Making an old 90's style BBS?

Yeah my ultimate goal would be to get something together using SSH.

I have dusted off a few oldies like MysticBBS and Citadel, but not surprisingly the support history has been erratic, and some of the commands seem different for installing it. I also have to contend with a college schedule that is becoming a pain.

If I can just pin down a good guide somewhere it seems like this should be do-able though.
 
Dear friends,

I just discovered this website yesterday while Googling. I am so happy to discover a discussion called "Making an old 90s style BBS?", because I have *REALLY* felt like a fish out of water lately.

Let me tell you why.

I have just spent a few days scouring the web, looking for Macintosh-based and Macintosh-oriented, telnet-accessible BBSes.

In fact, yesterday, I downloaded and looked through the March 2015 edition of The BBS Corner's "The Telnet & Dial-Up BBS Guide". Sadly, out of a list of some 358 known telnet-accessible BBSes, not one single one of them met the aforementioned criteria. In other words, I did not find a single true Macintosh BBS anywhere. Seriously.

Boy, are we a dying breed or what? Not to boast, but it seems like I may possibly be the only Macintosh SysOp left!

A bit of history . . .

I have been running my Macintosh-based BBS on and off since early 1994. Well, guess what? About two weeks ago, I put my BBS back online again, after struggling with setting up both the SheepShaver and Basilisk emulators under Yosemite. I now have both emulators installed, and my Hermes II BBS is once again available for anyone who may be interested.

In fact, just a few days ago I compiled the latest Hermes II source code -- 3.5.11 -- from the GitHub website, and I dare say that I am now the only one who is running Hermes II 3.5.11. It was a challenge to compile it, until I received help from Michael Alyn Miller, who is the current owner of Hermes II, and its most recent developer.

Anyway, if you are interested in the history of my BBS, please visit the official home page of the Armageddon BBS on the web.

If you would like to learn how to compile the latest version of Hermes II yourself, using SheepShaver under Yosemite, I can help you do that as well.

Finally, if you actually want to telnet to my BBS, then in the Mac OS X Terminal, just telnet to 202.128.4.177.

Welcome to a blast from the past! :) That is my static IP address.

It would certain be great if there were more Macintosh SysOps around. Let's not let this ancient tech go quietly into the night without a fight.
 
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How did I miss this thread? I've been dinking around with Synchronet for years. I used to run Renegade back in the day. Any luck with this VideoDrome?
 
If you folks are on a Macintosh, or know how to run a Macintosh emulator, Hermes II -- the BBS software that I am using -- works just fine. I have the PDF docs for 3.5.2 on my BBS, as well as on my Hotline server. They are now a little outdated, but they will easily get you up and started running a Hermes II BBS. And, if you are running the Mac Classic environment on an OS X machine, I can help you with that as well, because that is what I am doing. The Hermes II software only runs in the Mac Classic environment.
 
VIDEODROME said:
Yeah my ultimate goal would be to get something together using SSH.

I have dusted off a few oldies like MysticBBS and Citadel, but not surprisingly the support history has been erratic, and some of the commands seem different for installing it. I also have to contend with a college schedule that is becoming a pain.

If I can just pin down a good guide somewhere it seems like this should be do-able though.
Click to expand...

MysticBBS documentation was poor if I remember correctly and no SSH. Synchronet pissed me off because the user editor show the password in plain text. Citadel looked cool but I didn't much care for the format. The OpenTelegard project appears dead. I'm not interested in running a Mac BBS because I'm an Apple hater.

What would be killer would be SynchroNet with RADIUS authentication system. I wouldn't think it would be hard to do but I lack the C++ skills. I've made several attempts at trying to figure out how to hook into the auth mechanism but failed miserable every time.

Too bad SSH over ToR blows or you could do some really awesome shit linking BBSes together. I've done some experimenting with a setup that would allow you to build out a huge BBS network in a Harsh Mistress style cell-based system over ToR but I can't get past the SSH problem. The latency makes it unbearable.
 
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Why are you an Apple hater, if I may ask? I think the Windows vs. Macintosh debate was beaten into the ground years ago. To each his own. Most of my friends use Windows. That's fine by me. Whatever works for each person, and whatever is their comfort zone. Saying you won't run a Macintosh-based BBS because you hate Apple is your choice, but . . . :)
 
Hermes II SysOp said:
Why are you an Apple hater, if I may ask? I think the Windows vs. Macintosh debate was beaten into the ground years ago. To each his own. Most of my friends use Windows. That's fine by me. Whatever works for each person, and whatever is their comfort zone. Saying you won't run a Macintosh-based BBS because you hate Apple is your choice, but . . . :)
Click to expand...

Among other reasons, Apple's Bernaysian propaganda insults my intelligence. Debating the issue serves neither my time nor interest.
 
Wow...old-fasioned BBS... :D Haven't used one since I was 11-ish, and that was just for PC game add-ons, shareware, etc. Blast from teh past! :) :cool:
 
So, heavenlyboy34, why don't you come and check out my BBS and enjoy a blast into the past with all of the garish PC-ANSI graphics? It is Macintosh-based, and not Windows-based, but you can still reminisce. Please leave a message or two in the conferences so that I know that you stopped by. Thanks!

telnet armageddonbbs.com or 202.128.4.177.
 
The Macintosh-based Armageddon BBS -- a true -PC-ANSI BBS running on Hermes II -- is still operating, as is the Armageddon RETRO Server, which is a Hotline server, and likewise Mac-centric. Here are the details for any Old School folks who may still be interested in such things, and for younger folks who may be interested in experiencing a bit of Macintosh computer history:

Armageddon BBS website: http://www.armageddonbbs.com

Telnet to Armageddon BBS at any of these:

202.128.4.177

bbs.armageddonbbs.com

armageddonbbs.com

Use the standard telnet port 23

Armageddon RETRO Server (Hotline server) - 202.128.4.177

Use the default Hotline port of 5500.

Do not enter a login name or password in the "Connect" window. Just enter the above IP address in the "Server" field.

If you need a Hotline client, there are links for the same for Mac Classic users, Mac OS X Intel users, and Windows users on the bottom of all pages of the Armageddon BBS website.
 
Haven't a clue what it takes to set one up but it sure brings back old memories... I might have to see if I can remember how to use telnet...
 
I knew one day I'd regret selling my c64 :) I used to play a lot on BBS - was in trouble for high phone bills quite a few times. Bit nibblers and bit exchanges LOL. The good ol days.

On the topic of security, today, there is much less fax and dial up activity. I think the handshake and phone activity would make your board stand out like a sore thumb. It would also make it easier to identify end points. Not to mention, the government has a stranglehold on all CO activity. With the exception of voip, the phone system is very effectively monitored.

Not saying this isnt a fun idea, just saying its probably not a good counter to surveillance. Especially with TOR.
 
angelatc said:
This redirects to http://www.endtimeprophecy.net/ . Are we being spammed?
Click to expand...

Angelatc, while I also own endtimeprophecy.net, ww.armageddonbbs.com does not, and should not, redirect to that domain. The URL I provided is in fact the Armageddon BBS website, and everything on it is about BBSing, as well as the Hotline community.

The only situation I can think of where you might possibly get a endtimeprophecy.net page, is if you incorrectly type in one of the URLs for the www.armageddonbbs.com website. In such a case, you would receive an error page -- I assume a 404 -- from the endtimeprophecy.net web server.

So, no, you are not being spammed or tricked. I suspect that it was just human error on your part.
 
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