On Dec 2, at 00:21 | Dec2, Tony Firshman wrote:
>
> On Dec 1, at 22:12 | Dec1, Derek Stewart wrote:
>
>> On Tue 29 Nov 2011 19:44:24 GMT, Tony Firshman <[email protected]> wrote:
>>
>>> My BBS main disk died today.
>>> I am mightily glad that the system boots primarily off romdisq - it made
>>> life so much easier.
>>>
>>> The 23 daily backup partitions on a separate HD should have all been OK,
>>> but some were not.
>>> I found one that was and all is restored with a 296mb partition on a 20GB
>>> HD, although probably with quite old message databases.
>>>
>>> I now use it online really only as an incoming fax machine, which
>>> accumulates loads of junk faxes!
>>>
>>> It has been running pretty continuously on only two sets of computer
>>> hardware since the late 80s. It originally used a black QL with GC and
>>> Astracom modem. It is now in a boxed QL with Aurora, SGC, superHermes,
>>> Mplane and a 56k USR faxmodem.
>>> I used to link to Fidonet, and shared data with four or five QL BBSs (two
>>> or three in the UK, one in Holland and one in the USA) and the rest of the
>>> Fidonet community.
>>> Fidonet is long dead - killed by email and the internet. There are also no
>>> other QL based BBSs. Are there *any* dialup BBS systems still going?
>>>
>>> In the very early days, I remember connecting to it from Northumberland via
>>> a 300bps acoustic coupler connected to a Tandy 200 portable.
>>>
>>> I know Roy Wood used it regularly to to test modems.
>>> I also had a phone call from a lecturer in Glasgow who used it as a
>>> demonstration and reported it down!
>>> Does anyone use the BBS now?
>>> If not, it probably makes sense to retire this machine and use a modern
>>> multi function laser printer.
>>> The QL machine will still be used as the source of all my commercial
>>> software.
>>>
>>> It will be the end of a very very long era.
>>>
>>> Tony
>>>
>> I used to have a BBS in the North East... 2:256/65, called QuantaNE, then
>> reanmed later to be called, Fluffy Owls.
>>
>> The BBS ran on a 20Mhz 286 PC using Remote Access BBS software, but I moved
>> it to a QL using Pbox. I must to of admit to hasstling Phil Borman to
>> deveoping Pbox to the same level as Remote Access BBS System. To some extent
>> Pbox, really got sophiscated.
>>
>> I used to route most of the BBS mail from the main hub in the North East,
>> but alas, not many QL users managed to logon tothe system.
>>
>> The majority, of BBS Sysops, converted their BBSs to Internet Web Site, not
>> nothing really has chnaged, only thety now get concurrent users, rather than
>> 1 user per logon,
>>
>>
> Mine started in London with Jan Bredenbeek's software (Qbox?), a black box QL
> and an Astracom modem. It moved some time later to the excellent Pbox, and I
> also use its fax support.
> Prior to the reliable Mplane, I used to get regular (six monthly) disk
> crashes. Qplane was a real hassle. Once, before I had set up proper backups,
> I had an all night session with Phil Borman who rescued my file system. It
> was mightiily hard.
> The fax is really the main reason for it still running.
> I have bought a multifunction printer, and when that arrives on Monday, QBBS
> will shut down, after about 24 continuous mainly reliable years.
>
Never pay for next day delivery with Amazon - products invariably arrive next
day with *free* delivery.
QBBS is now dead (8-(#
Tony
--
QBBS (QL fido BBS 2:257/67) +44(0)1442-828255
[email protected] http://firshman.co.uk
Voice: +44(0)1442-828254 Fax: +44(0)1442-828255 Skype: tonyfirshman
TF Services, 29 Longfield Road, TRING, Herts, HP23 4DG
_______________________________________________
QL-Users Mailing List
http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
