Semaphore Files

Synchronet supports a variety of semaphore files which can be used to externally trigger operations of the various servers and services.

The contents of a sempahore file are not relavent; the mere existence or updated date/time stamp of the file is enough to trigger the operation.

Semaphore file can be create or their date/time stamp updated with simple command-line operations.

Windows:

C:\>echo. > \sbbs\data\dothing.now

UNIX:

# touch /sbbs/data/dothing.now

These semaphore files just need to be merely created to trigger the operation and the semaphore file will be automatically deleted:

Events that have been configured in SCFG->External Programs->Timed Events can be externally triggered by creating the file data/<event>.now, where <event> is the “Internal Code” if the timed event. Events are executed (serially) by the Terminal Server Event Thread.

Example (forcing execution of the FidoNet import event):

# touch /sbbs/data/fidoin.now

QWK message packets can be created for specific user accounts by creating the file data/pack<user>.now where <user> is the number of the user account to to create the packet for.

Example (forcing the creation of a QWK packet for user #1):

# touch /sbbs/data/pack0001.now

QWK packets are created in the data/file directory with a filename of <user>.qwk. If a QWK packet already exists for the user, it will be opened and appended with any new messages.

The QWK pre-pack event (which runs automatically once a day) can be forced by creating the file data/prepack.now.

QWK Network hub call-out events can be forced to execute by creating the file data/qnet/<hub-id>.qwk, where <hub-id is the QWK-ID of the QWKnet Hub configured in SCFG->Networks->QWK.

Example (forcing QWK call-out to QWKnet hub VERT):

# touch /sbbs/data/qnet/vert.now

These semaphore files are not deleted when the operation is triggered, so the date/time stamp of the file must be updated (i.e. the file must be “touched”) to trigger the operation again:

Synchronet servers and services can be forced to terminate all threads, close sockets, and reload their configuration files by “touching” the file ctrl/recycle.

On a multi-host BBS, the servers and services on a specific host can be recycled by “touching” the file ctrl/recycle.<hostname> or ctrl/recycle.<host.domainname> instead.

A specific server or service may be recycled by “touching” the file ctrl/recycle.<service> instead, where <service> is one of: telnet, ftp, mail, web, or services.

Servers or services that have the NO_RECYCLE option flag set (in the sbbs.ini file) will not be recycled by external touching of the recycle semaphore file.

Synchronet servers and services can be forced to terminate (shutdown) by “touching” the file ctrl/shutdown.

On a multi-host BBS, the servers and services on a specific host can be recycled by “touching” the file ctrl/shutdown.<hostname> or ctrl/shutdown.<host.domainname> instead.

A specific server or service may be shutdown by “touching” the file ctrl/shutdown.<service> instead, where <service> is one of: telnet, ftp, mail, web, or services.

• Configuration