[comp.mail.misc] a bbs proposal -- use unix instead of writing a bbs

cjs@oberlin.UUCP (chris seline) (03/21/88)

I'm confused over the need for propriety BBSes.  To me  a unix system
is the best bbs one can have...just  give your  users a  limited # of
commands --write your own shell....then your users can use umodem and
xmodem, and the files can be stored on your system just file any file
(i.e.  we use /usr/local/src....)  and they can use mail and news and
real editors like emacs -- all with a minimum of programming.  



Christopher Seline
bellcore!oberlin!cjs

mjr@osiris.UUCP (Marcus J. Ranum) (03/22/88)

In article <708@oberlin.UUCP> cjs@oberlin.UUCP (chris seline) writes:
>I'm confused over the need for propriety BBSes.  To me  a unix system
>is the best bbs one can have...just  give your  users a  limited # of
>commands --write your own shell....then your users can use umodem and
>xmodem, and the files can be stored on your system just file any file
>(i.e.  we use /usr/local/src....)  and they can use mail and news and
>real editors like emacs -- all with a minimum of programming.  

	If anyone is interested in going this route, I have a very solid
trapped shell. It supports a complete environment, some command line
variable substitution, and table driven permissions on a per user/group
basis:

	Running a bbs would be as easy as making someone's login shell 
sush, with 
user mjr: /usr/local/bin/rn, /bin/ls, etc....
group other: blah, blah, blah....

	sush supports command line logging, does *NOT* allow I/O
redirection, makes your SHELL environment variable /dev/null and
bunches of other stuff. It has code to execute a login file, etc.
It's also a fairly small executable.
	
	It was posted in comp.sources.unix, if anyone is interested,
or I can get you a copy.

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henrik@blblbl.UUCP (Larry DeLuca) (03/25/88)

You don't even  have to get that complex - just write yourself a little
program that calls chroot(2) and then execs a regular shell (or rsh(1) if
you prefer).  Of course, you have to be sure to set up a "complete"
environment for your users, but overall it's much less work.

					larry...