Because there is no direct interface between Claris Emailer and MacPPP we have to rely on AppleScript to close MacPPP. This is necessary because Claris Emailer cannot cope with a user-initiated hard close, if you use a hard close in MacPPP you will have to restart your Macintosh so that Claris Emailer can again access the port.
Claris Emailer includes AppleScripts which will open MacPPP, connect, gather mail then close PPP when finished. The purpose of this article is to take you through the process of configuring a machine to take advantage of this feature.
You will need:
"Internet using MacPPP" scripts. Installed in the AppleScripts for Schedules folder in the Support Files folder in the Claris Emailer folder. These need to be moved before you use them - place the "Internet using MacPPP" scripts in the AppleScript folder in the Claris Emailer Files folder.
MacPPP Control 1.4. THIS IS NOT INCLUDED WITH THE CLARIS EMAILER PRODUCT, this can be obtained from our WEB/FTP site. Make sure you are using version 1.4. This is to be installed in the Scripting Additions folder in the Extensions folder.
MacPPP. For Macs running Open Transport you need to be running FreePPP 1.0.5. For Macs running MacTCP (so-called Classic Networking) you should be running FreePPP 1.0.5 or MacPPP 2.2.0a.
Mac/FreePPP consists of two components: a control panel called ConfigPPP and an extension called PPP.
This will be further complicated with the imminent release of FreePPP 2.5 which will supplant previous versions of BOTH MacPPP and FreePPP. It will consist of an extension, PPP and a new control panel Setup FreePPP. In theory, FreePPP 2.5 should be the choice for both Open Transport and MacTCP when it is released.
Housekeeping, or caught between a soft and a hard close.
There is now a choice of two scripts for controlling PPP: Internet using MacPPP (Soft) and Internet using MacPPP (Hard). Internet using MacPPP (Soft) uses a soft close when it completes a connection, while Internet using MacPPP (Hard) uses a hard close. Using a hard close avoids a problem that MacPPP occasionally has with dialing, but when using the hard close script, you cannot do a Connect Now between scheduled connections.
If a customer is content to do only scheduled connections, use Internet using MacPPP (Hard). If they want to be able to do Connect Now, use Internet using MacPPP (Soft).
The script assumes the application is called Claris Emailer 1.0v3. If your copy of Claris Emailer is not called Claris Emailer 1.0v3, the script may prompt you to locate Claris Emailer 1.0v3 or you may edit the script.
The script connects to the default account of the Internet service. You can also connect to another service or a specific account by editing the script.
In Claris Emailer, create a schedule that will execute this script. Select AppleScript from the Execute pop-up menu and select the script from the AppleScript pop-up menu.