Subj : Re: Synchronet config change
To   : Vitaliy Aksyonov
From : Rob Swindell
Date : Fri Mar 08 2024 12:13 pm

  Re: Re: Synchronet config change
  By: Vitaliy Aksyonov to Rob Swindell on Thu Mar 07 2024 05:35 pm

 > Hello Rob.
 >
 > 07 Mar 24 10:46, you wrote to me:
 >
 >  >> Hello Rob.
 >  >>
 >  >> 06 Mar 24 12:05, you wrote to me:
 >  >>
 >  >>  RS> I'm attempting a reply using GoldEd+ here.
 >  >>
 >  >>  RS> One thing I noticed, the SBBS config points to the parent of
 >  >> the
 >  >>  RS> Synchronet "control" directory rather than the ctrl directory
 >  >> itself
 >  >>  RS> (which is normally represnted by the SBBSCTRL environment
 >  >> variable).
 >  >>  RS> The control directory is not hard-coded to be "ctrl" anywhere,
 >  >> thought
 >  >>  RS> that is the default/stock configuration that most sysops keep.
 >  >> I would
 >  >>  RS> recommend that the GoldEd+ config file point to the path of
 >  >> the
 >  >>  RS> Synchronet "control" directory and not its parent directory.
 >  >> Or read
 >  >>  RS> this from the SBBSCRL env var.
 >  >>
 >  >> Currently you may use three different options for Synchronet
 >  >> AreaFile:
 >  >>
 >  >> 1) Path to Synchronet root. And then Golded would assume that
 >  >> config is is ctrl directory. 2) Path to Synchronet control
 >  >> directory. 3) Path to msgs.ini itself.
 >
 >  RS> Only methods 2 and 3 there would be valid. There's no real "Synchronet
 >  RS> root".
 >
 > I'm inclining to rework it and use only method 3, but read main.ini first,
 > then mail.ini.
 >
 >  >> And also GoldEd assumes that message bases located on the same
 >  >> level as control directory in "data/subs" directory.
 >
 >  RS> That would be incorrect. Each message base can actually be located
 >  RS> anywhere (that's what 'data_dir' is used for - but it's it's blank,
 >  RS> then data/subs can be assumed, but the location of the 'data'
 >  RS> directory is also configurable in the [dir] section of main.ini).
 >
 > You're right. It does use data_dir if it's available in message base config.
 > I forgot to mention that. Only if it's empty - it uses data/subs. I'll
 > rework this too.
 >
 >  >> I didn't invent that logic. Just added parsing ini in addition to
 >  >> cnf file.
 >  >>
 >  >> I'm happy to change the way it configured. But I'm not an expert in
 >  >> Synchronet design. Could you please describe how it may be
 >  >> configured?
 >
 >  RS> SBBSCTRL (env var or other method of discovery) points to Synchronet
 >  RS> "control" directory (which could be named/located anywhere), where you
 >  RS> can find main.ini which in turn defines the relative path (from the
 >  RS> "control" directory) to the "data" directory.
 >
 >  RS> Then parsing msgs.ini, each message area (sub) can have its own
 >  RS> "data_dir" defined (where to find the message base files themselves) -
 >  RS> if the data_dir isn't defined, then the "subs" sub-directory of the
 >  RS> configured "data" directory is where the message base files are
 >  RS> expected to be found.
 >
 > Env var is not a good idea. Better to use path to main.ini. Am I right that
 > all ini files shall be within control directory?

The SBBSCTRL env var is a method of locating the main.ini file to begin with. that's how most Synchronet utilities find it. Otherwise, you'll need store a path to it somewhere else (e.g. in a golded.cfg file, like you do now).

 > I used that file for reference when worked on this change. Thanks.
 >
 > Wait for the next patch which will make it even better. BTW, I found one
 > issue in my change which will make it fail to read message bases in windows.
 > That will be fixed too.

Nice! I only tested on Linux so far.
-- 
                                            digital man (rob)

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He's a rebel and a runner, he's a signal turning green .. New World Man
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