Havok wrote to Gamgee <=-

*LOTS* of bug fixes, and *LOTS* of new features in 3.20 vs 3.19.

Fast question

What are the new features your talking about, I've been
following the development of 3.20 but may have missed a list of
things new in it!

I don't know of any actual "list" of features. If you follow the
messages in DoveNet Synchronet Programming and DoveNet Synchronet
Discussion, you'll see the commit messages that DM (or gitlab) posts
in there. There are usually several updates every single day.

Another way is to explore the git commit listings, one such way would be
here:

https://gitlab.com/SynchronetBBS/sbbs/-/commits/master?ref_type=heads



... If it weren't for Edison we'd be using computers by candlelight
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Re: Re: CAPTCHA with Synchronet
By: Digital Man to Havok on Tue Feb 28 2023 02:36 pm

What are the new features your talking about, I've been following the
development of 3.20 but may have missed a list of things new in it!

Sounds like a plan I look forward to reading through all the things
coming to light with the new release.

Good going...
--- SBBSecho 3.14-Linux
* Origin: Anarchy BBS - The Villages,FL (1:123/131)

Re: Re: CAPTCHA with Synchronet
By: Gamgee to Havok on Tue Feb 28 2023 06:17 pm

https://gitlab.com/SynchronetBBS/sbbs/-/commits/master?ref_type=heads

On my way there now thanks for the feed back, I look forward to reading!
--- SBBSecho 3.14-Linux
* Origin: Anarchy BBS - The Villages,FL (1:123/131)

IMO, a good reason to upgrade is at least for the bug fixes. And it doesn't cost any money to update Synchronet, so I don't think there's
any downside to upgrading. You'd also be missing out on new features
if you don't upgrade, but I suppose whether or not you'll use any of
those new features is what makes it a "compelling" upgrade or not.

I'm going to wait until the new version is released...let everyone else
work out the bugs. Back when I was running GT Power for dial-up, I was
one of the beta testers for the last version released by original author
Paul Meiners.

I did find the original version of the CAPTCHA utility that was done
by Lord Blackfair, which had just one set of 6 numbers, along with the batchfile that I had previously created (I thought all those files were
long gone as well).

Bascially, after decompiling it, I made 144 copies of the file, and
edited in a different number. Then, I named them different batchfiles,
in 5 minute increments, from HOUR0000.BAT to HOUR2355.BAT, around the
clock. Then, I used the Windows 10 Task Scheduler to set up the batchfiles
to run at the appointed times. It copies a new ACEMTRX.BIN file (with the CAPTCHA code) into the \exec directory every 5 minutes. So, while it does
not change with each connect, at least it changes every 5 minutes. And, besides, the bots are unlikely to see the CAPTCHA anyway.

I also lowered the variable for the inactivity timeout from 30 seconds
to 10 seconds. Before I found the original CAPTCHA deal (as noted above),
the bots were slamming the telnet port, tying up all 4 of them. With the "invalid user names" (root, admin, supervisor, sysop, default, etc.), the connects with these are dropped, and in many cases, a temporary ban is
put on them. I then add that IP to the ip.can file.

Daryl

... I found a piano stool -- I thought they were potty trained!!
=== MultiMail/Win v0.52
--- SBBSecho 3.14-Win32
* Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - Little Rock, Arkansas (1:2320/33)

With a Windows install of Synchronet you may want to try Peerblock small
little foot print program that has a option to make a list bad ip's in
any and all countries. I did a search and found one place that you can
make a list from of bot type peeps and it has worked very well.

I already have PeerBlock set up and running. However, for some of the ham radio traffic nets that I do, I had to disable it, as I couldn't connect to certain "reflectors" with the D-Star mode.

At least for the nets that I run, I can leave Peerblock enabled. The fee
to renew the data files each year is only around $10...you can't get a good meal for that anymore!!

As I was telling Nightfox, I found the ORIGINAL CAPTCHA utility that was
done by Lord Blackfair. It first only had one set number with it (he later released another version, which generates a different number with each new connect)...but I was able decompile it with the UNBAJA utility (if I recall correctly).

Then what I did (this was before he released the version that generates a different number with each connect), was to make 144 copies of the file.
Next, I used a Random Number program for Windows to generate such...and I edited that into the file, which basically was a combination of ACEMTRX.SRC
and the different CAPTCHA.SRC files...the latter which were renamed to HOUR####.SRC, where #### was a 24 hour time digit from 0000 (12:00am) to
2355 (11:55pm), in 5 minute intervals around the clock. Then, I compiled
each of these with the Baja module.

Next, I created 144 simple batchfiles, with the same name as the HOUR#### files noted earlier. All that did would copy the HOUR####.BIN file to the ACEMTRX.BIN file within the \exec directory. And to finish it off, I used
the Task Scheduler under Windows 10 to set up the times to run the needed batchfiles.

Admittedly, it was tedious to do it this way...but at least I have a
CAPTCHA deal at logon, after the ANSWER.MSG screen, and before ACEMTRX
kicks in. The bots aren't likely to see the numeric string, anyway...and
I also lowered the "inactivity timeout" for "dumb terminals" from 30 to
10 seconds. Before then, the bots were slamming the ports, and tying up
all the nodes.

Daryl

... I don't drink and drive, but I swig at stoplights.
=== MultiMail/Win v0.52
--- SBBSecho 3.14-Win32
* Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - Little Rock, Arkansas (1:2320/33)

Re: CAPTCHA with Synchronet
By: Daryl Stout to All on Wed Feb 22 2023 14:57:11

I had a bit of a crash last night, and unfortunately, I wasn't able
to salvage data in the exec directory, but I did have backups of the
rest (ctrl, msgs, files, xtrn, textfiles, etc.).

I find it kind of a best practice, to copy the original from sbbs/exec/ to sbbs/mods/ and edit my customized version in mods, never touching sbbs/exec/ Also reducing the risk of destroying a customization, and leaving the original(s) for reference.

I was using the CAPTCHA utility from Lord Blackfair at logon, but

while I had the captcha.src file...

Not familiar with that one... do you have a download location for the original file/zip/package?


--
Michael J. Ryan
+o roughneckbbs.com
tracker1@roughneckbbs.com

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Re: CAPTCHA with Synchronet
By: Daryl Stout to Havok on Tue Feb 28 2023 12:50 am

With a Windows install of Synchronet you may want to try Peerblock small
little foot print program that has a option to make a list bad ip's in
any and all countries. I did a search and found one place that you can
make a list from of bot type peeps and it has worked very well.

I already have PeerBlock set up and running. However, for some of the ham radio traffic nets that I do, I had to disable it, as I couldn't connect to certain "reflectors" with the D-Star mode.

At least for the nets that I run, I can leave Peerblock enabled. The fee to renew the data files each year is only around $10...you can't get a good meal for that anymore!!

i didn't even know they did that.
i just use a custom blocklist.
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Re: CAPTCHA with Synchronet
By: Daryl Stout to Havok on Tue Feb 28 2023 12:50 am

I already have PeerBlock set up and running. However, for some of the ham radio traffic nets that I do, I had to disable it, as I couldn't connect to certain "reflectors" with the D-Star mode.

The nice think about peerblock is you can make a ban list of country IP's
and make a white list of a country ip that you want to pass through.
I always like it when I was running VA on xp or Windows 7.
--- SBBSecho 3.14-Linux
* Origin: Anarchy BBS - The Villages,FL (1:123/131)

Re: CAPTCHA with Synchronet
By: Daryl Stout to Havok on Tue Feb 28 2023 12:50 am

As I was telling Nightfox, I found the ORIGINAL CAPTCHA utility that was done by Lord Blackfair. It first only had one set number with it (he later
released another version, which generates a different number with each new connect)...but I was able decompile it with the UNBAJA utility (if I recall
correctly).

Wow sounds like a lot of work, why I like pfSense after about the 3 third
probe it blocks the IP.

But it does sound kewl...


-*|04Hav|12o|04k|07*-

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