3. How to install LinFBB in addition to existing WinFBB

Notice: Folks, you see, at my place, I have a dual-boot system, consisting of Windows NT and Linux (each of them having their own partition(s) and file system). I wanted to have 'independent' operating systems that won't see each other. So I made two NT's partitions as NTFS partitions and rest of the space used Linux as ext2 partitions. Well, first I have installed WinFBB under NT and X11 LinFBB under Linux. Both of them worked, but there was a big "problem": I could not share their system files. You might say: So, what a big deal. But, my FBB's should serve as packet-radio forwarding stations (regardless of which one I boot at the moment), so it was really needed for new LinFBB to "know", for example, the position where WinFBB has stopped the mail exchange last time (and vice versa, of course).

• Well, in order to allow both WinFBB under Windows NT and LinFBB under Linux to use some common files, it is needed to put these files in a place where both operating systems can "see". So I do that by re-installing WinFBB onto a FAT (FAT16) partition that is recognized by NT and Linux too. The best way to do that is to install a "fresh" copy of WinFBB on a FAT partition and to copy complete "old" WinFBB from NTFS partition over the fresh installation (whenever you are asked to rewrite existing files, you should answer "yes").

• When that is finished, you should have a "clone" of the existing old WinFBB, but this time on the FAT partition that is visible from under Linux. Anyway, you should check if the "new" installation is able to run as the "old" one.

• I could also recommend you to check the file tree of WinFBB in order to become more familiar with it. The file tree of LinFBB is a bit different so it is advisable to note various details here and there.

• Some files can't be used as they are under both operating systems (without some neccesary changes). That's why some file names should be renamed (or, at least, you should make appropriate copies of some files):

        init.srv    ->  init_w.srv
        forward.sys ->  forw_w.sys
        port.sys    ->  port_w.sys
        protect.sys ->  prot_w.sys
        
  

  FBB is able to recognize and accept those renamed files.

• Make a backup of the actual WinFBB (I do this by copying the whole WinFBB file structure into the other Windows partition that won't be shared with Linux, like NTFS one). You'll never know when a catastrophe may happen, so as a result, you won't be able to start neither of WinFBB or new LinFBB. As a precaution, the backup might be the easiest way to recover at least the old WinFBB for a while (until you configure your new LinFBB, ok?).

• Now, you should restart your machine and boot into Linux. Log on as 'root' or make 'su' from a user's account.

• Mount a shared FAT directory (where FBB files are): mount -t vfat /dev/hda2 /mnt/win (for example).

• Copy LinFBB archive to /tmp directory.

• Position yourself to the 'base' directory: cd /usr/local/fbb (for example).

• Unpack the archive: tar xvzf /tmp/filename.

• Start the installation script ./install.sh and, after asked for the 'base' installation directory, chose /usr/local/fbb. It doesn't matter if the program warns you that such directory already exists so existing files will be overwritten (by the way, if you choose a mounted directory shared with NT, many original WinFBB files, located there, would be over-written by LinFBB files, so after returning to Windows, WinFBB might not be functional like before).

• Copy /usr/local/fbb to /mnt/win/fbb but do *not* rewrite existing files with the new files having the same names.

• Copy /mnt/win/fbb/init_w.srv to /mnt/win/fbb/init_l.srv file.

• Edit /mnt/win/fbb/init_l.srv to what is needed for Linux. You may use the existing file /mnt/win/fbb/init.srv as an example.

• Copy newly edited /mnt/win/fbb/init_l.srv over the /mnt/win/fbb/init.srv (if you do not do that, maybe you wouldn't be able to start LinFBB using ./xfbb.sh, like me at first).

• Copy /mnt/win/fbb/system/port_w.sys to /mnt/win/fbb/system/port_l.sys file.

• Edit /mnt/win/fbb/system/port_l.sys to what is needed for Linux and LinFBB. You may use the existing file /mnt/win/fbb/system/port.sys as an example.

• Edit /mnt/win/fbb/xfbb.sh in order to fix the right path.

• Ensure that you are in FBB's main directory: cd /mnt/win/fbb (for example).

• Start the script ./xfbb.sh to run LinFBB. If everything is ok, your LinFBB under Linux should run with the same configuration as your "old" WinFBB under Windows. From this point, both FBB's should behave very similar (actually, I must admit that WinFBB has much better visual quality than X11 LinFBB, but probably the reasons for that you may find in Windows-vs.-Linux-GUI quality battles). FYI, my actual WinFBB is v7.00g25 (05. January 2000) and X11 LinFBB is v7.00g (04.August 1998).