Path: utzoo!utgpu!water!watmath!clyde!rutgers!rochester!cornell!batcomputer!itsgw!steinmetz!davidsen
From: davidsen@steinmetz.steinmetz.UUCP (William E. Davidsen Jr)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.questions
Subject: Re: BBS software that runs under System V...
Message-ID: <8577@steinmetz.steinmetz.UUCP>
Date: 11 Jan 88 16:16:22 GMT
References: <1895@cadovax.UUCP>
Reply-To: davidsen@crdos1.UUCP (bill davidsen)
Organization: General Electric CRD, Schenectady, NY
Lines: 98

In article <1895@cadovax.UUCP> mitchell@cadovax.UUCP (Mitchell Lerner) writes:
| ...
| We are interested in starting a Cadol BBS.  I would appreciate
| it if any of you know where I could get some BBS software that we
| could run under System V (shareware/public domain is preferable).
| 
| Also, please mention some of the features of the package/program that 
| you are refering to as there will be specific feature that we wil need.

I am running two sets of software currently. They are:

  UNaXcess - contact allbery@ncoast.uucp
	readonly conferences
	fairwitness
	membership conferences
	table driven
	passwords are stored encrypted
	excellent audit trail via LOGFILE
	
	I have hacked this heavily, changing the menus, adding
	YMODEM, ZMODEM and SEAlink. There is a version later than
	1.00.02 available. By the terms of the copyright I can't
	distribute my changes. I do not feel that there is any
	reason why I can't distribute my utilities, but the
	documentation is not ready.

  XBBS - contact sandy@alphacm.uucp
	RBBS-like interface
	allows access levels on commands, files, and areas
	allows reading of info files
	allows access to commands (I added a few games)
	Has almost every known file xfer protocol
	Allows display of contents of .arc, .tar,
	  and .tar.Z files. I added zoo, don't know if sandy has.
	Has a configurable questionare for new users. I added a
	  few things to the querry language and mailed them to
	  sandy, don't know if he like them.
	configuration file allows some changes without compilation

What I don't like about them:

  UNaXcess:
	permissions are not a bit map, I can't have a user class
	  which can read messages and download, but not upload, and
	  other special mixtures like that.
	does not have the ability to display the contents of archives
	  and/or extract text files for ASCII download.
	comments are a bit terse (the version posted to the net
	  may have had comments stripped for size limitations)

  XBBS
	uses a packed message file rather than one message/file.
	  This saves inodes but requires recycling message numbers.
	System maintenence tools are not as convenient as UNaXcess,
	  and the documentation is sparse, even by UNIX standards.
	No membership conferences.
	Passwords stored as text
	Not table driven (I changed some of that)
	No easy way to enter a message from a file (I may have missed it)
	Poor trail of uploads, user activity, etc (may have been enhanced)

Summary:
  UNaXcess takes much less effort to maintain. It offers a number of
features not available in XBBS.

  XBBS has a user interface similar to RBBS. It is less formal and well
suited for a more casual BBS. If the sysop is just keeping things under
control as opposed to heavy interraction, it is quite acceptable to run.

Why am I running two systems:

  I wanted to try XBBS.  No better way than to install it.  I can share
files (but not messages) with UNaXcess.  My original BBS, which I
operate for the local UNIX SIG, requires that users wanting files access
either join the group, upload useful software, or pay a one time
registration fee. 

  The XBBS system is totally free, but depends on uploads for its files.
The selection is minimal at present, but I'm seeing a pickup in usage. I
wanted to see if people would use the free system over the pay system,
and if the message traffic would be higher on one than the other. There
is a unix-pc area on the UNaXcess BBS.

  If you want to try either of these, you can call 518-346-8033 any
time. For UNaXcess login as bbs, then NEW, then answer questions. You
will be able to up/download from the guest area, read all message areas
and leave messages in guest. Anyone will be validated for message access
in a few days. For XBBS login as xbbs, then your name. Anyone who fills
out the questionare will be validated for everything, currently
including games.

  There are other BBSs out there, PicoSpan on chinet and magpie on
magpie. Pico is commercial, I don't think magpie is available to other
right now, when it is I'll run it because I like it.
-- 
	bill davidsen		(wedu@ge-crd.arpa)
  {uunet | philabs | seismo}!steinmetz!crdos1!davidsen
"Stupidity, like virtue, is its own reward" -me