File server with BBS-centric file descriptions reddit / bbs ---------------------------------------------------------------------- BetweenTheBorders 路 2018-11-04 10:51 I'm not even sure which words to use and my my Google-fu is failing me. Any solutions or even concepts to find my own solutions would be appreciated. After a weekend of playing with my Pi, I have a functioning Mystic system running on the LAN, but I'm finding the barrier to entry on downloading files is too high for the average user. I'd like to have a way to transfer files using http or ftp as opposed to modem protocols. Mystic apparently has this feature, but it doesn't appear to be well- documented and I can't figure it out. I would appreciate any of the following options: 1. Allowing a user to download a file through telnet or a terminal without intervention on the part of the user (and file padding). 2. Using a third party program (web-based or otherwise) to do the same. 3. Running a web-based frontend on a web server that interfaces with Mystic BBS and draws file descriptions from the database, dynamically generating web content (similar to how database-centric articles are generated). 4. Running a web-based frontend that uses the file\_id.diz in a file to generate a page like the above. 3 seems to be the most likely to be feasible, and 4 would be possible with Mystic BBS exporting data, but it would require its own database to prevent runtime slowdowns. I'm probably looking at all the wrong options, but I'd be happy to modify my methods or expectations if required. Thanks for the help, and thanks to the people who made and contributed to Mystic, Enigma, and Syncronet, it's been a real trip down memory lane. I spent more time on Prodigy than dial-in BBSs, but I grew up with this, and it's somehow more home-y. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- kevinlamonte 路 2018-11-04 12:00 For the "download via telnet" option, many clients should have Zmodem autostart already, so the download would get going once the user picks their files. Synchronet has web frontend, don't know how well that would work for the file transfer bits. There is a telnet javascript component out there, don't recall its name (maybe ftelnet?), that might work for you too: use goes to your site, and sees the BBS in its telnet glory inside a box on the web page. Don't know how that handles downloads though. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- devastating_dave 路 2018-11-04 22:53 Check out ENiGMA1/2 BBS, that's where the http download feature in Mystic was "borrowed" from :-) Log into my BBS - bbs.force9.org if you'd like to check it out in action 馃憤馃徎 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- NuSkooler 路 2018-11-05 03:06 IIRC fTelnet supports Y-Modem and perhaps X-Modem. VTX (web terminal) supports hyperlinks for web downloads -- ENiGMA 1/2 will turn web downloads into hyperlinks in this terminal so users can just click the link. ​ IIRC there are a few doors that provide this type of functionality as well. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- BetweenTheBorders 路 2018-11-05 12:49 I was using SyncTerm, which needed my manual intervention . . . or I was using it wrong. Of the three systems, Synchronet was the one that didn't manage to install correctly, but I'll look into it again. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- BetweenTheBorders 路 2018-11-05 12:52 VTX and doors? I'll look into them both. Thanks again. I liked Enigma, but the Mystic UI won me over, plus NPM was giving me issues. I appreciate all your hard work on it. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- BetweenTheBorders 路 2018-11-05 12:53 I'll look into it. As I mentioned elsewhere, I had install problems on Enigma, but I could try it again if it meets my requirements while Mystic does not. Thanks. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- devastating_dave 路 2018-11-05 12:58 Please shout here, on GitHub or on an enigma BBS and we'll try and help you out! ---------------------------------------------------------------------- NuSkooler 路 2018-11-05 16:19 ENiGMA 1/2 is not for the timid :) ​ VTX is a web based terminal: [https://github.com/codewar65/VTX\_Client Server](https://github.com/codewar65/VTX_ClientServer) There are (IIRC) some BBS doors that offer web-based downloads. Archaic Binary (BBS, C#) offers a door for web downloads as well. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- BetweenTheBorders 路 2018-11-05 17:48 Yeah, whenever I think "I'm not the timid," someone reminds me that there are entire fields of study I just gloss over. :) Actually, funny story, I was in a course that started "If you don't know what layer 2 network protocols are, you're in the wrong course." That was the end of me there. As far as BBS work, I can't even do ANSI artwork, and that's probably the least technical and most subjective portion of it. Ah, well, it makes me appreciate how much effort goes into what other people do. I'll be testing VTX presently, thank you. ​ Edit: Ah. Windows only. That's okay, it should get me going in the right direction. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- NuSkooler 路 2018-11-05 20:58 The VTX *client* is what you're interested in here. It's pure browser/client side JavaScript, or in other words, platform agnostic. ​ EDIT: And to be clear about my "timid" comment: ENiGMA 1/2 is certainly designed for heavy modding (aka TLC!) and currently requires modifying HJSON files directly. Someday, maybe someone (perhaps myself?!) will make a UI for the settings, but that's down the line past a lot of other stuff. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- [deleted] 路 2019-02-23 02:45 [removed]