From: news@wolves.uucp (The Wolfe of the Den)
Newsgroups: comp.bbs.misc,alt.bbs.unixbbs,alt.bbs.lists
Subject: Unix BBS Software FAQ with answers (partial) v0.1
Date: 30 Sep 92 04:54:53 GMT
Reply-To: news@wolves.durham.nc.us
Followup-To: comp.bbs.misc
Organization: Wolves Den UNIX
X-Md4-Signature: c3f5e1113870c32805ca8e3983b17641


This is the UNIX (TM) compatible BBS Frequently Asked Questions Answers.

(This is a partial posting of items written so far for commentary on
format and usefullness.)

1. What is a BBS?
2. What is UNIX?
3. What is Usenet?
4. What BBS Software is covered?
5 - N.	The packages

----------------------------------------

From: news@wolves.durham.nc.us (G. Wolfe Woodbury)
Subject: 1. What is a BBS?
Date: Mon Sep 28 23:00:00 EDT 1992

BBS is an acronym for Bulletin Board System.  This is software that allows
a computer to be used as a message posting and reading system that has
some similarities to a bulletin board like you might find in an office
or in a grocery store.  Users of the system can post messages and read
messages posted by others.  Many computer BBSes also allow the users to
send private messages to other users, andor to "download" files that are
stored on the computer.  Some BBSes also allow users to run other
programs (such as games) in addition to the BBS program.

Some BBS programs allow the individual BBS systems to share messages by
using a communications medium to exchange the messages via a standard
protocol which the BBSes understand.  Such systems are "networked"
BBSes.  There are several BBS Networks around the world. Among them are
FIDOnet, WWIVnet, RIMEnet, VNET and Usenet.

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From: news@wolves.durham.nc.us (G. Wolfe Woodbury)
Subject: 2. What is UNIX?
Date: Mon Sep 28 23:00:00 EDT 1992

UNIX is a trademark of Unix System Laboratories, Inc. for its brand of
multi-user, multi-tasking operating system software.  UNIX was developed
at AT&T Bell Laboratories in the early 1970's and has become the most
portable operating system ever developed.  This portability means that
UNIX (or Unix-like) operating systems can run on nearly any computer
that has been developed since 1975.  Unix-like operating systems run on
computers from the Intel 80286 through the gamut to computers like the
Cray X-MP.  Programs written for one Unix-like system can be moved
(fairly easily, if written with portability in mind) from one Unix
system to another with some minor editing and re-compiling of the source
code on the new machine.

The history of Unix-like operating systems is quite complicated, and
there are several versions of Unix-like operating systems in existence.
The two major divisions of these are AT&T UNIX systems, and BSD Unix
systems.  There are lots of others, but these two versions cover most of
the territory in terms of portability issues.  Truly portable Unix
software packages can examine the software environment and automatically
configure themselves when the user compiles the package.

Unix operating systems are flexible and portable for many reasons, and a
detailed examination of that issue is not relevant here.

----------------------------------------


From: news@wolves.durham.nc.us
Date: Mon Sep 28 23:00:00 EDT 1992
Subject: 3. What is Usenet?

Usenet is a network message sharing system that exchanges messages in a
standard format.  Messages are arranged into topical categories called
newsgroups.  The messages contain plain text information (which may
include encoded binary information) and a series of headers that define
who the message came from, when the message was posted, where it was
posted, where it has passed, and other administrative information.

Properly speaking, Usenet is defined as newsgroups in the major
categories of comp, misc, news, rec, sci, soc, and talk.  There are a
number of other major "hierarchies" which may be worldwide (alt, bionet,
vmsnet) or may be regional (usa, can, triangle) or even organizational
(duke, ut, sun).

There is not enough room here to fully discuss the ins and outs of
Usenet.  There are several Usenet groups that are dedicated to
discussion of Usenet itself.  (news.* and alt.culture.usenet are
examples, the `*' refers to any newsgroup that begins its name with a
string of "news.")

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From: news@wolves.durham.nc.us
Date: Mon Sep 28 23:00:00 EDT 1992
Subject: 4. What software is covered here?

The following packages are covered in this FAQ.

	AKCS
	bbs_bk
	brand-x
	Caucus
	GDXBBS
	ix/MBox
	MBS
	QueBBS
	PBBS (Pirate BBS)
	SBBS (Sigma BBS)
	TEAMate
	Unidel
	UnixBBS
	Waffle
	XBBS
	Z/Max - Xchange

Known, but not covered:

	Citadel/UX
	CIX
	CocoNet
	eies
	Freeport
	Participate
	Pnet
	PicoSpan

Obsolete, not covered

	UnAccess

In the subject lines below, summary files for the received/collected
information are available for anonymous uucp from wolves.durham.nc.us.
The file name for the info file is in the Info-file: subheader.

----------------------------------------

From: news@wolves.durham.nc.us
Date: Mon Sep 28 23:00:00 EDT 1992
Subject: AKCS
Info-file: wolves!/news/Archives/UnixBBS/akcs

AKCS	Version 7	commercial product	source available
                                                Usenet compatibility

    contact:	karl@ddsw1.mcs.com
		Karl Denninger
		3217 N. Sheffield
		Chicago, IL  60657
		+1 312 269 9058 (voice)

    demo:	300-2400 bps modem line
		+1 312 248 0900

"AKCS is a threaded BBS/conferencing package with extraordinary versatility,
 ease of use, performance and support."   -- Karl Denninger

 Supplied in binary form for SINGLE CPU, AKCS is licensed for a fee based
 on the cpu type.  Prices range from $500 to $1500, with a yearly
 support fee of $100 - $250.  NFS support is $1000.  Source is $5000.00.
 Custom porting is available for time and materials.

 Fully configurable, threaded messages, termcap/terminfo type support,
 private mail, file attachments, upload/download, full screen editor
 (custom), external programs, security system.  AKCS newsgroups
 available to licensees.

----------------------------------------

From: news@wolves.durham.nc.us
Date: Mon Sep 28 23:00:00 EDT 1992
Subject: bbs_bk
Source-file: /news/Archives/Sources/Misc/bbs_bk/part01.Z
comp.sources.misc: volume 13 issue 1

bbs_bk		bourne shell freeware		source available
						Usenet via unix

    contact:	Bob Kirkpatrick
		root@dogear.spk.wa.us

    demo:	none known

bbs_bk is a shell system that provides the primitive functionality for a
BBS on Unix. Unix commands available determine how much real
functionality is available.  Usenet is available via calls to the
newsreader of choice on the system.  Editors depend on sysop choice.
Download protocols depend on what is available on the underlying system

bbs_bk  is a skeleton bbs that should allow an experienced unix user to
provide basic BBS functions in short order when a need arises.  A
special "bbs" user login is needed to start up the bbs capability.

----------------------------------------

From: news@wolves.durham.nc.us
Date: Tue Sep 29 22:00:00 EDT 1992
Subject: brand-x

brand-X		C source freeware		source included
						Usenet via unix

    contact:	Bob Kirkpatrick
		root@dogear.spk.wa.us

    demo:	none known

Brand-X is a C language skeletal BBS similar in flavor to bbs_bk (no
suprize).  The sysop needs to know C and Unix fairly well to turn this
package into something more than a toy.  Like bbs_bk, a bbs user id is
required and the program takes care of its own user names.

From: news@wolves.durham.nc.us
Date: Tue Sep 29 23:00:00 EDT 1992
Subject: Caucus

Caucus		commercial package		source not generally available
						Usenet via message import

    contact:	Camber-Roth
		A Division of Aule-Tek, Inc.
		1223 Peoples Ave
		Troy, NY  12180
		1 518 273 0983 (voice)
		1 518 276 6380 (FAX)
		info@aule-tek.com

    demo:	CASTANet
		1 518 273 1467 (300-2400)
		1 518 273 1508 (v.32bis v.42bis)
		login: caucus
		NEWUSER
		voice assistance: 1 518 273 0983

Caucus is a large and robust commercial package.  It is supported on
several hardware platforms and provides a complete networed BBS
solution.  User customization is supported.  I actually got two
responses to requests for Caucus, from Aule-Tek, the owners, and another
company that sent me information via paper mail.  Despite being asked
for pricing, no pricing information was sent.

I do know that the City of Santa Monica (California) selected Caucus as
its platform for its Public Information System.

----------------------------------------

From: news@wolves.durham.nc.us
Date: Tue Sep 29 23:00:00 EDT 1992
Subject: GDXBBS
FTP_site: plains.nodak.edu:/pub/alt/gdxbbs

GDXBBS		freeware bbs			source included

    contact:	Jay A Snyder
		jay@gdx.uucp

I had some info on GDX, but I seem to have lost it :-(

From: news@wolves.durham.nc.us
Date: Tue Sep 29 23:30:00 EDT 1992
Subject: ix/MBox
comp.sources.misc: volume 29

ix/MBox		System V Unix BBS		source included
						Usenet is basis

    contact:	Volker Schuermann
		Volker.Schuermann@uunet.w.open.de

MBox is an excellent product, marred only by the lack of decent
documentation in a language other than german.  Its basic services are
those provided by Unix, and Unix services are required to run the BBS.
The current version is limited to System V r3.2 Intel platforms, but
should not be too hard to transfer to other System V platforms.

C-News (or B-News) and a mail package are needed.

----------------------------------------

From: news@wolves.durham.nc.us
Date: Tue Sep 29 23:30:00 EDT 1992
Subject: MBS

MBS		Unix C language BBS		source included
		(In alpha test)			Usenet planned

    contact:	Willam Davidsen
		davidsen@crd.ge.com

MBS is a new Unix based BBS.  Reminiscent of Citadel (there are rooms)
the implementation is totally new and interesting.  All the basic
functionality for a networked BBS is there, but it's still in
development.  Usenet will be via message importing/exporting programs
now being developed.  (Development has slowed down for a while.)

----------------------------------------

(remainder of FAQ in development - this is for commentary on the format
and items so far.)
-- 
Usenet Net News Administrator @ The Wolves Den  (G. Wolfe Woodbury)
news%wolves@cs.duke.edu     ...duke!wolves!news     "We don't need no
There is a real person who watches this account.   stinking disclaimers"
Newsgroups: comp.bbs.misc