New Atari BBS software.

[tschak909]

Glad that it works, I'll commit an adjusted config file.

 

I've done some tests with the current code, and it's clear, that I have a long way to go when I finally optimize this code

 

The funny thing is, I can crank up either the CPU to roughly 14mhz (65816), and get a full 115200bps out the port, so my code is definitely slow. But I'll get to this later.

 

While my code does work with the XEP80, it does cause a noticeable drop in overall performance. So I may drop the whole "only output to E:" thread in my development, when things get more mature.

 

-Thom

[tschak909]

Turns out if I crank it to just 3.58mhz, then I saturate the port, nicely..so..maybe my code isn't..._too_ bad...

 

-Thom

[Android8675]

Are there ever days you just wish you were at home fucking around on your Atari?

[tschak909]

Well, most days I work from home, so I often do.

 

-Thom

[flashjazzcat]

Well, most days I work from home, so I often do.

Ah - you have achieved the Nirvanic state, you lucky swine.

[tschak909]

In preparation for my first new piece (A File menu, e.g. for bulletins, or Break Movies), I've written the prompt_* functions in input.c.

 

These functions take a prompt type, and a size, and produce a pretty prompt. Right now there are three types:

 

 

0: Plain? Type here
1: [Text is typed here____]
2: >Text is typed here____<

 

The prompts have a size limit, and do a hard stop for text so it fits within the field.

 

I'll add more as time allows, but now I have enough here, that I can write the file menu.

 

You can see the prompt in action at my test site: telnet://96.226.245.101:9001

 

-Thom

[tschak909]

I have added echoing of operator keystrokes to the terminal, in the latest build.

 

-Thom

 

p.s. I put this up on github, so that people could collaborate on the code, if any of you want to fork it, and work on it, go ahead, and we can merge stuff together, as needed.

 

-Thom

[tschak909]

Working on the File Menu item editor (FMENUE.COM):

 

[tschak909]

Status:

 

finished first pass at file menu editor, fmenue. Used for things like bulletins and break movie menus. Works, probably has bugs. Now to write the other end of it.

 

Also, Makefiles have been modified so that the binaries all end in .com, now.

 

Have attached the README.md for fmenue below. Enjoy.

 

-Thom

 

 

fmenue

fmenue is a file menu editor. Intended to build files to be used by the filemenu module.

Each file contains a list of entries:

• An item letter to be used to engage the item when using the file menu.
• An item path. The file to be shown, sans extension (which is added depending on terminal and availability)
• An item description.

usage

To use fmenue. Provide the filemenu file to edit as the parameter. By convention, filemenu files end in .FMU

D1: FMENU BULLETIN.FMU

If you do not provide a filename, a usage example will be printed to the screen, and the program will exit.

If the file does not exist, fmenue will ask to create it. If it does exist, fmenue will load its entries, and fill in the editor appropriately

editing

To edit an entry, select its letter or number. This will be the letter or number that a user uses to select a file to view.

You may then provide the appropriate information in the prompts that follow. Once done, you will return to the editor to edit more entries.

a note about filenames

Filenames may point to any valid path or disk drive. e.g.

• BULLETIN
• D1:BULLETIN
• D1:FMU>BULLETIN
• D1:FMU\BULLETIN

The only constraint being that there is no file extension, as this is determined automatically by the BBS, depending on terminal and file availability.

More documentation to come, but this is just preliminary -thom

[fibrewire]

Wow man, I got to give it to you - you're really following through with the project. Checking out git now, and i'll be keeping an eye on this project for sure!

[flashjazzcat]

Yes: incredible progress, and great to watch.

[JoSch]

 

Drac030 and the SDX programming docs are the definitive points of reference.

Is there an english version of SDX programming docs? On the SDX site, I only can find a polish doc.

[flashjazzcat]

Is there an english version of SDX programming docs? On the SDX site, I only can find a polish doc.

I think the English docs are being released with the forthcoming SDX update, which I understand to be fairly imminent.

[JoSch]

I think the English docs are being released with the forthcoming SDX update, which I understand to be fairly imminent.

Thanks for the info.

[+Stephen]

I think the English docs are being released with the forthcoming SDX update, which I understand to be fairly imminent.

Can't wait - is there any info available on the pending update? Oddly enough, was just on trub's site the other day looking up some CP/M stuff.

[tschak909]

Thanks for the support, guys. I'm actually trying to push through with this.

 

Right now, my algorithms aren't the best on the block, but they will get better. I am just trying to get something in place to make better, and to maintain. It's making me really squeeze back into my old C knowledge, and it's a bit of a workout, considering that even with my C++ work, I offload most of the usual work with toolkits and libraries. That just isn't an option here, and I have to be smart about it, but at the same time, I need to keep pushing forward, so I don't burn out on trying to make it perfect.

 

(I say this for critics that look at my C code and just go, DEAR GOD, WHY THE HELL ARE YOU USING THINGS LIKE AN INDEXED LINEAR SEARCH?! I will say this for cc65 though, I did find that they implemented bsearch() and qsort() from more recent ANSI C implementations. I'd like to switch to at least using THAT.)

 

For me, it's important to see some evidence of progress in each little thing that I do on this, so I keep pushing forward. To that end, I make sure that I do at least ONE commit a day (if you look on my user account, you'll see that I've had a streak of roughly 20 days...it would have been 28, had it not been for one day where I had to leave and take care of life stuff.

 

One thing you also may have noticed, is that there's not a name for this damned thing. I don't know what the hell to call it! right now, it's just 'ataribbs' (I can hear a certain 6502 embedded robot say, "CALL IT BENDER! BECAUSE I'M AWESOME!" .... maybe that's just the voices in my head... stop it... STOP IT..AII..oh..Hi. Guys.)

 

And none of the utilities have title screens, or anything like that...they're just spartan. They're...mostly...going to stay that way...The tools are intended to be used, get in, do your stuff, get out. They're meant to use SpartaDOS X, and will always be made for it. (if for no other reason than I don't have to waste too much memory on UI, and well, SpartaDOS X actually has something of a _real_ filesystem.)

 

On another note, I have had great success, turning on the VBXE, and using the VBXE console. It's fast enough and doesn't kill the serial performance much. QuickEd doesn't seem to help all THAT much in 40 column mode (maybe a 20% increase in serial speed?) I'm just going to have to rip out that serial code and make it faster at some point, maybe somebody on this forum has experience with this that can help???

 

Again, thanks for the support. I'm taking time off from working on LinuxMCE, to work on this, at the moment. This may change, if it does, progress will slow down...BUT....

 

I've wanted a functional Atari BBS for a very long time, and something that I can just run for a long time for my own amusement, so, this thing will get done, one way or another.

 

-Thom

[evilmoo]

You could call it "SMA", in honor of your favorite robot. All you need is a handy backronym.

 

Or BB65, since it's made with CC65.

[+bf2k+]

I like BB65 too!

[flashjazzcat]

+1 for BB65.

[tschak909]

Hey guys. I have a new status video. Showing FMENUE and the filemenu_show() functionality in the BBS, using an example file menu, a Bulletin menu.

 

 

Enjoy,

-Thom

[tschak909]

I am now thinking on the data structures, etc needed for a threaded message forum.

 

One nice thing, since I am not running under an Atari DOS based FMS, I don't have to pre-allocate message board files.

 

Also: http://www.cc65.org/doc/funcref-146.html <-- Relocatable Module Loading... hmmm

 

-Thom

[tschak909]

Do we have anyone in here good at ATASCII art to make a logo for BB65? I'll put it in when BB65 starts up.

 

-Thom

[Android8675]

Dying to help, I'll take a stab at some art. dunno how much time I'll have, this week.

 

BB65, sure you don't want SMA, could call it "bb65, SMA Edition"?

[tschak909]

I threw one together, using figlet's mini font as a model, converting the file to ATASCII, and tracing over the result in Matt*Edit.

 

The nice thing here, is that this is a file, SPLASH.ATA, that sits on D1:, so you can change it to whatever. It's shown each time the BBS initializes the modem.

 

-Thom

 

p.s. I have also, and will continue to put my screens that I draw, into the screens/ folder on GIT. Copy them appropriately onto D1:, for now.

 

[tschak909]

Working on the data structures for a flat message board: