From: scotts@cpqhou.compaq.com (Scott Shaffer @ Compaq Computer Corp.)
Subject: Re: Windows based BBS (Summary)
Organization: Compaq Computer Corp
Date: Wed, 11 Nov 92 16:54:57 GMT

I got quite a few good replies to my question, and a few requests for the
info, so I thought I'd just post a summary.

PowerBBS is aparently a Windows app BBS, but I haven't been able to find
it yet to try it out.  If I do so, and have an impression I'll let you
know.  One person said he as daunted by the lame install program, and
another said it was a first effort, and poor at that.  He said it was
too character based to be a true Windows effort.  Boy, do I see an
opportunity here for a group to come out with a successful shareware
product.  If only I had the time...sigh...  Maybe one of the existing
BBS teams will do it (like RemoteAcess or Opus).

RemoteAccess BBS is Windows-aware (in other words, it signals Windows when
it is idle to give up his time-slice when running in 386Enhanced mode).  I
wish more DOS apps would add this support, since its just a simple call to
the multiplex interrupt (INT 2F).  I've set RA up, and it seems to be a
good system.  It is shareware and costs $50 to register.  The config
program is great, but the documentation leaves a little to be desired.  I
have a feeling, though, that this system can be very powerful and flexible
once you learn all the idiosyncracies.  I'm pretty confident this is what
I'll be running, since it seemed to run fine under Windows on a 386SX16.  This
is not the platform I'll be using, but it is the one I was testing on, and
this performance looks pretty good.

Oh by the way, RemoteAccess also has built-in support for multiple nodes.
I think it just works via a semaphore directory.  Since I'm running 2
machines hooked under Windows for Workgroups, this gives me good room for
expansion in the future.  In fact, it looks like I could set things up
for the BBS unit to be a little cheap machine networked to the file server
units.  If it works, it will be an easy way to create multi-node BBSs.
I know this sounds a little confusing, so I'll explain the situation.  I have
2 machines (a Compaq Deskpro 486/33M and a Deskpro 486/25) that are hooked
together using 3COM EtherLink 16 cards and running pier-to-pier services via
Win4WrkGrps.  The BBS will run on one of the machines, but have access to the
disk space on the other.  This way I can have one machine for the BBS and one
to work on occasionally.

I got one response about RenegadeBBS.  The sysop didn't specify if it
was Win aware, but that he was having no trouble running it under Win3.1.

I was a little leary of using high-speed (14.4) modems under Windows, since
I think a lot of FUD has been spread about Windows comm support.  One user
said he was using a utility called turbocomm (a windows app) to allow windows
to access and enable the 16550 FIFO queues.  I have yet to find that program,
but I'm searching for it.

I also think that its probably is pretty easy to simply comment out the virtual
comm VxD under windows and remove Windows from the picture.  You could have
device contention problems, but on the other hand, you shouldn't be messing
about while the BBS is running anyway.

Well, thats it.  If anybody has any questions, just ask...

And thanks to all who responded and helped me out!

Scott
-- 
+ Scott Shaffer @ Systems Div. @ Compaq Computer Corp.       +
+ scotts@cpqhou.se.eng.compaq.com + "Flee to me remote elf!" +
Newsgroups: comp.bbs.misc