====== Your first configuration ======

Open **PBConfig** (''PBConfig.exe'' in your install folder, or **Configure ProBoard** at the end of PBInstall). All settings are on one window, with a sidebar of screens down the left side.

{{ :v4:images:config-main.png?900 |PBConfig}}
//Figure 1. PBConfig with its sidebar.//

The sidebar is grouped like this:

^ Group ^ Screens ^
| General | Options, Protocol Configuration. |
| Areas | Message Areas, Message Area Groups, File Areas, File Area Groups. |
| Access | User Editor, Time / Download Limits. |
| System | Menu Editor, Sysop Macros, Events, Personal Files, Language Editor, Validate Templates. |
| Network | Services, and a screen for each subsystem: Telnet Server, SSH Server, RLogin, Login Guard, PBWeb, FTP Server, NNTP Server, PBMailer, PBToss, QWK and others. |
| Tools | Upgrade Data. |

A screen is saved when you click **Save** on it. PBConfig asks if you try to leave a screen with unsaved changes.

===== Name your board =====

Open **Options**. It has pages along the top; choose **Site Info**.

^ Setting ^ What to enter ^
| System name | The name callers see. |
| Location | Your city or region. |
| Sysop name | Your name. This is the name your sysop account will use. Spell it exactly as you will type it at logon. |
| Default origin line | The line added to the end of echo messages you post. |
| Number of nodes | How many callers can be on at once. Start with the number you expect, not the largest number allowed. |

===== Check the folders =====

Choose the **Paths** page. A new install already points every path at your install folder, but look at it once: menus, text files, messages, uploads, private files, plug-ins (''PEX''), RIP files and icons. If you moved the board from another folder, every path must be changed to match.

===== Decide who can join =====

Choose **New Users**. The settings that matter on day one are:

  * **New user level.** The security level a brand-new caller gets. Choose the level that can read and post but not use sysop features. Levels, limits and flags are described in the Time / Download Limits screen.
  * **New user flags.** The flag set a new caller starts with.
  * What the new-user questionnaire asks: ANSI, AVATAR, phone numbers, state, country, address and sex.

Choose **Security** for password retries and what happens after repeated mistakes.

===== Check which services are on =====

Open **Network > Services**. It lists every port the board can open in one place. A green **ON** button means the service listens; red **OFF** means it is switched off. For now you need only **Telnet**, which is on by default at port 23. Leave the others alone until you need them; each is described in the section on connecting callers.

If you change a port or switch a service, you must restart PBDispatch. PBConfig offers to do this when you save.

===== Look at what is already there =====

A new install is a working demonstration board. Take a few minutes to open **Message Areas**, **File Areas** and **Menu Editor** and see what exists. You will rename and replace these later.

Click **Save** on each screen you changed, then go on to [[v4:start:start_dispatch|Starting PBDispatch]].