Help me get a BBS up and running again. reddit / bbs ---------------------------------------------------------------------- aws-ome · 2022-08-06 22:46 I used to run telegard, renegade, pcboard, wwiv, and others. What do I need now to 1) dial into existing systems, 2) run my own in a VM from my home? # UPDATE: I am blown away by all of the helpful posts here. It reminds me of how cool the BBS community used to be back then. Thanks so much for all of the detailed responses! ---------------------------------------------------------------------- dmxrob · 2022-08-06 23:01 Dialup doesn't really exist anymore for the most part. You can get WWIV and SynchronetBBS that are both being maintained. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Warpslide · 2022-08-06 23:20 If you want to dip your toe back in, you can try Mystic BBS out which will let you setup telnet & SSH connections. There’s some good walk throughs by Paul Hayton here: https://youtube.com/c/MysticGuyBBS ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Traditional_Lynx_951 · 2022-08-06 23:27 If you want a synchronet server in a datacenter vps I can help you out with that for free ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Otherwise-Willow6904 · 2022-08-06 23:30 Go on Telnet BBS guide and check out a few current BBSs. Some people never advance beyond the stock downloaded package. But others have really put a lot of work into their BBS. I guess it really depends on what you're trying to get out of it. Unfortunately, don't expect many callers. It's more just a labor of love nowadays. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- trekkingscouter · 2022-08-07 00:18 Dialup is more of a fad, probably could read off the entire list of dial up BBSes in the US and Canada in a minute or less. The problem now'days is it's SO easy to build a board and get it connected most folks who loved BBSes also run their own boards. The Sysop to User ratio is very close. Used to be in our community we had about 30-50 BBSes and HUNDREDS of users. For a board choose a topic and I'd suggest running Syncronet, you can have a 'stock' board up in no time. But take the time to customize it. You can really customize this thing. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- denzuko · 2022-08-07 01:44 1. dial into existing systems: telnet 2. run my own in a VM from home. Don't just install ubuntu and mystic on a raspberry pi with a ngrok proxy, and I do advise using ngrok or zerotier since most ISPs block inbound ports. Ok dug into this rabbit hole a little too much that I should release a book or 2600 article. So if one still wants to use hayes command sets then either get an ATA like obihai obi300 so your modem can translate to voip (need broadband 10Mbps or better for that too) or just use a [Wifi232](http://biosrhythm.com/?page_id=1453) to connect as a RS232 compatible Hayes modem via 802.11. Both work for dial in connections too but auto answer is a little buggy. I'd personally go with an ATA and phreaknet/asterisk pbx setup. If your only wanting to get on FSXnet, Retronet, Fidonet, etc. then I'd suggest going with a headless linux box (rpi, atom, a old laptop) then using [https://gitlab.ambhost.net/stimpy/scripts\_fidian](https:/ /gitlab.ambhost.net/stimpy/scripts_fidian) to get setup. If we're looking to run a classic board then both MysticBBS and synchronet are the best ones out there. If a VM is a hard need then install devstack on a linux box and deploy a vm with either mystic or synchro. But at the end of the day once you have your board up one is still going to be using telnet with dyndns and port forwarding to have your users connect in. ngrok is the easiest to use here but also make sure you're setting up a system like fail2ban or snort to block out china, iranian, and russian malware before it hits your BBS. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- SqualorTrawler · 2022-08-07 02:44 * The two most common BBS packages are [Mystic](http://mysticbbs.com/downloads.html) and [Synchronet](https://www.synchro.net/). I found both simple to install and get running. Both are well-documented. They can run in a VM, but also can be run on a VPS out on the Internet without any hassle. [WWIV is back under development](https://www.wwivbbs.org/). I recommend you consider this since there are already so many Mystics and Synchronets and we could use more diversity, but it's up to you. ---- * Dialup is more of a novelty, but you can do it with VoIP and a standard modem from the 80s or 90s. If you still have a standard POTS landline, that works just like it used to, for BBSes which support it (Use the Telnet BBS Guide, below, to find dial-up BBSes if that interests you.) You shouldn't feel the need to host a BBS which can be dialed into unless that really turns you on (and hey, your kink is OK!). Most users expect to telnet or ssh. * There are about a thousand BBSes in the Fidonet nodelist, but not all are accessible, to give you an idea of the scope of the BBS world. This is a fraction of what it once was, but, I think, more than most people expect. Not to speak for anyone else. * There are even old 8 bit systems running on Commodores, Apples, Ataris, and TI/Geneves accessible via telnet now. * The clients you will want to use to call BBSes are [Netrunner](http://mysticbbs.com/downloads.html) or [Syncterm](https://syncterm.bbsdev.net/) and there are some others as well (some new and in fresh development). These provide file transfer capability (ZModem) as well as ANSI/CP437 support. Netrunner is faster; Syncterm has more features (Syncterm can in fact emulate things like PETSCII and ATASCII making connecting to old systems on Commodores and Ataris a more authentic experience). **You can use a standard SSH or Telnet client but I recommend you use one of the aforementioned packages so you can get ANSI.** * There are several dozen messaging networks available, representing a massive amount of redundancy. Fidonet is crotchety and surprisingly hostile - a lot of very old men yelling at passing clouds, yet sometimes also damn near infantile. fsxNet is active and friendly/warm, but some old-timers consider it milquetoast. The kind of people who enjoy flaming the hell out of people especially find fsxNet milquetoast. I like fsxNet, personally. DOVE-net is also quite active; that's the network associated with Synchronet although other BBS packages can join it if they support QWK networking (Mystic does.) There is a list [here](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/ 17pmf7cS9ocU99Rm6qlJD_OncqmbDI5Qj8Yw99A5bgVc/edit#gid=0) maintained by MeaTLoTioN. There are more than I would have thought. * The developers of Synchronet and Mystic are responsive and you can find them on DOVE-net and Fidonet. ---- Here are some lists of BBSes you can telnet, ssh, or in some cases dial-in to: * [Telnet BBS Guide](https://www.telnetbbsguide.com/) - you can sort by BBS software or whether or not a BBS allows dialup. * [IPTIA Consulting BBS Resource Site](https://www.ipingthereforeiam.com/bbs/). This also indexes MUDs. * [CBBS Outpost](http://cbbsoutpost.servebbs.com/) - BBSes run on Commodore and other 80s-era platforms (and often emulators thereof) * [BBS Guide](http://bbs.guide/) ---- Some people who have responded here run boards: Sysop | BBS | Telnet | SSH ---|---|----|---- /u/PaulLee420 | 2o fOr beeRS | 20forbeers.com port 1337 | 20forbeers.com port 1338 /u/denzuko | XM Core BBS | bbs.dapla.net port 23 | - /u/Warpslide | Northern Realms | tg.nrbbs.net port 23 | - There may be others; these are the people I recognize. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- PaulLee420 · 2022-08-07 02:45 First, lets get you on current bbSes. I suggest SyncTERM, but Netrunner is also a great software. \[MagiTerm as a 3rd optional.\] [Syncterm Terminal Software](https://syncterm.bbsdev.net) [Netrunner Terminal Software](https://mysticbbs.com) [MagiTerm Terminal Software](https://gitlab.com/magickabbs/MagiTerm) These are for CONNECTING to bbSes. You run Syncterm, press INS to insert a new bbs into the dialing directory, select TELNET and you'll have to specify the port # if its not standard :23. You should modify the default connection settings to hide status line to get the full 25 rows that yer screen can see. My bbS is 2o fOr beeRS @ [20ForBeers.com](https://20ForBeers.com):1337 (The :1337 is the port #... :P Thats telnet.) Later you can use SSH if you like, but you have to have a username first. A couple other PREMIUM bbSes are The Bottomless Abyss, Quantum Wormhole, aBSINTHE, Bit Sunrise, Constructive Chaos, Noverdu, Dura- Europos \[OLD Apple IIe\]... and you can find MANY more @ [Telnet BBS Guide](https://www.telnetbbsguide.com/). If you want to RUN a bbS, you'll have to decide which software you want to run: Mystic BBS Synchronet ENiGMA.5 Renegade or several others. The above are all still currently being developed. Last, if you come by 2o I'd be happy to help you more... just shoot me, paulie420, an email there. Cheers!!! Yer right around the corner from finding yer new favorite bbSes!! ​ pAULIE42o . . . . . . . . . . . /s ---------------------------------------------------------------------- PaulLee420 · 2022-08-07 02:46 Is this Marisa? :P Cause if so, they're RIGGGGHHHHTTT. :P ---------------------------------------------------------------------- staceykhalifa · 2022-08-07 03:11 I have a worldgroup installation on a windows 2003 vm image ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Traditional_Lynx_951 · 2022-08-07 05:10 Yep it's me! ---------------------------------------------------------------------- dmine45 · 2022-08-07 11:26 If you want to run a legacy BBS, use NetFoss to get you going to interface it to the Internet. Or, you can use a modern Telnet based BBS such as Synchronet and Mystic. Those are telnet-enabled out of the box. Both are simple to put online in a matter of minutes. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- n0fqy · 2022-08-09 06:08 I miss the good old days of running a BBS. Started out, way back in the 80’s, with FoReM XE on an Atari 130xe. Then graduated to a PC and ran a TON of programs. QuickBBS, RemoteAccess, SuperBBS, PCBoard, TBBS…and lots more. I had really cool users that had no problem with me switching programs so often. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- JudgeGroovyman · 2022-08-11 01:30 That sounds awesome but I feel kind of silly because … well … I dont know what that is lol !?! What is it? Edit: im catching up somewhat after reading some other comments. Looks like Synchronet is a modern bbs software. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Traditional_Lynx_951 · 2022-08-11 02:13 Yes, synchronet is a well supported bbs server. I offer synch hosting and right now I have some free servers in a datacenter if you want to try it out. .. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Protektor35 · 2022-08-13 19:58 Renegade is being updated as well. [https://www.rgbbs.info/](https://www.rgbbs.info/) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Protektor35 · 2022-08-13 20:00 Renegade is being updated. [https://www.rgbbs.info/](https://www.rgbbs.info/) WWIV is being updated as well. [https://www.wwivbbs.org/](https://www.wwivbbs.org/) [https://github.com/wwivbbs/wwiv](https://github.com/wwivbbs/wwiv) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- FrethKindheart · 2022-08-30 12:49 Some notes about WWIV: - The package needs to be unzipped to the **c:\wwiv** directory. - The **wwiv.ini** file is not included in the latest package for whatever reason. You can't run bbs.exe without it. I found the default wwiv.ini on the wiki [here](https://docs.wwivbbs.org/en/latest/cfg/wwivini/). Place it in your **c:\wwiv** folder. - This software is still in development, so there may be bugs. I would check the [issues page](https://github.com/wwivbbs/wwiv/issues) on GitHub before attempting to run the software, so you are informed. - Configuration: Be sure to run **wwivconfig** first to set up your SysOp account. - Running the BBS: It may not be readily apparent, but you should run **wwivd** first, which is the telnet server, then **bbs**, which is the bbs software. You should see the call waiting screen. Telnet into it with your favorite "dialer" (I use [Netrunner](http://mysticbbs.com/downloads.html) from the Mystic BBS website) and you can test drive the software. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- VisualNoiz · 2023-06-03 00:11 awesome. i want to do this for a band 30 year anniversary album promo. this is a great resource, thanks everyone!