Minimalist BBS Software reddit / bbs ---------------------------------------------------------------------- BotenRedWolf · 2020-02-03 10:46 I've begun experimenting with creating my own BBS, as a way to learn how they worked and possibly getting one for a couple of communities of like-minded total geeks like myself and my friends... However I've noticed that all the BBS software I've tried out have a zillion built-in features. Now that's understandable because there just wasn't the web like we've got now. There's only a few features I want to use, the look and access style of the BBS fit very much the theme of how I want it to be set up, and I also want to keep it less intimidating for the uninitiated. I know, this is probably like blasphemy, but I want to keep this alive for my generation and the one behind mine (I'm just young enough to have missed out on this, I was the AOL generation.) TIA ---------------------------------------------------------------------- bwave1 · 2020-02-03 13:15 My first month of owning a computer ever, my AOL bill was $3xx (it was $4 an hour), I promised to do better, and my 2nd month was still $150~. That's when I discovered FREE BBSs, and started my own. It ran from 1992-1996, at which point I started my ISP. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- blackboxsqueezebeard · 2020-02-03 13:52 The most minimalist style of BBS I recall was Citadel, which I believe you can still find running at Uncensored! BBS. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- speeb · 2020-02-03 15:18 I'm can't answer your question directly, but maybe you're thinking of it wrong. Taking Synchronet, for example, yes - there are a huge number of features. But nearly everything is optional and any good BBS system is going to allow you to pick and choose what you use. If you only want a single message area, one game, and a log off option on the main menu, you can do that. On the other hand, if you want options A-Z on the main menu, you can do that too. You don't need to use the FTP or web services or any of the others. Ignore networked message areas, internet email, and whatever else. It IS overwhelming, but start with planning out your look and feel on paper and then start looking at how you build that. Because it is likely very possible and pretty straightforward. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- snoozerd · 2020-02-03 16:00 You said Minimalist! Here: [https://gitlab.com/ufud-org/Contiki-BBS](https://gitlab.com/ufud- org/Contiki-BBS) OR [http://hitmen.c02.at/html/tools\_contiki.html](http://hitmen.c02.at/ html/tools_contiki.html) (Better since it has more platforms) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- samalex01 · 2020-02-03 16:06 I remember a few terminal programs had built in host mode which would enable a simple BBS. Terminate was one I believe and possibly COMit. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- [deleted] · 2020-02-03 17:30 [deleted] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- hamonbry · 2020-02-03 18:55 Telix had a host most built in also ---------------------------------------------------------------------- BotenRedWolf · 2020-02-03 19:03 Yeah, I've got Synchronet on my big battlestation so I can test locally and quickly, but while the documentation seems somewhat well done, it doesn't feel very "noob friendly", if you will. Kinda why I figured I'd start with something minimal but a little capable and work on learning how they work/add as we go. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- f15sim · 2020-02-03 19:20 THIS. Citadel is a most excellent and simple BBS platform. That being said, what Uncensored! runs is no where near a stock Citadel. I would recommend running one of the older DOS based Citadels under DOSBOX. The serial port in DOSBOX can be configured to behave like an old style Smartmodem and can accept incoming telnet connections. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- BotenRedWolf · 2020-02-03 19:40 This is possibly the sort of thing I'm looking for. I'll have to try it out and see how it goes. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- NuSkooler · 2020-02-03 23:30 ENiGMA has a number of servers out of the box, but you can simply disable them. From there, you can mod the look/feel/flow all you want. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Purduecoz · 2020-02-04 02:17 Not to hijack, but I was having trouble setting up ENiGMA with how to access the file areas over the web (without having to create anything - development is not my strong point), as well as how to login on the web or activate 2FA and use password resets. Unless I’m mistaken, those features are only available over the http server? I did read the docs but just couldn’t figure this out. Also, I could find no way to send/receive internet email from the BBS at this time? Only password reset emails are supported for now? Thanks ---------------------------------------------------------------------- NuSkooler · 2020-02-04 04:37 Essentially you need to enable the HTTP(S) servers, and configure email. See docs for both with examples. No sending/receiving email mail yet, but it's on the roadmap. Feel free to hop on IRC for more help if you need ---------------------------------------------------------------------- chromenomad · 2020-02-04 06:42 Waffle was one of the simplest, text based, and easily visually configurable just by editing the text config files. No frills. I ran it briefly in like 1994?ish I believe, much to the consternation of my formerly WWIV user base.. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- BotenRedWolf · 2020-02-04 10:30 I'm playing with ENiGMA½ right meow, inside of Debian on WSL, and this might actually be exactly what I was looking for. The way the config files and documentation are laid out appear to make it quite easy to customize (in my experience, others mileage will obviously vary based on environment experience), once you're able to figure out what files hold what changes ... which I'm still working on. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- BotenRedWolf · 2020-02-04 23:21 Took me a hot minute to figure out how to edit the menu displays to reduce clutter, since it's all in the ANS files, but now that I've found it, I think I'm making progress. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- lucidphreak · 2020-02-13 17:45 \*LOVE\* your thoughts!!!! Apple Ascii Express with a good message board is my idea of perfect!!!! I love the endeavors of all authors and am soooo glad people are still writing bbs stuff.. but I was never in the art scene and prefer quick and intuitive access to anything else.. keep us informed as to what you do - and check out modernpascal if you havent already. The author of Legacy/X also is the author of that version of pascal and it has TONS of bbs centric stuff in it to shorted your journey... :) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- lucidphreak · 2020-02-13 17:46 the added fluff makes for bugs.. just because you turn a feature off doesn't eliminate it from the loop...