• How Linux and Windows installs differ

    From McDoob@21:4/135 to All on Tue Dec 14 19:41:47 2021
    Hi, All!

    It took me entirely too long to figure out why my events were failing! And it all came down to exactly two characters in the command line: "./"

    In linux, for some obscure reason, most executables (definitely mutil and fidopoll) need to be preceded by the current dir, or "./" (ie ./mutil and ./fidopoll).

    Recently, I've gotten into the (bad) habit of accessing Mystic config from
    the SysOp menu. I tried several times to update my events after figuring
    out the above difference. And there began my second "D'oh!" moment...because McDoob is not a user in the linux OS. Therefore, McDoob did not have
    permission to alter the event configs!

    That took too long for me to figure out, too. Q_Q

    But, eventually, I did!

    McDoob
    SysOp, PiBBS
    pibbs.sytes.net

    --- Mystic BBS v1.12 A46 2020/08/26 (Raspberry Pi/32)
    * Origin: PiBBS (21:4/135)
  • From deon@21:2/116 to McDoob on Wed Dec 15 14:06:01 2021
    Re: How Linux and Windows installs differ
    By: McDoob to All on Tue Dec 14 2021 07:41 pm

    It took me entirely too long to figure out why my events were failing! And it all came down to exactly two characters in the command line: "./"

    This is quite a common issue with those using Mystic.

    In linux, for some obscure reason, most executables (definitely mutil and fidopoll) need to be preceded by the current dir, or "./" (ie ./mutil and ./fidopoll).

    It's not obscure :)

    Linux (and unix in general), looks for executables in your PATH by default, unless you specifically set your path to look for executables in your current directly (or a specific directory).

    The "default path" is normally /bin, /usr/bin and if your root, /sbin, /usr/sbin. Of course it depends on your distro as well as to what they set the default PATH to.

    If you want to fix mystic so that you dont need "./" then you have a couple of options (which I havent tested myself, since I dont use it).

    * softlink mutil fidopoll to /bin or /usr/bin
    * update your PATH to include where mystic is installed, and specifically where those executables are
    * write a script that lives in /bin or /usr/bin with the name fidopoll, mutil, etc - and that script does some magic (if it needs to), before launching the those binaries in the appropriate direction


    ...δεσ∩
    --- SBBSecho 3.14-Linux
    * Origin: I'm playing with ANSI+videotex - wanna play too? (21:2/116)
  • From McDoob@21:4/135 to deon on Tue Dec 14 22:24:27 2021
    This is quite a common issue with those using Mystic.

    It's not obscure :)

    If you want to fix mystic so that you dont need "./" then you have a couple of options (which I havent tested myself, since I dont use it).

    * update your PATH to include where mystic is installed, and


    Sounds a lot like something I would have written into AUTOEXEC.BAT, a few decades ago.

    This is exactly why I was so annoyed with myself! I knew exactly
    what was wrong, eventually...I know linux, but I was raised on DOS. It took
    far too long for me to actually see the problem! XD

    I have fixed everything so far, and I'll just keep reminding myself to add
    "./" whenever I create new shell scripts.

    "Learn by doing!" -- McDoob's dad

    McDoob
    SysOp, PiBBS
    pibbs.sytes.net

    --- Mystic BBS v1.12 A46 2020/08/26 (Raspberry Pi/32)
    * Origin: PiBBS (21:4/135)
  • From Mickey@21:1/156.1 to McDoob on Tue Dec 14 21:41:03 2021
    That took too long for me to figure out, too. Q_Q

    But, eventually, I did!

    McDoob

    It takes a little time ma man, but you'll figure it out. Some day, I will figure it all out as well. Naw...... probably not. :-)


    Mickey - Mick Manning
    Test Driving the new Talisman Model 34
    -------------------------


    --- Talisman v0.35-dev (Windows/x64)
    * Origin: Trent Hills Retribution - centralontarioremote.com:2300 / ssh:2222 (21:1/156.1)
  • From McDoob@21:4/135 to Mickey on Tue Dec 14 22:57:38 2021
    It takes a little time ma man, but you'll figure it out. Some day, I will figure it all out as well. Naw...... probably not. :-)


    Yeah, me neither, probably...XD
    Won't stop me from trying, though!

    "Don't try to understand everything. Be glad you understand SOMEthing!"
    -- random family member who immediately needed a dentist o_O

    In a way, he wasn't wrong...

    I am glad that I understand only some things...because the things I do understand will help me figure out the things I do not.

    My curiosity will get me the rest of teh way!
    \(^_^)/

    McDoob
    SysOp, PiBBS
    pibbs.sytes.net

    --- Mystic BBS v1.12 A46 2020/08/26 (Raspberry Pi/32)
    * Origin: PiBBS (21:4/135)
  • From paulie420@21:2/150 to McDoob on Wed Dec 15 07:17:32 2021
    It took me entirely too long to figure out why my events were failing!
    And it all came down to exactly two characters in the command line: "./"

    That took too long for me to figure out, too. Q_Q

    Oh, yer doing just fine.. another 'linuxy' tip while using mystic... always type in

    /home/user/folder

    instead of

    ~/folder

    ... it can cause a few different issues, all of which have hit me over the months.



    |07p|15AULIE|1142|07o
    |08.........

    --- Mystic BBS v1.12 A47 2021/10/25 (Raspberry Pi/32)
    * Origin: 2o fOr beeRS bbs>>>20ForBeers.com:1337 (21:2/150)
  • From paulie420@21:2/150 to deon on Wed Dec 15 07:19:13 2021
    In linux, for some obscure reason, most executables (definitely mutil a fidopoll) need to be preceded by the current dir, or "./" (ie ./mutil a ./fidopoll).

    It's not obscure :)

    Linux (and unix in general), looks for executables in your PATH by default, unless you specifically set your path to look for executables
    in your current directly (or a specific directory).

    The "default path" is normally /bin, /usr/bin and if your root, /sbin, /usr/sbin. Of course it depends on your distro as well as to what they
    set the default PATH to.

    * softlink mutil fidopoll to /bin or /usr/bin
    * update your PATH to include where mystic is installed, and
    * write a script that lives in /bin or /usr/bin with the name fidopoll, mutil, etc - and that script does some magic (if it needs to), before launching the those binaries in the appropriate direction

    deon; always sets me straight so I understand things. While I knew what this was doing, and why it was needed, you have a way of stating it like the docs. Thanks. :P



    |07p|15AULIE|1142|07o
    |08.........

    --- Mystic BBS v1.12 A47 2021/10/25 (Raspberry Pi/32)
    * Origin: 2o fOr beeRS bbs>>>20ForBeers.com:1337 (21:2/150)
  • From Zip@21:1/202 to McDoob on Wed Dec 15 21:28:26 2021
    Hello McDoob!

    On 14 Dec 2021, McDoob said the following...
    It took me entirely too long to figure out why my events were failing!
    And it all came down to exactly two characters in the command line: "./"

    Ah, yes, that one sounds familiar. :-D

    Recently, I've gotten into the (bad) habit of accessing Mystic config
    from the SysOp menu. I tried several times to update my events after

    I also do that -- usually I connect "locally" to the BBS using a Telnet/SSH terminal program (SyncTERM) and then launch the System Configuration from the SysOp menu.

    This has the advantage of character encodings being "correct" (CP437) which might be important if you need to be able to edit e.g. message base descriptions with "special" characters in them.

    figuring out the above difference. And there began my second "D'oh!" moment...because McDoob is not a user in the linux OS. Therefore, McDoob did not have permission to alter the event configs!

    I do change event configs from within the BBS, however MIS needs to be restarted for any event changes to take effect.

    Of course, editing events requires the data/events.dat file to be writable by the Linux user that the BBS is running as. The latter probably has a (Linux) username completely different from that of your BBS user account inside Mystic.

    Best regards
    Zip

    --- Mystic BBS v1.12 A47 2021/12/13 (Linux/64)
    * Origin: Star Collision BBS, Uppsala, Sweden (21:1/202)
  • From McDoob@21:4/135 to Zip on Wed Dec 15 17:17:49 2021
    I do change event configs from within the BBS, however MIS needs to be restarted for any event changes to take effect.


    Ah, maybe that was the issue. It just seemed like it was refusing to accept
    the changes.

    Of course, editing events requires the data/events.dat file to be
    writable by the Linux user that the BBS is running as. The latter
    probably has a (Linux) username completely different from that of your
    BBS user account inside Mystic.


    I feel pretty confident that my linux users and permissions are set properly.
    I can manually edit any of the files I've tried, and ./mystic -cfg works perfectly. It was when I was trying to make changes from within PiBBS that things broke down.

    I just found it...odd...

    Cheers!

    McDoob
    SysOp, PiBBS
    pibbs.sytes.net

    --- Mystic BBS v1.12 A46 2020/08/26 (Raspberry Pi/32)
    * Origin: PiBBS (21:4/135)