synchronet-web-v4

A web interface for Synchronet BBS

###Disclaimer

• Use this software at your own risk. It's still being developed, and hasn't been thoroughly tested yet.

###Requirements

• This web interface has been tested with Synchronet BBS 3.17a. It will probably work with later versions.
• In addition to updating your Synchronet build, be sure to update your the javascript modules in your exec and exec/load directories as well. You can get them from the Synchronet CVS repository or in the sbbs_run.zip archive.

###Quick start

• Back up your Synchronet installation (particularly 'ctrl' and 'web')
• Shut down your BBS
• Clone or download an archive of this repository to a convenient location
  • Copy the contents of the downloaded mods directory into your local mods directory
  • Copy the contents of the downloaded text directory into your local text directory
  • Rename your current web directory to something like web.old and then copy the downloaded web directory in its place
• Download fTelnet
  • Extract the archive
  • Copy the release subdirectory into your new web/root/ directory
  • Rename the copied release subdirectory to ftelnet
• Add the following section to your ctrl/modopts.ini file:

[web]
	; Unauthenticated visitors will be logged in as the user with this alias
	; (Only give this user privileges you want unknown web visitors to have)
	guest = Guest
	; Login sessions expire after this many seconds of inactivity
	timeout = 43200
	; Web-based users disappear from the "Who's online" list after this many seconds
	inactivity = 900
	; Allow new users to register via the web interface
	user_registration = true
	; Enforce a minimum password length if user_registration is true
	minimum_password_length = 6
	; Limit the length of a telegram (in characters) that a web user can send
	maximum_telegram_length = 800
	; Which external program sections to list on the Games page (comma-separated)
	xtrn_sections = games,puzzle,rpg,erotic
	; Where (absolute or relative to 'exec') the 'lib' and 'root' directories live
	web_directory = ../web
	; Path to a .ans file to use as the ftelnet splash screen
	ftelnet_splash = ../text/synch.ans
	; Only load this many messages from each sub (default: 0 for all)
	; (If you get 'Out of memory' errors when viewing subs, tweak this setting)
	max_messages = 0
	; Enable or disable keyboard navigation in message threads
	keyboard_navigation = false
	; Display upvote/downvote buttons in message threads (3.17)
	vote_functions = true
	; Refresh nodelist, vote counts, etc. this often (in milliseconds)
	refresh_interval = 60000

• Add the following section to your ctrl/services.ini file:

[WebSocketTelnet]
Port=1123
Options=NO_HOST_LOOKUP
Command=websocket-telnet-service.js

• Add the following section to your ctrl/services.ini file:

[WebSocketRLogin]
Port=1513
Options=NO_HOST_LOOKUP
Command=websocket-rlogin-service.js

• Tell your router and firewall to open and forward ports 1123 and 1513 to your BBS

• If you were running ecWeb v3 and modified the RootDirectory value in the [Web] section of ctrl/sbbs.ini to point to ../web/root/ecwebv3, change it back to ../web/root.

• Edit the [logon] section of your ctrl/modopts.ini file, and ensure that it has an rlogin_auto_xtrn key with a value of true

  • NB: that's the [logon] section and not the [login] section

[logon]
rlogin_auto_xtrn = true

• Your logon.js file should have a block of code near the top that looks like this, but if it doesn't you should add it in:

var options = load("modopts.js", "logon");

// Check if we're being asked to auto-run an external (web interface external programs section uses this)
if (options && (options.rlogin_auto_xtrn) && (bbs.sys_status & SS_RLOGIN) && (console.terminal.indexOf("xtrn=") === 0)) {
    var external_code = console.terminal.substring(5);
    if (!bbs.exec_xtrn(external_code)) {
        alert(log(LOG_ERR,"!ERROR Unable to launch external: '" + external_code + "'"));
    }
    bbs.hangup();
	exit();
}

• Start your BBS back up again

###Configuration

• Ensure that the guest user specified in the [web] section of ctrl/modopts.ini exists and has only the permissions that you want an unauthenticated visitor from the web to have. This user probably shouldn't be able to post messages, and definitely shouldn't be able to post to networked message areas.
• Look at those xtrn_sections in the [web] section of ctrl/modopts.ini. They should be the internal codes of all External Programs sections that you want to make available to authenticated users via the web. (You probably don't have an erotic External Programs area, but if you do ... that's cool.)

###Customization

• This web interface uses Bootstrap 3.3.5. It should be possible to use any compatible stylesheet.
  • You can place your own CSS overrides in web/root/css/style.css
  • You can load another stylesheet of your own choosing in the <head> section of web/root/index.xjs (load it after the others)
• The sidebar module & page structure is mostly similar to the system used in ecWeb v3. See the old instructions for info on adding content.
  • You can force a link to a page to be placed in the More menu by using an underscore as a separator in its filename rather than a hyphen

###Uninstall

• To stop using this web interface, you can just revert to your previous web directory at any time.
• The [web] section added to ctrl/modopts.ini won't hurt anything if you leave it there, but you can delete it if you want
• Revert your ctrl/services.ini file to the backup you made prior to installing this web interface
• Undo any changes you made to your firewall & router during the Quick Start

###Support

####Via GitHub

• Please browse the existing issues for this project, including those marked as closed. You may find that your question has already been asked (and hopefully answered).
• Open a new issue here on GitHub

####On DOVE-Net

• Post a message to echicken in Synchronet Discussion. I read this sub regularly and will respond to you there.

####On IRC

• You can find me in #synchronet on irc.synchro.net. I may be AFK, but ask your question and idle for a while; I'll respond eventually.

####Email

• Please don't. Public support discussions are better for everyone, especially those searching the web for answers in the future.