GA> It that point coords have starting to use some lines in z2pnt with GA> Hold and Pvt in the pointlist and this do my before working mail GA> tracker rntrack not like and makes my nodelist tracker database to not GA> work. Can a Point in a pointlist be down and hold + pvt - I will mean GA> that a point in it sef is a pvt node or pvt point as he not is a node.
let's start with the bottom question
Yes, a point can have in principle the same status as defined for the nodelist in fts-5000
That's Pvt, Hold, Down Sample, currently Net 2:244 is moving to Net 2:240 ... so there is a temporarly period, where the Nodelist and Pointlist records for Net 2:244 are listed in both segments, Net 2:240 the new address and the Net 2:244 fading out address. Points that wrote under 2:244 close before the move sent out their echomails with a 2:244 aka ... now you're trying to send a netmail reply, you're warned ... the node / point does no longer operate under this "old" number ... Probably not all fidonet members noticed the move while starting with a netmail reply. Also there are a couple of points and nodes that had not yet reconfigured their system, so for a short period both numbers are visible, the old one and the new one. To signal to the world, hey, my node/pointnumber has been changed, as both addresses will popup in a nodelist / pointlist lookup, you're easily can select the correct new aka as the old one is flagged hold or down.
The question, can a point directly contacted is to answer with -> yes as long you have the contact data of the point (individual phone number, different to the phonenumber of the bossnode, individual dns hostname) you can call a pointsystem directly ....
Does it make sense, to list the point in the pointlist instead of the nodelist? also this question can be answered yes. Please have a look into the pointlist for Region 50. You'll find many points with a T-flag ... an online flag, when their system is online for operation. Often this is some daytime for 1-2 or more hours or in the evening, but doesn't include ZMH (!), one of the requirements per P407 so the points doesn't qualify as a full node, so therefor they have their listing in the pointlist instead of the nodelist
Nodelist Status flags in Pointlists There are a couple of Pointlist formats (read FTS-5002 by Michiel van der Vlist). Some supports the Nodelist Status flags, some not.
The Point format replaces the Status field flag with "Point" for each pointline. It depends on the structure of this format, as it is a raw nodelist added with pointlines, listing of points have to be signaled as point lines instead of real nodes
The Poss format list is a mixture of the Boss format list and the Point format list. The Poss format list uses the status flag "Point" for all point lines even its not required here. Bossnodes are signaled with Boss,aka and there is no other fidonet structural administrative record (Zone, Region, Host, Hub) in there.
The Fake net format is a "fakenet nodelist" by its own. With Region and Host lines, where the Bossnodes are shifted to Hosts and Hosts are shifted to Regions (simplified explanation). So each Pointline is listed as a "Node" and can include a Status flag as per Nodelist specs
Z2PNT is distributed in Boss format. If you have to use a Point format list, this requires a conversion from Boss to a Point format list. In this step, the Status flags will be replaced by the converter to all "Point" lines. So the information is missing about the Points status.
This is an acceptable behavior as in the conversion step, probably all Hold and Down point lines will be removed as not convertable
The Boss format pointlist (probably) cannot operate on its own. A related nodelist is still required to match the Boss,aka line with a Node listing in the nodelist. Hence the pointlist compiler checks its Boss aka in the pointlist segment for a valid nodeline against current nodelist. Hold is defined temporarely not available, so the status may change next week. To make minimal changes complete segments in, complete segments out, the listing of Points eg with Hold status makes sense, the listing of a Bossnode that is Down, its expected to be forever, so Points of a Hold status flagged bossnode is a temporarely listing, that makes sense, to give the points a chance to search for another bossnode and the new bossnode sees, hey, the point is coming from ....
About the RNtrack problem RNtrack requires a POSS format pointlist ... so using Z2PNT you have to convert it from Boss to Poss before you can use it for RNtrack
Possible solutions: 1. send a feature request for RNtrack to also support BOSS format pointlists 2. convert the Z2PNT BOSS format list into a POSS format list before using it by RNtrack 3. check RNtrack config parameter "CheckPoints: Soft" if its suitable to your requirements
