Subj : Fido on a removable drive
To   : RUSSELL TIEDT
From : Mvan Le
Date : Thu Aug 24 2006 07:47 pm

 -=> Quoting Russell Tiedt to All <=-

 RT> @MSGID: <44ECAE0F.1497.tub@vert.synchro.net>
 RT> Hello everybody.

 RT> Well, I am back online after the telco took 16 days to replace fix the
 RT> cable a  few hundred meters from my wall socket to almost at the
 RT> exchange, which leads  me to ask,

 RT> about fidonet on a USB memory stick, and the problem of changing drive
 RT> letters.

[cut]

Why not just install your entire BBS into one directory, eg. 

  C:\Bbs (or \\bbs (UNC path))

and map that directory to a network drive eg. M:.

Then set up global environment variables in Autoexec.bat or Control Panel->
System->Advanced->Environment Variables.

I currently run my BBS under Windows 2000, and here's what I do with my 
AUTOEXEC.bat / AUTOEXEC.NT:

    set bbsdrive=m
    set boardroot=%bbsdrive%:\board
    set fossroot=%bbsdrive%:\fossils
    set mailroot=%bbsdrive%:\mailing
    set toolsroot=%bbsdrive%:\tools

    rem ; +----------+
    rem ; | Comments |
    rem ; +----------+
    rem ; 
    rem ; bwave is run from %bbsdrive%:\batch
    rem ; mtelnet is run from %bbsdrive%:\batch
    rem ; mm.exe / multimail is run from %bbsdrive%:\batch

    PATH=%boardroot%\max;%boardroot%\max\batch;%bbsdrive%:\batch;%toolsroot%\arcers;%fossroot%\TelSrv\NETFOSS

    SET MAXIMUS=%boardroot%\Max\max.prm
    set SQUISH=%mailroot%\squish\squish.cfg
    set fd=%mailroot%\fd

    doskey

and all your other BBS batch files would draw the same root directories from
those environment variables.

That way you could copy your entire C:\Bbs to <anydrive/media>:\Bbs, and
map a network drive to whatever %bbsdrive% you defined.

All the BBS programs/doors would then be run under the mapped drive.

The limitations I've experienced with this approach is when batch files 
cannot be used, and where path name & filenames need to be hardcoded eg. 
*.cfg files. Or if your desired mapped drive letter is already in use by 
something else and cannot be changed eg. for business and/or practical 
reasons. 

Unless you're going to dedicate a whole PC to your BBS, it's more convenient 
and portable to structure your BBS files & folders under one parent directory
eg. C:\Bbs.


.... RAM = Rarely Adequate Memory
___ Blue Wave/386 v2.30

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