ULISTD(8)

📦 version 0.15, in debian bookworm, debian trixie, ubuntu jammy, ubuntu noble, ubuntu resolute, ubuntu stonking

💖 ULISTD(8) 💖 — AX.25 Mail Utilities, bestie edition

okay so you found the ulistd page, and honestly? iconic. it's a daemon from the AX.25 Mail Utilities, living in section 8, and it's here to collect your BBS message lists. let's get into it 🫶

✨ NAME ✨

ulistd — collect FBB BBS messages list sent via unproto frames

🌸 SYNOPSIS 🌸

ulistd -c callsign [-n] [-l] [-g] [-m number] [-v]

🦋 DESCRIPTION 🦋

okay so picture this: ulistd is a daemon, right, and it talks to one or more F6FBB BBSs using unproto (UI) frames, and it just... gathers all the tea about which messages are available in the BBS. that's the whole job. very demure, very mindful.

and it can do this in two modes, bestie:

  • active mode — it automatically sends the requests so the lists stay up to date, no cap. it's giving main character energy, doing the work itself 💅
  • passive mode — it just sits there and uses only the list entries that the BBS transmitted. lowkey chill. highkey valid.

now, when it notices some messages are missing, it calls the script /var/ax25/complete_agent to complete the list. and typically that script runs axgetlist(1) to read the missing messages. cute, right? delegation queen 👑

each home BBS must be specified in the configuration file /etc/ax25/ulistd.conf. no config, no BBS, no vibes. that's just how it is.

💀 real talk though: the unproto listing must be enabled on each BBS. you have to ask the sysop to do this for your callsign. yes, actually ask a human. i know. tragic.

and here's the behavior tea:

  • when a BBS rejects a request, the daemon stops sending requests to this BBS. periodt.
  • when a BBS doesn't respond, request sending is stopped and the daemon waits until the BBS sends an unproto frame. it's not ghosting, it's strategic patience 😌

🎀 OPTIONS 🎀

  • -c callsign — specifies the callsign for sending requests. you literally cannot skip this one, it's in the synopsis and everything. it's the moment.
  • -l — enables logging to the system log file. the default is off. so if you want receipts, you gotta ask for them 📝
  • -g — try to exec /var/ax25/list_agent script each time the BBS reports the end of list. by default this script contains commands for downloading selected messages using the axgetmail(1) utility, and deleting the old messages using the msgcleanup(1) utility. so it's like, the cleanup crew showing up automatically ✨
  • -m number — sets the first message number to request. super useful when you're running the daemon for the first time and you don't wanna start from zero. fresh start energy 🌈
  • -n — disables sending requests to each home BBS when the daemon starts. the default is on (so by default it does send requests at startup). this flag is the "not right now bestie" button 🙈
  • -v — display the version. short, sweet, slays.

🌟 FILES 🌟

  • /var/ax25/ulistd/*
  • /etc/ax25/ulistd.conf
  • /etc/ax25/axports

these are the paths. respect them. do not lose them. iykyk 💜

🌈 SEE ALSO 🌈

ax25(4) axgetlist(1) axgetmail(1) msgcleanup(1)

go read those too, they're all part of the friend group 🫶

👑 AUTHOR 👑

Radek Burget OK2JBG <radkovo@centrum.cz>

🧚 and that's the whole page, bestie! this one shipped on Linux, dated 26 January 2002, and it belongs to the AX.25 Mail Utilities family — ULISTD(8), section 8, forever iconic. go keep those lists up to date. mwah 💋
📦 where this page comes from