  print the short application  form.  Fill out  the form
     picking a  password and recording  it, then return  to processing.
     Enter  the password  you  have chosen  at  the  prompt.  Copy  the
     resultant  (your-filename).SDN  package  onto a  1.44k  disk,  and
     postal mail  it to  us along  with your  password application  and
     payment.  The name and  password you put on the form  and use with
     SDNMaker should match exactly, case is significant.

     NOTE: The password you may be using  at The SDN Project BBS is not
     necessarily the same as used for SDNMaker.


2. OPERATION
~~~~~~~~~~~~
     SDNMaker is a DOS  utility.  It will run under DOS  3.x or higher.
     It has been  tested in the OS/2  and Windows DOS 'box'.   It makes
     calls to PKWare's pkzip.exe program on 'path' to function properly
     and will abort if pkzip.exe is not on the environment path.

     SDNMaker will query  the author for a SOURCE  drive and directory,
     and a TARGET drive and directory.


     2.1 SDN.ID
     ~~~~~~~~~~
     The SOURCE directory should contain only  two files, an SDN.ID and
     the author's program, zip compressed in the  file name it is to be
     distributed as.


     2.3 VENDINFO.DIZ
     ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
     Thanks  to the  cooperation of  Ram's  Island Software's  VENDINFO
     System, SDNMaker can create an  acceptable SDN.ID from information
     contained in a VENDINFO.DIZ readable header.  The resultant SDN.ID
     created should  be edited with  a plain  ASCII text editor  by the
     author.


     An example SOURCE directory for XWORD Editor, version 2.10.

                                SDN.ID    (or VENDINFO.DIZ)
                            XWRD210.ZIP

     With today's high speed modems  and error correction, downloadable
     files can  be larger than  in the  past.  Most programs  should be
     compressed into one .zip  file.  If the program is so  large as to
     need more than one .zip file, a  set, SDNMaker must be run on each
     .zip  individually  with  SDN.ID  files   for  each.   SDN's  flat
     distribution fee  is for  the program version,  not the  number of
     .zip files, however there is a  reasonable limit of 3 megs zipped,
     per program.

     Information needed for distribution to various sites will be taken
     from the SDN.ID  and used when possible.  The SDN.ID,  in form and
     format, not content, is copyright to  SDN International and may be
     distributed with the  final archive to identify to  the public the
     origin of the  distribution and the assurance  of our verification
     and security features.

     The author will  be presented with all sites that  will accept the
     specific type of software being processed. 

     If special  forms are required  by any  sites, the author  will be
     prompted to complete  the forms through SDNMaker and  they will be
     included  in  the final  package  for  use during  processing  and
     distribution.



3. PRICE LIST and FEES
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
     Commercial Distribution  Services by  SDN are  currently flat  fee
     based and apply  to the distribution service itself,  there are no
     individual site fees.  This allows us to expand or change sites to
     match the  dynamics of  the online  world.  The  fee schedule  and
     current  distribution sites,  which is  a  companion document  for
     SDNMaker,  is  PRICE.LST  and  is  updated  by  SDN  periodically.
     PRICE.LST  is  published  and  posted   at  The  SDN  Project  BBS
     203-634-0370.   The  current  PRICE.LST superceeds  all  lists  of
     earlier date or in circulation.

     The  definition   of  'site'   for  distribution   purposes  often
     designates  a gateway.   For example,  Fidonet  is considered  one
     site, yet it is composed of 30,000 plus individual bulletin boards
     world wide of all sizes, SDN probably reaches 10-15,000 of these.



4. SUBMITTING TO SDN
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
     SDNMaker creates an archive package  in the TARGET directory.  The
     package is named  with the name given to your  original .zip file,
     but given  a .SDN extension  (your-filename.sdn).  It  is uniquely
     encrypted for  security and  origin verification,  it is  what you
     submit to SDN.

     There are three basic methods to send  the .SDN package to SDN for
     submission.


     4.1 Postal Mail
     ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
     If you do  not already have an approved  password, your submission
     must be Postal Mailed to us on a 1.44k disk.  Include the password
     application form  that SDNMaker will allow  you to print  out, and
     your payment in money order, or credit card information. Personal
     checks can only be accepted if drawn on United States banks.


     4.2 Direct Uploading
     ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
     Authors in the United States and Canada, please upload directly to
     our   BBS.   The   parameters   are   8,N,1.   Our   28.8k   modem
     (V.Everything) will attempt  to connect at the  highest speed with
     your modem.  Once on  our BBS, go to Main Menu,  then to the Files
     Section and upload  into Files Area (3).  All  uploads are hidden.
     Leave a message upon logoff that you  have uploaded so we can look
     for your submission.


     4.3 FTP Incoming
     ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
     SDN maintains  an incoming  ftp site  at ftp.sdn.com  (alternative
     address  ftp.pcnet.com) for  incoming .SDN  files.   We prefer  to
     leave this way open for our  international authors, but if this is
     your most convenient  way, just be sure  you don't forget to  do a
     binary transfer.  Once connected, change directory as follows.

                   ftp.sdn.com        /users/sdn/incoming

                   ftp.pcnet.com      /users/sdn/incoming

     Binary transfer and then send email  to kaliss@sdn.com and tell us
     what file and program you have  submitted.  The only files we will
     accept  are  SDNMaker  (filename.sdn)  packages,  all  others  are
     deleted.



     4.4 Fidonet File-Attach
     ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
     A  few   authors  have  Fidonet   capability,  for   these,  crash
     File-Attach your .SDN file to 1:141/840 with a netmail message.


     4.5 Internet Email MIME Attach
     ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
     There  is a  limit on  what POP3  and  SMPT can  handle with  MIME
     attaches.  This can be an unreliable method.  If you need to, give
     it a try.  Send to: kaliss@sdn.com


5. CONFIRMATION
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
     SDNMaker will ask  you if have an Internet email  address.  If you
     do,  enter it  and  you will  be  sent  an automatic  confirmation
     message when your  submission is processed.  Don't  forget, if you
     are  a member  of  an  online service  that  is  connected to  the
     Internet, you automatically have an internet address of your login
     name and online service (SDNInter@aol.com).


6. OBTAINING CURRENT INFORMATION
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
     SDN  policy,  the SDNMaker  utility  and  PRICE LIST  are  revised
     periodically to reflect the changing online world.  Please be sure
     you  are  up to  date.   SDN's  Commercial Distribution  fees  and
     available distribution sites  are updated in PRICE.LST.   The fees
     and sites  in the current PRICE  LIST prevail.  Below  are various
     methods to obtain current information.


     Download
     ~~~~~~~~
     The SDN Project BBS 1-203-634-0370


     FTP
     ~~~
     ftp.sdn.com    /users/sdn
     ftp.pcnet.com  /users/sdn


     World Wide Web
     ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
     http://www.pcnet.com/~kaliss/sdn.html


     Internet Return Email
     ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
     Information can be  return reply requested through  Internet email
     by entering  key words in the  Subject: line.  No message  body is
     needed.  In all cases the "To:" address is the same...

                Example:
                           To: kaliss@sdn.com
                      Subject: Mailer! Current


         WHAT SUBJECT LINE TO USE      WHAT IS RETURNED
         ------------------------      ----------------------------
         "Mailer! Current"             Current list of all items
         "Mailer! Price List"          Current Price List
         "Mailer! SDNMaker"            Current SDNMaker utility
         "Mailer! Author Kit"          Current SDN Author's Kit
         "Mailer! SDN.ID Format"       Current SDN.ID Format
         "Mailer! SDNTest"             SDN security seal test utility



     Fidonet File-Request
     ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
     Fidonet  capable authors  can  file-request  from 1:141/840  using
     file-request   magic  names.    They   are,  "Current",   "Sites",
     "SDNMaker", "Postal", "Kit", "SDNID", and "Fidonet".


/eof

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