Just curious, are there members here who regularly or even semi-regularly use authentic retro hardware systems (so not emulated) to
login to other BBS systems - whether that be a BBS you host not on the same retro machine or
onto other BBS systems out in the wild?
If so, what sort of systems do you typically do this on?
What software are you using to access said BBS systems?
And what connectivity bridge are you using to get the retro system onto a typical TCP/IP network (if applicable)?
Hey all
Just curious, are there members here who regularly or even
semi-regularly use authentic retro hardware systems (so not emulated) to login to other BBS systems - whether that be a BBS you host not on the same retro machine or onto other BBS systems out in the wild?
Quoting Dflorey to All <=-
Just curious, are there members here who regularly or even
semi-regularly use authentic retro hardware systems (so not emulated)
to login to other BBS systems - whether that be a BBS you host not on
the same retro machine or onto other BBS systems out in the wild?
If so, what sort of systems do you typically do this on?
What software are you using to access said BBS systems?
And what connectivity bridge are you using to get the retro system
onto a typical TCP/IP network (if applicable)?
I did try to download Kermit from the original source last week, and
the links are now dead. I managed to get a version from elsewhere, yet
to try it out.
Just curious, are there members here who regularly or even semi-regularly use authentic retro hardware systems (so not emulated) login to other BBS systems - whether that be a BBS you host not on th same retro machine or onto other BBS systems out in the wild?
I was using a Commodore 64 to run one of my BBS' for well over a year until I put it in emulation to save the hardware. I used a C64 with Lt Kernal HD which was hooked up via a null modem cable with pin 6 removed
to a PC which ran BBS Server v1.4 by Leif Bloomquist. The software I ran was Image BBS v3.0 (which I am one of the contributors to).. There are several Image BBS' which run on Real Retro computers in the US and I am sure abroad.
One side-project I've been working on is re-foaming a
Pelican iM2700 to hold my full C=128 setup and all related
hardware. I want to make sure the system I have remains
intact and working for years to come...
TCPSER - as in a device that interfaces between serial port and TCP/IP network?
Well, I've been playing with retro system on DOS, mainly because I've
been writing a new mailer to work with them.
My new mailer also
supports BINKP and is a little different to traditional mailer/tosser's - and when I have something more functional to show, I'll share more information on it (and hopefully get some testers to break it too).
'Need more input,'
How different is it?
Hey all
Just curious, are there members here who regularly or even
semi-regularly use authentic retro hardware systems (so not emulated)
to login to other BBS systems - whether that be a BBS you host not on
the same retro machine or onto other BBS systems out in the wild?
If so, what sort of systems do you typically do this on?
What software are you using to access said BBS systems?
And what connectivity bridge are you using to get the retro system
onto a typical TCP/IP network (if applicable)?
I have a couple of systems here that I want to mess with more
regularly, and not just for the purpose of accessing BBS systems, but recently I fired up one of my Compaq Portables (the 386 plasma
version), and used Telnet in Windows 3.1 to access my BBS - I did this
via a serial to WiFi modem device. The functionality was as expected,
but the experience wasn't great - mainly due to a lack of suitable
fonts or translation of the ANSI characters - I need to work on this
one a bit more...
I have a few different systems I want to try out in the near future.
I did try to download Kermit from the original source last week, and
the links are now dead. I managed to get a version from elsewhere, yet
to try it out.
Hey all
Just curious, are there members here who regularly or even
semi-regularly use authentic retro hardware systems (so not emulated)
to login to other BBS systems - whether that be a BBS you host not on
the same retro machine or onto other BBS systems out in the wild?
If so, what sort of systems do you typically do this on?
What software are you using to access said BBS systems?
And what connectivity bridge are you using to get the retro system
onto a typical TCP/IP network (if applicable)?
I have a couple of systems here that I want to mess with more
regularly, and not just for the purpose of accessing BBS systems, but recently I fired up one of my Compaq Portables (the 386 plasma
version), and used Telnet in Windows 3.1 to access my BBS - I did this
via a serial to WiFi modem device. The functionality was as expected,
but the experience wasn't great - mainly due to a lack of suitable
fonts or translation of the ANSI characters - I need to work on this
one a bit more...
I have a few different systems I want to try out in the near future.
I did try to download Kermit from the original source last week, and
the links are now dead. I managed to get a version from elsewhere, yet
to try it out.
Thanks guys...!
One side-project I've been working on is re-foaming a
Pelican iM2700 to hold my full C=128 setup and all related
hardware. I want to make sure the system I have remains
intact and working for years to come...
That looks like an impressive case. I like the ads with the
grizzly, gorilla, and one with a giant tire resting on the top.
That case is not built to make compromises!
my bbs runs under os/2 warp server v4.52 and its a dual-p166 mmx with 128 megabytes of ram. i have attached a modem to it and i have a smallI have DBridge and Maximus running on OS/2 Warp 4.52 and I use ZOC for OS/2
linksys pap2t +asterisk so i can dial from my other machine(s). i have a small 486sx zenith laptop and a 386 desktop with dos+linux.
I regularly use my IBM 5162 XT/286 to access my board. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z2k97T60gms
hyjinx // Alistair Ross
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KIl0yRN18AM&list=PLop3s1hMlSJJW8UoJYZrOnrJ 8rtD&index=2&
How to use a DOS PC for web, email, twitter, chat and more
hyjinx // Alistair Ross
Author of 'Back to the BBS' Documentary: https://bit.ly/3tRINeL (YouTube)
I regularly use my IBM 5162 XT/286 to access my board. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z2k97T60gms
Re: Using retro hardware to access other BBS systems...
By: Oli to deon on Mon Aug 02 2021 01:01 pm
Howdy,
'Need more input,'
How different is it?
Well where do I begin.
I'm building this mainly for hub operators, not individual BBS sysops per-se.
Its built using PostgreSQL and MongoDB as the message store - havent settled on if I keep either or both of those and try CockroachDB again.
The reason I'm playing with those is to make a high available "hub" - the idea being you can drop your mail (and collect mail) from any available
hub
(and the DB would be replicated between those hubs).
Not sure if I'll be able to pull it off
The mailer side supports both BINKP and EMSI/Zmodem at the start - my
goal is folks continue using these legacy pieces of software if they
want. Having ported ZModem, it means I can be more graceful with
timeouts. (I have successfully transferred mail with FrontDoor and Portal of Power, but not successful with DBridge - it needs some specific work.)
With everything stored in a DB, no "outbound" directories - I have the
mail packet generated on the fly when you connect. Inbound mail is processed on the fly as well,
It'll also be possible to implement APIs to both get mail packets (so
wget to get your mail packet if you want over http(s)), or with a web frontend, a mail reader could read individual messages using a message
API - so some keen mobile api developer could create a mobile app if they wanted and just need to do http API calls.
Which programming language do you use?
(and the DB would be replicated between those hubs).Over binkp and PKTs or does it involve other protocols?
I once had the idea of a FUSE client that provides Squish, JAM and/or *.MSG message bases.
hyjinx wrote to hyjinx <=-
How to use a DOS PC for web, email, twitter, chat and more
I've implemented it in PHP. I was thinking of trying it all out with Javascript, but as I'm a PHP developer it was easier (and quicker) with many libraries that I could leverage. I'll package it all up in a docker container - so that you only need a docker runtime installed to use it.
One of the values of using PHP (and would have been for javascript too) - is it could run on a variety of architectures and OSes without too much effort.
(and the DB would be replicated between those hubs).
Over binkp and PKTs or does it involve other protocols?
I'm hoping to leverage the backends core capability for the replication. CockroachDB does it natively, postgres probably needs some thought behind it - and MongoDB does it natively as well.
I once had the idea of a FUSE client that provides Squish, JAM
and/or *.MSG message bases.
What happened to it?
I'm hoping to leverage the backends core capability for the replication. CockroachDB does it natively, postgres probably needs some thought behind it - and MongoDB does it natively as well.I never used CockroachDB. This sounds to me that multiple hubs are sharing one distributed database. What happens if one hub starts to modify or delete messages?
Do you know CouchDB?
I never used CockroachDB. This sounds to me that multiple
hubs are sharing one distributed database. What happens
if one hub starts to modify or delete messages?
They are sharing a distributed database.
[...] I have put in placeholders to use PGP in the process.
Originally, I wanted to use it so that a downstream sysop
could send commands (via netmail/email), and their
signature verifies who they are. I've also thought about
using it to sign messages as stored in the DB - so it would
be a way to identify tampered messages. All a little
overboard for a little BBS network, but may be a useful
trait in another use-case scenario.
They are sharing a distributed database.
What sort of size are you talking about wrt to the database?
Unlike traditional FTN where systems can pick and choose which
echoes they want to participate in, will your design be an all
or nothing approach?
I can't imagine how your brain is processing all those
considerations. Amazing. Good luck.
And in terms of echos - yes, BAU - ie: you can subscribe to
which echo's you want fed to you or not.
Its been an interesting exercise. [...]
It also keeps me busy in the evenings, instead of watching the idiot box like a potato :)
And in terms of echos - yes, BAU - ie: you can subscribe to
which echo's you want fed to you or not.
If the process involves a shared database, doesn't that mean
it's the SAME database that goes around? How can participants
have a curated DB at the same time?
I never used CockroachDB. This sounds to me that multiple hubs are
sharing one distributed database. What happens if one hub starts to
modify or delete messages?
They are sharing a distributed database.
The concern of a hub modifying messages is no different really to today, where they could be modifying messages as received.
Or a network created
with a single hub, where the hub operator modifies all messages.
Do you know CouchDB?
I dont - but it may be an alternative to CockroachDB to look at as well. Originally I discounted it because its a maximum of 2 instances, which I guess may be OK. I liked the CockkroachDB approach where I could have "N" instances (I think N can be 80 or so), and
decommissioning/recommissioning nodes is pretty effortless.
They are sharing a distributed database.So it's more like a centralized distributed HA message platform with an FTN interface?
I'm not thinking of the evil hub sysop. More like a software bug deleting or scrambling (some) messages (undetected) or the technical possibility to remove messages.
What if the EU hub gets a GDPR request from a node to delete their messages? The EU hub wants to comply and the US hub thinks he has a patriotic duty it to ignore it. Why would the benevolent dictator of the network even care.
It's less work to spin up a few instances around the world at different providers than coordinating several clustered hubs operated by other sysops.
Or a network createdFor that reason Fidonet was not designed as a single hub network ;). (Okay, it was mainly designed that way, because we used POTS. But it was also called "cooperative anarchy")
with a single hub, where the hub operator modifies all messages.
Quoting Dflorey to All <=-
Just curious, are there members here who regularly or even
semi-regularly use authentic retro hardware systems (so not emulated)
to login to other BBS systems - whether that be a BBS you host not on
the same retro machine or onto other BBS systems out in the wild?
If so, what sort of systems do you typically do this on?
What software are you using to access said BBS systems?
And what connectivity bridge are you using to get the retro system
onto a typical TCP/IP network (if applicable)?
I have a couple of systems here that I want to mess with more
regularly, and not just for the purpose of accessing BBS systems, but recently I fired up one of my Compaq Portables (the 386 plasma
version), and used Telnet in Windows 3.1 to access my BBS - I did this
via a serial to WiFi modem device. The functionality was as expected,
but the experience wasn't great - mainly due to a lack of suitable
fonts or translation of the ANSI characters - I need to work on this
Just having fun playing the sandbox of the past. :-)
,---------------------------,
| /---------------------\ |
| | | |
| | Long Live | |
| | DOS!! | |
| | | |
| | | |
| \_____________________/ |
|___________________________|
,---\_____ [] _______/------,
/ /______________\ /|
/___________________________________ / | ___
| | | )
| 486DX66 [-------] | | (
| o o o [-------] | / _)_
|__________________________________ |/ / /
/-------------------------------------/| ( )/
/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/ / /-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/ / ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
You can either run it on something like a Raspberry Pi with a USB
Serial port (which I've tried) - or since I run pretty much everything
in docker - using something like tty0tty (kernel null modem module),
where one side uses tnt1 and the other uses tnt0. This works well with QEMU or dosemu...
my bbs runs under os/2 warp server v4.52 and its a dual-p166 mmxI have DBridge and Maximus running on OS/2 Warp 4.52 and I use ZOC for OS/2 to telnet to my Windows and RPi Mystic boards. I use Ray Gwinns
with 128 megabytes of ram. i have attached a modem to it and i
have a small linksys pap2t +asterisk so i can dial from my other
machine(s). i have a small 486sx zenith laptop and a 386 desktop
with dos+linux.
SIO to convert the dialup "ring" to a telnet port. Dbridge does a good
job runnoing Binkd to talk to my Mystic node to recieve email. I just
need to have Maximus set up to do something with the messages. What
BBS software are you running on your OS/2 box? I tried to get Remote Access to work for the bbs end but it is too slow with the modem
response to answer the incoming "ring". I have also tried Lora BBS but
it is a demo version and unable to run the mail frontend that is built into it.
i'm using the classic combo: maximus/2+squish/2+xenia/2 with nef+areafix
Yes, it does! Only issue I have had with it is when it gets hit with a bot. The tcpser/tty0tty interface will stop communicating with the DOS BBS sofware in a heartbeat when that happens.
be something simple but I have banged my head on it all day. I used RA and Frontdoor in the 80-90's but as far as I can tell
Frontdoor won't talk to my hub.
i'm using the classic combo: maximus/2+squish/2+xenia/2 with nef+areafix
I am struggling with Max 3.0 using D'Bridge as the mailer. I can toss the mail to Max and see the messages in all the directories. Maximus won't show them on the bbs.
It's been too many years since I ran Maximus but I recall I had to add new areas to one of the config files and I think I had to run some command to update so the BBS could see those new areas. I can't recall anymore the file I had to update or what program I ran after that.
deon wrote to Blue White <=-
Yes, it does! Only issue I have had with it is when it gets hit with a bot. The tcpser/tty0tty interface will stop communicating with the DOS BBS
sofware in a heartbeat when that happens.
TCPser stops working?
I must admist I've not put it online and had it stressed tested by the Internet.
Would put something like HAproxy infront of it help?
I'm your hub and I have another FrontDoor user (Spectre).Thanks for the offer! I have D'Bridge working now with OS/2. The Binkd talks
We can get it going. You're not defined on the EMSI side, but that's an easy fix.
Do you want to use FD?
Do you have access to fido? There is still the MUFFIN (for Maximus) and TUB (for Squish) areas though they are mostly quiet these days there are still folks there who could be of help I think.I have access to Fido on other boards. I will check out the echoes and see
msgarea.ctl was the file I had to edit and I think I had to run silt whenever I edited that file so the areas would be visible.I tried that. I created the msgarea.ctl and ran siltp to update the .ctl
I have tried to contact Marco Maccaferri the
author of Lora but I am sure he has moved on since 95!
i'm using the classic combo: maximus/2+squish/2+xenia/2 with
nef+areafix
I am struggling with Max 3.0 using D'Bridge as the mailer. I can
toss the mail to Max and see the messages in all the directories.
Maximus won't show them on the bbs.
It's been too many years since I ran Maximus but I recall I had to add
new areas to one of the config files and I think I had to run some
command to update so the BBS could see those new areas. I can't recall anymore the file I had to update or what program I ran after that.
msgarea.ctl was the file I had to edit and I think I had to run siltI tried that. I created the msgarea.ctl and ran siltp to update the .ctl files but that did not work. I have looked at Squish and FastEcho but have not had any luck with them either. I am missing a piece of software somewhere.
whenever I edited that file so the areas would be visible.
I think I used to use Qecho with RA and Fromtdoor but I closed
down my original bbs in 97 and I just don;t remember how it worked before.
I'll keep at it. If I could get a serial key for Lora BBS I could make it work as I could disable the internal mailer and just use D'Bridge and binkd to handle the mail. Lora will show the mail areas but I can't get mail back out without a key. I have tried to contact Marco Maccaferri the author of Lora but I am sure he has moved on since 95!
Have you read through the Maximus and Squish documentation? I'm pretty sure you don't need any other software and the documentation describesI have. I had the docs to both open while trying to set this up and went through it step by step and did not have any luck. I have a batch file for Maximus that I found on the net. The squish command it gave was "squish
all the configuration steps and commands you have to run.
Lora is open source (but hard to build on newer Linux distros). Maybe there is a version that doesn't require a key or there is some keygen available. IIRC Lora was always a bit buggy. I think Squish / Maximus / binkd was the better software on OS/2.I have the source code for Lora 2 aand Lora 3 but don't have a clue how to compile in OS/2. Another user tried last year to compile it and had no luck
Hallo doctor,
Just as a hint - have you seen Lora2 and Lora3 in Marcos Github repositories?I took a look at it but as I am not a coder it does me little good. Another FSXNET user tried last year to compile the OS/2 version but had no luck
https://github.com/maccasoft/lora2
https://github.com/maccasoft/lora3
Have you read through the Maximus and Squish documentation? I'm
pretty sure you don't need any other software and the documentation
describes all the configuration steps and commands you have to run.
I have. I had the docs to both open while trying to set this up and went through it step by step and did not have any luck. I have a batch file for Maximus that I found on the net. The squish command it gave was "squish out squash" which did nothing except complain that "squish" was not a valid command. I changed that to "SQ386p OUT SQUASH" and it quit
complaing about the command but did nothing. I am using Squish version 1.11
bot. The tcpser/tty0tty interface will stop communicating with theDOS BBS sofware in a heartbeat when that happens.
TCPser stops working?
I must admist I've not put it online and had it stressed tested by the Internet.
Would put something like HAproxy infront of it help?
Frontdoor won't talk to my hub.
I'm your hub and I have another FrontDoor user (Spectre).
Maybe there were no messages in the message base to export or no configured message bases? This is how it looks on my system:I have messages in the c:\max\msg\FSX_TST directory that was put there by D'Bridge. I logged into the bbs to send a test message to FSX_TST. I have to add a "p" to all the squish commands as I am running OS/2.
$ squish out
SQUISH/LINUX SquishMail Conference Processor, Version 1.12.003 BETA.
I am sure I am overlooking something simple but as of now I can't find it. The logs do not reveal much information. The outgoing mail never makes it t the D'Bridge C:\DB\OUTBOUND directory to be sent out.
Any 3rd-party tossers used with D'Bridge must either specificallyOk. I will have to check into that. I have never used D"Bridge before. I just picked it since it came with binkd and connects to my Mystic node.
support the unique D'Bridge queue-format, or configured for Frontdoor or "Dynamic" mode where the outbound bundles are in Arcmail format and have corrosponding *.MSG Netmail attachments. For example, a Netmail message
Also the D'Bridge directories QUEUE and PACKETS should *never* be usedYep. My bad. My D'Bridge configuration has Outbound queue path of
by any other programs. I assume this "outbound" directory you mention is related to the tosser you're running and not sharing a setting in
D'Bridge Config-Dirs.
@TID: Mystic BBS 1.12 A45
@MSGID: 21:3/105 25639379
@REPLY: 21:3/102 61123c96
@TZUTC: -0500
Maybe there were no messages in the message base to export or noI have messages in the c:\max\msg\FSX_TST directory that was put there
configured message bases? This is how it looks on my system:
$ squish out
SQUISH/LINUX SquishMail Conference Processor, Version 1.12.003
BETA.
by D'Bridge. I logged into the bbs to send a test message to FSX_TST.
I have to add a "p" to all the squish commands as I am running OS/2.
My runnbbs bat has: :scan squishp out squash -fEchoToss.Log scanbldp users.bbs areas.dat local matrix @echotoss.log goto loop :pack squishp squash scanbldp user.bbs area.dat local.matrix goto loop ===================================
Squish directory has a EchoToss.Log which contains
FSX_TST
Squish Mail.log shows
+ 11 Aug 10:22:22 SQSH Begin, Squish/2 v1.11 (mem=2034720k - main=000f:0000) # 11 Aug 10:22 222 SQSH Scanning messages from echo tosslog +11 Aug 10:22:22 SQSH End. Toss=o (0/s), sent=0 (0/s), mem=2034684k
No messages show up in the test message area of the bbs or any other
FSX areas I have added to the msgarea.ctl M y Squish AREAS.BBS
contails this entry: $C:\MAX\MSG FSX_TST
21:3/105 (My Mystic Box)
Nothing in Squish or Maximus is pointing to Queue or Packets directories. I think some of my confusion is knowing the difference between Squish and *.M format. I have read the docs for both Maximus, D'Bridge, and Squish and I a still confused. I am not sure how Squish is supposed to get the packets to D'Bridge to send them out. I will keep at it...
Thanks for your help!
Oli wrote to doctor wade <=-
I ran BinkleyTerm Squish and Maximus, but forgot all the details.
I'm the current author of D'Bridge so if you're really stuck you can contact me directly anytime. You may want to hang out in the DBRIDGEThanks!
echo on Fidonet as many sysops lurk there and I know there were some who had Max working good. I answer all posts, Netmails, emails, phone calls,
I can assist via Teamviewer or Anydesk if you're really stuck.
Maybe there were no messages in the message base to export or no
configured message bases? This is how it looks on my system:
$ squish out
SQUISH/LINUX SquishMail Conference Processor, Version 1.12.003I have messages in the c:\max\msg\FSX_TST directory that was put there by D'Bridge. I logged into the bbs to send a test message to FSX_TST. I have to add a "p" to all the squish commands as I am running OS/2.
BETA.
My runnbbs bat has:
:scan
squishp out squash -fEchoToss.Log
scanbldp users.bbs areas.dat local matrix @echotoss.log
goto loop
:pack
squishp squash
scanbldp user.bbs area.dat local.matrix
goto loop
===================================
Squish directory has a EchoToss.Log which contains
FSX_TST
Squish Mail.log shows
+ 11 Aug 10:22:22 SQSH Begin, Squish/2 v1.11 (mem=2034720k - main=000f:0000) # 11 Aug 10:22 222 SQSH Scanning messages from echo tosslog +11 Aug 10:22:22 SQSH End. Toss=o (0/s), sent=0 (0/s), mem=2034684k
Quoting Dflorey to Elf <=-
Thanks for the Pro Tip on ProComm Plus - I had TOTALLY forgotten about that program. I will have to download it and give that a rip on the
386..&
You can download ProComm Plus 3.0 from my web site at:
Quoting Phigan to Elf <=-
You can download ProComm Plus 3.0 from my web site at:
IMO, Telemate was the best because it let you have 80x26, which means
full 80x25 PLUS a status bar.. Also it let you do things while downloading.
Can you use that one today? I thought that was only for DOS? Back in the day I used Qmodem for DOS. :-) I think I used ProComm Plus when I
started using Windows.
phigan wrote to Elf <=-
There was Procomm Plus for DOS as well, so maybe I forgot about an
actual GUI/Windows version. You could always run Telemate and other DOS terminal programs in command prompt, though, as long as you had a
proper serial/COM port.
Can you use that one today? I thought that was only for DOS? Back in day I used Qmodem for DOS. :-) I think I used ProComm Plus when I started using Windows.
phigan wrote to Elf <=-
There was Procomm Plus for DOS as well, so maybe I forgot about an
actual GUI/Windows version.
poindexter FORTRAN wrote to phigan <=-
I'm so old, I had a copy of Procomm. Not Procomm Plus. :)
If so, what sort of systems do you typically do this on?
What software are you using to access said BBS systems?
Hmm I recall using Telix for a long time, followed by TeleMate.. and then
N1uro wrote to poindexter FORTRAN <=-
I'm even older... I had the old green monster dumb terminals :\
tenser wrote to dflorey <=-
Something that could provide an SSH client and UTF-8 support,
and an autoconversion from CP437 to UTF-8 with the Unscii
font or something. Basically, a souped up terminal. Throw
an SD card in there for file transfer; that'd be pretty neat.
poindexter FORTRAN wrote to N1uro <=-
110 baud paper teletype, when I started out managing phone systems
that's all we had. Who needs syslog when you can just look error
messages on the scrolled paper?
Telix was my go to, and it had a BBS built into it with the SALT software language.
If DOSBOX had a decent SSH client it'd make a great retromod system. Put it into a lunchbox-style case and a mechanical keyboard and I'd love it.
Sysop: | echicken |
---|---|
Location: | Toronto, Ontario |
Users: | 2,224 |
Nodes: | 6 (0 / 6) |
Uptime: | 206:43:43 |
Calls: | 14,142 |
Files: | 295 |
Messages: | 551,074 |