#RCBBS

2025-02-10

+++ Another Sysop News +++ Another Sysop News +++

Aside from (hopefully) working around the recent connectivity issues with RC-BOX BBS, I've also purged the "General" message file and moved all existing messages to a new "Archive" message file. It's read-only but it cotnains all the posts to "General" from july 2022 - january 2025.

Also, the "Making", "Code & Co." and "Announce" message files have been dropped as they have never been used.

As always you can find the telnet address of the BBS in the ALT-Text or my profile here on #oldbytesdotspace

#rcbox
#rc2014bbs
#bbs
#rcbbs
#rc2014

Screenshot of the latest RC-BOX BBS bulletin (rc2014.ddns.net:2014):

Hit CTL-S or s to Pause; any key to Resume.  Hit CTL-K or k to Abort.

 BULLETIN 01/2025 

* Connection issues:

Over the past few months I have witnessed some strange behavior with the system, where the Wifi modem would loose connection over night and not restore it properly. As a result the BBS was unreachable. I'm still trying to figure out what exactly happens but it seems that I have found a way to work around this issue.

* Re-structuring of Message Files:

After four years of operation, the GENERAL message file got close to its upper message limit. Since I didn't want to delete any of your previous messages, I decided to move them to the new ARCHIVE message file. There you can find all messages of the old GENERAL message board (2022-2025). Also, the MAKING, CODE&CO and ANNOUNCE message files have been dropped.


[Press a key]
2025-02-07

+++ Sysop News +++ Sysop News +++

Over the past few months I have witnessed some strange behavior with RC-BOX BBS (the world's first - and currently only - RC2014 based BBS) where the Wifi modem would loose connection over night and not restore it properly. As a result the BBS was unreachable.

I'm still trying to figure out what exactly happens but may have found a workaround.

As always you can find the telnet address of the BBS in the ALT-Text or my profile here on #oldbytesdotspace

#rcbox
#rc2014bbs
#bbs
#rcbbs
#rc2014

Screenshot of the ASCII login banner of RC-BOX BBS

Telnet address: rc2014.ddns.net:2014
2024-12-24

Season's Greetings - Ho! Ho! Ho!

RC-BBS the world's first and (currently) only RC2014 based Bulletin Board System wishes you happy holidays!

Connection information can be found in the #Alt #Text and on my profile page.

#rcbox
#rc2014bbs
#rc2014
#bbs
#cpm80
#rcbbs
#seasonsgreetings

Screenshot of the RC-BOX BBS ASCII (text) welcome banner featuring Santa and his sleigh sending Season's Greetings.

Call us via Telnet at: rc2014.ddns.net:2014
2024-11-05

... an update from the trenches:

the code snippet which has been loosely resembling #BBS core functionality (the one I once wrote in #DXForth) has seen a few updates recently.

so now "DX BBS" is able to read and output ASCII text files (it could only read #Forth screen blocks before).

I've also fixed several issues where a connection drop would sometimes allow the next caller to "capture" the previous session.

Next on the list will be the whole "post-a-message" process: writing an index file entry for each new message and storing the corresponding message text etc.

long distant future design goals (so far):

(+) implement DX Forth SIO/2 driver

(+) implement a stable (disconnect proof) BBS program loop

(+) stay true to pure ASCII output only, no fancy escape squences or colors - just like RBBS / RCBBS do

(+) implement text (ASCII) file output

(-) store BBS configuration in plain ASCII text file

(-) implement mesage posting procedure

(-) implement message reading procedure

(-) implement message maintenance procdure (delete msg.)

(-) implement user database

(-) implement user database maintenace procedure (delete / modify user)

(-) implement simple user ACL / flag system

(-) implement (x)modem transfers

I don't have a real roadmap, my motivation may vary and the above is just what I think are the minimum requirements for a classic CP/M based bulletin board system. To give you an impression: it should resemble what #rc2014 #rcbbs does at the moment.

#rc2014
#cpm
#retrocoding
#forth
#bulletinboardsystem
#funwithforth

2024-11-01

Yay! πŸ₯³

Fixed an annoying bug in my #rcbbs #code which led to heavily fragmented text output when listing message headers.

this was a PITA for so long and the eventual fix for this was just one line of code .. *doh*

fix is already out on the "production" system #rc2014bbs so no more cluttered / fragmented message headers ... πŸ‘

2024-09-23

Connected to RC2014 #TelnetBBS with my Brother EP-44 thermal #typwriter

(screenshot from Syncterm for connection info. Other images are the thermal "fax paper" as things printed on my typewriter in #terminal mode with warts and all)

#RCBBS
#CPM
#80s
#retro
#vintage

rc2014 BBS connect infoPage 01 telnet BBS from typewriterPage 02 telnet BBS from typewriterPage 03 telnet BBS from typewriter
HowToPhil (Phillip R)howtophil
2024-09-23

Connected to RC2014 with my Brother EP-44 thermal

(screenshot from Syncterm for connection info. Other images are the thermal "fax paper" as things printed on my typewriter in mode with warts and all)

RC2014 Telnet BBS, connection info in SynctermPage 01 telnet BBS through a typewriterPage 02 telnet BBS through a typewriterPage 03 telnet BBS through a typewriter
2024-07-17

refining the full message scan by adding a "quiet scan" option and a nifty summary.

#retrocoding
#hitechc
#rcbox
#rc2014bbs
#rcbbs
#rc2014
#bbs

Screnshot of a terminal session demonstrating the new "Scan all message files? (Y/N)?" and "Quiet scan? (Y/N)?" prompts of RCBBS 1.2.1
2024-07-07

+++ SYSOP NOTICE +++ SYSOP NOTICE +++

RC-BOX BBS has been updated and now includes an optional full message scan during login.

That way, you can easily scan all subject files (boards) for new messages to you.

The original RBBS 4.1 implementation did not have that feature, requiring you to manually select each message file. I found that annoying so I changed it.

As always, you can find the connection information for RC-BOX BBS in my profile.

#rcbox
#rcbbs
#rc2014
#rc2014bbs
#bbs

Screenshot of a terminal session showing the new "Scan all message files? (Y/N)?" prompt.
2024-07-05

... working on making #rc2014bbs #rcbbs a better experience for my users ... let's hope I get to work this new hack out ...

2024-06-21

+++ COMMERCIAL BREAK +++

🎢 "Sometimes you wanna go
Where everybody knows your name
And they're always glad you came
You wanna be where you can see (ah-ah)
Our troubles are all the same (ah-ah)
You wanna be where everybody knows your name ..." 🎢

RC-BOX BBS #rc2014bbs - the world's first and (currently) only #rc2014 based bulletin board system #bbs on this planet. Open 24/7!

Running CP/M 2.2 #cpm and #rcbbs (forked and highly customized #RBBS 4.1), connected to the modern world via a #WiFiModem and a 9600 #baud serial line.

RC-BOX BBS - we are looking forward to your visit!

Screenshot of the login banner of RC-BOX BBS - the text portion (non-ASCII art) reads: 

We come in peace ! 

Hardware: Zilog Z80, RomWBW, 64K RAM, Pi Pico VGA, SIO/2 @9600,  RTC, 4 x 7-Segment LED, CF Card, Wi-Fi modem 

Software: CP/M 2.2 (operating system), BYE 5.20 (call manager), KMD 2.3, RC-BBS 1.0 (BBS Software)

Connect like it's 1985

* rc2014.ddns.net:2014 *
2023-11-08

@BlackICEBBS vielen Dank fΓΌr den Beitrag zur #rcbbs πŸ™‚β€‹

2023-10-04

+++ SYSOP NOTICE +++ SYSOP NOTICE +++ SYSOP NOTICE

I've just updated "RC-BOX" BBS (the world's first and - currently - only #rc2014 based bulletin board system) #rc2014bbs to my latest release, which is also the first release of the software under the new name of RC-BBS #rcbbs version 1.0 for CP/M

The new #ACL and user flag features are now in place, and all existing users have been migrated to the new database structure.

I've also added four new subjects so there are now the following boards:

< 1>: PERSONAL -> PM / user-to-user messaging

< 2>: GENERAL -> general discussion and talk

< 3>: CODE&CO -> talk about your retro coding

< 4>: MAKING -> talk about retro hardware making

< 5>: SUPPORT -> BBS support and bug reporting

< 6>: ANNOUNCE -> read-only board for public service announcements.

To connect via #Telnet connect to the following address and TCP port:

telnet://rc2014.ddns.net:2014

New RC-BOX Subjects are:

< 1>: PERSONAL -> PM / user-to-user messaging

< 2>: GENERAL -> general discussion and talk

< 3>: CODE&CO -> talk about your retro coding

< 4>: MAKING -> talk about retro hardware making

< 5>: SUPPORT -> BBS support and bug reporting
    
< 6>: ANNOUNCE -> read-only board for public service announcements.

Client Info

Server: https://mastodon.social
Version: 2025.04
Repository: https://github.com/cyevgeniy/lmst