Synchronet v3.19b-Win32 (install) has been released (Jan-2022).

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data directory

The location of the data directory is configurable (in SCFG->System->Advanced Options), but defaults to a sub-directory named data off of the installation directory (e.g. /sbbs/data/).

Directory Contents

The Synchronet Data directory contains the run-time data created during the normal operation of the BBS.

Examples include:

  1. mail.* - Private email and netmail message base
  2. spam.hash - Database of known-SPAM message body hashes (used by the Mail Server)
  3. logon.jsonl - List of user logons to the Terminal Server (logon.*.jsonl files are previous days logons)
  4. logon.lst - List of user logons to the Terminal Server - legacy format
  5. areas.bbs - FidoNet-style message areas (used by SBBSecho)
  6. badareas.lst - Unconnected FidoNet-style message areas (used by SBBSecho)
  7. echostats.ini - FidoNet-style message area statistics (used by SBBSecho)
  8. sbbslist.json - BBS List (used by sbbslist)
  9. *.log - Log files created by Synchronet and some utilities (e.g. SBBSecho)
  10. *.now - Semaphore files used by Synchronet

Sub-directories

Typical sub-directories of the Data directory include:

user

Where user data is stored.

  1. user.dat - user database
  2. name.dat - username index
  3. <user-number>.sig - user signature
  4. <user-number>.* - other user file
  5. <user-number>.ini - user configuration settings (used by JS modules)
  6. ptrs/<user-number>.ixb - user message scan configuration and pointers

subs

Synchronet message-base (SMB) files for configured sub-boards (SCFG->Message Areas) reside here.

  1. <internal-code>.shd - message headers
  2. <internal-code>.sha - message header allocation (optional)
  3. <internal-code>.sid - message indexes
  4. <internal-code>.sdt - message data
  5. <internal-code>.sda - message data allocation (optional)
  6. <internal-code>.sch - message CRC history (for duplicate message body text checking)
  7. <internal-code>.ini - message base auxiliary configuration and state information
  8. <internal-code>.hash - message hashes (for indexing and duplicate message ID and body text checking)
  9. <internal-code>.sfp - SBBSecho FidoNet export pointer (old/deprecated style, replaced with *.ini)
  10. <internal-code>.list.sub - Synchronet ListServer subscribers
  11. <internal-code>.list.ptr - Synchronet ListServer export pointer (old/deprecated style, replaced with *.ini)
  12. <internal-code>.smm - Synchronet Match Maker import pointer

dirs

File transfer directory database files reside here.

  1. <internal-code>.shd - file headers (metadata about files)
  2. <internal-code>.sha - file header allocation
  3. <internal-code>.sid - file indexes (filenames and hash values)
  4. <internal-code>.sdt - file extended descriptions and aux data
  5. <internal-code>.sda - file extended descriptions and aux data allocation
  6. <internal-code>.ini - filebase metadata

file

This directory contains various file transfer:

  1. User download queues (<user-number>.dwn)
  2. Pre-packed QWK packets (<user-number>.qwk)
  3. Uploaded QWK reply packets (<user-number>.rep)
  4. Files received via QWK reply packet (<user-number>.in/*)

logs

Various dated activity log files are stored in this directory.

qnet

QWK networking files are stored in this directory.

  1. <qwk-id>.ptr - QWKnet hub export pointer
  2. <qwk-id>.out/* - File to send to QWKnet node or hub
  3. <qwk-id>.in/* - Files received from QWKnet node or hub
  4. <qwk-id>.avatars.ini - Users avatars received from QWKnet node or hub
  5. <qwk-id>.*.bin - Avatar collections received from QWKnet node or hub
  6. route.dat - QWKnet route table
  7. NODES.DAT - QWKnet node list
  8. USERS.DAT - QWKnet user list

fido

FidoNet-style networking files are stored in this directory (<node> is in hexadecimal net/node format).

  1. <node>.avatars.ini - Users avatars received from FidoNet-style node
  2. <node>.*.bin - Avatar collections received from FidoNet-style

finger

Files placed here can be queried using “special finger requests” to the finger service.

msgs

Short text messages are stored here:

  1. <user-number>.msg - user-to-user short message (a.k.a. telegram)
  2. n<node-number>.msg - node-to-node short message
  3. auto.msg - system auto-message

text

Hierarchy and index files utilized for the text files BBS subsection.

See Also