Subj : perl before swine
To   : mark lewis
From : Maurice Kinal
Date : Sat Mar 26 2005 02:30 pm

Hey Mark!

Please excuse the quotes etc. as I am still hacking and havve altered my plan 
dramatically from where this started.  Decided to go with the point setup as it 
is more a singleuser DOS-think thingy and thus might be a better approach for 
Fido schtuffenputten ... for now.  We'll see.

 ML> you need to stop and realise/remember that the format is taken from
 ML> the actual local message storage format just like QWK stuff is taken
 ML> from the PC Board message base format...

Understood.  This is a HUGE problem when thinking along the lines of a Linux 
multiuser app, as it is unlikely the format of the local bases would be simular 
to a singular thinking uplink.  It has proved to be a stumbling block and hence 
my comment about it to Rusty.  From a sysop's point of view, using Linux as the 
OS of choice, the local storage REALLY needs a major overhaul.  As a Linux 
point it could stand some alterations but it isn't as big of a deal given a 
more singular perspective of the traditional Fido point useage (ie not a 
multiuser BBS).

 ML> it is a tad bit harder to handle the control lines at the end of the
 ML> messages... not all that much harder but still harder, anyway...

I still think a suitable filter between the node - the multiuser Linux BBS - 
and the rest of the world - the uplink - is the way to go.  Treat the local 
setup more Unixie without any regard to DOS-think or traditional FTN formats 
and let the filter between the BBS and the uplink worry about FTN formatting.  
From what I've seen thus far that seems to make the most sense.  It is 
defintely more difficult to alter Linux to think more DOS-like and hence more 
FTN-like unless you have some insight there you'd care to share.

- Maurice


--- txt2pkt.pl v0.00 Hacked
 * Origin: Coffin Point (1:261/38.9)

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