Amiga.org

Amiga computer related discussion => Amiga Software Issues and Discussion => Topic started by: DoctorClu on August 30, 2004, 04:42:32 PM

Title: Setting up a Amiga BBS
Post by: DoctorClu on August 30, 2004, 04:42:32 PM
     I would like to run a BBS, and I want to run a Amiga for two reasons.  One, no Amiga BBS's exist in Dallas currently (Star Streams went down about six months ago).  An Amiga BBS would offer a whole set of online games that most other BBS's don't, like Iron Gate II, a personal favorite of mine.  (I am open to more suggestions, and where to download them.)

     The second reason is, the BBS I am thinking of bring back was once run on a C-64, it is only appropriate to run it on a Commodore system, but one with a lot more oompff and readily prone to ethernet ability.  :)

     Because of the second reason, I am wondering, what would be a good BBS software package that is good with ethernet.  I always liked C-net on the C-64 and I know some programs were converted over.  Was C-Net BBS one of them?  And has it been revisied for telnet?

     Thanks!

     Doctor Clu
Title: Re: Setting up a Amiga BBS
Post by: Ilwrath on August 30, 2004, 05:23:48 PM
Quote
I always liked C-net on the C-64 and I know some programs were converted over. Was C-Net BBS one of them? And has it been revisied for telnet?


I went through thinking about setting up a BBS again a while back, so my news is current as of about 10 months ago.  

CNet Amiga hasn't seen a new revision in a long time (since the late 90's).  The newest is CNet Amiga 5 Pro.  Though from a user standpoint, it doesn't look much different from the old CNet 2.6 I used to run in the early 90's.  I hear it has some nicer SysOp features, though.  The CNet Amiga 5 can run off telnetd.device to be telnet-aware.  Possibly older versions can run off this device, as well.  I haven't actually tried my 2.6 on it, since the only working copy I have installed anywhere is on an unexpanded A1200 that doesn't have TCP/IP installed.

Now, the bad news is that CNet Amiga seems to be caught up in a dispute, or something.  It's still commercially copyright protected, so you can't just download a full version.  You may be able to purchase a full version and keyfile from the author(s), if you can find them.  HMetal on here may be able to give more information, as he was an owner of the rights to CNet at one time.

Some other Amiga BBS, including DLG, have been released free with source, so you might want to look into some of those, as in this day in age, you are going to be your own support.  ;-)
Title: Re: Setting up a Amiga BBS
Post by: BoingBoss on August 30, 2004, 05:24:28 PM
Hi DoctorClu,

Quote
I would like to run a BBS


BBS   :-o

You mean web site don't you?   :roll:

I mean noone uses BBSs anymore because they are too slow and are boring text-based stuff on dial-up phone lines.  Get out of the '80s dude.   :-)

Amiga BBS  :roflmao:
Title: Re: Setting up a Amiga BBS
Post by: SamuraiCrow on August 30, 2004, 05:26:50 PM
For more info on Amiga BBS software see the BBS directory on the Aminet archives (http://ftp.uni-paderborn.de/aminet/dirs/comm_bbs.html).  For more information on C-Net see this directory (http://ftp.uni-paderborn.de/aminet/dirs/comm_cnet.html).
Title: Re: Setting up a Amiga BBS
Post by: Piru on August 30, 2004, 05:28:28 PM
@DoomMaster

Go play Doom.
Title: Re: Setting up a Amiga BBS
Post by: Linchpin on August 30, 2004, 05:29:56 PM
Quote
Get out of the '80s dude.


Says the man with the amiga 500 "tower of power".

Bull.
Title: Re: Setting up a Amiga BBS
Post by: adolescent on August 30, 2004, 07:01:49 PM
CNet was a great system.  I never went past CNet/3 because I didn't need ISP type functions (web, ftp, etc. access).  I had my CNet/3 working fine with telnetd.device, UUCP, etc.  Shame you can't get copies of it anymore.  Maybe if someone begs Ray Akey he'll give/sell it off.
Title: Re: Setting up a Amiga BBS
Post by: BoingBoss on August 30, 2004, 07:15:12 PM
Why not just put up your own "Amiga Org" up on the web?  You can use the same software that Amiga Org is using and you can get it for FREE.  I downloaded the software and will be paying my registration fee.  I am considering starting my own "Amiga Org" type of site, only mine will be much better.  It is not that hard to do, the software does most of the work for you.  You just have to pay for web site hosting and put up your very own site.  You can make it better then Amiga Org or Amiga World.  Try it.  I think that you will like it better then setting up a BBS.  Besides, Amiga Org and Amiga World need the competition.   :-D

Here is the link for the software and web hosting:

http://www.phpbb.com/

Enjoy   :-)
Title: Re: Setting up a Amiga BBS
Post by: Argo on August 30, 2004, 07:22:58 PM
There are plenty of telnet BBS'.
Title: Re: Setting up a Amiga BBS
Post by: BoingBoss on August 30, 2004, 07:36:50 PM
Hi Argo,

Quote
There are plenty of telnet BBS'.


Does telnet BBS mean BBSs that are on the internet?  Cause I was thinking of "old-school" BBSs, that not many people do those anymore.
Title: Re: Setting up a Amiga BBS
Post by: TheMagicM on August 30, 2004, 07:45:40 PM
I'm almost 900% positive that Argo meant telnet bbs's.  I think that would be cool.
Title: Re: Setting up a Amiga BBS
Post by: Ilwrath on August 30, 2004, 08:25:40 PM
Quote
I'm almost 900% positive that Argo meant telnet bbs's. I think that would be cool.


Yes, I was assuming that the original poster and Argo were both referring to BBS that you can TELNET into, rather than actually using a modem to call directly.  (Who wants that kind of phone bill, nowadays?  And heck, if you have a dedicated connection of some kind, who still has a modem set up?  I haven't had a modem out of the storage closet in 4 years, but I still occasionally connect to a BBS.)

AmigaZ-BBS is a nice example of a modern CNet Telnet system.

telnet://bbs.amigaz.org/
Title: Re: Setting up a Amiga BBS
Post by: Holley on August 30, 2004, 08:29:16 PM
Old school style, but accross the internet, and running from an Amiga - neat!  Good luck with getting it running :-)

@Boingboss - ok, I'm done trying to improve your PR now ... I have a phpBB setup, it's not as easy as you think, plus AO and AW are portals, not messageboards (which is what phpBB is for).  And it's still not like the old days of modem BBS's, which would be the whole point of this.
Title: Re: Setting up a Amiga BBS
Post by: BoingBoss on August 30, 2004, 08:55:07 PM
Hi Holley,

Quote
@Boingboss - ok, I'm done trying to improve your PR now ...


I did not ask for your help in the first place.   :roll:

Quote
plus AO and AW are portals


You can call your Internet BBS a "portal" too, no big deal.   :lol:
Title: Re: Setting up a Amiga BBS
Post by: MobbyG on August 30, 2004, 09:12:12 PM
And thanks to you.. I just got a few more new users! w00t!!

You;re all welcome and come and browse and bath in the nostalgia. Or better yet, stay and play games, participate in the message bases or our joinlink chat with Windows of Illusion BBS.

Title: Re: Setting up a Amiga BBS
Post by: Argo on August 30, 2004, 09:27:28 PM
Yes, on the internet. Also, I know of quiet a few that are or were dial-up old style BBS that also had telnet access.
With the advent of broadband Internet access, dial-up anything disappeared mostly exept in the most rural areas where broadband hasn't or can't reach (excluding satelite).
Telnet BBS have the same old school feel. It just the method of connection has changed. Alot of those have died off too with the rise of the Web Portal.
Title: Re: Setting up a Amiga BBS
Post by: Argo on August 30, 2004, 09:38:51 PM
Actually, he could try phpbb2 (http://www.phpbb2.de/) (Warning: Site in German). It's Web Portalized phpbb. Not sure how good it is.
Title: Re: Setting up a Amiga BBS
Post by: Holley on August 30, 2004, 09:50:57 PM
Yeah, that'd work :-D

Shame the frames on phpBB 2+ don't show up under AWeb, other than that it's quite Amiga friendly :-)
Title: Re: Setting up a Amiga BBS
Post by: alberonn on August 31, 2004, 11:23:43 AM
BBS' may not be as popular a they were in the past, but I think there's still room for them. Telnet BBS' are cheaper to connect to over distances though. And while the door games are not too pretty gfx-wise, some of them are still fun to play.

If you really want to see something, our User's Group's prez is currently running a BBS on an accelerated Commodore 128D with a CMD Harddrive. The only problem he has is with file transfers to/from Amiga users. However, this seems to be related to the XPR libraries. I have also noticed this problem when I've had a Commie 8-bitter try to download from an Amiga. If you can find JRComm (yeah, it's old, but still works on my system running OS 3.9,) it seems to handle transfers just fine. The demo may still be up on Aminet. I think it's because the internal transfer protocalls were better-written for it maybe?

The Village BBS
+1-503-325-2905
Up to 33.6kbps
ANSI-ASCII-CommodoreGfx

Official BBS of the ACUG with several file areas, including .D64 files for the Commodore emulators.

We have some message bases and PBEM RPG's
Title: Re: Setting up a Amiga BBS
Post by: neofree on December 01, 2004, 03:42:31 PM
Interested in knowing about DLG and other BBS's that have been released as free with source code.  Where would I find these?

Thanks,

Neofree