I'm interested in running my Mystic (for linux) BBS on a Linux shared hosting server.

I have limited knowledge of Linux though. How difficult would it be to upload my BBS to the server, and have it start taking "calls?"

Does anyone already do this?

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A43 2019/03/03 (Raspberry Pi/32)
* Origin: Alcoholiday / Est. 1995 / alco.bbs.io (1:123/525)

Hello aaron,

I'm interested in running my Mystic (for linux) BBS on a Linux shared hosting server.

I do something like this at linode.com.

I have limited knowledge of Linux though. How difficult would it be to upload my BBS to the server, and have it start taking "calls?"

I usually copy files to my linode with scp. An FTP server could also be used.

Does anyone already do this?

Yes, I'm sure there are many who do this.

Ttyl :-),
Al

... Is fire supposed to shoot out of it like that!?
--- GoldED+/LNX 1.1.5-b20180707
* Origin: The Rusty MailBox - Penticton, BC Canada (1:153/757)

Hi Al! It's nice to hear from you. You and a few other people helped me a lot
a few years back when I was doing the hosting from home thing. I'm steering away from hosting from home now because of all the obvious benefits. (Plus my pcs are old & crappy.)

I usually copy files to my linode with scp. An FTP server could also be used.

I should be more specific. I can handle uploading mystic to the server, but what about running it on the server? I don't have shell access; is there a
way around that?

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A43 2019/03/03 (Raspberry Pi/32)
* Origin: Alcoholiday / Est. 1995 / alco.bbs.io (1:123/525)

Hello aaron,

I should be more specific. I can handle uploading mystic to the
server, but what about running it on the server? I don't have shell access; is there a way around that?

You can configure mystic from the telnet interface and use mystic dos for many things like up/downloading files to or from the server.

You will need to start ./mis server (or daemon) somehow though, and you may need to start/stop/restart it at times. I can't think of a way to do that without shell access.

You may need to ask your provider how to get services started.

Ttyl :-),
Al

... But that trick never works! -Rocky
--- GoldED+/LNX 1.1.5-b20180707
* Origin: The Rusty MailBox - Penticton, BC Canada (1:153/757)

On 07-03-19 09:34, aaron thomas wrote to All <=-

I'm interested in running my Mystic (for linux) BBS on a Linux shared hosting server.

I have limited knowledge of Linux though. How difficult would it be to upload my BBS to the server, and have it start taking "calls?"

Do you already have a BBS? If so, What software and OS is it running?

But getting Mystic running on Linux is no drama at all, whether locally or on a remote server. I run Mystic on a Pi here, but because the Pi runs headless, it might as well be on a remote server, since I only ever communicate with it (1) via the BBS or (2) over SSH to a shell session.


... If you try to fail, and succeed, which have you done?
=== MultiMail/Win v0.51
--- SBBSecho 3.03-Linux
* Origin: Freeway BBS Bendigo,Australia freeway.apana.org.au (3:633/410)

On 07-03-19 21:05, aaron thomas wrote to Alan Ianson <=-

I should be more specific. I can handle uploading mystic to the server, but what about running it on the server? I don't have shell access; is there a way around that?

Hmm, is this a virtual server or just a web hosting service? You will need some sort of shell access (even if only as an ordinary user) to setup Mystic.


... °°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°-----ø*'÷ (Explosive Tagline)
=== MultiMail/Win v0.51
--- SBBSecho 3.03-Linux
* Origin: Freeway BBS Bendigo,Australia freeway.apana.org.au (3:633/410)

Hi aaron!

03 Jul 2019 09:34, from aaron thomas -> All:

I'm interested in running my Mystic (for linux) BBS on a Linux shared hosting server.

I have limited knowledge of Linux though. How difficult would it be to upload my BBS to the server, and have it start taking "calls?"

Not hard.
You might contact Paul Hayton ... he seems to have an unhealthy Mystic fetish. He sure can help you if you stumble into issues! (He is a nice guy)

CU, Ricsi

... Sometimes I wish I was what I was when I wished I was what I am now.
--- GoldED+/LNX
* Origin: TV is chewing gum for the eyes. (2:310/31)

Hi aaron!

03 Jul 2019 21:05, from aaron thomas -> Alan Ianson:

I don't have shell access

What do you mean with that????
You need SSH access to the linux vritual server!
If you do not have that, then you cannot do anything!

CU, Ricsi

... The only thing faster than the speed of light is word of mouth.
--- GoldED+/LNX
* Origin: Everyone has a right to be stupid. You abuse it! (2:310/31)

Hello aaron!

I usually copy files to my linode with scp. An FTP server could also
be used.

I should be more specific. I can handle uploading mystic to the server,

but

what about running it on the server? I don't have shell access; is there a way around that?

How you uploading mystic to the server ? If through scp, then you already have ssh access.
Use ssh with the same parameteres as you use with scp and you will log on into the shell.

Rostislav


--- GoldED+/LNX 1.1.5-b20180707
* Origin: Hardwork never killed anybody, but why take a chance? (2:463/1331.8)

Re: Run a BBS on a Linux Server
By: Richard Menedetter to aaron thomas on Thu Jul 04 2019 01:20 pm

You might contact Paul Hayton ... he seems to have an unhealthy Mystic fetish. He sure can help you if you stumble into issues! (He is a nice guy)

LOL! That was funny! I'm glad he does, he helped me when I first came back online about 2 years ago. His help is Legendary! :)
Regards,
KrUpTiOn
--- SBBSecho 3.07-Linux
* Origin: The New Frontier ][ BBS(frontierbbs.net) - [Ohio] (1:226/17)

On 07-07-19 01:09, Charles Stephenson wrote to Richard Menedetter <=-

Re: Run a BBS on a Linux Server
By: Richard Menedetter to aaron thomas on Thu Jul 04 2019 01:20 pm

You might contact Paul Hayton ... he seems to have an unhealthy Mystic fetish. He sure can help you if you stumble into issues! (He is a nice guy)

LOL! That was funny! I'm glad he does, he helped me when I first came back online about 2 years ago. His help is Legendary! :)
Regards,

Hahaha, I'm having a good laugh with this thread. ;)


... There's nothing a vulture hates more than biting into a glass eye.
=== MultiMail/Win v0.51
--- SBBSecho 3.03-Linux
* Origin: Freeway BBS Bendigo,Australia freeway.apana.org.au (3:633/410)

On 04 Jul 2019 at 01:20p, Richard Menedetter pondered and said...

You might contact Paul Hayton ... he seems to have an unhealthy Mystic fetish. He sure can help you if you stumble into issues! (He is a nice guy)

:) As George Takei would say 'Oh My' ...

Thanks for the kind words, just don't tell my wife ... hahahha

Best, Paul

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A43 2019/03/03 (Windows/32)
* Origin: Agency BBS | Dunedin, New Zealand | agency.bbs.nz (3:770/100)

Re: Re: Run a BBS on a Linux Server
By: Paul Hayton to Richard Menedetter on Sat Jul 13 2019 08:42 pm

You might contact Paul Hayton ... he seems to have an unhealthy
Mystic fetish. He sure can help you if you stumble into issues! (He
is a nice guy)

:) As George Takei would say 'Oh My' ...

Thanks for the kind words, just don't tell my wife ... hahahha

Damnit! Too late, I already screenshot'ed and made a 4K HD video in your honor and sent her the link! :D
Regards,
KrUpTiOn
--- SBBSecho 3.07-Linux
* Origin: The New Frontier ][ BBS(frontierbbs.net) - [Ohio] (1:226/17)

Re: Run a BBS on a Linux Server
By: Richard Menedetter to aaron thomas on Thu Jul 04 2019 01:22 pm

Hi aaron!

03 Jul 2019 21:05, from aaron thomas -> Alan Ianson:

I don't have shell access

What do you mean with that????
You need SSH access to the linux vritual server!
If you do not have that, then you cannot do anything!

Yah pretty much. If he's got a shared hosting account it's not even something he should try, and he's almost certainly on a cPanel or Plesk powered CentOS box.

It is (theoretically) possible to run binaries and shell scripts, etc., using cron (and what a pain that would be), if you don't have shell access, but on a server with cPanel, for example, he's chrooted anyway, so there aren't a whole lot of useful binaries.

Here's some of the problems Aaron:

First, Netfilter (iptables) is almost certainly dropping connection requests on TCP port 23, and you don't have logon privs to TCP 22. Even if you did, as a user on that shared server you couldn't override the system's firewall because you're just one of the users, not to mention services on that machine already taking up other ports you would need.

If you're just wanting to experiment, then I wouild recommend VirtualBox.org on whatever OS you're running (The current version six no longer supports 32bit OSes - so use version 5 if that is your use case).

If you want to run a BBS in production, or at least make it available as a forward facing service on the Internet, then you've got a couple of really good and inexpensive choices:

1.) pick up one of those 10 or 20 dollar a year OpenVZ VPSes from the myriad of deals always being announced over at LowEndBox (LEB).

2.) If you have Internet at home, then do a port forward from your wireless router to TCP port 23 of whatever IP address it issues via DHCP to on old beater computer you have laying around, or find at a garage sale for ten bucks. Other than whatever cost you incur getting an old computer, that's the only expense you'll ever incur other than Internet Access itself to your home.
--- SBBSecho 3.09-Linux
* Origin: Vertrauen - [vert/cvs/bbs].synchro.net (1:103/705)

On Wed 3-Jul-2019 4:46a, Alan Ianson@1:153/757.0 said to Aaron Thomas:

I'm interested in running my Mystic (for linux) BBS on a Linux shared hosting server.

I recommend that you do not configure your telnet port to listen on port 23 or you may be sorry you did it.
--- CNet/5
* Origin: 1:275/201.0 (1:275/201.30)

Re: Re: Run a BBS on a Linux Server
By: Benny Pedersen to Phillip Taylor on Sun Nov 15 2020 06:32 pm

is there any better telnet port that is more safe to use ?

retoric all internet service is based on telnet, so only ssl is a secuity layer on top of it, all the remaining ports is basicly still telnet

If you keep an eye on your inbound traffic and immediately create a rule to "can" the IP or IP-range, you protect yourself a little better.

I'm a firm believer in keeping everything on their correct ports... 22 for SSH, 23 for Telnet, etc., etc.

Brian Klauss <-> Dream Master
Caught in a Dream | caughtinadream.com a Synchronet BBS
--- SBBSecho 3.12-Linux
* Origin: Caught in a Dream - caughtinadream.com (1:104/116)

On 27 Jan 2021, Brian Klauss said the following...

Re: Re: Run a BBS on a Linux Server
By: Benny Pedersen to Phillip Taylor on Sun Nov 15 2020 06:32 pm

is there any better telnet port that is more safe to use ?

retoric all internet service is based on telnet, so only ssl is a secui layer on top of it, all the remaining ports is basicly still telnet

If you keep an eye on your inbound traffic and immediately create a rule to "can" the IP or IP-range, you protect yourself a little better.

If it helps, I created a rule for fail2ban that supports the Mystic BBS log,
so it can block attacks, probes, etc.

I could adapt it to other softwares, if I am provided with appropriate log files.

Cheers.

PS: This is what I refer to: http://darkgame.buanzo.org/mystic/

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A46 2020/08/26 (Linux/64)
* Origin: DaRK Game BBS (4:900/107)

On Mon 9-Nov-2020 12:29 , Nigel Reed@1:124/5016.0 said to Alan Ianson:

Or run synchronet which has no problem with the telnet port on port 23
even
with bots.

I use different ports to stop the bots and its much more effective.


Phil
--- CNet/5
* Origin: 1:275/201.0 (1:275/201.30)