Subj : sexpots.ini - modem command failure (TIMEOUT)
To   : rswindell
From : HotblackDesiato
Date : Sun Aug 11 2024 20:01:00


I am trying to set up SEXPOTS for my synchronet BBS (time warp back to the
90s...). However, sexpots keeps returning "modem command failure". I am running
Debian Bookworm and the U.S. Robotics modem is connected to /dev/ttyS0. The
user sbbs is member of the group dialout and has access tot he modem. I can
issue modem commands in mincom and I am able to connect to the only remaining
dialup BBS in my city. So I confirm that the modem works. I was able to get
SEXPOTS to run once yesterday, but since then fails to run (either manually
started or via systemd). I rebooted, restarted the modem etc., not sure how I
managed to get it to run once. After that only failures.

Any ideas?

Here is my sexpots.ini

LogLevel = INFO             ; set display/log output level
Debug = TRUE                ; enable debug logging (overrides LogLevel)
PauseOnExit = FALSE         ; wait for key-press on exit (non-service)
CLS = FALSE                 ; send a form feed (clear screen) before copyright
banner
Prompt =
PromptTimeout = 60          ; seconds to wait for a remote character after
sending prompt (0=infinite)
 
[COM]
Device = /dev/ttyS0         ; COM port device name (or port number)
BaudRate = 0                ; If non-zero, use this DTE rate (e.g. 115200)
Hangup = TRUE               ; Hang-up phone after call
IgnoreDCD = FALSE           ; Set to TRUE to ignore state of DCD
DCDTimeout = 10             ; Seconds to wait for DCD to drop
DTRDelay = 100              ; Milliseconds to delay before hangup
NullModem = FALSE           ; Set to TRUE to not send AT commands to modem
Parity = FALSE              ; Use parity (error detection/correction) bit
ParityOdd = FALSE           ; Use odd (not even) parity for parity calculations
ByteSize = 8                ; Number of data bits per byte
StopBits = 1                ; Number of stop bits per byte
 
[Modem]
;Init = AT&F                 ; Modem initialization string
Init = AT&FML1              ; low volume
AutoAnswer = ATS0=1         ; Put modem into "auto-answer" mode
CleanUp = ATS0=0            ; When exiting, turn off auto-answer
;EnableCallerID = AT+VCID=1  ; Enable Caller-ID support (or try AT#CID=1)
EnableCallerID = AT#CID=1
Timeout = 5                 ; Seconds to wait for a response from modem
ReInit = 60                 ; Minutes of inactivity while waiting for caller
before re-initialization
Answer = ATA                ; Answer command
Ring = RING                 ; Ring indication (from modem)
ManualAnswer = FALSE        ; Set to TRUE to disable auto-answer and use ring
detection/manual answer instead
 
[TCP]
Host = localhost            ; Hostname or IP address of TCP server
Port = 23                   ; TCP port number of TCP server
NoDelay = TRUE              ; Set to TRUE to disable the Nagle Algorithm
Telnet = TRUE               ; Set to FALSE to disable Telnet mode
 
[Telnet]
Debug = FALSE               ; Set to TRUE to log Telnet commands sent/recv
AdvertiseLocation = FALSE   ; Set to TRUE to send "WILL SEND LOCATION"
TermType = SEXPOTS          ; You shouldn't normally change this value
TermSpeed = 28800,28800     ; Default terminal speed reported (tx, rx bps)

[Ident]
Enabled = FALSE             ; Set to TRUE to enable Ident (RFC1413) server
Port = 113                  ; TCP Port Ident server will listen on
Interface = 0               ; IP address of network interface (0=Any)
Response = CALLERID:SEXPOTS ; Resp-type and Add-info portions of response


I get this when I run SEXPOTS:

bbs@server:/opt/synchronet/exec$ /opt/synchronet/exec/sexpots
/opt/synchronet/exec/sexpots.ini

Synchronet External POTS Support/Linux   v2.0  Copyright 2024 Rob Swindell

8/12 10:46:48  Reading /opt/synchronet/exec/sexpots.ini
8/12 10:46:48  Reading /opt/synchronet/exec/sexpots.ini
8/12 10:46:48  Synchronet Communications I/O Library for Linux v1.19
8/12 10:46:48  Build Aug 10 2024 11:40:02 GCC 12.2.0
8/12 10:46:48  TCP Host: localhost
8/12 10:46:48  TCP Port: 23
8/12 10:46:48  Opening Communications Device (COM Port): /dev/ttyS0
8/12 10:46:48  COM Port device handle: 3
8/12 10:46:48  COM Port DTE rate: 0 bps
8/12 10:46:48  Initializing modem:
8/12 10:46:48  Modem Command: AT&FML1
8/12 10:46:48  Waiting for Modem Response ...
8/12 10:46:53  Modem Response TIMEOUT (5 seconds) on /dev/ttyS0
8/12 10:46:53  Retry #1: sending modem command (AT&FML1) on /dev/ttyS0
8/12 10:46:53  Dropping DTR on /dev/ttyS0
8/12 10:46:53  Raising DTR on /dev/ttyS0
8/12 10:46:53  Modem Command: AT&FML1
8/12 10:46:53  Waiting for Modem Response ...
8/12 10:46:58  Modem Response TIMEOUT (5 seconds) on /dev/ttyS0
8/12 10:46:58  Retry #2: sending modem command (AT&FML1) on /dev/ttyS0
8/12 10:46:58  Dropping DTR on /dev/ttyS0
8/12 10:46:58  Raising DTR on /dev/ttyS0
8/12 10:46:58  Modem Command: AT&FML1
8/12 10:46:58  Waiting for Modem Response ...
8/12 10:47:03  Modem Response TIMEOUT (5 seconds) on /dev/ttyS0
8/12 10:47:03  Modem command (AT&FML1) failure on /dev/ttyS0 (3 attempts)
8/12 10:47:03  Cleaning up ...
8/12 10:47:03  Done (handled 0 calls).


mincom output (I get TR and CS LEDs on after issuing the two commands):

sbbs@server:/opt/synchronet/exec$ cat minicom.txt 
Willkommen zu minicom 2.8

Optionen: I18n 
Port /dev/ttyS0, 10:31:20

Drücken Sie CTRL-A  Z für Hilfe zu speziellen Tasten
AT&FML1
OK
AT#CID=1
OK
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 * Origin: Vertrauen - [vert/cvs/bbs].synchro.net (1:103/705)

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