I have been wondering, on a new installation of Synchronet on Linux, do you have to install with simlink or can you just install with regular directories?

Thanks,
RickV

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þ Synchronet þ Live Wire BBS [livewirebbs.com:1025]

I have been wondering, on a new installation of Synchronet on Linux, do you

it's easier to use with the symlinks, IMO.

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Re: SBBS Installation question
By: RickV to Digital Man on Fri Feb 06 2026 09:36 am

I have been wondering, on a new installation of Synchronet on Linux, do you have to install with simlink or can you just install with regular directories?

You don't have to build/install with symlinks. This is the wiki page for *nix installation:

https://wiki.synchro.net/install:nix

In the "Updating" section on that page, it provides some example command lines, and there's a note that says "(replace symlinks with install if you prefer to copy executable and library files to your exec directory)":

2. Rebuild Synchronet (replace symlinks with install if you prefer to copy executable and library files to your exec directory):

$ cd /sbbs/repo/src/sbbs3; make RELEASE=1 symlinks

So in that command, you would do this:

$ cd /sbbs/repo/src/sbbs3; make RELEASE=1 install

Nightfox

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þ Synchronet þ Digital Distortion: digitaldistortionbbs.com

Hello Robert!

17 Apr 70 14:06, you wrote to me:

I have been wondering, on a new installation of Synchronet on

Linux, do you

it's easier to use with the symlinks, IMO.

My system is setup with them, but would you tell me why you feel that way? I'm just trying to learn a bit more about that.


Thanks,
RickV


--- SBBSecho 3.29-Linux
* Origin: Live Wire BBS [livewirebbs.com:1025] (1:154/110)
þ Synchronet þ Vertrauen þ Home of Synchronet þ [vert/cvs/bbs].synchro.net

Re: SBBS Installation question
By: RickV to Digital Man on Fri Feb 06 2026 09:36 am

I have been wondering, on a new installation of Synchronet on Linux, do you have to install with simlink or can you just install with regular directories?

During a Git-based *installation* of Synchronet for *nix, it's recommended, but not required to use the SYMLINK=1 option to create symlinks (symbolic links) of *some* of the Synchronet sub-directories to the git repo sub-directories. This is so that later updates (git-pull operations) will automatically synchronize the files in those directories.

After installation, you can use specify the 'install' or 'symlinks' build target on the make command-line run in src/sbbs3 to either copy (install) or create/update the symlinks to the newly-built executables from your Synchronet exec directory. This is different than the *directory* symlinks (optionally) created during install.
--
digital man (rob)

Synchronet/BBS Terminology Definition #78:
SSH = Secure Shell
Norco, CA WX: 67.8øF, 62.0% humidity, 5 mph NW wind, 0.00 inches rain/24hrs
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þ Synchronet þ Vertrauen þ Home of Synchronet þ [vert/cvs/bbs].synchro.net

My system is setup with them, but would you tell me why you feel that way?

I

well for an old guy like me it's easier not yo have to remember where everything is stored and not havingto set environment variables each
time i wanted to start sbbsctrl.

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Re: SBBS Installation questio
By: Robert Wolfe to RICKV on Sat Feb 07 2026 07:38 am

My system is setup with them, but would you tell me why you feel that way?

well for an old guy like me it's easier not yo have to remember where everything is stored and not havingto set environment variables each time i wanted to start sbbsctrl.

The message you were replying to was about using symlinks in Linux, though sbbsctrl is for Windows..? But either way, you shouldn't have to set environment variables every time you start sbbsctrl. In Windows, you can go to the system configuration and go to the environment variables from there and add any environment variables you want to be set permanently. Once you close out of those dialogs, the new environment variables will go into effect.

In Linux, at least for anything running under Bash, you can set environment variables in your .bashrc file and/or .bash_profile .

Nightfox

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þ Synchronet þ Digital Distortion: digitaldistortionbbs.com

The message you were replying to was about using symlinks in Linux, though s

In Linux, at least for anything running under Bash, you can set environment

sbbsctrl is in the linux version, too. in the exec directory, last time
i ran synchronet under linux.

... ALL bikini clad women, proceed to move to California.
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Re: SBBS Installation questio
By: Robert Wolfe to NIGHTFOX on Sat Feb 07 2026 08:17 pm

In Linux, at least for anything running under Bash, you can set
environment

sbbsctrl is in the linux version, too. in the exec directory, last time i ran synchronet under linux.

Interesting.. I'm running the Linux version, and I don't have a sbbsctrl. From what I recall, I thought sbbsctrl was a Windows-specific GUI for running Synchronet. In Linux, I've normally been running 'sbbs' (as a service) and using umonitor or GTKMonitor to show the node & system status.

Nightfox

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þ Synchronet þ Digital Distortion: digitaldistortionbbs.com

Re: SBBS Installation questio
By: Robert Wolfe to NIGHTFOX on Sat Feb 07 2026 08:17 pm

The message you were replying to was about using symlinks in Linux, though s

In Linux, at least for anything running under Bash, you can set environment

sbbsctrl is in the linux version, too. in the exec directory, last time
i ran synchronet under linux.

Not that I've heard of. :-) Perhaps you're thinking gtkmonitor? There's never been an sbbsctrl (Synchronet Control Panel) for non-Windows systems.
--
digital man (rob)

Rush quote #41:
Angels and demons dancing in my head, lunatics and monsters underneath my bed Norco, CA WX: 64.8øF, 60.0% humidity, 0 mph ENE wind, 0.00 inches rain/24hrs ---
þ Synchronet þ Vertrauen þ Home of Synchronet þ [vert/cvs/bbs].synchro.net

Not that I've heard of. :-) Perhaps you're thinking gtkmonitor? There's

neve

Sorry. Old age kicking in I guess.

... Floppy Disk = Lower back trouble.
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