Newsgroups: comp.bbs.waffle
Subject: Re: Waffle w/Unix & hi-speed modems
From: kmcvay@oneb.almanac.bc.ca (Ken Mcvay)
Date: Sun, 22 Nov 92 01:06:43 GMT
Organization: The Old Frog's Almanac

In article <E1Cl2prj3@enigma1.COM> mgallagh@enigma1.COM (Mike Gallagher) writes:

>To run multi-line, an intelligent multi-port serial board would be
>required. Has anyone experience with Waffle in multi-line?

Waffle 1.64
SCO XENIX 2.3.2 GT
Digiboard PC/8E

I'm currently running 5 lines under the above setup, and plan on adding
another soon. The box, an aging Eltech 9870 (386/25), runs 8 megs of RAM. I
have about 150 users, but they are rarely on at the same time - I provide
newsfeeds for a dozen or so downstream leaf sites, and the modems spend most
of their time dumping news to them.

The Digi setup is rock-solid - I bought mine after wasting a few weeks with
a Maxspeed which didn't support hardware handshaking, and suggest you save
yourself the trouble and just buy the Digi on day one - you will be glad you
did!

I see no reason why Waffle (any flavour) shouldn't compile on Linux or
Concensus, but I haven't tried - SCO XENIX isn't the fastest flyer in the
neighborhood, but it is solid like the Rock of Gibralter :-)

>Just checking it out under DOS, Waffle definitely appears a superior 
>product. But matching it was hardware & software is a slight trick. I
>really don't want to find out as I'm installing it that it won't like
>so-&-such. 

Frankly, if you're going to run UNIX instead of XENIX, I'd suggest you look
at the UNIX-based bbs, UNIBOARD. I didn't try installing it here, although I
did pick up the binaries, but I spent some time poking about on a demo
system and it impressed me with its friendly, easy to figure approach.
Waffle, as you may know, is less than chummy, particularly to users weened
on DOS boxes running Opus, Maximus, et al, albeit very powerful. The BBS has
never been a priority here, so I don't get too worked up over the users who
moan and groan about the waffle iron - I tell 'em to get their own UNIX
system and leave mine alone if they can't figger it out :-)

>For example, many hi-speed modems may be Hayse-compatible, but most 
>14.4k's add extra features. Before they flash CONNECT xxxx, they also
>report such things as CARRIER xxxx. Shutting those msgs off usally shuts
>off CONNECT msg as well. I suppose with Unix-install, I'd obviously need
>the Sources [& would want them anyway], so I guess I could just add in
>recognition for those msgs. 

Waffle hasn't got anything to do with that on this system, or any other *NIX
flavour I know of - it's a gettydefs function, and Waffle just takes what it
gets, period. It ain't a problem <grin>.

>But I guess what I'm asking for other Unix-Waffle users' experiences.

It's about time someone did... gets a little lonely in here with all these
dos junkies passing binaries back and forth and tweaking batch files :-)

(OK, Robb, now you can chime in and talk about your 3B2 and Waffle - someone
_cares_ <snickers and guffaws>)

In case Robb Thomas can't get his 3B2 running fast enough to process news
this week, you can reach him as rthomas@hakatac.almanac.bc.ca - he runs
Waffle 1.65 on his, er, computer :-)  You can often find him waiting in
front of his terminal, after typing in his userid at the login: prompt - it
is often several weeks before his 3B2 asks for a password :-)



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