December 2011 Prize Give away!

[+DarkLord]

Greetings everyone!

 

Lets start the Holidays off right!

 

At this time, The DarkForce BBS is resuming its monthly prize

giveaway.

 

Here is December's prize:

 

December 2011:

1. Atariuser Magazine - some lucky Atari caller will win a free

12 issue/1 year subscription to this great magazine (PDF).

 

Just telnet to "darkforce-bbs.dyndns.org"

 

The BBS software will automatically log your call, but please

go into the prize section and confirm that you want to be placed

into the random drawing.

 

Good luck to this months callers!

 

 

PS Note that the winner will have to provide a valid e-mail

address for prize delivery.

[AtariDude]

Thanks for hosting the page. It has been years since I last used a BBS. I had to find a telnet program for my IPad but I found a free one that worked. Of course my 300 baud modem would have never responded as quickly as the telnet program does so not a 100% re-creation in that sense.

 

I did run into a problem. I could not figure out a way out of the file area. I was just exploring and there was no letter to get back to the main menu. Is there some sort of key combination to get back to the main menu? I ended up just closing the telnet program.

[+DarkLord]

Thanks for hosting the page. It has been years since I last used a BBS. I had to find a telnet program for my IPad but I found a free one that worked. Of course my 300 baud modem would have never responded as quickly as the telnet program does so not a 100% re-creation in that sense.

 

First of all, thanks for calling!

 

Hmm, "hosting the page"? Well, understand that this is not a web site. It's actual Atari hardware and Atari software, running the BBS. Its an Atari Mega ST4 and BBS Express! ST Pro v.198a.

 

Just to let you know...

 

I did run into a problem. I could not figure out a way out of the file area. I was just exploring and there was no letter to get back to the main menu. Is there some sort of key combination to get back to the main menu? I ended up just closing the telnet program.

 

That's odd. I'd have to see what part you were in. I just went in and out, and always had options.

 

The next time you logon, if you don't mind, retrace your steps to that exact place and take a screenshot.

 

Thanks!

 

PS When you do log back on, you'll probably get a message to the effect that your last logoff was incomplete.

[Fox-1 / mnx]

It's actual Atari hardware and Atari software, running the BBS. Its an Atari Mega ST4 and BBS Express! ST Pro v.198a.

 

This is funny. Some hours ago we had a little "discussion" on my BBS about ST's in general and also your BBS was mentioned. We didn't know what software you were running but it came down to, sort of, that it could be anything except "BBS Express!" :-)

[AtariDude]

Hey foxx..could you tell us the connection information for your BBS? It would be fun to be able to visit more then one BBS. I wonder if there is a listing somewhere on the Internet about BBSs that are still running. I would prefer only Atari related BBSs of course.

Edited December 20, 2011 by AtariDude

[+DarkLord]

This is funny. Some hours ago we had a little "discussion" on my BBS about ST's in general and also your BBS was mentioned. We didn't know what software you were running but it came down to, sort of, that it could be anything except "BBS Express!" :-)

 

Heh. I'll bite. Why couldn't it be BBS Express? (I'll admit, over time I've modified the scripts from base a *lot*).

[+DarkLord]

Hey foxx..could you tell us the connection information for your BBS? It would be fun to be able to visit more then one BBS. I wonder if there is a listing somewhere on the Internet about BBSs that are still running. I would prefer only Atari related BBSs of course.

 

We'd all like to know.

 

And the BBS info you seek is here at AtariAge:

 

http://www.atariage.com/forums/topic/174831-atari-8-bit-related-bbss/

 

Find one of DocClu's posts and use the link in his sig:

 

http://rdfig.net/public/LOGIN.HTM

 

Login, and they maintain a current list there.

 

HTHs.

[Fox-1 / mnx]

Heh. I'll bite. Why couldn't it be BBS Express? (I'll admit, over time I've modified the scripts from base a *lot*).

 

Many years ago, at the time when pennies were still made of wood, I ran BBS Express 850 on an 130XE. Since I had an ST laying around doing something close to nothing I had the idea to run a BBS on it. Since I already ran BBS Express! on 8-bit a switch to BBS Express ST seemed logical. When discussing this in comp.sys.atari.8bit I almost got lynched for that! :-) Back then It wasn't, let's say, a stable system (this is an understatement) and didn't come close to the 8-bit version.

 

Since I never ran the ST version I can't confirm that. It's just what others said and things may have changed over the years. After having tried Carina, ForemXE and a 3rd one of which I forgot the name I choose BBS Express Pro! which I still run.

 

As with any extensive software it also has issues. The bad thing is that this was (actually it still is) a commercial product that had to be officially licensed to get a node# and support. Went thru all the international credit card and fax issues to get things done (things were not as easy as it is today) and the result is a BBS with several bugs that were never solved. Some later I even got an official note that I was not allowed to mess around with the BBS software and it's extensions to solve the bugs myself, nor was I allowed to code my own extensions. This was only allowed by approved people who signed a contract. Yeah right...

 

This was at the time the copyrights were in the hands of K-Products (Bob Klaas) and just when you think things can't get worse he handed over the copyrights to Video61 (Lance Ringquist) who doesn't give a damn and just has the copyright for the sake of, well, having them, and to let them rot in one of his drawers.

 

Thru the years I solved most bugs and incompatibilities myself or worked out workarounds.

 

 

Note1: I logged on to your BBS (on PC system) but have some echoed character issues. What flavor of ANSI translation does it use? (ANSI/ANSIW/VTxx?).

 

Note2: I noticed my BBS is listed under "other BBS'" but the port number is not listed. This info is important as I don't use port 23 but 471 in stead :-)

 

Note3: I decided to publish the url in clear text on the net now in stead of using an encrypted form or as an image.

[+DarkLord]

I originally bought the full commercial version of BBS Express! ST - don't remember what version I started out with. I think I paid something like $99.00 to Rich Sanchez at the time, before he dropped out of the ST scene and thus, support for BBS Express! ST.

 

Fortunately, the ST version of BBS Express was released totally into the public domain. The scripting language is what won me over for choosing it for my setup. It gives so much flexibility. Don't like it, change it.

 

Its just standard ANSI, nothing fancy. From the mainmenu pick E for Edit Your Parameters and see what your settings are. That's usually the culprit for repeated characters. If you can't solve it there, try a different terminal/shell. From work, I use the basic MS-DOS prompt, "telnet" and it works and shows up fine.

 

I'll update that listing for your BBS as quick as I can.

[AtariDude]

I have a question. It seems that each of these sites assigns a number to a person and allows you to set a password. Given the potential number of places a person could have visited, how did people track which number that they were. I think the terminal program that I got for the iPad allows you to record it as a setting although i am not sure if it really works.

 

By the way, i figured out that i could just type ? when i am lost and get a menu. That is what occurred when i got to the files section and could not figure out a way to get out.

[+DarkLord]

I have a question. It seems that each of these sites assigns a number to a person and allows you to set a password. Given the potential number of places a person could have visited, how did people track which number that they were. I think the terminal program that I got for the iPad allows you to record it as a setting although i am not sure if it really works.

 

By the way, i figured out that i could just type ? when i am lost and get a menu. That is what occurred when i got to the files section and could not figure out a way to get out.

 

Honestly, I think most people just memorised their user name, not the number (although some do) and password. Also, I believe Express tells you to write all that information down somewhere when you create an account.

 

Well, glad you found the "?" for help. Just to point out, that information is shown to you on the main screen when it is displayed.

 

 

Thanks for calling as always!

[Fox-1 / mnx]

Also, I believe Express tells you to write all that information down somewhere when you create an account.

 

Yes it does :-)

 

In fact, that's also what annoys me the most about Express. Would be nice if one could also log in using his username and/or handle. Don't know about the ST version but the XL version hasn't got this option.

 

Now I think of it, maybe I should just do something about it myself. The only small disadvantage will be that the whole user log has to be scanned when entering a user name while entering a user number jumps straight to the right record as this number basically is just an offset.

[+DarkLord]

 

Yes it does :-)

 

In fact, that's also what annoys me the most about Express. Would be nice if one could also log in using his username and/or handle. Don't know about the ST version but the XL version hasn't got this option.

 

Now I think of it, maybe I should just do something about it myself. The only small disadvantage will be that the whole user log has to be scanned when entering a user name while entering a user number jumps straight to the right record as this number basically is just an offset.

 

Oh wow - seriously? You mean the 8bit version of Express won't let you logon using a username? No kidding? I had no idea. The ST version most definitely lets you logon on either way, username or usernumber, no problemo.

 

That is just odd to me.

[AtariDude]

I have a question though regarding this. Modern websites will often allow a person to retrieve a password if they have forgotten what it was. A person will click on a link and the program will send an email to the email address of record so that the password is either given in the email or allowed to be reset by clicking on the link.

 

While the terminal program I got for the iPad allows me to store that information in terms of the user number and password, what would happen if it did not and I knew that I had registered previously with a BBS? Is there a way to ask a BBS if you had created an account or basically you absolutely needed to write down your information somewhere back in the day?

[Fox-1 / mnx]

This is tricky.

 

On my BBS, if you forgot your user number you can log in as "guest". Once you're in you can send an e-mail to the Sysop about the issue but it won't do as he can't reply back to you since you are a guest so no way to let you know the user number.

 

The easiest way is to contact the SysOp another way, like by internet e-mail or a PM on a forum you know he's on, or maybe even a phone call.

 

If you don't have such options you can log-in on the BBS, make a new user account, email the SysOp you want your user number back with enough proof you really are who you are, then check back later to read his reply. If you have the info again leave him a feedback that "this" temporary account can be deleted and you're back in business on you old account.

[AtariDude]

Back in the day i only accessed 2 or 3 BBSs since I did not want to run a long distance phone bill. I used to remember having to tell everyone in the house not to use the phone for the 45 minutes or so that i was going to be using the phone. I can still remember the pain it was to hook up my 800xl to the phone since I did not have a phone in my room. I can remember logging to a bulletin board called Ebbs which was East Brunswick Bulletin Board Service. I wonder if he or she that ran the board might be an Atariage member.

 

If so, thanks so much for your board from the 80s. My family did not buy me many games so I was only able to get games through your service. Thanks for having some really fun games for my Atari 800XL.

[amiman99]

Still running BBS from Atari ST, very nice.

Logged in to look around.

[+DarkLord]

I have a question though regarding this. Modern websites will often allow a person to retrieve a password if they have forgotten what it was. A person will click on a link and the program will send an email to the email address of record so that the password is either given in the email or allowed to be reset by clicking on the link.

 

While the terminal program I got for the iPad allows me to store that information in terms of the user number and password, what would happen if it did not and I knew that I had registered previously with a BBS? Is there a way to ask a BBS if you had created an account or basically you absolutely needed to write down your information somewhere back in the day?

 

Back in the day, the only thing you could do was to logon, create a new account, then e-mail me and tell me that you had done this. I'd then decide, depending on quality of verification, whether to delete the old account, and let you keep on using the new one, or restore you to your old one.

 

Now, its simple...e-mail me...pm me....post messages at AtariAge or AtariForum.

[+DarkLord]

Still running BBS from Atari ST, very nice.

Logged in to look around.

 

Thanks for calling!

[amiman99]

Still running BBS from Atari ST, very nice.

Logged in to look around.

 

Thanks for calling!

To be a masochist..., how can I log in with my Atari (1040STE 4MB) and download files from your BBS?

Is there a way to connect Atari with serial to a PC and then use PC's internet to gain access to your BBS?

[+DarkLord]

To be a masochist..., how can I log in with my Atari (1040STE 4MB) and download files from your BBS?

Is there a way to connect Atari with serial to a PC and then use PC's internet to gain access to your BBS?

 

There are several routes you can take.

 

Using STing, and one of the following hardware items - EtherNEC, Hydra, NETUSBee, you can

use your home LAN to get on to the Internet. Try here first:

 

http://www.freemint.org/ethernec/ethernec.html

 

Also, yes, using a null-cable and software like PARCP or Ghostlink, you can use your PC (Windows

or Linux) to access the Internet. Grab those here:

 

http://www.atari-forum.com/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=16525

 

When/if you get your 1040STe online, then we'll walk through the steps for downloading from my

BBS. Note being, you can find anything on my BBS online - and much faster/easier probably.

 

HTHs.

[Fox-1 / mnx]

If it's only BBS' you want to access you can get away with serial-2-telnet converter software running on PC. Such software emulates a modem. For my BBS I use a customized version of http://www.jammingsignal.com/files/

It's able to deal with both incoming and outgoing connections. This one is for Windows systems (I run it on an old W2K system) but similar tools exist for linux and mac-os.

[amiman99]

If it's only BBS' you want to access you can get away with serial-2-telnet converter software running on PC. Such software emulates a modem. For my BBS I use a customized version of http://www.jammingsignal.com/files/

It's able to deal with both incoming and outgoing connections. This one is for Windows systems (I run it on an old W2K system) but similar tools exist for linux and mac-os.

I will try that...

any recommended telnet software for ST?

[Fox-1 / mnx]

Any terminal program will do as long it supports a translation that the BBS also supports. Like: if you use an ANSI terminal the BBS has to support it too. Most terminals have at least the ASCII translation and probably all existing BBS' have support for that.

[jens]

With GhostLink or ParCP you can just transfer files from ST to PC.

If you want to access the net you'll need STinG with Slip, and e.g. a Linux box that can forward you to the internet.

The way to is captured here.

 

Else an Ethernec will be fine to have 'real' LAN access.