Hi all,

I'm about to move my sbbs to a new server so thought...what if I had a
script to do all the confiugrtion for me? It may help others who want
to get going with a BBS but not sure about jumping through all the
hoops to get it working.

I'm after feedback as to what could be added or changed to make it
better before maybe releasing it for others.

With the script I went from a freshly installed Ubuntu VPS to a ready
to run scfg SBBS in less than 10 minutes. Currently the script:

Gets the user to select their timezone

Creates an en_US.UTF-8 locale

adds a bbs user, sets up environment variables in .bashrc, creates
/sbbs etc.

Removes packages not needed or those that'll get in the way like
apache, postfix, and ldap.

Adds a source to sources.list, does and update and an update to make
sure the system is up to date.

Installs all the required packages for sbbs to compile and run

Changes binkd user/group to the BBS to the bbs user to avoid
permissions issues

Downloads and installs ansi-bbs terminfo file

Configures syslog so sbbs is logged to /var/log/sbbs

Fetches sbbs from CVS and compiles with SYMLINK=1 DEBUG=1 USE_DOSEMU=1

Reconfigures sshd to use port 24

Sets a password for the bbs user

Downloads a fully working DOSEMU environment and configure dosemu.conf
so no tweaking or configurtion is necessary


At this stage, the bbs should be ready to start, however on my todo
list:

Configure sbbs to use ports above 1024 and use iptable redirection for security.

Identify ipv6 and configure accordingly

Prompt user to create QWK account on vert

Configure ircd to run as independent jsexec process
sbbs.ini and services.ini tweaks

Prompt user to run scfg and the rest is down to them.


Suggestions? feedback? Am I wasting my time?

thanks,
Nigel

---
� Synchronet � End Of The Line BBS - endofthelinebbs.com

Re: Ubuntu Install Script
By: Nelgin to DOVE-Net.Synchronet_Discussion on Sat Dec 02 2017 04:17 pm

Configure ircd to run as independent jsexec process

use unreal instead :D

Suggestions? feedback? Am I wasting my time?

it depends on if you will be doing this several times. if you only use this script once or twice, you wasted your time.
---
� Synchronet � ::: BBSES.info - free BBS services :::

On Sat, 2 Dec 2017 22:21:28 -0600, "MRO" <mro@VERT/BBSESINF> wrote:

Re: Ubuntu Install Script
By: Nelgin to DOVE-Net.Synchronet_Discussion on Sat Dec 02 2017 04:17 pm

Configure ircd to run as independent jsexec process

use unreal instead :D

Suggestions? feedback? Am I wasting my time?

it depends on if you will be doing this several times. if you only use this >script once or twice, you wasted your time.

Maybe. not just for me but others who may want to run a BBS down the
line. They can do it out the box without the hours of looking up how
to setup a locale, figuring they need to uninstall apache otherwise
the web server bit wont work, dosemu working without jumping through
10 hoops etc.

I would have loved this when I had my nice fresh VPS and just wanted
it working. I want to spemd time getting the BBS to look like mine,
not trying to get it to work in the first place.

---
� Synchronet � End Of The Line BBS - endofthelinebbs.com

Re: Re: Ubuntu Install Script
By: Nelgin to All on Sun Dec 03 2017 01:04 am

Maybe. not just for me but others who may want to run a BBS down the
line. They can do it out the box without the hours of looking up how
to setup a locale, figuring they need to uninstall apache otherwise
the web server bit wont work, dosemu working without jumping through
10 hoops etc.

I would have loved this when I had my nice fresh VPS and just wanted
it working. I want to spemd time getting the BBS to look like mine,
not trying to get it to work in the first place.

it would probably be nice to have an install script that would setup some base doors with dosemu, and a few other things that snag people who arent familiar with linux.
---
� Synchronet � ::: BBSES.info - free BBS services :::

Re: Ubuntu Install Script
By: Nelgin to DOVE-Net.Synchronet_Discussion on Sat Dec 02 2017 04:17 pm

I'm about to move my sbbs to a new server so thought...what if I had a script to do all the confiugrtion for me? It may help others who want
to get going with a BBS but not sure about jumping through all the
hoops to get it working.

It'd probably be real easy to do something like this with Ansible. Set any variables that need to be set in a config file, then fire it off.

I thought about doing it once, but then realized I would only ever use it once.

Although I do think about writing an ansible script for updating from CVS and compiling on the BBS server..

DaiTengu

... It is easier to write an incorrect program than understand a correct one.

---
� Synchronet � War Ensemble BBS - The sport is war, total war - warensemble.com

Re: Re: Ubuntu Install Script
By: Nelgin to All on Sun Dec 03 2017 01:04 am

Maybe. not just for me but others who may want to run a BBS down the
line. They can do it out the box without the hours of looking up how
to setup a locale, figuring they need to uninstall apache otherwise
the web server bit wont work, dosemu working without jumping through
10 hoops etc.

Honestly, if a sysop isn't going to take the time to manually install things and tinker with settings, it's unlikely their BBS is going to get used by anyone but themselves. BBSes are not for the lazy (Trust me, I know, I'm lazy as fuck).




DaiTengu

... A group of the unfit appointed by the unwilling to do the necessary.

---
� Synchronet � War Ensemble BBS - The sport is war, total war - warensemble.com

Hello DaiTengu,

On Sun Dec 03 2017 16:44:04, DaiTengu wrote to Nelgin:

Although I do think about writing an ansible script for updating from
CVS and compiling on the BBS server..

Bash has been all I've ever needed for that scenario. I can share it with you if you'd like, though you'd most likely have to edit it for directory structure.

Regards,
Nick

... "Не знаю. Я здесь только работаю."
--- GoldED+/LNX 1.1.5-b20170303
* Origin: thePharcyde_ distribution system (Wisconsin) (723:1/1)
� Synchronet � thePharcyde_ telnet://bbs.pharcyde.org (Wisconsin)

Hello DaiTengu,

On Sun Dec 03 2017 16:47:06, DaiTengu wrote to Nelgin:

Honestly, if a sysop isn't going to take the time to manually install things and tinker with settings, it's unlikely their BBS is going to
get used by anyone but themselves. BBSes are not for the lazy (Trust
me, I know, I'm lazy as fuck).

Then you factor in once they do tinker with all that, about 95% of them are already burnt out, and their BBS ends up disappearing within a month after. ;)

Regards,
Nick

... "Не знаю. Я здесь только работаю."
--- GoldED+/LNX 1.1.5-b20170303
* Origin: thePharcyde_ distribution system (Wisconsin) (723:1/1)
� Synchronet � thePharcyde_ telnet://bbs.pharcyde.org (Wisconsin)

On Sun, 3 Dec 2017 20:24:18 -0600, "Accession"
<accession@VERT/PHARCYDE> wrote:

Hello DaiTengu,

On Sun Dec 03 2017 16:47:06, DaiTengu wrote to Nelgin:

Honestly, if a sysop isn't going to take the time to manually install things and tinker with settings, it's unlikely their BBS is going to
get used by anyone but themselves. BBSes are not for the lazy (Trust
me, I know, I'm lazy as fuck).

Then you factor in once they do tinker with all that, about 95% of them are >already burnt out, and their BBS ends up disappearing within a month after. ;)

I spent a lot of time trying to get dosemu working, iptables sorted
out, configuring sbbs.ini and services.ini to be more secure and not
run on lower ports, looking up how to setup locales (not set on a new
install it seems), and various other stuff. Some people just want to
run a BBS without a keep knowledge of Linux. Sure, they can run
Windows but most ISPs are not going to provide a static or block ports
or whatever. If they want to use a VPS then this will fully deploy
sbbs. They just need to setup an account on vert for QWK transfers and
ircd, if they want it, run scfg and configure their BBS name and other
stuff, and they're away. No having to find the terminfo, no having to
setup cvs, no dealing with binkd permissions...

I guess some people say that if you're going to run a BBS you should
know the ins and outs of it...maybe...I think that's a personal
choice.

---
� Synchronet � End Of The Line BBS - endofthelinebbs.com

Re: Ubuntu Install Script
By: Accession to DaiTengu on Sun Dec 03 2017 08:22 pm

Although I do think about writing an ansible script for updating
from CVS and compiling on the BBS server..

Bash has been all I've ever needed for that scenario. I can share it with you if you'd like, though you'd most likely have to edit it for directory structure.

Yeah, I already have a bash script to do that, I was talking about something that'd install from scratch, and I could fire off from my devbox.

something like:
# ansible-playbook sbbs.yml --tags update
Which would run the "update" portion of the Ansible playbook. Probably could break the playbook down to compile portions individually, so I could just update xtrn, or sbbsecho, and echicken's synchronet-web-v4 (which is a bit more involved, especially since I have customizations done)

I spend all day at work dealing with Ansible, I might as well put what I know to use...

DaiTengu

... Give me an example of pro and con. Progress and Congress.

---
� Synchronet � War Ensemble BBS - The sport is war, total war - warensemble.com

Re: Re: Ubuntu Install Script
By: DaiTengu to Nelgin on Sun Dec 03 2017 04:47 pm

Honestly, if a sysop isn't going to take the time to manually install things and tinker with settings, it's unlikely their BBS is going to get used by anyone but themselves. BBSes are not for the lazy (Trust me, I know, I'm lazy as fuck).

I think that's why I got into BBSing in the first place! Getting Telegard, FrontDoor, a two-step process that involved tossing packets to *.msg, then importing into the BBS, a dial-up modem and a file tosser all working on a DOS box with 1 meg of RAM dared me to get it all working. :)

---
� Synchronet � realitycheckBBS -- http://realitycheckBBS.org

Re: Ubuntu Install Script
By: Accession to DaiTengu on Sun Dec 03 2017 08:24 pm

Then you factor in once they do tinker with all that, about 95% of them are already burnt out, and their BBS ends up disappearing within a month after.

I've been in management for the past many years, and appreciate a technical challenge - that's what keeps me banging my head on this. If I were an admin during the day any more I sure wouldn't want to keep a BBS running at night!

---
� Synchronet � realitycheckBBS -- http://realitycheckBBS.org

Re: Re: Ubuntu Install Script
By: poindexter FORTRAN to DaiTengu on Mon Dec 04 2017 09:16 am

Honestly, if a sysop isn't going to take the time to manually
install things and tinker with settings, it's unlikely their BBS is
going to get used by anyone but themselves. BBSes are not for the
lazy (Trust me, I know, I'm lazy as fuck).

I think that's why I got into BBSing in the first place! Getting Telegard, FrontDoor, a two-step process that involved tossing packets to *.msg, then importing into the BBS, a dial-up modem and a file tosser all working on a DOS box with 1 meg of RAM dared me to get it all working. :)

Absolutely. Sitting down, figuring things out and failing, then doing it all over again until you succeed gives you an incredibly warm tingly feeling.

DaiTengu

... Cross-country skiing is great if you live in a small country.

---
� Synchronet � War Ensemble BBS - The sport is war, total war - warensemble.com

Hi all,

I'm about to move my sbbs to a new server so thought...what if I had a script to do all the confiugrtion for me? It may help others who want
to get going with a BBS but not sure about jumping through all the
hoops to get it working.

I'm after feedback as to what could be added or changed to make it
better before maybe releasing it for others.

With the script I went from a freshly installed Ubuntu VPS to a ready
to run scfg SBBS in less than 10 minutes. Currently the script:

Gets the user to select their timezone

Creates an en_US.UTF-8 locale

adds a bbs user, sets up environment variables in .bashrc, creates
/sbbs etc.

Removes packages not needed or those that'll get in the way like
apache, postfix, and ldap.

Adds a source to sources.list, does and update and an update to make
sure the system is up to date.

Installs all the required packages for sbbs to compile and run

Changes binkd user/group to the BBS to the bbs user to avoid
permissions issues

Downloads and installs ansi-bbs terminfo file

Configures syslog so sbbs is logged to /var/log/sbbs

Fetches sbbs from CVS and compiles with SYMLINK=1 DEBUG=1 USE_DOSEMU=1

Reconfigures sshd to use port 24

Sets a password for the bbs user

Downloads a fully working DOSEMU environment and configure dosemu.conf
so no tweaking or configurtion is necessary

At this stage, the bbs should be ready to start, however on my todo
list:

Configure sbbs to use ports above 1024 and use iptable redirection for security.

Identify ipv6 and configure accordingly

Prompt user to create QWK account on vert

Configure ircd to run as independent jsexec process
sbbs.ini and services.ini tweaks

Prompt user to run scfg and the rest is down to them.

Suggestions? feedback? Am I wasting my time?

thanks,
Nigel

That's pretty awesome, and I would love to be able to grab a script that helped out with all of that. I've been toying with possibly changing from hosting on a Windows machine at my house to a hosted VPS, that would be super helpful.

~KenDB3

---
� Synchronet � KD3net-Rhode Island's only BBS about nothing. http://bbs.kd3.us

Hello Nelgin,

On Mon Dec 04 2017 00:32:40, Nelgin wrote to All:

I guess some people say that if you're going to run a BBS you should
know the ins and outs of it...maybe...I think that's a personal
choice.

I most definitely wouldn't say that. Sometimes jumping in is the only way to learn. However, I would say that if you're going to setup a BBS and you don't know much (or anything) about it, you probably want to stick with an operating system you know fairly well. Otherwise you're just asking for headaches. It's one thing to try to learn how a BBS software works, but when the OS gets in the
way of that, now you're doubling your work load.

Then on the other hand, I'd probably at least try to learn the basics of an OS before trying to use it full time or better yet, deploy it as a server.

Last, I don't remember what distro you installed, but as far as I can recall, every Linux distro I've used in at least the past 5 years sets up your locale during initial installation of said distro, whether it be someting like Gentoo,
Slackware, Archlinux (no GUI until after OS install), or Ubuntu, Mint, Antergos, Manjaro (come with GUI during OS install). I don't think I've tried much else besides those listed though.

Maybe Ubuntu automatically sets up as UTF-8 now? I don't know. Haven't used it in awhile.

Regards,
Nick

... "Не знаю. Я здесь только работаю."
--- GoldED+/LNX 1.1.5-b20170303
* Origin: thePharcyde_ distribution system (Wisconsin) (723:1/1)
� Synchronet � thePharcyde_ telnet://bbs.pharcyde.org (Wisconsin)

Hello DaiTengu,

On Mon Dec 04 2017 03:01:38, DaiTengu wrote to Accession:

something like:
# ansible-playbook sbbs.yml --tags update
Which would run the "update" portion of the Ansible playbook. Probably could break the playbook down to compile portions individually, so I
could just update xtrn, or sbbsecho, and echicken's synchronet-web-v4 (which is a bit more involved, especially since I have customizations done)

I spend all day at work dealing with Ansible, I might as well put what
I know to use...

Odd. I've never heard of it! Is it some sort of external package manager that can be used with different distros or something? A quick google just states that it automates things. I still use bash scripting and cron jobs to automate things. Boy am I behind in the times. ;)

Regards,
Nick

... "Не знаю. Я здесь только работаю."
--- GoldED+/LNX 1.1.5-b20170303
* Origin: thePharcyde_ distribution system (Wisconsin) (723:1/1)
� Synchronet � thePharcyde_ telnet://bbs.pharcyde.org (Wisconsin)

Re: Re: Ubuntu Install Script
By: Nelgin to All on Mon Dec 04 2017 12:32 am

I guess some people say that if you're going to run a BBS you should
know the ins and outs of it...maybe...I think that's a personal
choice.

there's a certain personality type and skill set that goes well with setting up and running things. some people just dont have it. you can even do most of the work for them and they still crash and burn.
---
� Synchronet � ::: BBSES.info - free BBS services :::

Re: Ubuntu Install Script
By: Accession to DaiTengu on Tue Dec 05 2017 05:02 pm

I spend all day at work dealing with Ansible, I might as well put
what I know to use...

Odd. I've never heard of it! Is it some sort of external package manager that can be used with different distros or something? A quick google just states that it automates things. I still use bash scripting and cron jobs to automate things. Boy am I behind in the times. ;)

Automated deployment/configuraiton management. It's used mostly in environments where many servers do the same thing. It's similar to Salt, Puppet and Chef, if you've heard of those config management tools.

DaiTengu

... All things are possible. Except skiing through a revolving door.

---
� Synchronet � War Ensemble BBS - The sport is war, total war - warensemble.com

Hello DaiTengu,

On Tue Dec 05 2017 22:51:46, DaiTengu wrote to Accession:

Automated deployment/configuraiton management. It's used mostly in environments where many servers do the same thing. It's similar to
Salt, Puppet and Chef, if you've heard of those config management
tools.

Nope! Never heard of those either. I tend to stick with bash scripting and never really looked at or for anything else. ;)

Regards,
Nick

... "Не знаю. Я здесь только работаю."
--- GoldED+/LNX 1.1.5-b20170303
* Origin: thePharcyde_ distribution system (Wisconsin) (723:1/1)
� Synchronet � thePharcyde_ telnet://bbs.pharcyde.org (Wisconsin)

I think that's why I got into BBSing in the first place! Getting Telegard, PF>FrontDoor, a two-step process that involved tossing packets to *.msg, then PF>importing into the BBS, a dial-up modem and a file tosser all working on a D PF>box with 1 meg of RAM dared me to get it all working. :)

For me, GT Power under Dial-up, with InterMail and a utility called
FIDOGate to toss the stuff, was my deal. For my 32nd birthday, my
brother got with a friend, to get me an 8088 XT, with 640K of RAM, a 20 Megabyte Hard Drive, a 3.5" and a 5.25" floppy drive, a keyboard, DOS
3.2, and a monochrome green monitor. That was the birthplace of The
Thunderbolt BBS in 1992.

This friend was working at Arkansas Children's Hospital, just west of downtown Little Rock...and they were upgrading their computers. I got it
for free, so I couldn't complain.

Daryl

---
� OLX 1.53 � Why do nurses leave the room when you get undressed??
� Synchronet � The Thunderbolt BBS - wx1der.dyndns.org

Absolutely. Sitting down, figuring things out and failing, then doing it all
over again until you succeed gives you an incredibly warm tingly feeling.

When you get the BBS to work right, you feel "so accomplished".

... Cross-country skiing is great if you live in a small country.

Or like out to the mailbox from your front porch and back. <G>

Daryl
---
� OLX 1.53 � Why do old men wear their pants higher than younger men?
� Synchronet � The Thunderbolt BBS - wx1der.dyndns.org