From 62c3b71c98333af43d3f6a1a4f2cfd81edc90464 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Michiel Broek This FAQ is a work in progress. It is not complete, nor does its
-author claim that it is complete. This FAQ only answers questions pertaining
-to using MBSE BBS on your Linux box. It is a compilation of previous questions
-that Michiel Broek has recieved and answered from us newbies in getting
-MBSE up & running.
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MBSE BBS FAQ and Howto.
- Last updated 06-Nov-2002
Author: P.E. Kimble aka King Kimerud
- Introduction
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kimerud@bayhaus.org
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-Go Back
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- 1. Installation.
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- Q 1.1
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- Why do I have to install MBSE in the /opt directory?
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- A 1.1
- The /opt is for extra applications, when mbse is installed there
-it is easier to upgrade the OS. If you insist on installing in /usr/local
-the choose /usr/local/mbse.
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- Q 1.2
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- What other operating systems will MBSE run on?
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- A 1.2
- Currently only on most Linux distributions, FreeBSD and NetBSD.
-The author, Michiel Broek, has made a valiant effort ensuring that MBSE will
-recognize and install on the major distributions of Linux.
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Q 1.3 - | -Will MBSE BBS ever be ported to DOS/Windows or OS/2? | -
A 1.3 | -No. | -
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Q 1.4 - | -What does the guest switch in BBS user setup mean? | -
A 1.4 | -Nothing yet. | -
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Q 1.5 - | -How do I monitor as the things happen? | -
A 1.5 | -tail -f /opt/mbse/log/system.log or start mbmon. | -
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Q 1.6 - | -How to start mbsebbs from inetd? | -
A 1.6 | -This is described in the documentation of the -mblogin - program. | -
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Q 1.7 - | -I just installed mbse, now I get a Socket send failed error -2. | -
A 1.7 | - With a normal system boot the mbtask daemon will be started
-by one of the systems init scripts. If you just installed mbse you need to
-do this for the first time manually. As user mbse issue the following
-commands:
- -mbtask -mbstat open - -- This will start the daemon, the daemon creates the default databases. Then -you can use mbsetup to configure your new system. |
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Q 2.1 - | -The nodelist compiler crashes, why? | -
A 2.1 | - Note: From previous experience, it is vital that you follow
-the docs closely. Also, ensure that you have a copy of a valid nodelist
-and nodediff file. I have ran into problems where either the noddiffs don't
-match the nodelist, the crc checks fail, or I have files from two different
-zones. I have even had to back up several months before finding a valid
-noddiff that would match the nodelist. - Make sure the domain translations do exist, with mbsetup enter menu 17 -and save it even if you didn't change anything. |
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Q 2.2 - | -What is the purpose of the "Comment" line in the tic area setup? - | -
A 2.2 | -The downlinks will see this when receiving FileMgr replies. -It is meant only as a description for the filearea. | -
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Q 2.3 - | -How do I poll a node? | -
A 2.3 | -mbout poll f2802.n280.z2 | -
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Q 2.4 - | -I created a filerequest but mbcico doesn't call out. | -
A 2.4 | -You need to add a poll for that node to do the call. | -
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Q 2.5 - | -Does MBSE support fidonet via ftp transfers? | -
A 2.5 | -Yes, but only the passive side. Refer to 3.2. - | -
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Q 2.6 - | -The tosser and mbmsg programs are slow, why? | -
A 2.6 | --Tossing mail and linking message areas are background tasks. When mbse was first -developed the hardware was not fast enough to run these programs at full speed. -The mailer could give CRC errors and the bbs seemed to stop now and then. -To overcome this problem all programs started with the -quiet switch (background -jobs) are stopping for short periods so that they would use less system -resources. Systems with SCSI disks or other fast and well designed machines -don't have a need for that slowdown. In mbsetup menu 1.5.17 is the setting for the -speed of all utility programs, the default is slow. You might try this set to -fast and see what happens on your system. - | -
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Q 3.1 - | -Posting newsmessages to the newsserver fails. | -
A 3.1 | -Check if you need the "mode reader" command for the newsserver. -Set this flag in mbsetup 1.15.5 | -
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Q 3.2 - | -How do I configure MBSE for my ftp filenet feeds? | -||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
A 3.2 | -
- Follow the next steps to setup your system for FTP clients.
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Q 4.1 + | +How to set up MBSE for ISDN. | +
A 4.1 | + Contributed by: J. Beekhuizen, 2:280/1018
+
+
+ Of course, you have to configure and build your kernel for ISDN + support and the correct drivers for your card. It is beyond the scope + of this document to explain how to do that. +To your /etc/inittab file add the following lines for your ISDN + devices ttyI0 and ttyI1. +# ISDN lines+ To your mgetty.config file [/usr/local/etc/mgetty_sendfax/mgetty.config + on my system] set up the ttyI0 and ttyI1 ports. With AT&E you set + the MSN/EAZ the device should listen to. This should for an MSN be your + telephone number with the area code but without the leading + 0. For an EAZ the last digit of your EAZ. + + + The ISDN ports +port ttyI0+ From the mbsetup menu #5 "Edit Modem types" configure the ISDN + modem type. + + Modem type ISDN Linux+ And from #6 "Edit TTY lines info" the ISDN lines + + + TTY name ISDN Line 1+ T-t-that's all folks :)) |
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+
Q 4.2 + | +How do I use GoldED together with MBSE? | +
A 4.2 | + Since MBSE BBS version 0.33.12 GoldED and MBSE BBS can be used
+ together without problems as long as you use it to read the sysop mail.
+ The mbsetup program can export a file called /opt/mbse/etc/golded.inc
+ which will contain your main Aka's, Aka matching, sysop name and all your
+ mail areas. This file is only (re)created if you change the global settings
+ or one of the mail areas. The first time you must force this by making
+ a change somewhere.
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+ Now create /opt/mbse/etc/golded.cfg, here is what I wrote: +; GoldED.cfg+ Put in /opt/mbse/.profile the following line: export GOLDED=$HOME/etc + + + When you now start GoldED you use it as the sysop. Make sure that +the sysop's userrecord is the first user in the MBSE BBS userbase. If not, +the lastread pointers are not right. The GoldED nodelist compiler can be +added to the setup in menu 18. + |
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Q 4.3 + | +How do I use MsgEd together with MBSE? | +
A 4.3 | +Since MBSE BBS version 0.35.05 MsgEd and MBSE BBS can be used + together without problems as long as you use it to read the sysop + mail. The mbsetup program can export a file called /opt/mbse/etc/msg.txt + which will contain your mail areas setup. This file is only + (re)created if you change the global settings or one of the mail +areas. The first time you must force this by making a change somewhere. + | +
Q 5.1 + | +How do I run DOS doors under MBSE BBS? | +
A 5.1 | +
+ Written by: Redy Rodriguez, sysop of Parolas BBS 2:348/609+ NO WARANTEE +The information gathered here, works for the indicated intention. + It is proven and working in PAROLAS BBS, however, I do not guarantee + that it works correctly in all the cases. The author is not responsible + for the damage this can cause. If you follow the instructions, and you + get not the expected result, or as a result of it you get undesired results, + you loose data or destroy your system, you you will be the only person + in charge. +INTRODUCTION +This document describes how I have been able to execute MS/DOS + doors in MBSEBBS. Probably it is not the best way to do it, but this + is the one that works for me. If somebody finds one more more effective, + or simpler or safer a solution, the I like to hear this solution. +WHAT IS NEEDED? +MBSEBBS is correctly compiled and working, in my case I have the +version 0.33.19, that is at the moment the most recent and stable, I suppose +that this method can be valid for newer versions. DOSEMU 1.0.2 I have tried +previous versions, but these do not work correctly with virtual ports. You +can download dosemu.1.02.tgz from www.dosemu.org + , you may also need to download the freedos archive dosemu-freedos-bin-1.02.tgz. + A partition with MS/DOS, I have on my disc a partition with installed + MS/DOS, and that is the one that I use, but I'm sure that many doors + could work correctly with the freedos. You also need sudo. Sudo + is a utility that let's ordinary users execute certain programs as superuser, + this is available with almost all Linux distributions. +COMPILING DOSEMU +Unpack dosemu in some directory, for example /usr/src, then changed + into that directory and execute 'make'. When this is ready we have +dosemu compiled. If we already had a previous version of dosemu it is +advisable to uninstall it before continuing. Copy dosemu-freedos-bin-1.02.tgz +to the toplevel directory of the dosemu source and execute: +./install_systemwide -fd dosemu-freedos-bin-1.02.tgz+ In the directory etc, within the directory where we have decompressed + the source code of dosemu we have configuration examples. Create the + directory /var/lib/dosemu if it does not exist the directory, and copy + global.conf to that directory. Also copy dosemu.conf to directory /etc + and copy dosemu.users.secure as dosemu.users to /etc. + + + CONFIGURE THE DOS PARTITION +Now we must configure the dos partition, in my case this exists + as a mounted dos partition in /dos/c. If this is not the case then you + could work with an image of freedos. I have created in my dos partition + a directory c:\doors where I install all doors that I want to use, and + a file called c:\doors.bat with the following contents: +@echo off+ Change to the directory /var/lib/dosemu and create directory + called for example 'c': + + + mkdir c.+ A link to the mounted partition could be made but I prefer +to create a new directory and in that directory make links to dos program + which are only of interest for us. Many programs and directories of the + dos partition are not needed in dosemu and to run doors. Change to the + created directory and make links to everything what we have in our dos + partition (we will erase soon what we do not need). Autoexec.bat and +config.sys must copied instead of making links so we can modify them, because +surely we will want that they are different in dosemu, then in real dos. + + + cd c+ Create a directory dosemu and copy the typical utilities of +dosemu. + + mkdir dosemu+ Now we modify the copy of config.sys and autoexec.bat to erase + everything what is not necessary to execute our games as doors, like + drivers for cdrom, mouse etc... We will clear the keyboard driver 'KEYB + XX' and make sure that in the path in autoexec.bat to include the directory + c:\dosemu. Also load the fossil emulator, for example add these two lines: + + + path %PATH%:c:\dosemu+ If there is another fossil, such as bnu or x00 in config.sys + or autoexec.bat we clear all references to these, we will load them +if that is necessary in the file that it executes the door when needed, + this can be necessary for some doors and for other not. Now we can erase + all the links to the directories who are not necessary, and that we do + not want that they are visible. + + + Then edit the file /etc/dosemu.conf and look for the line that + begins with "$_hdimage =" and change that to: +$_hdimage = "c"+ Now login as root and you should be able to execute our dos +emulator by executing '/usr/bin/dosemu.bin' + + + (to leave dosemu type in exitemu) +CONFIGURING SUDO +Normally the dos partition is not accessible to the users of the +BBS, except from within dosemu, and to be able to have access without activating +the setuid bit of dosemu, we use sudo so that any user of the BBS can execute +dosemu.bin as root. As root execute visudo to edit the configuration file +of sudo add the lines: +%bbs ALL=NOPASSWD:/opt/mbse/bin/bbsdoor.sh+ The first command is a script that takes care of copying the + file door.sys to the dos partition, the second line is to allow to +execute dosemu.bin. Any user of group BBS can execute these commandos +like root without password is asked. + + + In order to test that this works login as user mbse and execute: + +sudo dosemu.bin+ INSTALLING A DOOR +First we need a pair of scripts. These scripts are installed when +you did install MBSE. These scripts are needed to execute the doors and are +installed in /opt/mbse/bin: +--- rundoor.sh ---+ The script rundoor.sh is never called directly, simply create + a link with the name of the door to this file, this name must be the +same as the one of the .bat file that starts the door in the doors directory + of the dos partition. Let me explain this with an example: + + + I have chosen the door Virtual Sysop, but it could be any other + door. My experience says to me that not all doors work correctly with + a serial port in virtual mode. This one is working at Parolas BBS. +Unpack Virtual Sysop in the dos partition, in the directory c:\doors\vsysop. + Execute as user mbse 'sudo dosemu.bin' and make sure that the door +works in local mode (these commands are for this door): +cd doors+ If everything is correct then create the file c:\doors\vsysop.bat + with the following contents: + + + --- vsysop.bat ---+ Before passing the control to dosemu, the file door.sys will + be copied to c:\doors\node???? where the ???? is the node number from + which the door is invoked (to allow that several users can execute the + door at the same time). This nodenumber also is passed as the first parameters + to the .bat file, this is to indicate to which directory to copy the door.sys + file. + + The Virtual Sysop door supports door.sys and that is the only + dropfile that is generated by mbsebbs and that is supported by most +of the doors. If you need another format you must use a converter to change + the format of the dropfile. +I use the fossil X00, I have it installed in C:\COMUNIC\X00 and + this door works for me correctly with these parameters, it is alos possible + that it works without X00 or that you can load another fossil. + +Now create a link to rundoor.sh in /opt/mbse/bin called vsysop. + The name must be the same one that the name of the .bat file created + in the dos partition, but without the extension bat. +ln -s /opt/mbse/bin/rundoor.sh /opt/mbse/bin/vsysop+ Now we execute mbsetup and enter the menu setup to add an entrance + like this (It puts option 16 to Yes): + + + 8.3. EDIT MENU ITEM+ And that is everything... |
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Q 5.2 + | +Dosemu compile tips | +
A 5.2 | +
+ Written by: Rick Van Ruth, sysop of Vampyre's Heaven BBS 3:640/954+ Dosemu still exhibits some file locking behaviour and this needs + to be overcome, especially if you are running multinode door games. The + following information was supplied by Bob Newell of Chung Kuo BBS (telnet + chungkuo.org) and I reiterate it here. + + + There is an issue in that Linux file locking does not map precisely + to DOS file locking. You need to patch DOSEMU and build a special version + to deal with this problem. Find the file "dosext/mfs/mfs.c" in your + DOSEMU source tree. Locate the following lines: +case DENY_ANY:+ and build a new version of DOSEMU. + + + To solve a problem of slow screen painting, locate "base/async/int.c" + in your source tree. Locate +case 0x2C:+ and rebuild your DOSEMU. + + It is recommended to use both tips above as it will not harm +any dos door games. + |
+
+
Q 5.3 + | +Setting up for InterBBS games. | +
A 5.3 | +
+ Written by: Rick Van Ruth, sysop of Vampyre's Heaven BBS 3:640/954+ There are 2 methods for providing InterBBS setup. If your system + merely connects to one host for your games packets you need only perform + a few simple steps to have it working. If your system is a Host for InterBBS + games you will also need to add a script to separate different packets + for different downlink systems. + + Common to Both Methods: + With most BBS games you will need 2 directories in your dos +filesystem area. One for the inbound packets and one for netmail messages +door games produce to send outbound packets. + + + The easiest way to solve this is by creating symlinks from your + MBSE directories into the directory where your dos doors live (c:\doors). + The 2 directories you wish to link are /opt/mbse/var/inbound and /opt/mbse/var/msgs + - link them into your dos directories doors directory with the same +names ie: "inbound" and "msgs". Now according to dosemu you will have +a c:\doors\inbound and a c:\doors\msgs. We do not actually use the "msgs" +directory for anything other than a place to tell games where to write +its netmails to. These "netmails" are subsequently deleted from the system, +but the games need to be able to write them there. +1. The Easy Way - Single Host System: 1A.First of all you will realise that door games running under + dosemu usually write files as owner root, chmod 0644. This is not good + for MBSE to transfer these files as it does not have permission to act + on the files. In order to force dosemu to write games files so that MBSE + can act upon them we need to alter /etc/sudoers and change the umask for + root running under sudo. To do this open /etc/sudoers (you must be root + to edit this file) and add the following line at the top of the file before + the specifications: +Defaults umask=0000 +This will allow dosemu to write files chmod 0666 (read/write everybody)
+ and MBSE will be able to manipulate them. For my example I will use the InterBBS dos door game called Barren + Realms Elite (BRE for short). +1B. Install Bre in c:\doors\bre and setup the necessary files + for its execution as a dos door from MBSE as per the dos doors faq. + +1C. Tell Bre (in its BBS.CFG) that the path for inbound packets + is c:\doors\inbound and the netmail path is c:\doors\msgs Bre will now + automatically process all inbound packets it finds in the inbound directory + for itself. It needs no assistance as it merely searches for the correct + filename in the directory. +1D. We need to link Bre's outbound path to our host nodes MBSE + mailbox for automatic transfer of games packets. First make sure you + have added an "outbox" for your uplink node in the nodes setup in MBSE + - Section 7, Select Uplink, Menu 1, Section 2 "outbox dir". eg: if your + uplink is 3:640/954 then MBSE will default to creating /opt/mbse/var/boxes/node3_640_954 + as the outbox (I will use this as an example). Note the flavour of your + uplinks node connection will apply to the outbox as well. Thus if that +particular node is set crashmail then anything you put in the outbox will +also be sent crashmail. +Next go to your Bre game directory. You will notice Bre has an + OUTBOUND directory, this is where it places all its game packets that + are to be sent to the uplink. We need to delete this directory and instead + create a symlink to the node outbox instead. If Bre is in c:\doors\bre + then the symlink command will be: +ln -s /opt/mbse/var/boxes/node3_640_954 /dos/c/doors/bre/OUTBOUND +Alter the above depending on where your linux path to your dos + is, also remember linux is case sensitive! Note you can also make as + many synlinks as you like to the nodes outbox, so if you have 2 or 3 +different games you send to that node you can link the outbox to each +games outbound directory. Also if you have different games to different +host nodes just link the game outbound directories to the outboxes of each +node. +Thats it. The system will now process inbound and outbound packets + automatically. You will however need to delete the netmails in the msgs + directory - I have included this in the Door game maintenance section + further on. +If you experience problems with your system polling nodes and +sending the game mail packets while a user is online within the game then +you might wish to use the dos "share.exe" so packet files are not being accessed +by both the game and the mailer at the same time. You can load share.exe +within your doors.bat in dos root directory. +2. The Hard Way - Multiple Host System +Follow steps 1A, 1B, 1C above, the change occurs for 1D (below). 1D. We need a script to process the Bre outbound packets and add +them to MBSE's node outboxes path so they are sent. A script on how to do +this follows (with comments ). First remember to create your outboxes for +each node that you transfer games packets to. I will use 3:640/954 as above +and 1:123/456 for this example of 2 systems linked to the one Bre game. + +This script should be owned by user "mbse" and have the permissions + (chmod 755) -rwxr-xr-x. It is best kept in /opt/mbse/bin with your +dos game executing scripts. I call this script "dos_poll" +------------------------------------------------------------------------+ |
+
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Q 5.4 + | +Door Maintenance. | +
A 5.4 | +
+ Written by: Rick Van Ruth, sysop of Vampyre's Heaven BBS 3:640/954+ Ok, so you can setup doors, run inbound and outbound for interbbs + games. So how do you do maintenance? + Again by scripts. Again I will use BRE as an example. First +I create a maintenance batch file in my C: root directory. I have called + it maint.bat and for the bre game it looks like this: + + + cd \doors\bre+ if you are familiar with Bre you will know this to be a standard + sort of maintenance except for the "exitemu" at the end. That is there + because we are going to use a script to start dosemu and call the maint.bat + - so afterwards we need it to exit dosemu. + Now a maintenance script to be called from your cron or whatever + else you are using to execute events on your system. I call this script + "dos_maint" and it also lives in /opt/mbse/bin + #!/bin/sh+ You will notice this script starts dosemu and calls maint.bat, + and then when its finished there it deletes all those games netmails + and if you run the script for multiple hosts for your games it can call + that as well. Please note the second line is all ONE line, it has most + probably wrapped here. + + You will notice that the script calls dosemu and not dosemu.bin, + this is because we need to tell dosemu to open a dumb terminal and not + display to a console or screen. By use of the redirection we redirect + the normal console output to a file, here I have used /opt/mbse/log/dos.log + as that is where all of MBSE's other logs reside. +Once "dos_maint" is run via the cron it will run maintenance on +your dos doors, process inbound/outbound interBBS game packets and have your +outbound packets ready to send. Thats about all there is to do :) +Note: You can make variants on these scripts for running daily
+ maintenance or just packet processing at certain times of day. They
+are just variations on the information above, but if you have questions,
+contact me! Have fun! + |
+