I'm looking at what to do when Windows 10 goes EOL. I'm using the 32-bit version because of earlier DOS dependencies, but I think I'm now
DOS-free.

I started playing with the LTSC (Long Term Servicing Channel) version of Windows 10 2021 - it's stripped down, with a lot less CRAP loaded on.
Reminds me of TinyXP, which I ran for quite some time. Sure, it doesn't
have a lot of the userland niceties, but who needs them on what's
essentially a server box?

As a side-benefit, it comes in 32- and 64-bit versions.

The EOL dates are interesting - the base LTSC version is supported until
2027, the IOT version until 2032!

I don't know how to license it yet, I may need to wait until my
company's Microsoft contract falls under my group in the summertime. It
does offer a 90 day eval, though.





--- MultiMail/Win v0.52
* Origin: realitycheckbbs.org -- yesterday's tech today (46:1/115)

Hey poindexter!

On Mon, Apr 28 2025 12:26:31 -0500, you wrote:

I'm looking at what to do when Windows 10 goes EOL. I'm using the
32-bit version because of earlier DOS dependencies, but I think I'm
now DOS-free.

You've mentioned making the switch to Linux. What's holding you back from that?

Otherwise, keep using it if you want to. So what if you don't get updates any more. Like you said, it's just a server box, and you have control over what ports are open to the public. Even if you browse the web on that thing, everything should be okay until whatever you're using as a browser won't update any more because of the OS. Then, just stop browsing with it. *shrug*

Regards,
Nick

... Sarcasm: because beating people up is illegal.
--- SBBSecho 3.24-Linux
* Origin: _thePharcyde telnet://bbs.pharcyde.org (Wisconsin) (46:1/700)

Re: Re: Windows 10 LTSC?
By: Accession to poindexter FORTRAN on Mon Apr 28 2025 07:02 pm

You've mentioned making the switch to Linux. What's holding you back from that?

Nothing holding me back, really - I just like Windows for running the BBS. old habits, I guess.

I have a VM running the BBS in Ubuntu Server 24.04 I set up a couple of weeks ago. I was able to move over most of my customizations, no problem, and solved the path isssue with a couple of search and replace commands. Thank you, text configuration files!
--- SBBSecho 3.23-Win32
* Origin: realitycheckbbs.org -- yesterday's tech today (46:1/115)

Re: Re: Windows 10 LTSC?
By: poindexter FORTRAN to Accession on Mon Apr 28 2025 05:20 pm

You've mentioned making the switch to Linux. What's holding you back from
that?

Nothing holding me back, really - I just like Windows for running the BBS. old habits, I guess.

I have a VM running the BBS in Ubuntu Server 24.04 I set up a couple of weeks ago. I was able to move over most of my customizations, no problem, and solved the path isssue with a couple of search and replace commands. Thank you, text configuration files!

Do you mean you're thinking of moving your BBS back to Windows?

I ran my Synchronet BBS in Windows from 2007 to 2022. I decided to go ahead and move my BBS to Linux at that time, and I'm still happy with the setup. The main reason I did that though is because I'd decided to use Linux as the host OS for a couple other servers (my Plex media server being one of them) and thought it would be easier if I had everything running in Linux so I wouldn't have to run a Windows VM for my BBS anymore.

When I first set up my Synchronet BBS, I felt like Windows was a natural choice because of historical reasons.. I ran my original BBS in the 90s in MS-DOS, and later ended up running it on a Windows 98 machine (still using the DOS software I was using). I think running a BBS in Linux is okay though, and actually pretty cool that I can run my BBS as a service, similar to Apache or anything else that runs as a service.

On another note, I sometimes think about how I've been running my current BBS a lot longer than I ran my original BBS. I ran my original BBS for 6 years, from 1994 to 2000; I've been running my current BBS for 18 years now. I feel like that's quite a long time to run a BBS.. In their heyday, if someone had started running a BBS in 1980, 18 years would put it to 1998, when BBSes were already disappearing rapidly.

Nightfox

Re: Re: Windows 10 LTSC?
By: Nightfox to poindexter FORTRAN on Tue Apr 29 2025 01:05 pm

Do you mean you're thinking of moving your BBS back to Windows?

No, I kept the legacy windows version going - I'm testing out the Linux version.
--- SBBSecho 3.23-Win32
* Origin: realitycheckbbs.org -- yesterday's tech today (46:1/115)

I'm looking at what to do when Windows 10 goes EOL. I'm using the 32-bit

Keep running it. I have my board on Win7, Nick has his here on WinXP ... what's someone going to do hack your windows to get to your users.dat?

--- Renegade vY2Ka2
* Origin: Joey, do you like movies about gladiators? (46:1/109)

When I first set up my Synchronet BBS, I felt like Windows was a natural choice because of historical reasons.. I ran my original BBS in the 90s in MS-DOS, and later ended up running it on a Windows 98 machine (still using t

I'm working on 32 years in Nov of this year. Now if the power company can restore POWER to half of my state, we'll be back up from the outage that has been going on for 16 hours now!


The Titantic BBS Telnet - ttb.rgbbs.info

--- Renegade vY2Ka2
* Origin: Joey, do you like movies about gladiators? (46:1/109)

Re: Re: Windows 10 LTSC?
By: Exodus to Poindexter Fortran on Mon Apr 28 2025 20:34:48

Keep running it. I have my board on Win7, Nick has his here on WinXP ... what's someone going to do hack your windows to get to your users.dat?

You should add a smily to the end to show readers your kidding. You ARE kidding, right?
--- SBBSecho 3.24-Linux
* Origin: End Of The Line BBS - endofthelinebbs.com (46:1/194)

Keep running it. I have my board on Win7, Nick has his here on WinXP ... what's someone going to do hack your windows to get to your users.dat?

No. WinXP runs FidoNet Zone 1 at Nick's board. I run Win7 or else I would be on XP as well, but some of win32 doors won't work with XP due to NFU not being compatible past Win7. We run DOS stuff, nothing but DOS stuff. Windows is there for the crutch for when we need something that needs windows to run.

The BBS has it's own machine. Someone wants to try to attack it, feel free. One of my several backups will have it running again in 20 minutes. I don't shit around. I've been doing this for 32 years.

--- Renegade vY2Ka2
* Origin: Joey, do you like movies about gladiators? (46:1/109)

to NFU not being compatible past Win7. We run DOS stuff, nothing but

I run NFU on Windows 10 with my OBV board with no issues.

|15-|07S|08cuz(TX|04!|08)

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A48 (Windows/32)
* Origin: |08He|04X|08eD|07 - Mystic - | hexedbbs.com:1337 (46:1/113)

Re: Re: Windows 10 LTSC?
By: Accession to poindexter FORTRAN on Mon Apr 28 2025 07:02 pm

You've mentioned making the switch to Linux. What's holding you back fr that?

Nothing holding me back, really - I just like Windows for running the
BBS. old habits, I guess.

I have a VM running the BBS in Ubuntu Server 24.04 I set up a couple of weeks ago. I was able to move over most of my customizations, no
problem, and solved the path isssue with a couple of search and replace commands. Thank you, text configuration files!

You could also look at ReactOS, or even Free-DOS. Not sure if this would work for you, but they are pretty interesting projects that are in active development.

Lloyd (neoshock) sysop @ Classic Computing BBS
bbs.classiccomputing.net

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A48 (Linux/64)
* Origin: Classic Computing BBS bbs.classiccomputing.net (46:1/199)