Hello,   
      
   On Thu, 22 Nov 2018 10:21:48 +1000, Paul Quinn -> Nicholas Boel wrote:   
      
    PQ> Well it started with the demise of my 25 year-old MS-DOS/Windows 98SE   
    PQ> system due to an incompatible SVGA adapter driver after a VirtualBox   
    PQ> (vBox) *update*, on my 32-bit Xubuntu (X'u) desktop.  It works fine on   
    PQ> my 8 year-old Dell 64-bit X'u desktop but cannot run with the same   
    PQ> 24/7@365 reliability that I require, due to its UPS battery being   
    PQ> exhausted.  It's too late to bring it back on-line now, and, considering   
    PQ> its limited future IAC, it's really a lost cause.   
      
   Do you even have to incorporate your video card into Vbox? I thought you could   
   use their built in drivers..   
      
    PQ> FMail32/lnx, which requires a Windows 32-bit FMail configuration   
    PQ> program.  As you may know, FMail is stuck in middle-90s Fidonet DOS   
    PQ> think.  Its netmail packer/router logic sux megakilos and is limited in   
    PQ> basic functionality, so I'm using CF-Route or Crashmail (still),   
    PQ> requiring that both of those configurations are updated in parallel with   
    PQ> FMail's.  The scripting solutions are a wonder of modern DOS-think.   
      
   Bummer. I was hoping Wilfred would have gotten to that by now, but I can see   
   the motivation level has to be pretty high these days to ditch real life and   
   work on software for this hobby. However when it does happen I don't mind   
   testing it. ;)   
      
    PQ> I don't keep a diary.  And we both don't really have the time to pick   
    PQ> things apart.  My operating requirements are a bit tight considering   
    PQ> that my current Fidonet vBox server is  a 32-bit X'u 14.04 LTS, with 4Gb   
    PQ> RAM in the cheapest HP 'junkbox' I could buy.  Its OS needs updating by   
    PQ> April next year, according to the warning I get when SSH-ing to it... or   
    PQ> else.  ;)   
      
   About a year ago I picked up a dedicated HP proliant server machine   
   specifically for this stuff. Once everything was setup and the quirks were   
   taken care of, I hadn't had to touch it for months. I'm beginning to wonder if   
   that's the reason I got bored and found other things to do. ;)   
      
    PQ> After exhaustive research (both in Fido or on the WWW) and/or thought   
    PQ> experiments, I am currently playing with a limited Mystic BBS   
    PQ> installation, sufficient to feed the current pseudo-hub cross-up/down   
    PQ> echomail links.  Trial(s) will begin next week.  Frankly, I am unsure of   
    PQ> its netmail routing capability or even of its co-operation with a   
    PQ> JamNNTPd configuration (/NB/ I know it has its own _but_ do you know if   
    PQ> JamNNTPd could work with it?).   
      
   I believe James had worked out any indifferences in Mystic's JAM message base   
   implementation. That being said, it works with Golded wonderfully, so I don't   
   see why it wouldn't be able to share it's messsage base with JAMNNTPd either.   
   Obviously some settings in Mystic would need to be done like making sure you   
   don't pack or renumber the message bases, but other than that should be good   
   to go.   
      
    PQ> In brief, I have discounted: other DOS vBox arrangements; HPT (based on   
    PQ> indirect advice from Tommi); various Windows vBox arrangements; an MBSE   
    PQ> config trashed; a theoretical Syncronet/lnx config; or, even an   
    PQ> (unknown-capability) hack of SBBSecho (I did make a nice PDF of its Wiki   
    PQ> entry too... it looks vaguely familiar and beaut).  Plus a -lot- of   
    PQ> variations.   
      
   I've used HPT for quite awhile now, and honestly can't think of any major   
   issues besides my own misconfigurations or forgetfulness (for example, adding   
   a route line when a new link is connected, simple things like that) I've ever   
   had with it.   
      
   Regards,   
   Nick   
      
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