Free-net software?
reddit / bbs

----------------------------------------------------------------------
geekprof · 2015-09-13 20:11

I used to frequent free-nets (community networks) back in the early
90s. Many of these were run by universities, libraries, non-profit
groups before the Internet went commercial and they have since died
off. Not quite BBSes, but close.

I know most free-nets ran on software known as FreePort or CIX on UNIX
systems. I am wondering if perhaps these packages were released as
freeware or became abandonware.

Does anyone have information about either? Where to obtain it, or
maybe even documentation?

Reminiscing about free-nets or sharing of resources would be great,
too. :)

----------------------------------------------------------------------
crappyboy · 2015-09-14 18:02

In the early to mid 90s we had a Free-Net here in Mobile. The Mobile
Area Free-Net. It was fantastic. We all had shell accounts and could
get on the web via trumpet winsock and your browser of choice. I
played around on telnet talkers, MUDs, and gopher'd all around
universities and other resources.

maf.mobile.al.us was the domain.

----------------------------------------------------------------------
BoringTchotchke · 2022-09-10 00:31

The "shell" was called FreePort.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free-net