Jump to content
IGNORED

Atari 8-bit related BBS(s)


svenski

Recommended Posts

 

I was wondering how your project was coming along? I am very interested in seeing if there is some way we can use the door idea and link it with a modern forum.. like AA for example, and upload and dowload msgs like a feed.

 

James

 

Slowly, but gradually. I'm having an issue with FreeBSD 10.3-RELEASE and DOSCMD compiling. I'm checking out alternatives, but some require tons of dependencies.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

In another thread I am also looking into this. I did talk to Albert from AA and this forum is built on programmable modules. SO we could build something that would either send and receive messages once posted on a bbs to the forum and back.. OR we could look into building a telnet-able front end to the forum. So I am hoping we can generate interest. I think it would be awesome to be able to access one of the most active and popular forums VIA original hardware.

 

:)

 

James

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Did some telnet-ing last night. Good times, but need to get more users so that its worth the visit. I think this getting a BBS to be a old-school front end to AA is a great idea.. I wish I had some idea what I could do to get it going.

 

James

 

I like the idea, but have no idea what would be involved in the actual process. A single BBS thread on AtariAge would likely be enough. Website users could post to that thread with the understanding that anything in that thread would echo to participating BBS nodes. The burden would be on various BBS software to go out and retrieve the latest posts to the thread. I suppose the website data would have to be translated into something a BBS could process?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Although I love the idea that a bunch of 8-bit BBSs could echo what we have in one thread here.. you then have the issue of modifing a bunch of different BBSs software so that it woul go out, update, and refresh the database on the 8-bit hardware..

 

OR we try and program something through the AA forum software, it allow "modules" our module would communicate with and emulator running in a VM on the webserver that could take telnet connectons, and simply display the forums like on say BBS express.. you would be limited in your editing, no images, and no atasci.. but it should work. the module sends the msgs to be displayed, and takes the saved msg and adds it to the AA forum.?

 

Yes.. I have no real idea how to do it.. :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I was a BBS user for years (still am) but have never really operated one enough to understand the inner workings of various echo nets. Protocols already exist with certain BBS softwares for fidonet, easynet, etc. I wonder if a 'module' could be written to take the contents of one website thread and mimic a BBS node using one of the already supported echo nets? The workload would fall on the forum software in this scenario. Incoming posts would need to be have a shared account on AtariAge, or perhaps each participating BBS could have a login to identify the board of origin. Frankly, it sounds like a chore.

 

Those in the know who may be reading, please excuse my idle musings. Writing the necessary code to accomplish these tasks would require skill and experience, the end result being little more than a parlor trick aimed at a subset of users. That said, it would be nice to see working. :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I dont think its as huge a task as we might think. For most of us this is nothing more than nostalgia that keeps us going with these .. so part of that is the BBS thing.. or in modern terms this FORUM.

 

This is about finding a secure way to access the forum database, - agreed now that I think about it.. should be 1 or more BBS threads.. because they will have to be just plain text.

 

Where I enjoy this idea.. is that if you want to access with 8bit you can.. pc you can.. or phone.. you can.. but it would give back a lot more to the original A8 BBS experience because now you have a large base of people chatting there again.

 

But I think for security and access from any computer/ device.. it would have to be a front for AA.. not fidonet etc.. because in order to send PMs etc security wise.. it would be easier if everyone was just an AA user.

 

James

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm struggling with how to handle security. We're not going to do SSL on the 8-bits, so we have to have some way of authenticating users. One time passwords could be created, based on time (I don't know how accurate the Atari clock is) or some sort of challenge response.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

 

Is your BBS still up? tried to log in today.. nothing. No Connection?

 

 

Board is back up. SOOOOOO slow, though. IT is on SIO2USB right now as I try to figure out why the MIOs and BlackBoxes of the world hate me so. I finally managed to get an Adaptec 4000a and 4070. I already have an MFM drive. Problem is . . what is the status of them? I need known good working stuff. That is hard to come by.

 

What I would *really* like is a known good setup to put the BBS on, so I know the hardware is rock solid. I can tinker with other systems.

 

ON a side note, I got the boards for the RT8 replacement . . .

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hey everyone. I just noticed this thread. sounds like you are discussing an idea, that has also been of interest to me of and on. Ive posted to AtariAge from my atari - at least as a proof of concept. Nothing special, of coruse. What I did is I used Firebug to save as a curl command what you need to post to a forum on atari age.

 

Then I had a little node.js server that listened on the serial port of the pc, and also could launch that curl command, so that I could take passed data and pass it along. I had my atari connect to my server using a pr connection a null modem cable, in my case this is all just going on in my house...and so the atari sends the text to the server, which in turn posts it to the account.

 

As far as security - there is none extra (beyond curl is respecting atari ages security, of course), and also none needed. nobody is going to tap into your null modem cable the goes between your atari and your pc.

 

That's my view of it. Now imagine you did set up a BBS on your PC...and people dialed into that. Well then then it would be necessary to trust that BBS owner with your atariage password - I don't really see a way around it.

 

That's my two cents. This proof of concept stuff is easy, of course...the real work would be in having an elegant solution. Unfortunately I personally never have the time for it...but I totally think you all are on to something, this is what is needed - atari age access.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

 

Board is back up. SOOOOOO slow, though. IT is on SIO2USB right now as I try to figure out why the MIOs and BlackBoxes of the world hate me so. I finally managed to get an Adaptec 4000a and 4070. I already have an MFM drive. Problem is . . what is the status of them? I need known good working stuff. That is hard to come by.

 

What I would *really* like is a known good setup to put the BBS on, so I know the hardware is rock solid. I can tinker with other systems.

 

ON a side note, I got the boards for the RT8 replacement . . .

 

 

The Bates Motel is BACK UP on HARD DRIVES! Woot!

 

MIO --> ACB-4070+ST-238 Yeah doggie!

 

"Call" in and check it out. Tell me what's broke! Gonna try and get some ATASCII art up and some games. Y'know the things you killed time with BEFORE Facebook! ;-)

 

details are in my signature \/

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

 

The Bates Motel is BACK UP on HARD DRIVES! Woot!

 

MIO --> ACB-4070+ST-238 Yeah doggie!

 

"Call" in and check it out. Tell me what's broke! Gonna try and get some ATASCII art up and some games. Y'know the things you killed time with BEFORE Facebook! ;-)

 

details are in my signature \/

I called in - didn't setup a permanent user/pw, but I will. One thing I noticed, is the ANSI for the System News (accessed via N) is broken. It wraps in a strange way, and also, I don't get prompted if I want to read like when in ASCII. Also, when in ASCII accessing the system news gives an error 150.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I called in - didn't setup a permanent user/pw, but I will. One thing I noticed, is the ANSI for the System News (accessed via N) is broken. It wraps in a strange way, and also, I don't get prompted if I want to read like when in ASCII. Also, when in ASCII accessing the system news gives an error 150.

 

 

"Derpy McDerpface"? is that you?

 

I will check these things out. Thanks for checking. If I cannot replicate, I will let you know.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I called in - didn't setup a permanent user/pw, but I will. One thing I noticed, is the ANSI for the System News (accessed via N) is broken. It wraps in a strange way, and also, I don't get prompted if I want to read like when in ASCII. Also, when in ASCII accessing the system news gives an error 150.

Okay, fixed System news in ANSI. Will pretty it up in a bit. I have yet to find an editor that I can make the text menu files with. (On a side note, if *ANYONE* has the documentation on how to make branching text files with Express, I would REALLY appreciate it.

 

Okay, you said when in ASCII accessing the system news gives you an error 150, but it is fine for me (via Telnet). Can you give me more details?

 

Thanks

-M

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Okay, fixed System news in ANSI. Will pretty it up in a bit. I have yet to find an editor that I can make the text menu files with. (On a side note, if *ANYONE* has the documentation on how to make branching text files with Express, I would REALLY appreciate it.

 

Okay, you said when in ASCII accessing the system news gives you an error 150, but it is fine for me (via Telnet). Can you give me more details?

 

Thanks

-M

OK - signed up for real. System news works in ANSI and ASCII now.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Okay, fixed System news in ANSI. Will pretty it up in a bit. I have yet to find an editor that I can make the text menu files with. (On a side note, if *ANYONE* has the documentation on how to make branching text files with Express, I would REALLY appreciate it.

 

Okay, you said when in ASCII accessing the system news gives you an error 150, but it is fine for me (via Telnet). Can you give me more details?

 

Thanks

-M

 

Not sure whats going on here, but this is what I am getting...

 

post-45982-0-92430000-1464151878_thumb.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Not sure whats going on here, but this is what I am getting...

 

attachicon.gifbates.jpg

Hmm, that seems to be a translation error or line noise. Was your term set correctly to ATASCII? Inverse text usually indicates ATASCII graphics files. The system was reading the error/line noise as an entry so could not pull the correct file (since none with that name would exist). That's my guess at least given what I see.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The ATASCII on your system has been doing that ever since you went online with it. If it was line noise, it would do that in all translations... not just ATASCII. And it would be a random event rather than as easily repeatable as it is. And anyway I don't think I have ever seen "line noise" on ethernet connections.

 

Yours is the only Pro BBS I have ever seen this phenomenon on (and I have logged into more than a few of them). The junk appears after any incoming keystroke to your system.

 

The other possibility is that the problem is in AT_Telnet which can easily be tested using a real Atari and Bobterm or Express Term. I will try to do this in the next few days if I get a chance.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The ATASCII on your system has been doing that ever since you went online with it. If it was line noise, it would do that in all translations... not just ATASCII. And it would be a random event rather than as easily repeatable as it is. And anyway I don't think I have ever seen "line noise" on ethernet connections.

 

Yours is the only Pro BBS I have ever seen this phenomenon on (and I have logged into more than a few of them). The junk appears after any incoming keystroke to your system.

 

The other possibility is that the problem is in AT_Telnet which can easily be tested using a real Atari and Bobterm or Express Term. I will try to do this in the next few days if I get a chance.

 

 

In retrospect, line noise seems a bit hopeful on my part, so that would seem to be some kind of translation error (my other thought in the response).

 

AT_TELNET? What is that?

 

It does the same thing on a real Atari & BobTerm. I have not tried Express. So, I was thinking maybe it was connected with the interface, but it does it with the BlackBox and the MIO.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

AT_Telnet is an ATASCII terminal emulator for the PC.

 

If it does it with a real Atari + Bobterm then that would eliminate the terminal program.

 

What version of Pro are you running?

 

 

TCPIP Express Pro 7.0D

 

I just added "Kingdom" (game) to the Bates Motel. You may, of course, play it in the Parlour or your room. Eventually might do a high score contest. Access it with "K." I will add it to the menu forthwith, but it is available now.

 

I am also trying to add some other items. We will be setting up a small gift shop (Catalog.cmd) just as soon as I can sit down and figure out how all the pieces chain out. Any ideas on how to implement the "Lynx_DB.cmd" since it only will work on "Orion" BBSes?

 

Any other games out there?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 4 weeks later...

 

 

TCPIP Express Pro 7.0D

 

I just added "Kingdom" (game) to the Bates Motel. You may, of course, play it in the Parlour or your room. Eventually might do a high score contest. Access it with "K." I will add it to the menu forthwith, but it is available now.

 

I am also trying to add some other items. We will be setting up a small gift shop (Catalog.cmd) just as soon as I can sit down and figure out how all the pieces chain out. Any ideas on how to implement the "Lynx_DB.cmd" since it only will work on "Orion" BBSes?

 

Any other games out there?

 

 

Bump?

 

Games? For Pro? Anything? Bueller?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...