From: cblaise@moose.uvm.edu.UUCP (Chris Blaise)
Subject: Re: Running a BBS under DOS, OS/2, or Linux?
Originator: cblaise@moose.uvm.edu
Organization: University of Vermont -- Division of EMBA Computer Facility
Date: Sun, 6 Sep 1992 14:20:50 GMT

From article <Bu4pD4.8w4@news.udel.edu>, by radel@bach.udel.edu (Todd Radel):
> My question is this:  Is there a combination of OS, BBS software, and
> mailer that allows all of the following?

	In my TBBS experience, yes and no....
> 
> * FidoNet netmail, echomail, and SDS (file distribution).

	Yes.  TBBS supports netmail, echomail, and SDS.  The catch of course,
is that you have to use external utilities to make them work (ie.
Tmail for tossing/scanning messages.  Whatever dist program (TICK?) you
would use for files).  I notice below you need support for 100+ echos.
TBBS supports a "topic" based message system like BIX, so you
can have somewhere around 200,000 message base areas (too bad the message
base itself is limited to 65,000 messages :(

> * Door games.  (I've only seen maybe 3 or 4 doors for OS/2, and none for
>   Linux.  If I use the OS/2 versions of Binkley and Maximus, can I spawn
>   a DOS door game?)

	Not with TBBS.  You can get TDBS (expensive) and then there are a
wide variety of programs that others write for that (The games range
from free to outragously expensive.  There doesn't seem to be middle ground
either.  Either the game is < $10 or >$40 :(

> * Background mail tossing.  (I carry about 100 echo areas, and I don't want
>   the system tied up for long periods of time just unpacking new mail.)

	Nope.  You need to take the system down and run Tmail.  In my
experience, to fully toss and link about a meg of mail takes a little over 
15 minutes.  Some people can live with that, others can't.

> * Maximum speed -- as little effect on whatever I'm doing, and vice versa,
>   as possible.

	TBBS's strongest point is it's speed.  On our 386-16 with 1
14.4K line and 15 2400 baud lines, there's never a perceived slowdown to
the user.  We've had up to 14 people on it at once with no slowing down.

> * [Optional] USENET interface.

	If you want to dicker with Fredgate/UFGate, yes it's possible.
We're doing it here.  I'm not satisfied 100% with the way it works, but
it does, and I guess that's mostly what matters.
> 
> I've come up with the following configurations which I plan to check out:
> * FrontDoor/VBBS under Windows 3.1.
> * BinkleyTerm OS/2 and Maximus/2 under OS/2 2.0.
> * XBBS under Linux.  (Does anyone know of a Fido mailer for UNIX?  I once
>   heard about a port of Binkley to UNIX, but that it was abandoned.)
> 
> Any pointers would be welcomed.  I will summarize to the net if there is
> sufficient interest.

	Well, the big "warnings" when going to TBBS are:
	a) Cost.  If you only want to run a couple of lines on a single
computer (DOS), you're much better off getting something shareware/PD.
It looks like from the above you're trying to go the less-expensive
route, so TBBS may not be for you.

	b) Conservatism.  TBBS can be very conservatism in some areas - 
eSoft isn't always willing to jump on the new "standard" bandwagon right
away.  However, it can also be a mixed bag.  For example, it took 4-5
years to get a FSE with the latest version (from 2.1 to 2.2), but we also
got something as "revolutionary" as a topic message base system allowing
us to surpass the 63 base limit in 2.1 (and the 200 base limit found in
most other DOS based packages)...

 TTYL
 Chris