Hello All!

Right well no one has expressed an interest in taking over the Elist service along with the Pi it is running on.

To remind every one I will be 76 as of June 23 and my health could be better.

Historically, for the previous two Elist maintainers etc, on their death the service died as well as their next of kin had no usage of the service or any other within fido land etc so could not be contacted any way.

So this caused someone else to program a solution that the previous elist keeper had in fact done. What a waste of effort.

I had hoped that by moving the entire operation on to a Raspberry Pi which is low power system someone (a lot younger) might have been interested in taking it over.

I having been running back ups of the running system on the Pi to my primary system and in turn creating an archive of it so at least all the elements are together on a JIC (Just in case basis). Again I have not seen anyone grabbing it.

So I may well transfer the service back to my primary system as a independent bbs system, if nothing else it will save me 2.5Kw electricity bill per day which in money terms works out at the moment as 0.35 pounds per day - no not a lot.

IF any one might be interested in taking this service over, hopefully younger than myself please get in touch. You can use the Pi as a complete system or run
it side by side of you existing bbs system if you run Linux as it uses mbse as the bbs system and the elist software is designed to use the bbs mailer and other services to run which make it fairly automated - any bugs allowed for.

I will be bundling up the source code for Elist into an archive along with a manual and other documentation for historic value may be.
Remember the elist system also looks after the BACKBONE.NA and BACKBONE.RPT files where the former is usable with you file manager as a list of all echos available in Fidonet. It does not hold any other nets as one one has requested such - remember the .NA file does not support the network name for each echo and any change to it would require BBS file manager software to be modified which is yet another issue.

No, I am not intending to get very unwell or to die any time soon, but I have to start allowing for such.


Vincent

--- Mageia Linux v8 X64/Mbse v1.0.8.3/GoldED+/LNX 1.1.5-b20180707
* Origin: Air Applewood, The Linux Gateway to the UK & Eire (2:250/1)

Re: The Elist service
By: Vincent Coen to All on Tue May 02 2023 05:01 pm

Right well no one has expressed an interest in taking over the Elist service along with the Pi it is running on.

I'd like to help out, provide redundancy, fail-over, or whatever. I've probably got a couple more decades on this earth. :-)
--
digital man (rob)

Breaking Bad quote #10:
Get a big old raging hard-on at the idea of catching this piece of shit! - Hank Norco, CA WX: 58.3øF, 68.0% humidity, 4 mph SE wind, 0.00 inches rain/24hrs
--- SBBSecho 3.20-Linux
* Origin: Vertrauen - [vert/cvs/bbs].synchro.net (1:103/705)

On Tue, 2 May 2023 17:01:56 +0100
"Vincent Coen" (2:250/1) <Vincent.Coen@f1.n250.z2.fidonet> wrote:

Hello All!

Right well no one has expressed an interest in taking over the Elist
service along with the Pi it is running on.

What is involved and what sort of time commitment? I don't think I'd
want a Pi but since I use Synchronet on Linux, anything is possible. It
depends on the involvement.
--
End Of The Line BBS - Plano, TX
telnet endofthelinebbs.com 23
--- SBBSecho 3.20-Linux
* Origin: End Of The Line BBS - endofthelinebbs.com (1:124/5016)

Hello Nigel and Rob!

Tuesday May 02 2023 14:44, you wrote to me:

On Tue, 2 May 2023 17:01:56 +0100
"Vincent Coen" (2:250/1) <Vincent.Coen@f1.n250.z2.fidonet> wrote:

Hello All!

Right well no one has expressed an interest in taking over the Elist
service along with the Pi it is running on.

What is involved and what sort of time commitment? I don't think I'd
want a Pi but since I use Synchronet on Linux, anything is possible.
It depends on the involvement.

A few scenarios here :

1. If you have a running Linux system say with a mailer / bbs running and use Router for your broadband connection then the following options :

A. Set up BBS system two running on same kit with router port forwarding set for say port 24555 (can be another) to point to system two running mbse with the elist system in operations using fixed IP address.

This doing :
1. Installing bbs mbse to it and compiling the system
2. Loading the elist system from archive to the correct directory.
3. Re install mbse ( make install etc).
4. Install from your Linux distro's software service the Cobol compiler and
secondary tools as per the manual.
5. Compile the Elist software and copy the elist programs to the mbse bin
folder.
6. Start mbse, log in as user mbse via a terminal program.
change to the correct folder and start the elist service.

Note that the fact that you are running two system that pass echos and archive files between this will work as if they are different systems in different locations etc - can even go between the systems using your broadband connection. It will make it easier if your system connects toyour router via a LAN cable but wi-fi would also work.

Job done for option A.

This not a lot different except you are using a baby computer system to run the
Elist system :

B. Take over the Raspberry Pi with port 24555 again with your router set for port forwarding for 24555 (can be another) to connect to fix IP address.
The Pi runs a Debian OS from Raspberry service as a 64 bit version with auto updating services turned on BUT does not auto reboot as that must be done manually - I do so every 30 - 90 days or when I think about it.
The Pi then needs to be logged in to,
1. Reboot and
2. start the Elist service (but could be auto started) when needed.

Both above can assume that you operate your current system with fixed IP address or using DCHP service.

The port forwarding service needs to know the IP address so that is the reason for a Fixed address, for example the Pi is using address 192.168.1.75 (could be
another one though).

If running the system along with your existing service - this would not be an issue as the mbse bbs/mailer system is a light resource system.

The Elist system regardless of where running will need to be changed so that its uplink is changed to your primary system ( or could be your current uplink - but this way keep it all tight ).

Currently the Elist system uses fido address 2:25/21 but this could be changed to match to your country as needed such as 1:1/21 ( which it was I think when Ben Rickley was running it - subject to Nick Andre zone 1 co-ordinator.

I have written a detailed document as a .pdf file that goes in to more precise details of the when what evers etc.

There is no reason why a second system cannot be in operation as a back up initially until being fully operational over some weeks etc.

Time requirements :
OK, apart from fixing any reported or seen bugs in the Elist software and updating the two programs as needed then copying the executables to the mbse bin folder and restarting the elist service (yes I can still do this and pass the fixes to you).

It is around one hour a month or less and that mostly to check that the Pi has been updated - or run the distro update service and some times rebooting it
but I don't very often.

That more or less it.

Most of the work is setting the system up for the change of primary fido address, uplink address, make sure the uplink system get echos : ELIST, ECHOLIST and file area ECHOLIST as your primary system will act as the uplink for these out to the world via your uplink. I am going to assume here that the Echos you get already so it is just the one file area that the Elist system produces an archive monthly and will send out to its uplink (your primary system) who in turn asses it onwards.

I cannot give a time for this but allow for 1 - 3 hours depending on how happy you are with computers. Fido services and your uplink etc.

It would help if you have compiled the odd program etc, using gcc or similar.

Let me know you addresses and I will send a copy of my get it all working manual - if nothing else it will help me proof read the document to make sure have answered all possible questions - well I always can live in hope :)
I can send via fido mailer etc or via email as the pdf file is under 1 MB.

I must read it again to check it looks complete.


Vincent

--- Mageia Linux v8 X64/Mbse v1.0.8.3/GoldED+/LNX 1.1.5-b20180707
* Origin: Air Applewood, The Linux Gateway to the UK & Eire (2:250/1)

Re: The Elist service
By: Vincent Coen to All on Tue May 02 2023 05:01 pm

Right well no one has expressed an interest in taking over the Elist service along with the Pi it is running on.

I had hoped that by moving the entire operation on to a Raspberry Pi which is low power system someone (a lot younger) might have been interested in taking it over.

I wasnt aware you were looking for a new home for it.

Dont know much about the ELIST side of fidonet, but happy to help out.

I was thinking of implementing something along similiar lines in my new tool that I'm creating - with the theme of managing a FTN network more easily.
(https://clrghouz.bbs.dege.au).

I dont have fidonet in my tool yet, mostly the othernets I'm a part of, but its on the cards.



...ëîåï
--- SBBSecho 3.15-Linux
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Re: The Elist service
By: Vincent Coen to Nigel Reed on Tue May 02 2023 23:46:02

A. Set up BBS system two running on same kit with router port forwarding set for say port 24555 (can be another) to point to system two running mbse with the elist system in operations using fixed IP address.

Yeah, not happening. Sorry. I barely have enough time to deal with one BBS without having to setup, configure and learn another. I'm probably not the right person for the job.

Thanks,
--- SBBSecho 3.20-Linux
* Origin: End Of The Line BBS - endofthelinebbs.com (1:124/5016)

On 02 May 2023 at 05:01p, Vincent Coen pondered and said...

Hello All!

Right well no one has expressed an interest in taking over the Elist service along with the Pi it is running on.

Hi Vincent,

Both Deon and Rob would be good resources to avail yourself of.

I am also interested in helping out in whatever way you/the guys deem helpful.

From my POV I think if there is more redundancy built into things (i.e. not just one place to submit to / more than one person is across the service and/or is able to offer it) the better.

To remind every one I will be 76 as of June 23 and my health could be better.

I hope you're health is as good as it can be for many years to come good sir.

Historically, for the previous two Elist maintainers etc, on their death the service died as well as their next of kin had no usage of the
service or any other within fido land etc so could not be contacted any way.

Yep, good you are thinking ahead.

IF any one might be interested in taking this service over, hopefully younger than myself please get in touch. You can use the Pi as a
complete system or run
it side by side of you existing bbs system if you run Linux as it uses mbse as the bbs system and the elist software is designed to use the bbs mailer and other services to run which make it fairly automated - any
bugs allowed for.

I do have a spare Pi but Deon and/or Rob may well have kit (real or virtual) that could be pressed into service also.

No, I am not intending to get very unwell or to die any time soon, but I have to start allowing for such.

It's good you are thinking ahead, and thank you for doing so.

Best, Paul

Kerr Avon [Blake's 7] 'I'm not expendable, I'm not stupid and I'm not going' avon[at]bbs.nz | bbs.nz | fsxnet.nz

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A48 (Linux/64)
* Origin: Agency BBS | Dunedin, New Zealand | agency.bbs.nz (3:770/100)