====== Doors in Synchronet ======

This page is about Synchronet on **Linux**. Running Synchronet on **Windows**? See [[windows|The Windows version]]: it has the SCFG settings for LORD FP as a Windows door, step by step.

Synchronet calls doors "external programs". Each one gets a directory under ''/sbbs/xtrn'' and an entry in SCFG, under External Programs > Online Programs (Doors), inside a program section such as "Games". DOS doors need [[dosemu2]] first.

===== A DOS door, step by step =====
  - Make a directory for the door under ''/sbbs/xtrn'', with a short name that is also a valid DOS name (8 characters or fewer, no spaces), for example ''/sbbs/xtrn/bre''. Unzip the door into it.
  - Make sure the user Synchronet runs as owns the files: ''chown -R <bbsuser> /sbbs/xtrn/bre''. Doors write their data files as they run.
  - Run the door's setup program under ''de'' (see [[dosemu2#the_local_dos_prompt|the local DOS prompt]]). Wherever it asks for paths, give DOS paths: the game directory is ''E:\BRE\'', and the drop file is in ''D:\''.
  - If the door expects a batch file to start it (most do), check that it changes to the door's directory or doesn't need to. ''external.bat'' has already changed to the start-up directory before it runs the command line.
  - Run ''scfg'', go to External Programs > Online Programs (Doors), pick a section and add the door with the settings below.
  - Log in to the BBS and run the door. Test entering, a few keys, and quitting back to the BBS.
  - If the door has a daily maintenance program, add it as a timed event (SCFG > External Programs > Timed Events) or use the door's own "run maintenance at first login" option.

===== SCFG settings for a DOS door =====
^ Setting ^ Value ^
| Name | What callers see. |
| Internal Code | e.g. BRE (up to 8 characters, unique). |
| Start-up Directory | ''../xtrn/bre''. Relative to ''/sbbs/ctrl'', so it starts with ''../xtrn/''. A wrong path here is the most common cause of a door that hangs at start. |
| Command Line | e.g. ''bre.bat'' or ''start.bat %#'' (%# is the node number). |
| Multiple Concurrent Users | Yes, if the door supports it. |
| I/O Method | FOSSIL or UART (not Standard). |
| Native Executable/Script | No ("DOS program, use dosemu2"). |
| Use Shell or New Context | Yes. |
| BBS Drop File Type | What the door reads (below). |
| Place Drop File In | Node Directory (the door finds it on ''D:\''). |

===== Drop file types =====
The drop file tells the door who the caller is, their time left and their terminal. Pick the one the door's documentation asks for:
^ SCFG type ^ File ^ Used by ^
| GAP (extended) | ''DOOR.SYS'', 52 lines | TradeWars 2002, most 1990s doors. |
| GAP (original) | ''DOOR.SYS'', 31 lines | LORD (either works). |
| RBBS/QuickBBS | ''DORINFO1.DEF'' | Barren Realms Elite, Esterian Conquest. |
| Mystic | ''DOOR32.SYS'' | Newer and native Linux doors. |
| Others | ''CHAIN.TXT'', ''CALLINFO.BBS'', ''PCBOARD.SYS'', ''SFDOORS.DAT'', ''DOORFILE.SR'' | Doors written for those BBS packages. |

===== A native Linux door =====
A Linux program that talks to the caller on standard input and output needs no dosemu2. The differences in SCFG:
^ Setting ^ Value ^
| Command Line | The full path to the program and its options. |
| Native Executable/Script | Yes. |
| I/O Method | Standard (stdio); turn input echo off if the program echoes for itself. |
| Use Shell or New Context | No. |

===== An rlogin door =====
To send players to another server (TWGS, [[lordsrv:linking_a_bbs|LORD Server]]), the command line is Synchronet's ''?rlogin'' script, with no drop file: ''?rlogin host:port -t xtrn=A -P''.

===== Working examples =====
The door entries on Kalgoorlie Retro BBS, in a section called "Games Hosted by Kalgoorlie Retro":
^ Door ^ Start-up directory ^ Command line ^ Drop file ^
| LORD 4.06 | ''../xtrn/lord4'' | ''start.bat %#'' | GAP (original) |
| LORD FP (DOS) | ''../xtrn/lordf'' | ''start.bat %#'' | GAP (original) |
| LORD FP (Linux) | ''../xtrn/lordfp'' | ''/sbbs/xtrn/lordfp/lord -d %n -r %r'' (native) | GAP (original) |
| LORD - Windows Server | | ''?rlogin 10.0.0.8:5130 -t xtrn=A -P'' | none |
| TradeWars 2002 | ''../xtrn/tw2002'' | ''tw.bat %#'' | GAP (extended) |
| Barren Realms Elite | ''../xtrn/bre'' | ''bre.bat'' | DORINFO1.DEF |
| Esterian Conquest | ''../xtrn/EC'' | ''ec.bat'' | DORINFO1.DEF |

Their batch files:
<code dos>
REM tw.bat - TradeWars 2002
@ECHO OFF
SET RTM=EXTMAX 1024
TW2002 TWNODE=%1 SHARE VIDEO=SLOW > TWERR%1.LOG
</code>
<code dos>
REM bre.bat - Barren Realms Elite
@ECHO OFF
E:
CD \BRE
SRDOOR
BRE
</code>
<code dos>
REM ec.bat - Esterian Conquest (game in a subdirectory)
@ECHO OFF
CD GAME01
..\ECGAME D:\DORINFO1.DEF
CD ..
</code>