Differences

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--- tutorial-linbpq [2024/11/15 04:44] – created kc2ihx
+++ tutorial-linbpq [2025/11/12 23:34] (current) – [Configuring BPQ] n6cta
@@ Line 3: / Line 3: @@
 ===== Why linBPQ: =====
-We’ve choosen linBPQ as it is cross-platform, source is made readily available, and has a large and active community. I think it’s unlicensed freeware at the moment. It does however use code from other open-source projects that may require it to have reciprocal licensing. The point being, the community can fork, fix, or take over development in the future when the time comes. All of G8BPQ’s projects are fairly easy to set up build environments for. It’s not the only game in town though. JNOS and linFBB are other PBBS/PMS open-source wares that are being actively developed and worth a look and I may cover them at a later date. One of the coolest features of linBPQ is the ability to expose telnet ports to radio traffic enabling all kinds of interesting opportunities.
+We’ve choosen linBPQ as it is cross-platform, source is made readily available via GitHub, and has a large and active community. One other important reason we chose linBPQ is the ease of which an operator can expand PBBS functionality through telnet.
-The linBPQ software suite is broken up into three main configuration files. These files are for the main linBPQ instance, BPQChat, and BPQMail. Chat is similar to conversd for those familiar with the classic amateur radio chat software for linux; it’s a multiuser chat reminiscent of IRC. BPQMail is the BPQ BBS/PMS software.
 ===== BPQ HTML pages =====
 Before we start we need to grab the HTML pages for the BPQ web management interface.
-''
+<code>
-cd ~/.config/linbpq/ && mkdir HTML && cd HTML
+  cd ~/.config/linbpq/ && mkdir HTML && cd HTML
-wget https://www.cantab.net/users/john.wiseman/Downloads/Beta/HTMLPages.zip
+  wget https://www.cantab.net/users/john.wiseman/Downloads/Beta/HTMLPages.zip
-unzip HTMLPages.zip
+  unzip HTMLPages.zip
-''
+</code>
 ===== Configuring BPQ =====
+The linBPQ software suite is broken up into two configuration files. These files are for the configuration of the main linBPQ instance and the integrated chatroom program BPQChat.
 ==== bpq32.cfg ====
@@ Line 33: / Line 31: @@
 The file should be placed at `~/.config/linbpq/bpq32.cfg`
-''
+<code>
 ;                                                     ;
 ;                 linBPQ config File                  ;
@@ Line 140: / Line 138: @@
 APPLICATION 2,CHAT,,CALL-4,,255;
 APPLICATION 3,K2K,C 2 HOST 0 K S,CALL,,0;
-''
+</code>
 ==== chatconfig.cfg ====
+//Not totally necessary//
 You’ll want to change GRID to your grid if you want it to show up on this map under the Chat Network tab.
-`~/.config/linbpq/chatconfig.cfg`
-''
+This should be placed in ''~/.config/linbpq/chatconfig.cfg''.
+<code>
 Chat :
 {
@@ Line 159: / Line 160: @@
   PopupMode = 0; Enable popup for Chat Map
 };
-''
+</code>
 ==== linmail.cfg ====
 This is one config file you can skip creating and start with a default that you configure from scratch through the [[https://www.cantab.net/users/john.wiseman/Documents/BPQWebServer.htm|web interface]]. We’ve let this here mainly for reference.
-''
+<code>
 main :
 {
@@ Line 289: / Line 291: @@
 };
-''
+</code>
 ===== Systemd Service =====
-''
+''/etc/systemd/system/linbpq.service''
-/etc/systemd/system/linbpq.service
-''
 Text:
-''
+<code>
 [Unit]
 Description=linBPQ Start Script
@@ Line 315: / Line 315: @@
 [Install]
 WantedBy=multi-user.target
-''
+</code>
 Enable and start service.
-''
+<code>
-sudo systemctl enable linbpq.service
+$> sudo systemctl enable linbpq.service
-sudo systemctl start linbpq.service
+$> sudo systemctl start linbpq.service
-''
+</code>
 ===== LinBPQ Web Management Interface =====
-Since the web interface is fairly straight forward if you poke around a bit I’m not going to go into it very deeply. The port for the web interface is set via the ‘HTTPPORT=’ entry in the bpq32.cfg configuration file and web server comes up on startup of the application. You can connect to it using localhost as the address and the port you configure.
+The port for the web interface is set via the ‘HTTPPORT=’ entry in the bpq32.cfg configuration file and web server comes up on startup of the application. You can connect to it using localhost as the address and the port you configure.
-When connecting via host, you will be granted Sysop privileges. If you use a VPN to connect you’ll need to log in using the telnet user and password with the SYSOP flag set in bpq32.cfg.
+When connecting via host, you will be granted Sysop privileges. If you use a VPN to connect you’ll need to log in using the telnet user and password with the SYSOP flag set in ''bpq32.cfg''.
 The first thing you’ll want to do is make sure you have a Sysop mailbox account under the “Mail Mgmt” tab. This is how I have mine set up. Making myself a BBS user allows me (along with the requisite bpq32.cfg CMS settings) to connect to my mailbox over telnet using Pat and RadioMail.
-(screenshot goes here)
+{{ :bpq-user-settings.png |
+(screenshot of user config with BBS, SYSOP, "include SYSOP msgs in LM", and "don't add @winlink.org" checked)}}
 One thing I will mention that is not obvious is that under the “Ports” tab is where you will be able to configure the Beacon interval and message by clicking the ‘Beacons’ link for the port in question. Some interface types allow you to do this within bpq32.cfg in the port config but others allow you to do this via the web interface. For this reason I only set these value through the web interface to not be, “a person with two watches,” as they say.