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Table of Contents
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
Existence Semfiles
These semaphore files just need to be merely created to trigger the operation and the semaphore file will be automatically deleted:
Event Semfiles
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 Pack Semfiles
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.
QWK Pre-pack Semfile
The QWK pre-pack event (which runs automatically once a day) can be forced by creating the file data/prepack.now.
QWKnet Call-out Semfile
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
Timestamp Semfiles
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:
Recycle Semfiles
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.
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.
