Atari 8-bit related BBS(s)

[rcamp48]

I am doing Forem the right way and making a new install disk, it will install everything you may need right the first time (or in this case right as of now).....sorry about the other file I did not know that some of the files were corrupt, this time it should be right.

 

Russ

 

 

PS: I m going to work on connecting at 19200 BPS , it should be doable on Atari, both in the INITBBS and FOREMXE files. I am a seasoned programmer with over 40 years experience under my belt. Has the printout in windows format helped anyone yet?

 

 

[+bf2k+]

I did get connected on Port 23 just now but I was using AT Telnet which is an ATASCII-only terminal... no ASCII or anything else.  I'll have to dig up something else to connect properly.

[+Stephen]

23 minutes ago, rcamp48 said:

I am a seasoned programmer with over 40 years experience under my belt.

How much experience in quality control and testing?  Asking for a friend.

[Tillek]

[rcamp48]

10 minutes ago, Stephen said:

How much experience in quality control and testing?  Asking for a friend.

Quite a bit I learn from experience, I guess when things don't work you learn quick to find out what the program is doing , for example I can follow the Forem XE program precisely to know what it is doing, I am a seasoned programmer in QB64.

 

[+Stephen]

1 hour ago, rcamp48 said:

Quite a bit I learn from experience, I guess when things don't work you learn quick to find out what the program is doing , for example I can follow the Forem XE program precisely to know what it is doing, I am a seasoned programmer in QB64.

 

How about actually testing something you release, before throwing shit to the wall to see what sticks?  In my jobs, if I release non working code to production, I am fired.

 

P.S.

QB is not used in industry.  I wouldn't brag about 40 years of hobby stuff.  That's like me saying, I am a seasoned veteran with 46 years of experience of peeing in a toilet, rather than pissing myself in bed.

 

Take some pride in your work for crying out loud.  Stop releasing shit all the time that is not what you said it is, and completely not working.

[rcamp48]

27 minutes ago, Stephen said:

How about actually testing something you release, before throwing shit to the wall to see what sticks?  In my jobs, if I release non working code to production, I am fired.

 

P.S.

QB is not used in industry.  I wouldn't brag about 40 years of hobby stuff.  That's like me saying, I am a seasoned veteran with 46 years of experience of peeing in a toilet, rather than pissing myself in bed.

 

Take some pride in your work for crying out loud.  Stop releasing shit all the time that is not what you said it is, and completely not working.

I am not relasing code until it is properly testing , you have a point Steven, I am testing my code to see if it works properly before releasing it, I have the Spartados script file written , I have to test it before releasing it at all, it is quite complicated, and the last file I released was written correctly, it just had corrupt Forem XE files in it, that is the reason why I shut down the BBS and am redoing the code , it will be fully tested as a BBS before I even release the script. , whcih will be on an atr for drive 1, you will to mount that diska read only, as my script does not write to disk 1.

 

Basically what I am doing is automating Spartados to unarc the 3 arc files one at  to disk 2 you will have an xinit file running at the beginning and you will need to format 3 disks , the main program will be running from D1: in Spartados, format 3 disks in 720 K, then the script file will take over, it will create all necessary directories on both the program disk (D2:), and the data disk (D3:) and unarc fxep54_B.arc directly to a scratch disk, (D4:), unarc each arc file on drive 4 (D4:) to drive 2:DISK2> , then erase just the arc files from D4:, and copy the rest of the files from drive 4: (everything but the arc files) to drive 2:disk2>. All of this has been automated, its the unarc process that I have to test to see if it works properly in the creation of the program disk, the data disk creation has already been tested, it works OK.

 

ANd the BBS worked oK it took me this long to realise that the file section did not work, I needed to fully test the BBS first, what I released yesterday was an install disk based on the files that I had, thats all.

 

Anyways I am going to fully test the installation and creation of the BBS now , the first thing I have to test is my script fiule, as I have said before the only thing I have right now that is questionable is the scrips for ARCX.COM to unarc the files properly into the right directories and not blank the screen. I am leaving the window open here , so I will be  around. I am in the middle of testing onthe 800xl now.

 

Russ

 

 

 

Edited January 29, 2022 by rcamp48

[Amis]

[Dopeyman06]

1 hour ago, rcamp48 said:

I am not relasing code until it is properly testing , you have a point Steven, I am testing my code to see if it works properly before releasing it, I have the Spartados script file written , I have to test it before releasing it at all, it is quite complicated, and the last file I released was written correctly, it just had corrupt Forem XE files in it, that is the reason why I shut down the BBS and am redoing the code , it will be fully tested as a BBS before I even release the script. , whcih will be on an atr for drive 1, you will to mount that diska read only, as my script does not write to disk 1.

 

Basically what I am doing is automating Spartados to unarc the 3 arc files one at  to disk 2 you will have an xinit file running at the beginning and you will need to format 3 disks , the main program will be running from D1: in Spartados, format 3 disks in 720 K, then the script file will take over, it will create all necessary directories on both the program disk (D2:), and the data disk (D3:) and unarc fxep54_B.arc directly to a scratch disk, (D4:), unarc each arc file on drive 4 (D4:) to drive 2:DISK2> , then erase just the arc files from D4:, and copy the rest of the files from drive 4: (everything but the arc files) to drive 2:disk2>. All of this has been automated, its the unarc process that I have to test to see if it works properly in the creation of the program disk, the data disk creation has already been tested, it works OK.

 

ANd the BBS worked oK it took me this long to realise that the file section did not work, I needed to fully test the BBS first, what I released yesterday was an install disk based on the files that I had, thats all.

 

Anyways I am going to fully test the installation and creation of the BBS now , the first thing I have to test is my script fiule, as I have said before the only thing I have right now that is questionable is the scrips for ARCX.COM to unarc the files properly into the right directories and not blank the screen. I am leaving the window open here , so I will be  around. I am in the middle of testing onthe 800xl now.

 

Russ

 

 

 

 

[rcamp48]

Because its possible, I am doing it mainly for myself, but I am willing to share what I have done with others....

Russ

PS: There is about 25 steps to creating this install disk, it will automate everythinbg just testing the install disk now, I realize that I have created non workig stuff before liek Steven has siad,and I want to do it right this time, I really know how to write script files for Spartados, and what works and what does not. Enough said.

 

Russ
 

Edited January 29, 2022 by rcamp48

[Amis]

Russ,

 

Please stop. Let me tell you from experience, it doesn't matter to anyone. Do it for yourself, don't publicize your work. If anyone wants Forem XE pro, they will ask. If they don't ask, its because, they don't need it, want it, or care.. Just go quietly to work on your projects.. The Professionals have this.. 

 

 

[rcamp48]

1 minute ago, Amis said:

Russ,

 

Please stop. Let me tell you from experience, it doesn't matter to anyone. Do it for yourself, don't publicize your work. If anyone wants Forem XE pro, they will ask. If they don't ask, its because, they don't need it, want it, or care.. Just go quietly to work on your projects.. The Professionals have this.. 

 

 

You are telling me to waste all of my work? And it does not matter to anyone ??? The why did people other than you respond to it? 

I am sorry but your experience is not the same as my experience. But I will let them ask if they want it.

[Dopeyman06]

1 minute ago, rcamp48 said:

You are telling me to waste all of my work? And it does not matter to anyone ??? The why did people other than you respond to it? 

I am sorry but your experience is not the same as my experience. But I will let them ask if they want it.

 

Ummmmm, all this time that you've been "working" on FoReM XE 6.0 Extreme Super Plus, has anyone asked for it?

 

[Amis]

1 minute ago, rcamp48 said:

You are telling me to waste all of my work? And it does not matter to anyone ??? The why did people other than you respond to it? 

I am sorry but your experience is not the same as my experience. But I will let them ask if they want it.

My work product works. Forem XE pro was restored months ago by me so I guess your experience requires years to do what I did in 5 hours. And I guess since users actually connect to my BBS(s) provides more definitive evidence of my capabilities to execute over your supposed skill. 

[rcamp48]

20 minutes ago, Dopeyman06 said:

 

Ummmmm, all this time that you've been "working" on FoReM XE 6.0 Extreme Super Plus, has anyone asked for it?

 

Its not Forem XE 6.0 Super Plus, its regular Forem XE  5.4 , and I am doing most of it for myself.... I will wait until someone asks for it, Forem XE 6.0 was a mistake... I am just talking about the time I just spent on it today, I want to make up for the mistake of Forem XE 6.0, thats all I want to do, and everyone is ragging me on that mistake, and someone commented earlier about that they liked the script for installation so that's what I am working on, I do believe it was The Doctor, common guys I am trying to pull myself out of a year of bad advice. Can some of you not let bygones be bygones?  Give me a chance is all I ask ok?

 

And yes I do acknowledge all of the work that AMIS has done on the program. I am not trying to create something new here.

 

Russ

 

[JohnPolka]

1 hour ago, rcamp48 said:

Its not Forem XE 6.0 Super Plus, its regular Forem XE  5.4 , and I am doing most of it for myself.... I will wait until someone asks for it, Forem XE 6.0 was a mistake... I am just talking about the time I just spent on it today, I want to make up for the mistake of Forem XE 6.0, thats all I want to do, and everyone is ragging me on that mistake, and someone commented earlier about that they liked the script for installation so that's what I am working on, I do believe it was The Doctor, common guys I am trying to pull myself out of a year of bad advice. Can some of you not let bygones be bygones?  Give me a chance is all I ask ok?

 

And yes I do acknowledge all of the work that AMIS has done on the program. I am not trying to create something new here.

 

Russ

 

Russ,

 

FoReM XE 6.0 was not the first time you posted stuff that you claimed working when it did not. So, it's hard to just let bygones be bygones.  I have observed several instances between AtariAge and Facebook where you post stuff that was not tested.  What concerns me is that someone new to the hobby who is unaware of your track record is going to try your stuff, get burned, and never return.  Or worse, your untested software might cause real damage to someone's retro equipment.

 

-JP
 

 

 

[rcamp48]

I have talked to John , and I agree that I have posted stuff before that was not working , what I am suggesting is just posting a text file of the batch file that I have worked on for the last 4 hours, it is harmless as its is only a text file that I created for my purposes. Is this OK with you all, from now on I will ask you guys for input BEFORE posting any ATR. 

 

This is only an Install batch file:  printout (1).atascii, the file says atascii, but its regular text and harmless.

 

 

[rcamp48]

I just may have a lead on finding Forem PC, I am downloading 7 BBS CDs and I intend to go through them all looking for Forem PC

There may be a chance.

 

Russ

 

PS: There may be more that 30 BBS CDs out there , I will find them all and look through them.

 

Edited January 31, 2022 by rcamp48

[JohnPolka]

 

[Tillek]

2 hours ago, JohnPolka said:

 

My favorite Hallmark Holiday!

 

[+DarkLord]

Yeah! Go Happy BBS Day! 

 

[Dopeyman06]

On 1/30/2022 at 9:54 PM, rcamp48 said:

I just may have a lead on finding Forem PC, I am downloading 7 BBS CDs and I intend to go through them all looking for Forem PC

There may be a chance.

 

Russ

 

PS: There may be more that 30 BBS CDs out there , I will find them all and look through them.

 

Any luck finding FoReM ST by downloading and going through those 7 BBS CDs??

[rcamp48]

1 hour ago, Dopeyman06 said:

Any luck finding FoReM ST by downloading and going through those 7 BBS CDs??

Not yet but I have to find the time to do that.....

 

[rcamp48]

I am going to put this out here, rather than start a new post or topic, I am going to be working on putting a BBS on cartridge, probably a MaxFlash 8 Mbit cart, with Basic XE, Spartados 3.2G and the BBS programs, apparantly you can add an atr to the cartridge , so I am going to give it a shot, has anyone else experimented with doing all of this yet? I hear that someone else has already started but I don't know of who it is, maybe if this person reads this we could collaborate on this or if anyone else wants to get involved in this 'little' project, maybe by making the nessessary changes to both the Basic XE rom and OSS extender disk, we can do something good here.

[Schadret]

Figured this thread was all about Atari BBS's, so I'd post here.. just a quick summary of my BBS days in case people on here were old friends from back then.

 

Between myself and 2 friends we ran 3 BBS's back in the mid to late 80's, all in NJ (I believe we were 908 area code at that, though neighboring towns were 201).

 

Elm Street (mine, my handle was "Freddie" - and yes, misspelled, since I was young and didn't know better)

Dreamscape (ran at friend's, "Frightmare" was his handle)

Death Star (ran at another friend's, "-=]Overlord[=-" was his handle - this was our longest and most popular board)

 

My uncle worked for the phone company and showed me how to make a "ring detector" since the modem (1030?) didn't auto-answer. Sold a bunch of those to friends that wanted to run BBS's. My 1st business!

 

We were all young teens/then into HS, so as you would expect they were Warez boards. All were pretty heavily modified (by me, the programmer of the group) versions of various Carnival and FoReM's. My last incarnation was one that I wrote "from scratch" using the MOE from Carina.. it was my Gifted and Talented project in HS. What was funny was that the computer science teacher (who I could code rings around back then) insisted I didn't write it and told my teacher I had to have plagiarized it.. so I had to site in a room in front of him and the teacher and code it again (well parts of it) from scratch.. that shut him up.

 

Anyway - we also started a Warez group "UFP" (United Federation of Pirates), cracked a few games.. and I wrote a program that found phone codes for free phone calls (remember the old 950 numbers?). Wish I still had the source code for that stuff, but alas didn't have the foresight to keep it around. If anyone has any BBS or dialer programs with "Freddie", "UFP" or "Death Star BBS" around let me know please!

 

We had "BBS friends" from all over - so if any of you are here and remember, let me know!

 

Here's a post my friend (Overlord) wrote on his blog a few years ago, but figure it may get more traction here:

 

Quote

I am writing a quick post about my BBS to see if I can locate some of the folks who visited the site.

 

In 1987, I launched the Death Star BBS on my 130xe with Frank R. We launched with a 300 baud modem and less than 1 meg of storage with FoReM (Friends of Rick E Moose) BBS Software.  My handle was ‘Overlord’ and Frank, ‘Freddie’. Other SysOps and folks that helped with the site included Frighmare, Mike K, Randy S. Hacker and The Atari Bandit.

 

I found one of the early users lists — here were some of the handles :

 

[_Crusader_]     Randy S. Hacker     __Wiz_Kid__     Blue Adept     Dragonslayer     Lord Rhienhold     Mr. Torture     Henry Finney     Stingray     Bearback     *Pedro*     The Ninja     Teleprompter     |Dr. Radium|     Baskett Case      [_|LL_Cool_J_]     Digital Man     [_Zorro!_]     Compu Kid     The White Tiger     The Advenger     [_Mesron_]     [_Alexx_Lynn_]     Merlin     <_The_Atarian_>     Dr. K     Null Cypher     Kyrie     King Elessar     -= Fingers =-     Mitch Robins     Red Eye     The Master Blaster     Killer Bee     The Countess!!     Lord Satan     -=Psycho=-     -=]Icarus     Mr. Zarniwoop     The Atari Bandit     Phantom     |/Tron/|     The Dude     Van Halen     [_-pace Ace]     [|Nuclear_Deth|]     Atomic Boy     =lectrika     Axe_     [_-IceMan-_]     Game Lord     [|_Deek_Martin_|]     Alf     Mark Anthony     The Gigolo     Wolfratt     White Knight     [_Fila_]     Rufish Trendor     Panama Joe     f0rd PreFect     Bert The Rad1     _Highlander_                    [ _Rat_Master_ ]     The Atari Kid     WarBow!     The Mighty Atar     Red Devil     _The_Warden_     Baalzephon Coroner     Worlok!     Ripcord     MicRogue   Erendar     Dr. Radium     The Necromancer     Cerberus     The Junkman     Redline     Dr. Zep     Modem Man     The Dark Wizard     |/__Sonny__/|     The Decendent     [|The Brigand|]     The Dark Wizard     Mike Duffert     St*rbuck     Shadoevision     Flipper     Pastor X     The Clubmaster     Titan     Crockett     Zinc Plate     ‘  doc  ‘     Roy O Leary      Kamore the Monk

 

Other sites I remember at the time — Skull Island (201), Jolly Joes, The White House, Ace of Aces, Rats Nest (714), Midnight Express, Mesron’s (216), Pirate Cove, South of the Border (516), TimeWarp, House of Pain! (815), Middle Earth (515), Scruncher (312), Alcatraz (215)

 

We launched a BBS group called UFP, the United Federation of Pirates.