Subj : Re: Synchronet vs. Mystic
To : Juan Gonzalez
From : Dan Clough
Date : Tue May 03 2022 08:04 pm
-=> Juan Gonzalez wrote to All <=-
JG> As I have re-stumbled upon the "modern" BBS scene today, it seems
JG> to me that the two most popular and actively maintained BBS
JG> packages are Synchronet BBS (home-based at Vertrauen) and Mystic
JG> BBS (home-based at the Agency BBS). Both seem to be very similar,
JG> but have different stylistic takes on the user interface.
JG> My Questions: For an old SysOp from the 1980s looking to
JG> experiment with setting up a BBS today, mostly for fun and
JG> hobbying --
JG> 1. Which of the two systems would you recommend, and why?
I have not run Mystic other than to "take a look" a couple of times. I
prefer Synchronet because it has more features and is kind of a "kitchen
sink" that includes everything. Also a big thing for me is that as a
Linux-only user, SBBS is open source and can be tinkered with at the
source code level for ultra-fine customization. You don't need to
be a professional developer to do that, either. Also the author is VERY
accessible (in IRC especially) and OFTEN provides literally INSTANT
fixes and feature additions.
JG> 2. What are some of the unique differences that you like about
JG> the two systems?
Mystic seems to be more preferred by the "scene" folks, for reasons that
escape me. I think SBBS appeals more to the "tinkerer" types. Also as
mentioned above, SBBS is open-source and Mystic is not. They both do
what they do very well, and either is a great choice.
JG> 3. Can the two systems coexist and run in parallel with the same
JG> userbase (as showcased by at least a couple of active BBS'es)?
You can certainly run both on the same computer at once, using different
ports, of course. The actual userbase files would not be
interchangeable/shareable.
JG> Definitely looking for opinions, chatter, and educational
JG> perspectives from those of us who are active on the BBS community
JG> today. Thanks!
Hope this helps, and good luck with whatever you decide!
... 2 + 2 = 5 for extremely large values of 2.
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