FBB Packet-radio BBS mini-HOWTO

• Index
• Introduction
• How to install X11 (Xwindow) version of LinFBB
• How to install LinFBB in addition to existing WinFBB
• How to install Protus password utility
• How to install an upgrade to a daemon version of LinFBB
• How to compile LinFBB's executable files
• How to access the "xfbbd" server from a DOS client?
• How to communicate with LinFBB in Serbian?
• How to make better ham radio rules?
• Bibliography
• Further information
• Getting help
• FBB Packet-radio BBS mini-HOWTO: How to install "xfbbd", a daemon version of LinFBB
• FBB Packet-radio BBS mini-HOWTO: How to use LinFBB's "xfbbX", a GUI client for Linux
• FBB Packet-radio BBS mini-HOWTO: How to use LinFBB's "xfbbW", a GUI client for Windows

5. How to install "xfbbd", a daemon version of LinFBB

Notice: You see, folks, that I keep trying to get as many as possible versions of this great software (Jean-Paul, F6FBB, must be very proud after reading these words now). What I think when mention "as many as possible versions" means that we have learned how to get both WinFBB and X11 LinFBB on the same computer. But, that's not all. There is a variety of daemon versions of LinFBB. In this section we are going to discuss how to *add* a daemon LinFBB to the existing two: X11 LinFBB and WinFBB!

• Well, many amateurs have suggested me to install a couple of packages that weren't look to me as really requested for LinFBB daemon to work. Anyway, I installed those packages before the installation of LinFBB itself:

        libax25.rpm
        ax25apps.rpm
        ax25tool.rpm
  

• Now it is the right time to install fbbsrv.rpm package. The archive was composed to make its own directories, as "base" directories. The last new version to start with, that I have managed to find as a .rpm package, was 7.01f Release 4 (09 December 1999).
• A file called fbb.conf, serving as the replacement for init.srv, is placed in the location: /etc/ax25/fbb.conf
• Unless you are going to install daemon-only system, you should make a backup of the following existing files:

        dirmes.sys
        etat.sys
        heard.bin
        inf.sys
        statis.dat
        tpstat.sys
  

• Now you have to edit /etc/ax25/fbb.conf and change some paths in case you already have X11 LinFBB installed on a different path. Here you have some examples that cover my particular situation...
• Directory of data files, instead of /var/ax25/fbb, should be /mnt/win/fbb/system
• Directory of config files, instead of /etc/ax25/fbb, should be /mnt/win/fbb/system
• Directory of message files, instead of /var/ax25/fbb/mail, should be /mnt/win/fbb/mail
• Directory of compressed files, instead of /var/ax25/fbb/binmail, should be /mnt/win/fbb/binmail
• Directory of users, instead of .../home/fbbdos/..., should be .../mnt/win/fbb/users... (case you don't mind that both your WinFBB and LinFBB users handle the same location for users' files)
• Directory of YAPP files, instead of /home/fbbdos/yapp, should be /mnt/win/fbb/users/yapp (the same reason as above)
• Directory of documentation files, instead of /var/ax25/fbb/docs, should be /mnt/win/fbb/docs
• Directory of pg programs, instead of /usr/local/pg, should be /mnt/win/fbb/pg
• Path and filename for import file, instead of C:\FBB\MAIL.IN should be /mnt/win/fbb/mail.in
• Now you have to edit /usr/sbin/xfbb.sh and change some paths in case you already have running X11 version of LinFBB on a different path. Here you have an example that cover my particular situation...
• Base directory of XFBB software, instead of /var/ax25/fbb, should be /mnt/win/fbb
• So far - so good. Now it is the time to start LinFBB daemon. The command for that is in the location: /usr/sbin/xfbb.sh and it may be executed within an xterm. If everything is OK, you should get several system messages on your screen, ending with something like:

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

• Well, daemon itself can't be used to access the BBS so it is needed to activate a client that is /usr/sbin/xfbbC. It has a couple of parameters (a callsign/password pairs that are stored in /fbb/passwd.sys). Note that xfbbC can also be activated within another xterm.
• If you are like me, you would like to activate one more xterm with xfbbC in a way to monitor your radio frequency. If you have enough room on your screen, you may place all three xterm windows side by side.
• When you finish your xfbbC console session, it is suitable to use the same xterm to eventually stop the daemon. First of all, with the command ps ax you should locate PIDs of xfbb.sh shell and daemon itself, that you may kill after that.