Hi everyone,

Due to things out of my control, I will have to rebuild my BBS from scratch
on Saturday. I'll be switching from Slackware to Devuan Linux for the OS
and will be setting up a fresh install of MBSE. I will be copying some
stuff from this current install but I will be setting up the messaging
system from scratch. I'll be making a few improvements along the way.

I am not expecting to take too long to do this. If it runs later than
Sunday, I'll ask Andrew to take over hubbing duties so the mail can keep running.

I have been having a rather serious flare-up of my diabetic neuropathy in my hands for unknown reasons and it has been hurting a lot to type for the past week. It hasn't been too bad today and if it continues to stay the same or, what I really hope for, improves, I will get this done.

I appreciate your patience with me on this. An unexpected problem with an unknown cause has crept into my BBS and I suspect it is because of a combination of experimental code and experimental updates to the operating system have caused this issue.

I do have a full backup of the current BBS if there are unexpected issues
but from what I can see now there shouldn't be any.

This is not how I want to spend my Saturday but this will bring improvements
in speed and reliability with my server, both of which are always wanted.

If you have any questions or comments, please netmail me or email me at zc@minftn.net.

Thanks,
Sean


--- MBSE BBS v1.0.7.22 (GNU/Linux-x86_64)
* Origin: Outpost BBS * Micronet World HQ (618:618/1)

Re: Downtime
By: Sean Dennis to All on Thu Jun 17 2021 10:57 pm

Hi everyone,

Due to things out of my control, I will have to rebuild my BBS from scratch on Saturday. I'll be switching from Slackware to Devuan Linux for the OS and will be setting up a fresh install of MBSE. I will be copying some stuff from this current install but I will be setting up the messaging system from scratch. I'll be making a few improvements along the way.

I am not expecting to take too long to do this. If it runs later than Sunday, I'll ask Andrew to take over hubbing duties so the mail can keep running.

I have been having a rather serious flare-up of my diabetic neuropathy in my hands for unknown
reasons and it has been hurting a lot to type for the past week. It hasn't been too bad today a
if it continues to stay the same or, what I really hope for, improves, I will get this done.

I appreciate your patience with me on this. An unexpected problem with an unknown cause has cre
into my BBS and I suspect it is because of a combination of experimental code and experimental
updates to the operating system have caused this issue.

I do have a full backup of the current BBS if there are unexpected issues but from what I can see now there shouldn't be any.

This is not how I want to spend my Saturday but this will bring improvements in speed and reliability with my server, both of which are always wanted.

If you have any questions or comments, please netmail me or email me at zc@minftn.net.

Thanks,
Sean

Too bad to hear about your hands. I hope they get better soon. We want our favourite operator back
in the fray!

Are you running Slackware -current? I rarely see a troublesome Slackware upgrade. Devuan is quite
an ok distribution though. Then, maybe you could take a stab at OpenBSD :-)

Kind regards.

--
gopher://gopher.richardfalken.com/1/richardfalken
--- SBBSecho 3.14-Linux
* Origin: Palantir * palantirbbs.ddns.net * Pensacola, FL * (618:250/24)

Arelor wrote to Sean Dennis:

Too bad to hear about your hands. I hope they get better soon. We want our favourite operator back
in the fray!

It comes and it goes.

Are you running Slackware -current? I rarely see a troublesome Slackware upgrade. Devuan is quite
an ok distribution though. Then, maybe you could take a stab at OpenBSD
:-)

I was running Slackware -current and it broke a lot of things (this was an attempt to fix something else that broke). I've always been a fan of Debian though when they switched to systemd, I quit using it. Devuan is
systemd-free and has so far been functioning quite nicely on my workstation.

I have thought about OpenBSD but quite frankly I am not interested in the learning curve.

-- Sean


--- MBSE BBS v1.0.7.22 (GNU/Linux-x86_64)
* Origin: Outpost BBS * Micronet World HQ (618:618/1)

Re: Re: Downtime
By: Sean Dennis to Arelor on Fri Jun 18 2021 09:54 am

Are you running Slackware -current? I rarely see a troublesome Slackware upgrade. Devuan is
quite
an ok distribution though. Then, maybe you could take a stab at OpenBSD :-)

I was running Slackware -current and it broke a lot of things (this was an attempt to fix someth
else that broke). I've always been a fan of Debian though when they switched to systemd, I quit
using it. Devuan is
systemd-free and has so far been functioning quite nicely on my workstation.

I have thought about OpenBSD but quite frankly I am not interested in the learning curve.

-- Sean

Well, Slackware -current is not intended for production :-) Maybe the reason why I don't see
Slackware breackage is precisely that I use -stable more often than not...

I used to like Debian, but it turned into a hive for wokes and politics. In fact, this bothers me
more than the systemd drama, even though I think the systemd drama is a synthom of the inner
management problems they have at Debian. I like there is Devuan as an alternative, to be honest,
even though I don't use it much because I am no longer a hardcore fan of the Debian ecosystem.

According to an upcoming interview to Aaron Lin which will hit newstandslater this year (don't miss
your Linux Magazine!), "Contrary to popular belief, [OpenBSD] is a great system for novices to
learn about system administration." Basically, if you use Slackware, you are an inch away from
knowing OpenBSD since the only things you need to learn are firewall management (easy), package
management (easy) and initscripts management (easy). It only gets hard if you need to run software
that is not made to be portable - OpenBSD has its own libc and its own set of system calls, some of
which are WAY COOL, but require proper porting.

By the way, there is another upcoming article about the matter which will hit the newstands around
the same time of Aaron's interview.

I don't want to end the message looking like an OpenBSD fanboy, so:

SCREW POLITIZED DISTRIBUTIONS, LONG LIFE INDEPENDENT OPERATING SYSTEMS!



--
gopher://gopher.richardfalken.com/1/richardfalken
--- SBBSecho 3.14-Linux
* Origin: Palantir * palantirbbs.ddns.net * Pensacola, FL * (618:250/24)

Arelor wrote to Sean Dennis:

Well, Slackware -current is not intended for production :-) Maybe the reason why I don't see
Slackware breackage is precisely that I use -stable more often than not...

I'd been running 14.2 for the longest time and then something just broke.
The -current was a "hail mary" and an attempt to see if rebuilding MBSE
against -current would fix things. Remember, I am not running a
"production" box ... it's alpha code most of the time that I write and test
on my live BBS. In all the years I have run MBSE, it has not failed like
this so I immediately suspected the OS.

even though I don't use it much because I am no longer a hardcore fan of the Debian ecosystem.

I'm not a "hardcore fan" but it works and I haven't had any issues with it
for my needs.

that is not made to be portable - OpenBSD has its own libc and its own set of system calls, some of
which are WAY COOL, but require proper porting.

There's another member of the MBSE development team who is running OpenBSD
so I will leave it to him to do the testing on that end.

What we -really- need are OS X users and someone with a SPARC/Alpha machine.

SCREW POLITIZED DISTRIBUTIONS, LONG LIFE INDEPENDENT OPERATING SYSTEMS!

I'm predicting that Windows will be running on top of the Linux kernel
sooner than later now that it is not Microsoft's cash cow.

-- Sean



--- MBSE BBS v1.0.7.22 (GNU/Linux-x86_64)
* Origin: Outpost BBS * Micronet World HQ (618:618/1)

* Originally in MIN_CHAT
* Crossposted in MIN_ADMIN

I was given a nice writing desk so I am finally going to move my computers out of my bedroom (some genius thought it smart to run the CATV coax from the demarc into the bedroom in my apartment) to my living room so my BBS will be down for a short while today.

I hate electronics in the bedroom except a phone and an alarm clock.

-- Sean

... Censorship is a disease that will spread if not treated quickly.
--- GoldED+/LNX 1.1.5-b20180707
* Origin: Outpost BBS * Johnson City, TN (618:618/1)

Hello Sean!

On 25 Apr 2022, Sean Dennis said the following...

I was given a nice writing desk so I am finally going to move my
computers out of my bedroom (some genius thought it smart to run the
CATV coax from the demarc into the bedroom in my apartment)

:-D

I hate electronics in the bedroom except a phone and an alarm clock.

My small apartment has an open plan, so everything is pretty much in the same room. Parquet flooring in the kitchen... :-/

Best regards
Zip

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A48 2022/04/03 (Linux/64)
* Origin: Star Collision BBS, Uppsala, Sweden (618:500/27)

Hello Zip,

25 Apr 22 20:05, you wrote to me:

My small apartment has an open plan, so everything is pretty much in
the same room. Parquet flooring in the kitchen... :-/

I have parquet flooring throughout my apartment but that is very easy for me to clean. My problem is not having enough furniture to store all of the stuff I have in here (let's not talk about the loft in my parents' shed that is full of my stuff too) nicely.

-- Sean

... Denial is not a river in Egypt.
--- GoldED+/LNX 1.1.5-b20180707
* Origin: Outpost BBS * Johnson City, TN (618:618/1)

Hello Sean!

On 25 Apr 2022, Sean Dennis said the following...

for me to clean. My problem is not having enough furniture to store
all of the stuff I have in here (let's not talk about the loft in my parents' shed that is full of my stuff too) nicely.

I recognize that! My closet doubles as a server room and Hi-Fi equipment storage. :-D

Best regards
Zip

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A48 2022/04/03 (Linux/64)
* Origin: Star Collision BBS, Uppsala, Sweden (618:500/27)

I was given a nice writing desk so I am finally going to move my
computers out of my bedroom (some genius thought it smart to run the CATV coax from the demarc into the bedroom in my apartment) to my living room
so my BBS will be down for a short while today.

I hate electronics in the bedroom except a phone and an alarm clock.

What??? No electronics in the bedroom? :)

I have to admit at one time I had computers in the bedroom. One was attached to the TV for watching content and the other was under the bed and ran all the programs for my home weather station. I had the display sitting on the table right next to the bed.

These days no computers in the bedroom. Just TV and Nvidia Shield.

- Mark

--- WWIVToss v.1.52
* Origin: http://www.weather-station.org * Bel Air, MD -USA (618:100/12.0)

Hello Mark,

26 Apr 22 18:41, you wrote to me:

These days no computers in the bedroom. Just TV and Nvidia Shield.

It's quieter in there for sure without all of the servers and stuff.

-- Sean

... If you can't be handsome, at least be handy. -- Red Green
--- GoldED+/LNX 1.1.5-b20180707
* Origin: Outpost BBS * Johnson City, TN (618:618/1)

To: Mark Hofmann
Re: Re: Downtime
By: Mark Hofmann to Sean Dennis on Tue Apr 26 2022 06:41 pm

From Newsgroup: Micronet.MIN_CHAT

I was given a nice writing desk so I am finally going to move my computers out of my bedroom (some genius thought it smart to run the CATV coax from the demarc into the bedroom in my apartment) to my living room
so my BBS will be down for a short while today.

I hate electronics in the bedroom except a phone and an alarm clock.

What??? No electronics in the bedroom? :)

I have to admit at one time I had computers in the bedroom. One was attached to the TV for watching content and the other was under the bed and ran all the programs for my home weather station. I had the display sitting on the table right next to the bed.

These days no computers in the bedroom. Just TV and Nvidia Shield.

my bedroom is all lit up with the many leds from my computer, my chargers and everything. i try to put black tape on some of them.
--- Synchronet 3.19b-Win32 NewsLink 1.113
* bbses.info - http://bbses.info - telnet://bbses.info
* Origin: Time Warp of the Future BBS - Home of League 10 (618:300/12)

To: Sean Dennis
Re: Downtime
By: Sean Dennis to Mark Hofmann on Tue Apr 26 2022 10:25 pm

From Newsgroup: Micronet.MIN_CHAT

Hello Mark,

26 Apr 22 18:41, you wrote to me:

These days no computers in the bedroom. Just TV and Nvidia Shield.

It's quieter in there for sure without all of the servers and stuff.

-- Sean

... If you can't be handsome, at least be handy. -- Red Green

quiet? whats that?

i have a blower fan on just so i can sleep. kids outside playing basketball and my rats in my bedroom deciding to chew a window in their cardboard house.
--- Synchronet 3.19b-Win32 NewsLink 1.113
* bbses.info - http://bbses.info - telnet://bbses.info
* Origin: Time Warp of the Future BBS - Home of League 10 (618:300/12)

These days no computers in the bedroom. Just TV and Nvidia Shield.

It's quieter in there for sure without all of the servers and stuff.

Yeah, too quiet. I got used to white noise over the years and actually play 12 hours of non-stop white noise on my Google mini each night.

- Mark

--- WWIVToss v.1.52
* Origin: http://www.weather-station.org * Bel Air, MD -USA (618:100/12.0)

Mark Hofmann wrote to Sean Dennis <=-

I have to admit at one time I had computers in the bedroom. One was attached to the TV for watching content and the other was under the bed and ran all the programs for my home weather station. I had the
display sitting on the table right next to the bed.

I liked having the BBS running in my bedroom back when I was renting, the
fan was like white noise to me. There were times that dating meant a
nighttime outage, but I think of it as my callers taking one for the team.


... Move towards the unimportant
--- MultiMail/DOS v0.52
* Origin: realitycheckBBS.org -- information is power. (618:300/1)

my bedroom is all lit up with the many leds from my computer, my chargers and everything. i try to put black tape on some of them.

LEDs are one of my favorite ambience accents. I have to hold back from putting them all over the place and being overly bling. I do like the bling, though.

True story here. I have (5) video cards in my main PC. I can't buy a single one that doesn't have LED bling on it in some form. That is a requirement.

- Mark

--- WWIVToss v.1.52
* Origin: http://www.weather-station.org * Bel Air, MD -USA (618:100/12.0)

I liked having the BBS running in my bedroom back when I was renting, the fan was like white noise to me. There were times that dating meant a nighttime outage, but I think of it as my callers taking one for the
team.

When I got my first place, I had the BBS computer in what I guess you would call the dining room. It was outside the kitchen and next to the living room. There wasn't enough room in the bedroom, since I had a huge water bed in there.

Many females that came over and that I dated back then had no idea what the hell it was. Just a tall tower that had blinking lights on it.

- Mark

--- WWIVToss v.1.52
* Origin: http://www.weather-station.org * Bel Air, MD -USA (618:100/12.0)