+DarkLord Posted December 24, 2020 Share Posted December 24, 2020 Yeah, with James on this. There are a lot more ST BBS programs... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amis Posted December 24, 2020 Share Posted December 24, 2020 Attaching Forem ST as I haven't seen the files posted. Would be great to see this running again. Tested on emulator and seems to be complete.. -Amis FoRem ST.zip Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amis Posted December 24, 2020 Share Posted December 24, 2020 Biker Bob - Let us know when your ready for some marketing 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tillek Posted December 24, 2020 Share Posted December 24, 2020 I think there is one called MouseSoft or some rodent-type name. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+DarkLord Posted December 25, 2020 Share Posted December 25, 2020 Here is a partial list of ST BBS programs, just off the top of my head: BBS Express! ST v1.98a Ratsoft STadel STKeep Octopus Michtron v3.0 Transcendence Turboboard BBS QuickBBS Forem ST MiniBBS StarNet HTH's. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tillek Posted December 25, 2020 Share Posted December 25, 2020 Foresight SCS ^--- There is GFA Source code for those two as well as ST Keep on https://docs.dev-docs.org/htm/search.php?find=gfa Also one called JoyBBS (well, and obviously Michtron 2.0) This was just kind of a "placeholder" post.... Despite my joke about MouseSoft, I do intend to scour a few things to see what else I've forgotten. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AtariGeezer Posted December 26, 2020 Share Posted December 26, 2020 If you search BBS https://docs.dev-docs.org/htm/search.php?find=bbs , you also get: Fnordadel BBS ('C' source code) ST Keep BBS software (GFABASIC source code included) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+DarkLord Posted January 1, 2021 Share Posted January 1, 2021 I think I asked this before but I can't remember so apologies... Does BBS Express on the 8bits have a scripting language and if so, is it like the one that comes with BBS Express! ST? Only reason I'm asking is, if the answers yes, then all those Express ST scripts could easily be used with the 8bit boards running Express. Mass mail, random quotes, CD-ROM access, all kinds of things... Thanks. (just curious) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Nezgar Posted January 2, 2021 Share Posted January 2, 2021 23 hours ago, DarkLord said: Does BBS Express on the 8bits have a scripting language and if so, is it like the one that comes with BBS Express! ST? Only reason I'm asking is, if the answers yes, then all those Express ST scripts could easily be used with the 8bit boards running Express. Mass mail, random quotes, CD-ROM access, all kinds of things... In Pro! for the 8-bits, the menus were highly customizable to show text files, run programs, set ANSI colours (in 5.0+) etc -- but I believe the only "scripting" or programming was via compiled Action! programs - so it was flexible, but required skill above simple scripting.... (Which was beyond my ability....) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnPolka Posted January 5, 2021 Share Posted January 5, 2021 (edited) On 1/1/2021 at 3:19 PM, DarkLord said: I think I asked this before but I can't remember so apologies... Does BBS Express on the 8bits have a scripting language and if so, is it like the one that comes with BBS Express! ST? Only reason I'm asking is, if the answers yes, then all those Express ST scripts could easily be used with the 8bit boards running Express. Mass mail, random quotes, CD-ROM access, all kinds of things... Thanks. (just curious) No. Neither original BBS Express! nor BBS Express Pro! have a scripting language. As Nezgar points out, there are some good menu customization features in both. Pro! is highly customizable with with its programming API which supports both Action! and Mac/65 modules. The Basement BBS has some custom menus and features using this programming model. -JP Edited January 5, 2021 by JohnPolka 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+DarkLord Posted January 7, 2021 Share Posted January 7, 2021 That's too bad. Even the average SysOp can take a BASIC scripting language and do some really cool stuff with it. You don't have to be a rocket scientist to use it. (trust me, I know!) 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnPolka Posted January 12, 2021 Share Posted January 12, 2021 (edited) On 1/7/2021 at 1:10 PM, DarkLord said: That's too bad. Even the average SysOp can take a BASIC scripting language and do some really cool stuff with it. You don't have to be a rocket scientist to use it. (trust me, I know!) True. But remember, these BBSs were designed to run on a machine with just 64K RAM. A scripting language parser/interpretter (a.k.a. a script engine) that is at all useful will require a decent amount of memory to run. I doubt there would be enough memory for core BBS functions plus a script engine. The ST, on the other hand, has a lot more RAM to play with. -JP Edited January 12, 2021 by JohnPolka 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+DarkLord Posted January 12, 2021 Share Posted January 12, 2021 5 hours ago, JohnPolka said: True. But remember, these BBSs were designed to run on a machine with just 64K RAM. A scripting language parser/interpretter (a.k.a. a script engine) that is at all useful will require a decent amount of memory to run. I doubt there would be enough memory for core BBS functions plus a script engine. The ST, on the other hand, has a lot more RAM to play with. -JP Hmm. I might be looking at this wrong so correct me if so... Under Express! ST the scripting language files are bare text. They can actually be run by the software "as is", uninterpreted. Compiling them does make them a bit smaller and faster. I always compile just because I want that little bit of extra "umph". They are limited in size. I think 1500 lines is max? (will have to check that) but you can chain script files together, linking them with the compiler so it's not really a disadvantage. The Mass Mail script I use on DarkForce is actually 3 files linked like that. Point being, the script files are only actually pulled and executed "real time", then discarded. Kinda like modules, I suppose. Ah, like I said, I might not be getting what you're saying. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnPolka Posted January 12, 2021 Share Posted January 12, 2021 (edited) 1 hour ago, DarkLord said: Hmm. I might be looking at this wrong so correct me if so... Under Express! ST the scripting language files are bare text. They can actually be run by the software "as is", uninterpreted. Compiling them does make them a bit smaller and faster. I always compile just because I want that little bit of extra "umph". They are limited in size. I think 1500 lines is max? (will have to check that) but you can chain script files together, linking them with the compiler so it's not really a disadvantage. The Mass Mail script I use on DarkForce is actually 3 files linked like that. Point being, the script files are only actually pulled and executed "real time", then discarded. Kinda like modules, I suppose. Ah, like I said, I might not be getting what you're saying. Sounds to me that compiling these script files turn them into a bit code that the BBS interprets while the BBS is running. That simplifies a parser/interpretter that needs to run on the BBS. It may be possible to design such a script engine for an Atari 8 bit BBS, however, I would think the number of instructions/functions of the language would have to be quite limited due to memory constraints. Again, you have a 64K machine with a lot of that memory already consumed by core BBS functions. In other words, the size of your script files are not the issue here. It's the memory required by the script engine + the BBS core functions. The script language would probably have to be limited due to memory constraints. That's probably one of the reasons why Atari 8 bit BBSs such as BBS Express Pro! and Carina provide an API instead. -JP Edited January 12, 2021 by JohnPolka Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+DarkLord Posted January 15, 2021 Share Posted January 15, 2021 Gotcha. Grabbed this from the BBS Express! ST v1.98a manual. I thought it would be interesting reading for some of you: BBS Express! ST has its own programming language known as the Script Language (also called simply script files). Script files allow you much more control than menu files do; but with this control comes more responsibilities on your part. The Script Language in BBS Express! ST is theoretically no different than writing in BASIC, C, Pascal, etc. It is a programming language that allows you to write your own "commands" and "programs" for the BBS while still under the watchful eye of the BBS program itself. The popularity of the Script language is that it allows the fast development of on-line applications without the bother associated with external programs or "doors". The Script language processor is a mix of both an interpretive language and a compiled language in that it interprets each command as it is encountered, yet it is very fast because it is compiled (really "tokenized") prior to actually being executed or run. This "compiling" can occur in two ways. First, you have the ability to compile your script files off-line with the SC.TTP program. Or you can let the script files be compiled on-line at the time they are invoked. This on-line compilation occurs very quickly; an 8,000 byte script file will be compiled in just under two seconds, however, it is still not as fast as a compiled Script. The BBS program knows if a script file is in its compiled format as soon as it is loaded. If it has not been compiled off-line, it will compile the file at load time. Note that if a script file has not been compiled off-line with SC.TTP, it will be compiled on-line every time it is executed. . One advantage of compiling scripts off-line with "SC.TTP" is that the script files can be much larger (up to 32,000 bytes in length) in un-tokenized form. When the BBS loads a script file, its size limit is 16,000 bytes. But, if the file has been compiled off-line, then this is 16,000 bytes in tokenized form. So, it is possible to write some huge script files to perform very complex functions. The 16,000 byte limitation exists because the entire script file is loaded into memory at one time (so it can be executed at a much faster pace). This size limitation is not a big issue, since you can easily "chain" to another script file through the use of the EXECUTE command. Not only that, but a 16,000 byte tokenized script file is a huge program. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+bhall408 Posted January 24, 2021 Share Posted January 24, 2021 On 1/12/2021 at 7:18 AM, JohnPolka said: A scripting language parser/interpretter (a.k.a. a script engine) that is at all useful will require a decent amount of memory to run. I doubt there would be enough memory for core BBS functions plus a script engine. I'd worked on a command line BBS for Atari 8-bits back in the 80s. It was sort of noun/verb based "download <file>", "read new", "profile <username>" etc. It was written in ACE C (originally Deep Blue C), and ran in 48K, but only barely. It required SpartaDOS 2.x, and we had re-written the ACE-C runtime to squeeze every last byte available. It was able to source commands from a text file, much like "source" in unix shell. Would that count? I'm in the process of resurrecting it in a modern version done using cc65 and would run with a FujiNet... 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnPolka Posted January 25, 2021 Share Posted January 25, 2021 On 1/23/2021 at 7:31 PM, bhall408 said: I'd worked on a command line BBS for Atari 8-bits back in the 80s. It was sort of noun/verb based "download <file>", "read new", "profile <username>" etc. It was written in ACE C (originally Deep Blue C), and ran in 48K, but only barely. It required SpartaDOS 2.x, and we had re-written the ACE-C runtime to squeeze every last byte available. It was able to source commands from a text file, much like "source" in unix shell. Would that count? I'm in the process of resurrecting it in a modern version done using cc65 and would run with a FujiNet... Would that count? Not sure. Did it handle variables, control structures (e.g., if then else), and functions? I believe the script language that Dark Lord referred to includes these capabilities. Certainly that's the assumption I made when I mentioned the memory constraints probably prevents a script engine in Atari 8 bit BBSs. What is the name of this BBS software? Hope you're successful in resurrecting it. I'd like to log in and check it out. -JP Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+bhall408 Posted January 25, 2021 Share Posted January 25, 2021 4 minutes ago, JohnPolka said: Would that count? Not sure. Did it handle variables, control structures (e.g., if then else), and functions? I believe the script language that Dark Lord referred to includes these capabilities. Certainly that's the assumption I made when I mentioned the memory constraints probably prevents a script engine in Atari 8 bit BBSs. As I recall it did not. It may have had looping (only). So doesn't count 6 minutes ago, JohnPolka said: What is the name of this BBS software? Hope you're successful in resurrecting it. I'd like to log in and check it out. Plexus. There were about a dozen of them running in the midwest in the mid to late 80s. Towards the end we had done an ST version and then a PC/DOS version (at least one of those had been multi-line), but the 8-bit version is the one I plan to resurrect. I have the original sysop manuals scanned, maybe I'll start a development thread and post that to get the ball rolling... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnPolka Posted January 25, 2021 Share Posted January 25, 2021 56 minutes ago, bhall408 said: As I recall it did not. It may have had looping (only). So doesn't count Plexus. There were about a dozen of them running in the midwest in the mid to late 80s. Towards the end we had done an ST version and then a PC/DOS version (at least one of those had been multi-line), but the 8-bit version is the one I plan to resurrect. I have the original sysop manuals scanned, maybe I'll start a development thread and post that to get the ball rolling... Sounds good. Feel free to post the SysOp manual and start a Plexus thread in our Atari 8 bit BBS club (which is also a part of the AtariAge website). You can access it by clicking on the "Apps" menu item above, choose the "Clubs" submenu item, then choose the "Atari BBS Gurus" club. Here's also a direct link: https://atariage.com/forums/clubs/8-atari-bbs-gurus/ We would love to have more information on Plexus in our archives. -JP 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doctorclu Posted January 25, 2021 Share Posted January 25, 2021 On 12/21/2020 at 9:24 AM, Nezgar said: I was able to connect to The Backyard BBS 905-895-5904 in Ontario a few months ago with my own VoIP ATA. (GrandStream HT802, with 2nd port set for no echo cancellation or voice activity detection, G.711 uncompressed, low jitter buffer) https://www.telnetbbsguide.com/bbs/backyard-board/ Larger list of systems (including non-atari) that still have modem access here: https://www.telnetbbsguide.com/bbs/connection/dial-up/list/detail/ BTW... on the Backyard BBS I was told the message base is now full. If someone has a way to contact the sysop or if he is here, please let him know. I do enjoy that BBS and wanted to post more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnPolka Posted January 25, 2021 Share Posted January 25, 2021 3 hours ago, doctorclu said: BTW... on the Backyard BBS I was told the message base is now full. If someone has a way to contact the sysop or if he is here, please let him know. I do enjoy that BBS and wanted to post more. I wish I could connect to it. If someone does track down the SysOp, please suggest to them that they add telnet access. -JP Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+DarkLord Posted January 27, 2021 Share Posted January 27, 2021 On 1/25/2021 at 8:53 AM, bhall408 said: As I recall it did not. It may have had looping (only). So doesn't count Plexus. There were about a dozen of them running in the midwest in the mid to late 80s. Towards the end we had done an ST version and then a PC/DOS version (at least one of those had been multi-line), but the 8-bit version is the one I plan to resurrect. I have the original sysop manuals scanned, maybe I'll start a development thread and post that to get the ball rolling... Do you still have the ST version? Be curious to play around with it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+bhall408 Posted January 28, 2021 Share Posted January 28, 2021 3 hours ago, DarkLord said: Do you still have the ST version? Be curious to play around with it. I found hard copy printouts in storage last year. I have some floppies I need to check which may have source... We'll see... I'm in the middle of a move so won't know soon... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+DarkLord Posted January 30, 2021 Share Posted January 30, 2021 No problem, no rush. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doctorclu Posted February 10, 2021 Share Posted February 10, 2021 On 1/25/2021 at 11:23 AM, doctorclu said: BTW... on the Backyard BBS I was told the message base is now full. If someone has a way to contact the sysop or if he is here, please let him know. I do enjoy that BBS and wanted to post more. So Backyard BBS ran out of storage space again. 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.