Subject: Pine as a BBS

From: Vincent Cate <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 3 Feb 1995 10:25:48 +24000

I am using the Unix Pine 3.89 as the shell for dial in users.  My hope is
that users can only get/send email or netnews.  I like Pine a lot, it is
really good for new users (all we have here in Anguilla). I have some 
questions. 

First, about security.  I don't want users to be able to get out of Pine. 
Are there any recommended settings to tighten up security?  How tight can
it get?  I think I don't want them to be able to read or write files on 
the Unix machine except for their folders.  

I noticed the "-r" restricted flag.  This is kind of what I am after, but
I want the users to still have folders and be able to send mail. I may
just modify that a bit. 

Second, is there a PC-Pine for PCs that dial into a Unix system?  I have not 
used the PC-Pine, but it looks like it is for PCs on a network.  Do I have 
to use SLIP or UUPC on all the PCs?  Is there other software that runs on 
PCs so users can write and read mail offline so they don't need to stay 
connected to my machine so long?  (Cable and Wireless is very slow about 
getting me more phone lines - nearly 3 months now.)

Thanks,

   -- Vince

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From: [email-masked] (Tom Unger)
Date: Mon, 6 Feb 1995 23:21:27 GMT

In article <[email-masked]>,
>the Unix machine except for their folders.  

I've done some modifications to pine so that users of a BBS can use it
as their mailer.  Involved removing features that may let them look at
arbitrary files or execute arbitrary programs, and adding upload and
download commands so they can read or save file on their local computer.

If there is interest I'll see if the BBS folks will let me release the 
secure version.  Maybe they will, maybe they won't.  Even if I can, people
who pick it up will probably have to modify it a little to fit their own
environment.  I use some functions that are propritary to the BBS.  Plus,
every's idea of what is secure is a little different.

>getting me more phone lines - nearly 3 months now.)

You can use pc-pine with dialup IP (SLIP or PPP).  But it's not very
good about offline mail reading.  I think that Pegasus mail provides
good offline reading, but it's a POP mail client.

--  Tom Unger
    WWC, Seattle

-- 
--  Tom Unger
    WWC