Tempest Posted December 16, 2003 Share Posted December 16, 2003 Did anyone here ever run an ST based BBS? The reason I ask is because I now have an Ethernet adapter for my ST and I thought I should put it to good use. At first I wanted to do an 8-bit BBS (on my 130XE), but usage would be limited to one person online at a time (not good for games). I assume the ST can handle more than one user at a time (especially with Ethernet). So what kind of games were available for the ST BBS's? I'm looking for something like Trade Wars, L.O.R.D., Falcon's Eye, or Usurper (my favs from my PC BBS days). Did they make games like this for the ST BBS? I suppose I'll need some good BBS software as well. Tempest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Sauron Posted December 16, 2003 Share Posted December 16, 2003 A multiuser BBS would require BBS software which could handle that. Unfortunately, I don't think any BBS software for the ST was written to handle multiple users simultaneously. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Inky Posted December 16, 2003 Share Posted December 16, 2003 I had the BBS software at one time (Can't remember the name of it), but never put up a BBS. I did run a BBS on a Coleco ADAM for about a month, until my brother decided that he wanted the phone line.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tempest Posted December 16, 2003 Author Share Posted December 16, 2003 A multiuser BBS would require BBS software which could handle that. Unfortunately, I don't think any BBS software for the ST was written to handle multiple users simultaneously. But theoretically it's possible right? There's no hardware limitations like there are on the 8-bits. Tempest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Sauron Posted December 16, 2003 Share Posted December 16, 2003 But theoretically it's possible right? There's no hardware limitations like there are on the 8-bits. Tempest I believe so, I don't see any reason why it wouldn't be possible. Can anyone prove me wrong on this? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
belboz Posted December 16, 2003 Share Posted December 16, 2003 It would be doable, but you would have to do some serious hacking, or write your own multi-user BBS program. You might be able to try to run multiple instances of the BBS and have a program that diverts an attempted ethernet connection to the first available instance of the BBS, and so on. You would probably need to run Mint or some other multitasking option. As for BBS programs. I remember Forum, Turbo BBS, QuickBBS, Citadel, ST Keep, and BBS Express. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
[ProToS] Posted December 16, 2003 Share Posted December 16, 2003 A multiuser BBS would require BBS software which could handle that. Unfortunately, I don't think any BBS software for the ST was written to handle multiple users simultaneously. wrong Koos Kuil Octopus bbs software could do that ( with a multitasking os ) Mark Duckworth was the new developer of it http://portal.atari-source.com see "Octopus status" section Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Stella Posted December 16, 2003 Share Posted December 16, 2003 how about running minix? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Sauron Posted December 16, 2003 Share Posted December 16, 2003 ]wrong Koos Kuil Octopus bbs software could do that ( with a multitasking os )Mark Duckworth was the new developer of it http://portal.atari-source.com see "Octopus status" section Wow, glad to see I was proven wrong. How well would this run on a regular ST or STE with the memory maxed out (4MB)? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
[ProToS] Posted December 17, 2003 Share Posted December 17, 2003 from the old v0.74 (1997) of octopus doc ################################ Required, Hardware ################################# Hardware & Software information... Octopus Required Hardware to run a BBS with Octopus To run a BBS you should need at least the following, otherwise it does maybe work but it's not very reliable in practice: - Atari ST with 1 Mb memory (e.g. 1040 ST), TOS 1.4 or higher. - Color or Monochrome screen - Hard drive with minimum 5 Mb free room - A Hayes compatible modem 300 - 28000 baud. Optional Hardware: - More memory is strongly advised when you want to make use of archiver programms and use networks. - CD-ROM drive is supported. - Serial port with higher speeds (or a patched ST-Modem port) - Real-time Clock when using a 520/1040 ST Optional Software: - NVDI screen accelerator (does speedup screen output very) - Mailer software like Semper or BinkleyTerm. - Mail processing software like Jetmail, IOSmail or Bermuda. - Message editor, LED - Multitasker like Mag!C or MultiTOS - Archiver programms like ARC, LHARC, ZIP, ARJ and ZOO - File transfer programms like GEM SzRz ############################## Installation, Multiline ############################## Octopus can run since v0.66beta run with more lines dependent of the number of free serial ports you have and the used multitasker. If you want to make use of the multiline capability's of Octopus you should have the following hard- and software: • Magic 2.01 or 3.0 (MultiTOS and Geneva are not tested!) • Minimum 2,5 Mb of system memory • 2 serial ports (it's also possible to use Midi but you can't connect a modem at it). • 8 Mhz is the minimum, 16 Mhz is better but i'm describing a real minimum configuration. • Multiline Programm Manager version 0.46 beta which does the use of Semper (BinkleyTerm is not supported). • Setup in GEM environment (TOS environment is not supported). See for the installation of the Multiline Programm Manager also the included configuration file called MANAGER.CFG this one is clear enough to setup your Multiline board in less time. When running more lines, the mailer and mail processor are controlled by the Multiline Programm Manager, the mailers will exit before mail is imported and using this method you'll not get out of memory messages. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
[ProToS] Posted December 17, 2003 Share Posted December 17, 2003 I forget this one StarBox from the Starcall pack they have multiline tool ( e.g. multiline chat ) http://www.icc-computer.de/starcall/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plee Posted December 18, 2003 Share Posted December 18, 2003 Yes, the Atari (Company) BBS used a DC (Double Click Software) Port (4 port version) and I believe a version of the Michtron BBS modified for our DC Port. And I believe it was run on just a normal ST... Paul DC Software 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Atari Smeghead Posted December 20, 2003 Share Posted December 20, 2003 Tempest, I may have a good answer for you! I used to run a BBS on my 1040STe with software called Nite Lite. I was in good with the author, Paul Swanson, and I managed to get a prototype for a Multiline BBS hardware/software package he was creating. I was to write a review for Antic magazine, but that fell through. I don't know if NiteLite MultiLine ever saw the light of day. I may have one of few, but there may have been a small amount that were released. But the bottom line is, I have Nite Lite software and a 4 line Interface called Spyder. It's actually 3 phone lines and the SysOp has his own port. Also, I should still have the source code, written in Pascal, as well as the manuals, cables and my old BBS as a sample. I always liked Nite Lite, since it was a menu-driven system, like TBBS. Meaning, the SysOp could define any letter to do any command. It even had a built in inventory system so that you could create mini-RPGs using menus as rooms. I have been contemplating selling it on eBay for a while, but I don't have a clue what it's worth. Plus, it WOULD require me pulling everything out of the closet and testing it. Y'know, if you have any interest in trying this out with your set-up, a road trip to Novi wouldn't be such a big deal. The only problem for what you have in mind may be the interface. I'd have to double check this, but I believe it connected to the modem port, and the other modems hooked into the interface. That would seem to make the most sense. If I can help, let me know. Randy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Albert Posted December 20, 2003 Share Posted December 20, 2003 A multiuser BBS would require BBS software which could handle that. Unfortunately, I don't think any BBS software for the ST was written to handle multiple users simultaneously. One of my first big programming projects (along with a friend) was writing a multi-tasking, multi-user BBS for the Atari ST. The project was called "DMS BBS", for "Digitally Mastered Software", which is what we were calling ourselves at the time. We never finished the project, but we did have the core done, and we could accept normal modem connections, as well as connections through the MIDI port. Multiple STs could thus be networked together and log into the BBS. We even had the system up and running at one point, and I just found a BBS listing with an entry for it: DMS BBS 716-461-5872 2400 40 NY Atari ST DMS BBS This was when we were in Rochester, NY, as we were both attending school at Rochester Institute of Technology. I should dig out that source code someday and see if I can get it to compile with Mark Williams C. That would also require me to find a copy of MWC. Would be amusing to put the software up and see how far along we got with it.. Part of our motivation for writing this was our dissatisfaction with the various BBS solutions available on the ST at the time. I was relatively spoiled by the powerful Carina II software on the Atari 8-bit, which had better support for VT-52 graphics than most ST software. Heh, here's an old signature I just found from a usenet post in 1990: _____________________________________________________________________________ Digitally Mastered Software 0110101001001110100111001010011010010100111010101 ============================================================================= Albert Yarusso, Rochester ajy2208@ritvax.bitnet GEnie: A.Yarusso Institute of Tech. _________________________________________________________ Computer Science /___ / {rutgers | ames}!rochester!rit!ultb!ajy2208 ______________________/ / ajy2208@ultb.isc.rit.edu ..Al Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
belboz Posted December 20, 2003 Share Posted December 20, 2003 I think I still have my MWC disks somewhere. I lost the manual, but if you do want a copy I could zip up the 6 or so disks and send them to you. I switched to using Lattice C and pretty much stopped using MWC. But MWC was my "first" C compiler. Not counting the Unix based ones we used at college. I have a little multi-line BBS story myself.... I developed a little card that plugged into the expansion port of the Mega ST and gave two extra serial ports. (Think I still have the card). I wrote some drivers so you could access the serial port with regular old Bcon calls (think thats what they were). Worked great. Never got around to the multi-line BBS part though! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tempest Posted December 20, 2003 Author Share Posted December 20, 2003 Tempest,I may have a good answer for you! I used to run a BBS on my 1040STe with software called Nite Lite. I was in good with the author, Paul Swanson, and I managed to get a prototype for a Multiline BBS hardware/software package he was creating. I was to write a review for Antic magazine, but that fell through. I don't know if NiteLite MultiLine ever saw the light of day. I may have one of few, but there may have been a small amount that were released. Interesting. I've heard of Nite Lite but I've never used it. I wonder if this could be used with the Ethenet adapter I have (EtherNEC) as I'd hate to tie up my phone lines. All of us Michigan Atari heads should get together some time next year. Lansing seems to be a central location to every one, maybe we could meet up there. Tempest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
belboz Posted December 20, 2003 Share Posted December 20, 2003 There is also an ST BBS running BBS Express under an emulator that is accessible online. http://www.codejedi.com/bbs/ You might be able to talk to the author about more info on his setup. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Albert Posted December 20, 2003 Share Posted December 20, 2003 I think I still have my MWC disks somewhere. I lost the manual, but if you do want a copy I could zip up the 6 or so disks and send them to you. That would be great! I wish I still had the thick book it came with. Maybe I should put out a general call for it here in the ST forum. ..Al Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
belboz Posted December 20, 2003 Share Posted December 20, 2003 I will dig them up tonight and send them to you. That would be great! I wish I still had the thick book it came with. Maybe I should put out a general call for it here in the ST forum. ..Al Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
[ProToS] Posted December 21, 2003 Share Posted December 21, 2003 Interesting. I've heard of Nite Lite but I've never used it. I wonder if this could be used with the Ethenet adapter I have (EtherNEC) as I'd hate to tie up my phone lines. you can do a telnet bbs with octopus sofware Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tempest Posted December 22, 2003 Author Share Posted December 22, 2003 you can do a telnet bbs with octopus sofware Really? I'll have to try that. Any cool ST BBS games? Some of my favorite PC games were LORD, Trade Wars, Falcon's Eye, and Usurper. Anything like that? Tempest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
[ProToS] Posted December 22, 2003 Share Posted December 22, 2003 There is also an ST BBS running BBS Express under an emulator that is accessible online. http://gem.win.co.nz/mb/atarihw/galaxy.html You might be able to talk to the author about more info on his setup. I think you are talking about The Grove BBS http://www.codejedi.com/bbs/ new page http://www.skeleton.org/bbsindex.html old page Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
belboz Posted December 22, 2003 Share Posted December 22, 2003 Oops. Was posting a link for someone else in another forum, and got my url's crossed. Thanks. ]I think you are talking about The Grove BBS http://www.codejedi.com/bbs/ new page http://www.skeleton.org/bbsindex.html old page Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Inky Posted December 22, 2003 Share Posted December 22, 2003 you can do a telnet bbs with octopus sofware Really? I'll have to try that. Any cool ST BBS games? Some of my favorite PC games were LORD, Trade Wars, Falcon's Eye, and Usurper. Anything like that? Tempest Space Empire Elite! Man lotsa good fun memories with that... Like the time Myself, the SysOp of a local ST BBS and another guy gathered at the SysOp's house around midnight to take care of an annoying user on the BBS... What would happen is that you can only play once a day, so we took all our turns before midnight, just pounding on this annoying guy, then it turned midnight, lather, rinse, repeat. 'Twas fun! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tempest Posted December 22, 2003 Author Share Posted December 22, 2003 I've got to get this thing up and running. I'll look into it after Christmas (I've got some 7800 sections to write first). Tempest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Like us on Facebook
Follow us on Twitter
AtariAge on Instagram
Watch us on YouTube
Chat on Discord
Recommended Posts
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.