FBB Packet-radio BBS mini-HOWTO: How to install daemon version of LinFBB

5. How to install daemon version of LinFBB

Notice: You see, folks, that I keep trying to get as many as possible versions of this great software (Jean-Paul, F6FBB, must be very proud after reading these words now). What I think when mention "as many as possible versions" means that we have learned how to get both WinFBB and LinFBB for X11 on the same computer. But, that's not all. There is a variety of daemon versions of LinFBB. In this section we are going to discuss how to *add* a daemon LinFBB to the existing two: X11 LinFBB and WinFBB!

Well, many amateurs suggested me to install some packages that looked to me as not too much needed for LinFBB itself - to be run. Anyway, I have installed those packages before the installation of LinFBB daemon version itself:
```
      libax25.rpm
      ax25apps.rpm
      ax25tool.rpm
```
Now it is the right time to install fbbsrv.rpm package. The archive is composed to make its own directories, as "base" directories. The last new daemon version to start with, that I managed to find as a .rpm package, was 7.01f Release 4 (09. December 1999).
A file fbb.conf, that serves as the replacement for init.srv, is located in the following location: /etc/ax25/fbb.conf
Unless you are going to install daemon-only system, you should make a backup of the existing following files:
```
      dirmes.sys
      etat.sys
      heard.bin
      inf.sys
      statis.dat
      tpstat.sys
```
Now you have to edit /etc/ax25/fbb.conf and change some paths in case you already have X11 LinFBB installed on a different path. Here you have some examples that cover my particular situation...
Directory of data files, instead of /var/ax25/fbb, should be /mnt/win/fbb/system
Directory of config files, instead of /etc/ax25/fbb, should be /mnt/win/fbb/system
Directory of message files, instead of /var/ax25/fbb/mail, should be /mnt/win/fbb/mail
Directory of compressed files, instead of /var/ax25/fbb/binmail, should be /mnt/win/fbb/binmail
Directory of users, instead of .../home/fbbdos/..., should be .../mnt/win/fbb/users... (<-- case you don't mind that both your WinFBB and LinFBB users handle the same location for users' files)
Directory of YAPP files, instead of /home/fbbdos/yapp, should be /mnt/win/fbb/users/yapp (<-- the same reason as above)
Directory of documentation files, instead of /var/ax25/fbb/docs, should be /mnt/win/fbb/docs
Directory of pg programs, instead of /usr/local/pg, should be /mnt/win/fbb/pg
Path and filename for import file, instead of C:\FBB\MAIL.IN should be /mnt/win/fbb/mail.in
Now you have to edit /usr/sbin/xfbb.sh and change some paths in case you already have running X11 version of LinFBB on a different path. Here you have an example that cover my particular situation...
Base directory of XFBB software, instead of /var/ax25/fbb, should be /mnt/win/fbb
So far - so good. Now it is the time to start LinFBB daemon. The command for that is in the location: /usr/sbin/xfbb.sh and it may be executed within an xterm. If everything is OK, you should get several system messages on your screen, ending with something like:
```
      xfbbC/X server running ...
      xfbbd ready and running ...
```
Well, daemon itself can't be used to access the BBS so it is needed to activate a client that is /usr/sbin/xfbbC. It has a couple of parameters (a callsign/password pairs that are stored in /fbb/passwd.sys). Note that xfbbC can also be activated within another xterm.
If you are like me, you would like to activate one more xterm with xfbbC in a way to monitor your radio frequency. If you have enough room on your screen, you may place all three xterm windows side by side.
When you finish your xfbbC console session, it is suitable to use the same xterm to eventually stop the daemon. First of all, with the command ps ax you should locate PIDs of xfbb.sh shell and daemon itself, that you may kill after that.

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