On my Mystic BBS, I have a long list of deleted users, but
I can't figure out how to delete or reset that list. It just says
the are deleted but all of the names remain.

Any ideas?

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A48 (Windows/64)
* Origin: From the depths of Bunker 3 (21:1/130)

On 09 May 2025, Alonzo said the following...

On my Mystic BBS, I have a long list of deleted users, but
I can't figure out how to delete or reset that list. It just says
the are deleted but all of the names remain.

Any ideas?

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A48 (Windows/64)
* Origin: From the depths of Bunker 3 (21:1/130)

In the mutil.ini file, there are 2 sections dealing with users. One is
called "PurgeUserBase" and the second is "PackUserBase." I've separated
those 2 sections into a file "usermaint.ini" that I can run using mutil usermaint.ini. That should take care of it.

I also have them automatically run as part of a weekly event called "weekly_maint.ini."

|11ogg
|11SysOp, Altair IV BBS
|11altairiv.ddns.net:2323

... A book misplaced is a book lost

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A49 2024/05/29 (Windows/64)
* Origin: Altair IV BBS (21:2/147)

In the mutil.ini file, there are 2 sections dealing with users. One is called "PurgeUserBase" and the second is "PackUserBase." I've separated those 2 sections into a file "usermaint.ini" that I can run using mutil usermaint.ini. That should take care of it.

I also have them automatically run as part of a weekly event called "weekly_maint.ini."

So... I just had an issue! LOL. Over the years, I've had around 100+ DELETED users stack up in the user base - but I never ran PurgeUserBase/PackUserBase.

I knew about them, but never ran... so when I read this I figured it was about time so I whipped up an .ini with those two options enabled and ran it.

It purged, and then deleted, 1300+ users!! (Of 2100 or so...) Again, only 100+/- users are marked DELETED. Luckily I have backups so I just grabbed users.dat from last nights backup and threw it back in, so... safe - but what was my issue?

Do I have some setting to delete users who haven't called in X days or something? Did I only want to PackUserBase to remove DELETED users? What the heck just happened!?!? :P

Thanks for backups, OMG!!



|07p|15AULIE|1142|07o
|08.........

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A49 2024/05/29 (Linux/64)
* Origin: 2o fOr beeRS bbs>>>20ForBeers.com:1337 (21:2/150)

Got it all figured out. The [PurgeUserBase] section lower in the stock .ini file has a "days = 180" option set. I put a ; in front of it to comment it out and then the PurgeUserBase command doesn't delete any other than DELETED users.

I think that should be commented out in the STOCK .ini file... sheesh. :P



|07p|15AULIE|1142|07o
|08.........

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A49 2024/05/29 (Linux/64)
* Origin: 2o fOr beeRS bbs>>>20ForBeers.com:1337 (21:2/150)

It purged, and then deleted, 1300+ users!! (Of 2100 or so...) Again, only 100+/- users are marked DELETED. Luckily I have backups so I just grabbed

I purge my list every 6 months or so. That's why my board only usually shows 70-80 users. I couldn't even imagine how many users it would be after 32 years if I didn't do that.

I figure if you don't call back in 6 months or so, you'd forgot you logged on, forgot your password, your recovery question answer, and there would be no way to logon as that account. So .... there we have it.

... If a program is useful, it will have to be changed.

--- Renegade v1.35/DOS
* Origin: The Titantic BBS Telnet - ttb.rgbbs.info (21:1/144)

It purged, and then deleted, 1300+ users!! (Of 2100 or so...) Again, only 100+/- users are marked DELETED. Luckily I have backups so I just grabbed users.dat from last nights backup and threw it back in, so... safe - but what was my issue?

Do I have some setting to delete users who haven't called in X days or something? Did I only want to PackUserBase to remove DELETED users? What the heck just happened!?!? :P

Under the "PurgeUserBase", check what the number of "days =" is set to. The setting in mutil.ini is 180. It would be interesting to see how many of the one's it deleted haven't called in whatever many days that is set to.

|11ogg
|11SysOp, Altair IV BBS
|11altairiv.ddns.net:2323

... There are two types of people; those who finish what they start and

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A49 2024/05/29 (Windows/64)
* Origin: Altair IV BBS (21:2/147)

Got it all figured out. The [PurgeUserBase] section lower in the stock .ini file has a "days = 180" option set. I put a ; in front of it to comment it out and then the PurgeUserBase command doesn't delete any
other than DELETED users.

I think that should be commented out in the STOCK .ini file... sheesh. :P

Glad you got it figured out!

|11ogg
|11SysOp, Altair IV BBS
|11altairiv.ddns.net:2323

... A SQL query walks into a bar and sees two tables. Asks: 'Can I join you?'

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A49 2024/05/29 (Windows/64)
* Origin: Altair IV BBS (21:2/147)

Got it all figured out. The [PurgeUserBase] section lower in the stoc .ini file has a "days = 180" option set. I put a ; in front of it to comment it out and then the PurgeUserBase command doesn't delete any other than DELETED users.

I think that should be commented out in the STOCK .ini file... sheesh

Glad you got it figured out!

Also, might point out that the Mystic Wiki suggests to NOT use PurgeUserBase at ALL since 2020;

https://wiki.mysticbbs.com/doku.php?id=mutil_purge_userbase&s[]=purgeuserbase



|07p|15AULIE|1142|07o
|08.........

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A49 2024/05/29 (Linux/64)
* Origin: 2o fOr beeRS bbs>>>20ForBeers.com:1337 (21:2/150)

Also, might point out that the Mystic Wiki suggests to NOT use PurgeUserBase at ALL since 2020;

https://wiki.mysticbbs.com/doku.php?id=mutil_purge_userbase&s[]=purgeuserba

In reviewing this on the the update page for all of 1.12 alpha:

https://wiki.mysticbbs.com/doku.php?id=whats_new_112#dokuwiki__top

you can get the same page from 1.12 Alpha 1 until the end. That particular page you reference is dated 2020/01/08 however. I could not find any other comments concerning purging users. The page for 1.12 Alpha 48 is dated 2023/01/20.

There have been 5 updates since A43. I don't know whether this was fixed or not. In the three years I've been running Mystic, I've not had nor read of anyone having a problem related to purging. I'll just leave it at "user beware." Hopefully, Avon or g00r00 can chime in and help us out.

Thanks for bringing this up. It was an interesting read through the history
of the updates.

|11ogg
|11SysOp, Altair IV BBS
|11altairiv.ddns.net:2323

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A49 2024/05/29 (Windows/64)
* Origin: Altair IV BBS (21:2/147)