6. How to install an "upgrade" to daemon version of LinFBB

6.1 LinFBB v7.02g

Notice: Well, the main trouble I have discovered with 7.01f daemon was the absence of Protus c_filter protection. As I told you before, Protus is a "third-party" product, so it might have some problems with the compatibility to LinFBB itself. Anyway, it is also possible that a daemon version of LinFBB has some special requirements over some "third-party" software.

• I also noticed that my version of Protus was newer than the version of daemon LinFBB I had at first. Beside that, some hams, as well as F6FBB himself, have suggested me to upgrade LinFBB. I have also found a "problem" that I am still new in compiling Linux software, so, I'd rather look for pre-compiled packages to install easily.

• Jose, HI8GN, has offered daemon LinFBB v7.02g as a .rpm package (18. September 2000). I got it from his site: http://hi8gn.dynip.com/indice.html. But, when I tried to install it over the previous version 7.01f, it complained about some existing LinFBB files.

• Then I had to uninstall the old package, after what some config files remained in their locations, but with new .rpmsave extensions. It was nice, so I could use them later to update my new-installed config files.

• Btw, the installation of Jose's package was performed without problems, but the new daemon was not likely to run as I expected, although I tried to configure it as best as I could. Not quite sure, but it looked to me that F6FBB is likely to implement some changes not only to the main executables but to shell files too. So, I have decided to save copies of these new xfbbd and xfbbC executables from 7.02g package (I have made it with adding extensions like .702 to the files). After that, I *uninstalled* the rest of that 7.02 .rpm, in order to install the previous version of LinFBB once again - the version that I was satisfied with.

• So far - so good. The "old" 7.01f version was installed again and tested one more time to be sure it was ok. Then, I just copied the previously saved executables from the new package, over the "old" executables. In a couple of minutes, the new daemon LinFBB v7.02g has come in place and function. Comments...?

• Well, the new daemon is likely to check for some more directories than the older version (mostly regarding 7plus operations). Next, its xfbbC console client looks better than the previous version. But, I still miss xfbbX client, that I have found not functional. I hope it will be fixed soon. Finally, Protus c_filter utility is active too.

• An interesting question might be: is that now a really upgraded LinFBB daemon or not? Actually, I haven't changed the "old" script xfbbd.sh with the new one, because during the first tests with the new 7.02 I was getting lots of error messages. Looks that the directory structure was a bit complicated for me to set properly within the new version of xfbbd.sh. After I returned to xfbbd.sh from 7.01 package, the BBS finally started to be run, though without some functions like over-night maintaining (that one problem I solve in a way to boot the BBS as WinFBB under Windows NT where that task is ok). In addition, there are still some mysterious messages telling that m_filter has not been found or something like that. The next tasks are to solve these issues.

6.2 LinFBB v7.03

Notice: As I have said in the previous section, I haven't found an easy way to upgrade FBB's (its main executables), without temporary uninstalling of an older version, then to install a newer version in order to get new executables. After that, a reverse procedure must be put in place.

• Well, it was needed to get 7.03 package (09. December 2000) as an .rpm package from www.f6fbb.org/versions.html, that was suggested by Jean-Paul, F6FBB. Anyway, soon after there appeared several mirror sites, offering 7.03 too.

• If you use GnomeRPM, it is easy to uninstall your actual LinFBB (If you just try to install new .rpm over the existing LinFBB you will get some error messages complaining that you already have FBB installed on the computer). Anyway, after the uninstallation, there you will find some config files as .rpmsave files, so you could use them later again.

• Installation of 7.03 package will give you new executables in /usr/sbin directory. Those new executables should be temporary given extensions like .703 (for example).

• So far - so good. Now you should *uninstall* the 7.03 package (of course, .703 files won't be unistalled automatically).

• Once again, you should *install* the last one version of LinFBB daemon, that works ok with its own xfbb.sh (in my case, that is 7.01f).

• For sure, many of you might find it odd, but now it is the right time for the executables from /usr/sbin (I mean of all fbb executables, except those who were renamed to .703) to get their new extensions (in my case, that is .701).

• Well, after that is performed, .703 files should *lose* their previously attached extensions, in order to become usable.

• Folks, on that point I usually hold my breath, cd to /usr/sbin and type: xfbb.sh following with an Enter. If everything is fine, several lines should scroll on the screen, ending with something like:

        xfbbC/X server running ...
        xfbbd ready and running ...
  

• If you don't get something similar on your xterm 'window' (or on other appropriate terminal utility), you're out of luck, so you might go thru the procedure once again in order to be sure you did all what was needed to be done :->

• /usr/sbin/xfbbC is the easiest way to check if your new 7.03 is in the game or not. When I mention xfbbC it is good to let you know, that I kept living in a belief that xfbbC is also useful for regular telnet users (who are also supposed to 'connect' to the BBS via the same computer's console, where LinFBB is running from). But, I have discovered that my users, who were not declared as sysops, are allowed to read all messages (including all private messages), as well as to have some other sysop's abilities. I did think it was a matter of probably wrong declared security flags. But, it was not.

• Recently, I was informed that xfbbC is suitable only for sysops, but other users (who also might have local keyboard access) should rather try:

        telnet localhost 6300
  

• ... where 'localhost' and '6300' may vary from system to system. I was pleasently surprised when discovered that telnet is much more useful for regular users than xfbbC.

• Folks, I think of making a section about the FBB's system configuration. Until something like that appear on the net, you should know that all of those callsigns who are going to use xfbbC have to be added into your passwd.sys file. And, all of those who are going to telnet into the BBS have to be declared as users with a 'M' flag (modem users). It is up to your security precautions, if either of them will have 'root' abilities to the Linux box.

• My next issue is to use an old 286/12 MHz box, having 1 MB of RAM and running DOS 5.0 as a 'telnet client' computer. That box also has a NIC and I would like to 'connect' to the BBS computer from that 'telnet client' box. Due to my preparation for starting another LinFBB in the local school club, where I should have several old 286 boxes, would be nice to offer more than one kid to 'connect' the BBS simultanously, using a bunch of 'telnet client' computers.