[nos-bbs] The 'NOS for WIN32' project ...

[Angela]

Hi all,

> An additional datapoint for Angela... I've built JNOS 11.1 with both
> Borland 4.0 and 4.51 with no problems. I suspect they are simply
> updated versions of BC++3.1 with an improved IDE (not used by the
It's been a few years since I did my compile for the JNOS 1.11f that I'm
running as the main BBS and the other systems currently run a minimalised
JNOS that was compiled by one of my friends for the club packet system.
As I recall from a very deep backup memory, as written, I think version
4.53, did not work compiling JNOS as Borland had ommitted something from
that version, thought I don't recall what anymore.
The 4.53 version I bought myself and at work we used 3.1, which I simply
started using at home 'as a downgrade' and I had no problems anymore.

<snip>
> mainly for two reasons. One is that 11.1F is good enough for me (and
> a few minor mods I've added). The other is that there is not a lot of
> packet activity here in the wilds of northwestern Nevada, sadly there
> has not been much use for JNOS.
Our area is also on an island if looking at Packet Radio.
There is local activity using JNOS and there are a few users with TSTHost
and some Winpack telnet users on one of my FBB forward partners.
All forwards are currently via Internet, Telnet with FBB forwarding. I guess
that is at least a 100 bulletins a day, which obviously is nothing compared
to 10 years ago.

But, JNOS is doing a lot more than being used for the BBS.
It's used as webserver (pe1biv.net) and indeed 1.11f is very stable and
doing what it is supposed to do.
It's actually funny to have a look at the logs every now and then, certanly
when you see the attempts to use Windooze server flaws, flaws in PHP, etc.
Then you can smirk by the idea that JNOS in all these cases just sort of
replies 'Sorry, I don't have a clue! Bye'.

Also all our internet e-mail is received via a JNOS machine, which than does
the distribution of the mail to several mailboxes for the desktop, our
laptops (on externally hosted domains) and the packet and personal mail for
the old tower (bought as a 386DX40 in '92, upgraded to a 486DX4-120 and
later to a P166) that runs W98SE and has a JNOS in a DOS Box using it's own
network card that I use as operator/remote sysop console.
That machine will stay with Outlook Distress as that one has the nice
feature to break up large messages. A very handy feature for sending larges
attachments to the club.
We have done attachments up to some 80MB. OK, it will break up in some
200-256 parts and it takes 'some' time, but it does work.
But, I guess I have not used this since USB sticks.....
So, JNOS is used for all the 'in house' POP3 mailboxes, which is the
desktop, the old tower and all personal Packet mail for the laptops (you
don't want to move a BBS address outside of the Packet environment; the
address will be rejected on the net).

NNTP for the bulletins is still on the wish list, but as there are many
more, it has everytime been overtaken by something else after I initially
did fail to get it running as I simply did not have a suitable computer.
The idea is to move the POP3 mailboxes to a 'new' machine and add NNTP to
that one.

To actually get back to the original subject.
I do like the idea of a JNOS that does run on top of W2000, as I think it
might be more stable than the SwsVpkt driver and JNOS in a DOS Box.

I did use this configuration on a Fujitsu-Siemens P4. This P4 has more
issues I don't like, such as that the machine can basically no longer be
used locally if there is a lot of file handling in the background. Actually,
an old Compaq EN P2-266 works a lot better under the same conditions. The P4
is a 1500 and has 1GB RAM and a 80GB 7200rpm disk while the Compaq has 384MB
RAM and also a 80GB disk.
The Compaq is the admin machine and the P4 is the media machine.


Rgs, 73, Angela