Hello

I've been playing around a bit since getting back into BBSing (again). I've done some more work on Talisman, which Lawrence is now the maintainer of. I wanted to try something fresh, so started over (again).

I think Talisman is in a good place, and it seems to work well, and I think it's in good hands, and I will probably also still work on it (as I am also running it) - but eh, I like starting over.

This time, it's inspired by synchronet, by inspired I don't mean I plan on making a synchronet clone, but mostly using javascript for a lot of the features like synchronet does.

I'm using duktape for the JS engine, and the BBS is written in C++ (I just couldn't make rust or swift do what I wanted, I'm probably too old or dumb or something, but those languages feel like trying to program while wrapped in bubble wrap and everything you want to do is too dangerous)

The menu system is all written in JS (like synchronet's command shells). I'm using JAM (via libjam) to store the messages in.

I don't plan to write another tosser / mailer (I'm using HPT and binkd for that) and fidonet technology is less fun to me.

It's working so far, I have FTN support (but no networks set up yet) private email, doors and today i added security levels and time limits. (Yay)

Assuming it's still working (and I haven't broken sign up) you can have a look here: starlight.zapto.org:2023 (note, it's telnet only and on port 2023, port 2323 is talisman)

It's been fun so far, it's not available for download (and only runs on Linux / macOS) The source is in a private repo, and I don't know if I will open it up or not - but no one would want it at this stage anyway :)

Andrew

--
|09apam |08(|11Andrew Pamment|08)
|15Starlight |07:: |15starlight.zapto.org|07


--- Noddy git-27636aa
* Origin: Starlight :: starlight.zapto.org:2323 (21:4/158.1)

Re: My BBS
By: apam to All on Wed Nov 20 2024 03:31 pm

Howdy,

This time, it's inspired by synchronet, by inspired I don't mean I plan on making a synchronet clone, but mostly using javascript for a lot of the features like synchronet does.

I'm using duktape for the JS engine, and the BBS is written in C++ (I just couldn't make rust or swift do what I wanted, I'm probably too old or dumb or something, but those languages feel like trying to program while wrapped in bubble wrap and everything you want to do is too dangerous)

I'm keen to see how you go with this.

Not sure if you recall, but I've had an interest in the 80's/90's information service "Viatel" (based on viewdata/videotex), and I wrote a Synchronet shell to emulate that environment - both with Mode 7 graphics and ANSI.

I'm no javascript programmer, know enough to be dangerous, but kinda stalled on it for other things that I wanted to work on.

If/when you make this available, I'll certainly have a play and see how I might port my shell to it (if that is something that can be done), and to see if I can do more than what I've already done so far...



...ëîåï
--- SBBSecho 3.20-Linux
* Origin: I'm playing with ANSI+videotex - wanna play too? (21:2/116)

Re: My BBS
By: deon to apam on Wed Nov 20 2024 18:56:28

Hi, Deon.

Not sure if you recall, but I've had an interest in the 80's/90's information service "Viatel" (based on viewdata/videotex), and I wrote a Synchronet shell to emulate that environment - both with Mode 7 graphics and ANSI.

I feel like you and Vela025 might have a lot to talk about. He was running a BBS on a BBC Master which used Mode 7 out of the box (though he added 40 and 80 col modes to it) - for various reasons mostly to do with not wanting to leave an unsupervised 40 year old computer on 24/7 he has just moved the BBS to Synchronet and is busily adapting various parts of it to do Mode 7.

It seems like there's a bit of work involved to make the various parts of the BBS work cleanly across the modes, i.e. not just different screen sizes but using different methods to signal colours and a different character set to draw with.

beebs.ddns.net:6502 if you're interested :)

BobW
--- SBBSecho 3.23-Linux
* Origin: >>> Magnum BBS <<< - magnumbbs.net (21:1/205)

Re: My BBS
By: Bob Worm to deon on Wed Nov 20 2024 08:43 am

Howdy,

I feel like you and Vela025 might have a lot to talk about. He was running a BBS on a BBC Master which used Mode 7 out of the box (though he added 40 and 80 col modes to it) - for various reasons mostly to do with not wanting to leave an unsupervised 40 year old computer on 24/7 he has just moved the BBS to Synchronet and is busily adapting various parts of it to do Mode 7.

Yeah, I think I've noticed Vela025 with what he's doing.

Our approaches have been different - Sync can operate in ANSI and Petsci modes, translating on the fly what is presented to the user - but mostly a Syncronet BBS.

What I've done is (I think anyway) a little different, in that I'm using Sync as the engine to a Viewdata experience - so Im not translating any sync output to viewdata/mode 7 (and thus everything available via an ANSI experience is also available via a petsci experience - and with Vela025's work a mode 7 experience), I've recreated a prestel like experience.

So content is provided by page numbers - and page numbers are accessed with an "*" and executed with a "#". Some pages are text, and some are rendered by internal methods - like fetch and read mail, etc.

I've got many parts yet to build out, so yes, Vela025 if any of this sounds interesting I'd love to get another interested party to help out.


...ëîåï
--- SBBSecho 3.20-Linux
* Origin: I'm playing with ANSI+videotex - wanna play too? (21:2/116)

Not sure if you recall, but I've had an interest in the 80's/90's information service "Viatel" (based on viewdata/videotex), and I wrote a Synchronet shell to emulate that environment - both with Mode 7 graphics and ANSI.

Yes, I do remember that! Do you still have it up?

If/when you make this available, I'll certainly have a play and see how I might port my shell to it (if that is something that can be done), and to see if I can do more than what I've already done so far...

I'm not aiming for synchronet javascript compatibility, so porting would likely be very difficult / impossible. I'm just adding functions as I need them.

I'm definitely not looking at replacing synchronet, just experimenting with ideas that are more a synchronet way of doing things than the way I would normally do things (like command shell vs menu files)

Andrew

--
|09apam |08(|11Andrew Pamment|08)
|15Starlight |07:: |15starlight.zapto.org|07


--- Noddy git-27636aa
* Origin: Starlight :: starlight.zapto.org:2323 (21:4/158.1)

Re: My BBS
By: deon to Bob Worm on Wed Nov 20 2024 22:24:10

Hi, deon.

What I've done is (I think anyway) a little different, in that I'm using Sync as the engine to a Viewdata experience - so Im not translating any sync output to viewdata/mode 7 (and thus everything available via an ANSI experience is also available via a petsci experience - and with Vela025's work a mode 7 experience), I've recreated a prestel like experience.

Oh, wow - you really went deep with it. I never really took a close look at Viewdata, I have a client on my Mac but it's not the smoothest experience - for example I can't resize or maximise the window. I also prefer BBSing off my Acorn, so as a result I barely bother with Viewdata. It sounds like there are a lot of mechanisms inside it that I wasn't aware of.

BobW
--- SBBSecho 3.23-Linux
* Origin: >>> Magnum BBS <<< - magnumbbs.net (21:1/205)

Re: My BBS
By: apam to deon on Wed Nov 20 2024 10:05 pm

Howdy,

Not sure if you recall, but I've had an interest in the 80's/90's information service "Viatel" (based on viewdata/videotex), and I wrote a Synchronet shell to emulate that environment - both with Mode 7 graphics and ANSI.

Yes, I do remember that! Do you still have it up?

I do, the "ANSI" version of it is available on port 23 (alterant.bbs.dege.au), and the "ViewData" version is available on port 516.

Syncterm (1.2 RC6)/Icyterm support a viewdata mode - but my viewdata content is poor. I also have a viewdata client on the webpage (same host). I really only have login/register and test pages *999#, and my ANSI side has a little more, but message reading has stalled, and I need to complete an editor for message writing and page authoring.

Every now and again I get motivated to work on it a bit more.

I'm not aiming for synchronet javascript compatibility, so porting would likely be very difficult / impossible. I'm just adding functions as I need them.

My shell is mostly javascript, only calling Synchronet methods to pull messages out the message base (frames are stored in message base), and to do authentication with Sync's user database.

I'm actually wanting to move this onto a Pi, but I cant get Sync to compile on aarch64 and I think it needs Rob/Deuce to update spider monkey before it will.

Anyway great to see you about again and tapping away at the keyboard. Actually surprised you have time with a little monster who is probably mobile now? :)


...ëîåï
--- SBBSecho 3.20-Linux
* Origin: I'm playing with ANSI+videotex - wanna play too? (21:2/116)

Re: My BBS
By: Bob Worm to deon on Wed Nov 20 2024 02:34 pm

Howdy,

Oh, wow - you really went deep with it. I never really took a close look at Viewdata, I have a client on my Mac but it's not the smoothest experience - for example I can't resize or maximise the window. I also prefer BBSing off my Acorn, so as a result I barely bother with Viewdata. It sounds like there are a lot of mechanisms inside it that I wasn't aware of.

Yeah, I used to work for a company (actually a computer magazine company), who also was a service provider on Viatel - from memory we owned *642# - and it was my job to maintain it.

I used to run an online chat activity on Fri/Sat nights, where folks used to post messages - they would appear like a forum, and I would sometimes add comments to the bottom of the message. It used to get quite busy, and on some nights I might end up processing 100-200+ messages, all at 1200/1200 baud. Like this hobby, there were regulars and you got to know there personalilty, and it was all fun.


...ëîåï
--- SBBSecho 3.20-Linux
* Origin: I'm playing with ANSI+videotex - wanna play too? (21:2/116)

On 20 Nov 2024, apam exclaimed the following...

It's working so far, I have FTN support (but no networks set up yet) private email, doors and today i added security levels and time limits. (Yay)

Glad your back at it, Andrew. I'll check it out.

Mick Manning
@ Mick's Place
centralontarioremote.net:23
https://centralontarioremote.net

... Live every day as though it were your last. One day, you'll be right

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A49 2023/04/30 (Windows/32)
* Origin: Mick's Place - centralontarioremote.net:23 (21:1/159)

I've been playing around a bit since getting back into BBSing (again). I've done some more work on Talisman, which Lawrence is now the
maintainer of. I wanted to try something fresh, so started over (again).

I love you so much! :P You bring the most #s to BBSing!

This time, it's inspired by synchronet, by inspired I don't mean I plan
on making a synchronet clone, but mostly using javascript for a lot of
the features like synchronet does.

Assuming it's still working (and I haven't broken sign up) you can have
a look here: starlight.zapto.org:2023 (note, it's telnet only and on
port 2023, port 2323 is talisman)

I tried tonight but no dice - but I'll be watching, as I have your many other awesome gifts to the BBS w0rld.



|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)

I tried tonight but no dice - but I'll be watching, as I have your many other awesome gifts to the BBS w0rld.

That's odd! it's been running, though i have been working on it - maybe you tried while i was updating something maybe? Or could have been world of warcraft was downloading an update.

Strange.

Thanks for trying though :)

Andrew


--
|09apam |08(|11Andrew Pamment|08)
|15Starlight |07:: |15starlight.zapto.org|07


--- Noddy git-27636aa
* Origin: Starlight :: starlight.zapto.org:2323 (21:4/158.1)

I've been playing around a bit since getting back into BBSing (again). I've done some more work on Talisman, which Lawrence is now the
maintainer of. I wanted to try something fresh, so started over (again).

It's looking really good apam! Loving seeing the progress and how quickly you build these projects out. Great work!

|15-|12t|04G
|15www|08.|15theun|07dergrou|08nd|07.|08us|15:|0810023

... Old musicians never die. They just decompose!

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A49 2023/04/30 (Linux/64)
* Origin: www.theunderground.us Telnet 10023 SSH 7771 (21:3/165)

I tried tonight but no dice - but I'll be watching, as I have your many other awesome gifts to the BBS w0rld.

That's odd! it's been running, though i have been working on it - maybe you tried while i was updating something maybe? Or could have been world of warcraft was downloading an update.

Strange.

Yea - and again tonight, like we chatted about on Disco...

Maybe the weather here (Oregon) is causing a network issue. I'll keep trying, r0ckstar! Kudos on you!



|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)

I tried tonight but no dice - but I'll be watching, as I have your many
other awesome gifts to the BBS w0rld.

That's odd! it's been running, though i have been working on it - maybe you tried while i was updating something maybe? Or could have been world
of warcraft was downloading an update.

Strange.

Yea - and again tonight, like we chatted about on Disco...

Maybe the weather here (Oregon) is causing a network issue. I'll keep trying, r0ckstar! Kudos on you!

Maybe, it's connection refused, so i think something between you and me is actively blocking the connection - possibly my router or ISP? I know it's working because people have been logging in, so there's got to be something in between - maybe VPN is blocking that port? I could try another and see what happens?

I'm honestly stumped

Andrew

--
|09apam |08(|11Andrew Pamment|08)
|15Starlight |07:: |15starlight.zapto.org|07


--- Noddy git-27636aa
* Origin: Starlight :: starlight.zapto.org:2323 (21:4/158.1)

I've been playing around a bit since getting back into BBSing (again). I've done some more work on Talisman, which Lawrence is now the maintainer of. I wanted to try something fresh, so started over (again).

It's looking really good apam! Loving seeing the progress and how quickly you build these projects out. Great work!

Thanks! I've been on a bit of a roll the last few days with it - though I did steal some from talisman, notably the FSE and some Door code..

Andrew

--
|09apam |08(|11Andrew Pamment|08)
|15Starlight |07:: |15starlight.zapto.org|07


--- Noddy git-27636aa
* Origin: Starlight :: starlight.zapto.org:2323 (21:4/158.1)

Re: My BBS
By: Bob Worm to deon on Wed Nov 20 2024 08:43 am

Howdy,

Yeah, I think I've noticed Vela025 with what he's doing.

Our approaches have been different - Sync can operate in ANSI and Petsci modes, translating on the fly what is presented to the user - but mostly a Syncronet BBS.

What I've done is (I think anyway) a little different, in that I'm using Sync as the engine to a Viewdata experience - so Im not translating any sync output to viewdata/mode 7 (and thus everything available via an ANSI experience is also available via a petsci experience - and with Vela025's work a mode 7 experience), I've recreated a prestel like experience.

So content is provided by page numbers - and page numbers are accessed with an "*" and executed with a "#". Some pages are text, and some are rendered by internal methods - like fetch and read mail, etc.

I've got many parts yet to build out, so yes, Vela025 if any of this sounds interesting I'd love to get another interested party to help out.

...δεσ∩
--- SBBSecho 3.20-Linux
* Origin: I'm playing with ANSI+videotex - wanna play too? (21:2/116)

Deon, Your mention of Petsci rang a bell in my head cuz my 1st PC was a C=64. Before I bought the PC I had a book Radio Shack sold that compared BASIC in TRS-80, Applesoft and Petsci codes.
Ed
--- SBBSecho 3.20-Linux
* Origin: capitolcityonline.net * Telnet/SSH:2022/HTTP (21:1/175)

Maybe, it's connection refused, so i think something between you and me
is actively blocking the connection - possibly my router or ISP? I know it's working because people have been logging in, so there's got to be something in between - maybe VPN is blocking that port? I could try another and see what happens?

Dont worry, its on my side. I'll disable or change my VPNs.



|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)

Dont worry, its on my side. I'll disable or change my VPNs.

FYI, I was able to log in as well. Apam, do you have an IP block list? Maybe Paulie got sucked into that some how?

--- NE BBS v0.69 (linux; x64)
* Origin: NE BBS - nebbs.servehttp.com:9223 (21:3/193)

Dont worry, its on my side. I'll disable or change my VPNs.

FYI, I was able to log in as well. Apam, do you have an IP block list? Maybe Paulie got sucked into that some how?

Not that would give a connection refused error.

Andrew

--
|09apam |08(|11Andrew Pamment|08)
|15Starlight |07:: |15starlight.zapto.org|07


--- Noddy git-27636aa
* Origin: Starlight :: starlight.zapto.org:2323 (21:4/158.1)