So -- I'm working on a MajorBBS/Worldgroup Emulator and would love some feedback. reddit / bbs ---------------------------------------------------------------------- wndrbr3d · 2019-12-08 01:04 **EDIT:** You can follow my progress on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/ericnusbaum/) Hey Folks -- I popped in here a little over a year ago to share [MBBSD ASM](https://www.reddit.com/r/bbs/comments/7uwlg5/disassembler_for_maj orbbsworldgroup_modules/), a disassembler I wrote specifically for MajorBBS/Worldgroup modules. I wanted to pop in and gauge the community interest in my latest hobby project which is a MajorBBS/Worldgroup Emulator that'd let you run any module by itself, on any modern platform (supporting .Net Core) without having to actually run an instance of MajorBBS or Worldgroup within a virtual machine. The gotcha with MajorBBS/Worldgroup modules, and something I fear will cause them to be lost in time, is that not only do they require a Virtual Machine to run the host software (MBBS/WG), but the module can ONLY run within that host software (hence why they're DLL's, not self- contained EXE's). So there's essentially three layers to get a module working: VM (16-bit x86) -> Host Software (contains exported functions) -> Module. While this is what made MajorBBS/Worldgroup capable of so many simultaneous users, it also makes running the Modules that much more complicated when compared to standard Door games on other board platforms. **Features I'm looking to support:** * Simple Registration/Login holding user information in a local SQLite database * Both Telnet & RLogin (inbound only) support (for folks running MBBS/WG boards with RLogin capabilities) * Up to 65,535 simultaneous users (technically "usernum" is a 16-bit int, so I don't see why it can't be more than 255) * Memory Patching (like Game Genie for the NES) * Dynamic breakpoints and memory/stack/register dumps This started as a debugger for my own nefarious purposes but I soon found with some TLC I could get the modules actually fully emulated. The screen shot I attached shows the module "GWW Archery V1.4" completing it's INIT routine as it would when you first started the BBS. **Things I have working right now:** * Basic Btrieve Emulation (Step Functions, Insert, Update, etc.) * Msg file compilation to MCV * Basic x86\_16 Virtual CPU * Small subset of exported functions from both MAJORBBS.H and GALGSBL.H While I've had this tool in one form or another for a while now, making it an actual functioning emulator has taken several weeks of full time work just to get it to this point. I always appreciate constructive feedback. More to come :) [MajorBBS Module running \_INIT\_ function on a Windows Environment](h ttps://preview.redd.it/48bvt08c3b341.png?width=1100&format=png&auto=we bp&s=3a0aa12a01427daf44f1d905c6847513372d5649) **NINJA EDIT:** More work on the x86 emulator side of things, also got it working on a Raspberry Pi :) [MajorBBS Module successfully running \_INIT\_ routine on a Raspberry Pi](https://preview.redd.it/7ejyjqfobv341.png?width=1343&format=png&au to=webp&s=a05a4e488287dd0bf6e159243e05d57ce9fb35f4) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- deebeaux · 2019-12-08 01:47 As a long time MBBS/WG Sysop who, for unknown reasons, still keeps a WG 3.x NT system running... this is pretty awesome. I need to give MBBSDASM another go as I’ve got a few modules I own that some details have long been lost to time and Hurricane Katrina. Edit: Obligatory thanks for the gold! ---------------------------------------------------------------------- wndrbr3d · 2019-12-08 02:02 Wow -- sorry to hear that you were impacted by Katrina, sincerely hope the MBBS/WG stuff you lost was the worst of it. Thanks for your kind words! Yeah -- I've seen a lot of the resources out there for the DOS versions (MBBS4EVER, etc.) and it's all just a pain in the ass getting everything up and running in a VM + getting TCP support working. Really hoping, BBS software aside, this can help keep the Modules alive for the next generation to at least experience without having to jump through a zillion hoops. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- deebeaux · 2019-12-08 02:10 I’ve helped several folks get WG 3.x NT boards running. I think there’s enough out there and support available to keep that going for a whole, but eventually a 32-bit operating system will be so “legacy” it’ll be too difficult to get going. MBBS 6.25 is already like that. The MBBS4EVER is sorta fun but it’s a huge mess. I’ve got quite a collection of MBBS/WG things and as I sort through the messy collections I’ve been assembling clean installer packages. I’ve spent quite a bit of time putting MBBS/WG stuff together. Katrina losses were just things, long time ago. I still have some goodies like my WG boxed software and a Galctiboard. I’ve got a lot of nostalgia for BBS stuff as it contributed to the core of my professional career and love to see people doing the same! ---------------------------------------------------------------------- tele-arena · 2019-12-08 04:38 Impressive work! ---------------------------------------------------------------------- wndrbr3d · 2019-12-08 05:01 Thank you! More to come :) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- mikeleemm · 2019-12-08 05:22 Very cool, another MBBS/WG sysop here, and still have a copy of the original board and software. Mostly a MajorMud BBS, but one day it crashed with a Btrieve error and here it sits that way. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Ire-Pyre · 2019-12-08 05:43 Umm, please share? ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Ire-Pyre · 2019-12-08 05:45 65535 simultaneous players in Galactic Empire? Aww yeah! ---------------------------------------------------------------------- cloverskull · 2019-12-08 07:03 I love this idea. I wish I could have mbbs/wg games on my mystic BBS, and running a separate mbbs board was just too much of a pain in the ass. If I could have my own pie-in-the-sky dream, though, it wouldn't be exactly this...my dream would be a shim that allows any BBS software to run MBBS games as any other door.sys dos door. I'm not sure if that's even possible...but it would be great. Just a shim to allow something special to happen in dosemu and the door to run like LORD or something. Thanks again for working on this! Maybe one day you'll turn your attention to TBBS :P ---------------------------------------------------------------------- wndrbr3d · 2019-12-08 12:47 Thanks for the kind words! Interesting idea, dunno if it’s doable. I think RLogin support should get people mostly there, but I’ll noodle on this 👍 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- wndrbr3d · 2019-12-08 12:49 Well — might only be 32,767 since I think it’s a signed 16-bit int. Sorry to disappoint 😜 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- soobardo · 2019-12-08 20:40 That is a hefty task, considering the complexities of the platform...the different APIs is a portability nightmare... (DOS 5.x, 6.x, 2.0, NT 3.x) No matter what, I admire the skills and courage required to go on such a task. btrieve, gsbl, ugh... :) Your preservation initiative is refreshing and very appreciated (last year was totally unexpected!) Cheers, ---------------------------------------------------------------------- wndrbr3d · 2019-12-08 22:06 Thanks!! It’s all about keeping the memories alive 😄 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- nolageek · 2019-12-09 17:57 Hey! I live in DC now, but grew up in NOLA - what board did you run? I was mostly calling WWIV boards back then, but called a few of the larger non-WWIV ones. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- deebeaux · 2019-12-09 18:03 I never had a large following on any of the random boards I put up around NOLA. I used WWIV, Spitfire, and Wildcat! over the years. One was "The Generic BBS" with the Superstore style branding of yellow label and black text and Starport BBS which was mostly just WWIV being used as a TW2002 door front end. I became very good friends with the SysOp of The MainStay BBS and ended up inheriting it. It now lives on as Starbase 21 BBS running WG 3.x NT using as many of our old modules as I could get working in NT vs. the WG 2.x DOS we were running when it signed off for the last time.