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  • Suppress extra message on connection

    From Deuc¨@VERT to GitLab issue in main/sbbs on Thu Oct 23 10:51:12 2025
    open https://gitlab.synchro.net/main/sbbs/-/issues/995

    It would be nice to be able to suppress various system status messages when a telnet connection is being made... it looks like the minimum set is currently:
    ```
    Synchronet BBS for FreeBSD Version 3.21
    Telnet connection from: 2601:404:ce00:7c90:ec4:7aff:fec4:ac4a
    Loading configuration...

    _
    Synchronet BBS for FreeBSD Version 3.21 Copyright 2025 Rob Swindell
    ```

    Having an option to suppress those first three lines would be nice.

    ---
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  • From Rob Swindell@VERT to GitLab note in main/sbbs on Thu Oct 23 12:16:04 2025
    https://gitlab.synchro.net/main/sbbs/-/issues/995#note_7767

    For what purpose?

    This would defeat the identification of Synchronet BBSes (and their version and OS) in the sbbslist nightly auto-verification (sbbslist json, html and syncterm.lst generator).

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  • From Deuc¿@VERT to GitLab note in main/sbbs on Thu Oct 23 15:21:00 2025
    https://gitlab.synchro.net/main/sbbs/-/issues/995#note_7768

    Mostly to not put them on the users screen. If they want to know their own IP address, there's better ways to find it, and I can't imagine a user caring that the BBS is loading the configuration.

    As for the first version notice, it's coming again right away anyway, but the next time it will be nicely centred.

    Suppressing the second version notice would have the same effect of only showing it once, but the first one isn't shown to SSH users, and only the second one has the copyright notice.

    I don't think it's important to my users that the Synchronet BBS lists detects the version and OS using telnet... and if it's important to someone else, they can get it via finger.

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    þ Synchronet þ Vertrauen þ Home of Synchronet þ [vert/cvs/bbs].synchro.net
  • From Rob Swindell@VERT to GitLab note in main/sbbs on Thu Oct 23 16:40:37 2025
    https://gitlab.synchro.net/main/sbbs/-/issues/995#note_7769

    The "Loading configuration" is only displayed when the loading ks actually happening, because it can cause a noticeable delay during connection when it happens (only the first connection after a configuration change or recycle). It's a helpful diagnostic.

    It customary for the BBS software to identify itself during connection which I think is also a useful diagnostic.

    Most Synchronet sysops want their systems listed in the Synchronet BBS lists, so I'm not in favor of giving them a foot gun to defeat that nor hide or disguise what BBS software is in use.

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  • From Deuc¨@VERT to GitLab note in main/sbbs on Thu Oct 23 16:48:19 2025
    https://gitlab.synchro.net/main/sbbs/-/issues/995#note_7770

    It customary for the BBS software to identify itself during connection which I think is also a useful diagnostic.

    My point is that even of those three lines were removed, the BBS would still identify itself during the connection. It currently identifies itself twice.

    Most Synchronet sysops want their systems listed in the Synchronet BBS lists, so I'm not in favor of giving them a foot gun to defeat that nor hide or disguise what BBS software is in use.

    Again, the VERSION_NOTICE, COPYRIGHT_NOTICE in answer.cpp would still be there.

    I'm not in favor of giving them a foot gun to defeat that nor hide or disguise what BBS software is in use.

    I'm not requesting either of those things. It's pretty clear from the BBS list page that the scanning process gets past the second version message.

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  • From Rob Swindell@VERT to GitLab note in main/sbbs on Thu Oct 23 17:15:46 2025
    https://gitlab.synchro.net/main/sbbs/-/issues/995#note_7771

    The BBS software type/version used by the sbbslist verifier comes from the first string sent by the server.

    The first version notice is not sent for SSH and (I think) rlogin connections. So the BBS does not always identify itself twice, only for Telnet.

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  • From Rob Swindell@VERT to GitLab note in main/sbbs on Thu Oct 23 17:31:01 2025
    https://gitlab.synchro.net/main/sbbs/-/issues/995#note_7772

    Btw, the copyright notice is pretty easily obscured by putting a CLS at the top of the answer display file. Then you'd have no visible notice for SSH connections and only one for Telnet connections.

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