Farb Posted March 4, 2018 Share Posted March 4, 2018 Hi all, I've been trying to scrounge up more information about the various commercial BBS packages that were offered such as version number, release years, etc. Here is what I have so far for the following packages: BBCS: http://a8preservation.com/#/software/title/88 BBS Express!: http://a8preservation.com/#/software/title/3263 BBS Express! Pro: http://a8preservation.com/#/software/title/2808 Carina: http://a8preservation.com/#/software/title/681 Nite Lite: http://a8preservation.com/#/software/title/4268 OASIS: http://a8preservation.com/#/software/title/4269 If anyone can help me fill in some of the blanks, it would be most appreciated. Thanks! 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+hunmanik Posted March 4, 2018 Share Posted March 4, 2018 I've done some of this in the FAQ (now section 8.16). I've tried to cover both commercial and non-commercial. Another place to know about: http://www.bbsdocumentary.com/software/ATARI/EIGHTBIT/ Plenty of room for more complete information! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmccorm Posted March 4, 2018 Share Posted March 4, 2018 I support any effort to further document this category. Additional major entries: Carnival FoReM (incl. FoReM XL and FoReM XE) AMIS Madronna Marsh It is such a shame that so many variants and homebrews (typically in BASIC) have been lost. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farb Posted March 4, 2018 Author Share Posted March 4, 2018 I've done some of this in the FAQ (now section 8.16). I've tried to cover both commercial and non-commercial. Thanks for the additional info. I did see the FAQ but it must have been an old version because it didn't have as much info as the one you linked to! Additional major entries: Carnival FoReM (incl. FoReM XL and FoReM XE) AMIS Madronna Marsh Thanks for pointing these out. I've added Carnival (surprisingly little info about it), FoReM and Marsh BBS to the list. It seems like AMIS and FoReM XE were public domain? I'm only looking to document commercial products at the moment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IndusGT Posted March 4, 2018 Share Posted March 4, 2018 (edited) Seems the Puff BBS is lost.... Edited March 4, 2018 by IndusGT Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alfred Posted March 4, 2018 Share Posted March 4, 2018 Oasis was started by Renner, Walden & Newman. I don't know what the first version of it was, as I didn't see it until around 1985. At that time it was a bit of a novelty being written in all assembly language compared to Forem which most people ran in my area at the time. I think the last version they put out was Oasis 3.09. Glenda Stocks bought it from them around December 1987.according to her release. She renamed Oasis 3.09 to Oasis Jr and used it as the demo version. She then reorganized the code, breaking it into many separate modules, as well as enhancing the message prompt files to support more colour options, like C64 and Ansi. This really increased the overhead time for locating prompts and made the system noticeably slower than the original 3.09, due to the overhead of searching directories under SpartaDos. Sometime in the early nineties (1993 ?) I purchased Oasis IV from Glenda. She no longer had the source code for the original 3.09, so all I got was the code for Oasis IV. I started developing what would have been Oasis V, but by then interest in the Atari was fading, and I was already involved with Galacticomm's MajorBBS and I stopped working on Oasis as it became clear that the web was overtaking the place of BBS systems. I was actually running the Puff BBS at the time. I still have the letter of sale from Glenda here somewhere. I sold maybe 20 copies of Oasis IV after I took over from her. I still have the code, but I no longer have the complete set of master diskettes from which sold copies were made. At the time I was irate about not getting 3.09 which was what I had really wanted, as I considered version IV to be a travesty of what Oasis had been: fast, efficient software. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alfred Posted March 4, 2018 Share Posted March 4, 2018 Seems the Puff BBS is lost.... Maybe. I don't know if Bob has a copy. I still have mine along with the ring detector dongle, although I don't have the source code for MOE (Modem Operating Environment) that lives under the Basic rom and handles all the modem i/o. That probably is lost. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kyle22 Posted March 4, 2018 Share Posted March 4, 2018 Hi all, I've been trying to scrounge up more information about the various commercial BBS packages that were offered such as version number, release years, etc. Here is what I have so far for the following packages: BBCS: http://a8preservation.com/#/software/title/88 BBS Express!: http://a8preservation.com/#/software/title/3263 BBS Express! Pro: http://a8preservation.com/#/software/title/2808 Carina: http://a8preservation.com/#/software/title/681 Nite Lite: http://a8preservation.com/#/software/title/4268 OASIS: http://a8preservation.com/#/software/title/4269 If anyone can help me fill in some of the blanks, it would be most appreciated. Thanks! Thanks Farb. The manual for 5.0 was helpful to me, and hopefully to others. Direct link: https://archive.org/stream/BBSExpressProfessional5.0b/BBS%20Express!%20Professional%205.0b#mode/1up Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
erichenneke Posted March 4, 2018 Share Posted March 4, 2018 I archived Nite Lite off of the original disks and posted them here, just yesterday coincidentally... http://atariage.com/forums/topic/276068-unarchived-software/?p=3976772 I have the original paper manual also, let me look at would it will take to scan it. The V:Handler was a ramdisk by Paul Swanson/Nite Lite Systems that would set up a virtual drive you could reference as "V:" just like any other drive, but it was in ram so it was really fast to access of course. It's really a stand-alone product, but clearly he developed it with the BBS application in mind to speed things along, and they worked very well together. I remember I originally had my Nite Lite BBS set up running on my Atari 800, but after getting the V:Handler I moved it all over to my 130XE to take advantage of the expanded memory as a virtual/ram disk. It really sped up the responsiveness of the BBS experience as you can imagine. -Eric 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Nezgar Posted March 4, 2018 Share Posted March 4, 2018 There was a 4.0 version of BBS Express! Pro as well. I have the disks. I can take a picture of them later. I would have had manuals for 4.0 and 5.0 at some point, not sure if I have them anymore. Something to add to the search list... Every copy of BBS Express, at least since 5.0b was custom compiled for each serial # as a copy protection mechanism, and there's VBI code to verify core modules are running on the expected node. It also does some other actions if it sees messages from another Pro net networked BBS with the same node #. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Atari Nut Posted March 4, 2018 Share Posted March 4, 2018 It seems like AMIS and FoReM XE were public domain? I'm only looking to document commercial products at the moment. They weren't when they were first released. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farb Posted March 4, 2018 Author Share Posted March 4, 2018 Thanks for all the further info, everyone. Keep it coming! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+bf2k+ Posted March 4, 2018 Share Posted March 4, 2018 FoReM XE was definitely NOT PD. My friends bought it for their BBS. I also had a plain jane FoReM written in Atari Basic as well as FoReM MPP. The KEEP was also an Atari8 BBS program. I have that here. Atari Link - I also have that one. Hutch BBS by John Hutchy - have that one too. I guess some of these are questionable as to whether they were commercial or not. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farb Posted March 5, 2018 Author Share Posted March 5, 2018 I still have mine along with the ring detector dongle, although I don't have the source code for MOE (Modem Operating Environment) that lives under the Basic rom and handles all the modem i/o. Any chance of dumping what you do have for the Puff BBS? 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IndusGT Posted March 5, 2018 Share Posted March 5, 2018 (edited) Any chance of dumping what you do have for the Puff BBS? Agreed should be preserved. I spoke with Bob his copy was lost as the hard drive died and he did not make a back up. Alfred, what's the name of the BBS you ran? Edited March 5, 2018 by IndusGT 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alfred Posted March 5, 2018 Share Posted March 5, 2018 (edited) Any chance of dumping what you do have for the Puff BBS? There's a chance. Been a while since I spun up that drive, so we'll see. IndusGT, the bbs I ran, with various software was called The Programmer's Aid. It was mostly neglected, and low usage, except after I released AlfCrunch and bought Oasis from Glenda. In the end I ran the Puff BBS and we were talking about adding networking for the message bases to it. I still have the printout of his proposed spec, but then he got busy with the BlackBox and took over CSS and nothing ever came of it. Edited March 5, 2018 by Alfred Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alfred Posted March 5, 2018 Share Posted March 5, 2018 I archived Nite Lite off of the original disks and posted them here, just yesterday coincidentally... http://atariage.com/forums/topic/276068-unarchived-software/?p=3976772 I have the original paper manual also, let me look at would it will take to scan it. Back when I was running Forem MPP there was a guy I knew running a BBS that had a multiport box that for whatever reason I think was called Nitelite. It was an intelligent multiport RS232 box, like an early BocaBoard. You sent it commands like Read 50 bytes from port 6 or hangup port 2. It was pretty nifty and he was using it run a multiline BBS. I assumed the bbs software was also called Nitelite, but now 30+ years later I'm not so sure. Like an ATR-8000 but only for RS232. Anyone else remember that little multiport RS232 box ? I think it had a 6502 in it. I know I downloaded the manual for it from somewhere to read up on it, but I never got around to getting one myself, which I sorely regretted later. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
_The Doctor__ Posted March 6, 2018 Share Posted March 6, 2018 (edited) There's a chance. Been a while since I spun up that drive, so we'll see. IndusGT, the bbs I ran, with various software was called The Programmer's Aid. It was mostly neglected, and low usage, except after I released AlfCrunch and bought Oasis from Glenda. In the end I ran the Puff BBS and we were talking about adding networking for the message bases to it. I still have the printout of his proposed spec, but then he got busy with the BlackBox and took over CSS and nothing ever came of it. freeze the drive and allow it to slowly come up to room temperature a few times before you try, if you forgot the settings send it off to someone who has both a mio and a black box, and knows how to do it, I am one such person but there are many others who can help or do it as well, one and only one drop of light machine lube on spindle to make sure stiction is overcome no more. Edited March 6, 2018 by _The Doctor__ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alfred Posted March 6, 2018 Share Posted March 6, 2018 haha! God, I am such an effing packrat. I never ever delete anything: 10 Rem STARTBBS.MOD 09/26/9030 C1=1:C2=2:C3=3:C4=4:C5=5:C8=8:C9=9:C10=10:C12=1250 Dim A$(500),C$(53),F$(40)70 Trap 130:Open #C3,C12,C0,"C:":Open #C4,C12,C0,"K:"90 Graphics C0:Poke 1682,255:Poke 1667,C0:Poke 1679,C1:Poke 1678,C0:Poke 1674,C0:Poke 16,64:Poke 53774,192110 Node=C2:Goto 150130 ? "Error: MOS has not been loaded!!ý":End150 ? " Setting up The Puff BBS II! Ver:3.0 " Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Nezgar Posted March 6, 2018 Share Posted March 6, 2018 Wow all those years ago I dialed into the CSS BBS what ever it was called, and the Moose BBS, both in new york as I recall, and never realized it was running on top of BASIC? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IndusGT Posted March 6, 2018 Share Posted March 6, 2018 haha! God, I am such an effing packrat. I never ever delete anything: 10 Rem STARTBBS.MOD 09/26/90 30 C1=1:C2=2:C3=3:C4=4:C5=5:C8=8:C9=9:C10=10:C12=12 50 Dim A$(500),C$(53),F$(40) 70 Trap 130:Open #C3,C12,C0,"C:":Open #C4,C12,C0,"K:" 90 Graphics C0:Poke 1682,255:Poke 1667,C0:Poke 1679,C1:Poke 1678,C0:Poke 1674,C0:Poke 16,64:Poke 53774,192 110 Node=C2:Goto 150 130 ? "Error: MOS has not been loaded!!ý":End 150 ? " Setting up The Puff BBS II! Ver:3.0 " This thread is from my conversation with Bob Puff: (10 years ago) http://atariage.com/forums/topic/136572-is-bob-puffs-bbs-program-lost-forever/ ""spoke with Bob Puff at CSS who told me the hard drive that contained the Puff Board and all the code died. He no longer has any material related to that. Being a MyDos person I always wanted to run a BBS based on it, thus why I asked Bob about it. He has no contact info for anyone else that ran the board at the time. The only one other board that ran it that I can remember was the Moose board in New York. Anyone else here know of someone? I'm sure Bob would love to hear from them as well. It's a shame when great programs get lost thru Bit Rot. "" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+David_P Posted March 6, 2018 Share Posted March 6, 2018 Back when I was running Forem MPP there was a guy I knew running a BBS that had a multiport box that for whatever reason I think was called Nitelite. It was an intelligent multiport RS232 box, like an early BocaBoard. You sent it commands like Read 50 bytes from port 6 or hangup port 2. It was pretty nifty and he was using it run a multiline BBS. I assumed the bbs software was also called Nitelite, but now 30+ years later I'm not so sure. Like an ATR-8000 but only for RS232. Anyone else remember that little multiport RS232 box ? I think it had a 6502 in it. I know I downloaded the manual for it from somewhere to read up on it, but I never got around to getting one myself, which I sorely regretted later. That rings a bell - I think there was a "New Product" writeup in one of the later ANALOG Computings on that device. ANALOG 53 has a review of the Nitelite BBS and like you I am almost certain that the RS232 multiport device was by the same guy (Paul Swanson). https://archive.org/stream/analog-computing-magazine-53/Analog_Computing_53_1987-04_Telecommunications#page/n53/mode/2up There's a discussion of a multi-line NItelite BBS on an ST at: http://punkwalrus.livejournal.com/716253.html. But my Google-fu is weak and I can't find further discussion... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alfred Posted March 6, 2018 Share Posted March 6, 2018 (edited) That rings a bell - I think there was a "New Product" writeup in one of the later ANALOG Computings on that device. ANALOG 53 has a review of the Nitelite BBS and like you I am almost certain that the RS232 multiport device was by the same guy (Paul Swanson). https://archive.org/stream/analog-computing-magazine-53/Analog_Computing_53_1987-04_Telecommunications#page/n53/mode/2up There's a discussion of a multi-line NItelite BBS on an ST at: http://punkwalrus.livejournal.com/716253.html. But my Google-fu is weak and I can't find further discussion... haha: https://www.atariarchives.org/cfn/12/05/02/0059.php about halfway down the article It was called The Spider. The guy I knew was using it with his 8 bit and wanted some help coding for it. I thought it was pretty nifty. Edited March 6, 2018 by Alfred Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+David_P Posted March 6, 2018 Share Posted March 6, 2018 I bow before your superior google-osity, fellow Ontarian.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AtariGeezer Posted March 6, 2018 Share Posted March 6, 2018 haha! God, I am such an effing packrat. I never ever delete anything: 10 Rem STARTBBS.MOD 09/26/90 30 C1=1:C2=2:C3=3:C4=4:C5=5:C8=8:C9=9:C10=10:C12=12 50 Dim A$(500),C$(53),F$(40) 70 Trap 130:Open #C3,C12,C0,"C:":Open #C4,C12,C0,"K:" 90 Graphics C0:Poke 1682,255:Poke 1667,C0:Poke 1679,C1:Poke 1678,C0:Poke 1674,C0:Poke 16,64:Poke 53774,192 110 Node=C2:Goto 150 130 ? "Error: MOS has not been loaded!!ý":End 150 ? " Setting up The Puff BBS II! Ver:3.0 " Thanks for the tease, any chance of a full ATR dump? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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