A watchdog marker module for The Major BBS V10.
TICKLER creates a small status file (TICKLER.RUN) in the BBS root directory when the BBS loads and removes it when the BBS shuts down cleanly. External monitoring tools can watch for this file to detect crashes: if the file is present but the BBS process is not running, an unclean shutdown has occurred and automated action can be taken.
- Creates
TICKLER.RUNin the BBS root directory at startup - Removes
TICKLER.RUNon clean BBS shutdown - Refreshes the file timestamp during nightly cleanup so monitoring tools can detect a stale marker
- Runs silently in the background with no user-visible interface
- Status file uses a plain key=value text format readable by scripts and tools on any platform
| BBS State | TICKLER.RUN |
|---|---|
| BBS starting up | File is created |
| BBS running normally | File is present |
| Nightly cleanup runs | File is refreshed with current timestamp |
| BBS shuts down cleanly | File is removed |
| BBS crashes / power loss | File remains (no clean shutdown occurred) |
A monitoring tool that checks whether the BBS process is running can use the presence of TICKLER.RUN to distinguish a clean stop from a crash:
- Process running + file present → BBS is up, normal
- Process not running + file absent → BBS stopped cleanly
- Process not running + file present → BBS crashed, action required
The file uses plain key=value pairs with CRLF line endings:
STATUS=RUNNING
VERSION=1.0.0
TIMESTAMP=2026-06-08 14:32:05
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| STATUS | Always RUNNING while the BBS is up |
| VERSION | TICKLER module version that created the file |
| TIMESTAMP | Date and time the file was last written (local server time) |
- Copy
TICKLER.DLLandTICKLER.MDFfrom theDIST\1.0.0\folder to the BBS root directory. - Add
TICKLERto your module list (e.g.,GALGSBL.CFG). - Restart the BBS.
After startup, TICKLER.RUN will appear in the BBS root directory.
Any tool that can read a file and check a process list can use TICKLER. Example approaches:
- Windows Task Scheduler — Run a script every few minutes that checks for the BBS process and
TICKLER.RUN - PowerShell watchdog — Poll process state and file presence, restart service on mismatch
- Third-party monitoring software — Configure a file-existence check paired with a process check
| Version | Date | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1.0.0 | 2026-06-08 | Initial release |
TICKLER is released under the MIT License.
TICKLER is developed and maintained by Mark Laudenbach at Sysop Network.