The BBS software does not require a formal installation program. In fact, you can probably run the desktop server immediately after downloading the distribution ZIP file. Unfortunately there are still some complicated post-download steps: configuration of the database and configuration of your network. Both of these steps are necessary with any program that supports incoming network connections or use of 3rd-party database systems.
The BBS uses the .NET 2.0 framework, which in turn has its own hardware and software requirements. For example, you will need to install a relatively recent version of Internet Explorer as well as supplementary tools like Windows Installer. Please refer to the .NET 2.0 installation guidelines for more information.
The first step is to perform a quick evaluation without making any changes to your computer. This is possible with the Desktop Server, which is a special version of the BBS server that runs on your desktop. It accepts local connections only and uses a pre-configured BBS system and user database. In most cases you can run a quick evaluation within minutes of downloading the software.
The BBS engine is provided in two forms: a desktop server and a background Windows service. The desktop server is intended for evaluation purposes; the Windows service is intended for live operation once you are happy with your BBS installation.
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The BBS engine is not tied to any particular database platform. The engine currently supports Microsoft Access and Microsoft SQL Server 2000/2005, although other platforms are possible due to the use of NHibernate as a means of accessing the database.
While it is not possible to fully migrate an existing BBS system, the Thought BBS engine has a rich set of features that will make it easier to implement the functionality found in your existing BBS software. For example, the system supports macros and control codes found in many other systems.
Once the software and database has been configured, the last step is to make sure that your firewalls and networking equipment will support incoming connections.