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NEW Atari 8-bit BBS up and running!

NathanAllan

Veteran Member
Joined
Jun 1, 2003
Messages
2,437
Location
Bellevue, Colorado
Man, I haven't had an Atari 8-bit in YEARS!
Never actually had an Atari with even a floppy - carts only!

Now that I have a 1050 drive (currently ebayed), I don't have a computer to use it with!

I DID have a 65XE and a 130XE I gave to a friend about 3 years ago. XE/GS as well.

Oh well - maybe one day...


Tony
 
I'm not gonna get that lantronix box just to hook this thing up online (the A8 here) but I use hyperterminal with the main computer to get on. Witht he new BBS, I can get more programs for it. When he gets that part up, that is.

Nathan
 
Yes, there are two, the UDS10 and UDS 100 that are ethernet servers. Though those aren't the latest ones. i think there's a UDS1000, not sure. I was dead set on getting one a little whle ago, then I got wrapped up in school and the project 'went away.' But that's how marius gets his 8-bit online. The only thing is there's no busy signal when it's connected and somebody else tries to log on. Neat device, but I guess not really meant for incoming connections (according to Marius' reports).

he has links to other BBS's and I'm having lots of fun :)

here's the UDS10:

http://www.lantronix.com/device-networking/external-device-servers/uds-10.html
 
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bbsmates.com is an interesting site for previous and current sysops. This post just reminded me that it may have some folks who are hosting some vintage boards (I did a search for active only and descriptions atari and found several including some with games (didn't try accessing them though)).

I couldn't quite remember the link so I'll plug the site I found it through which is here http://sysopscorner.thebbs.org/getlinks.php?category=resource and seems to have an interestingly large collection/links to lots of BBS related stuff and other sites which may be better.

- John
 
Silly question. What language should I use to code for this particular bbs? It's an atari 800XL. I'm thinking Atari basic, but not sure since it's a bbs. I've asked Marius and am awaiting an answer. Any suggestions?

Nathan
 
Nice BBS, thanks for the link, NathanAllan.

Kind of makes me want to try setting up a telnet BBS using one of my TRS-80 Model IV's. I'll have to think on this for a while though.
 
There is a downloads section, ask Marius. He told me to check with him when I wanted to upload anything. He told me he has a hdd set up beside the Atari so I think there's plenty of space.

Nathan
 
Hi fellows,

Last days I have been very busy on testing the new Sio2SD interface, so I had not much time on the BBS.

The original language to program .CMD files (these are special binary files, special = specially written for the BBS system) was ACTION.

There are also CMD's that were written in C (atari version of C)

Most of software now is written in Assembler. Stephen J. Carden uses a cross-assembler. That is fast, and can handle bigger source code. Cross assembler is easier to edit, thanks to modern edit software.

There is also a special Basic for this BBS. But I have to look for it.

The most important part is you have to know the so called "BBS Equates" ... (this is important for any program language you want to use).

Programming for a BBS needs a few things to know:
What info must be send to the screen of the sysop
What info must be send to the user.
What characters can be used, and which characters can't (not everybody has ANSI etc.)
How is the User Interface controled?
If there is a highscore data file... where should it be stored? And how to detect Sysop-Settings for the BBS.
If there are any other external files in your program, where are they stored, so the new written program can find them on HD of BBS.

This all sounds a bit scarry perhaps. But once you are busy with the code, things will be clear.

But... my first advice: concentrate on writing a few Assembly programs for yourself. Assembler is the very best language to use on atari 8bit. You get the best performance, and in fact it is a very easy language. Some people will argue on that... but once you know how it works... assembler is piece of cake.

Good luck
Marius

p.s. Nathan already said, but when someone is online on the BBS, the connection appears to be DEAD! That is really stupid. You won't see a difference between a network error, or a down/crashed bbs, or a BBS doing maintenance events, or a BBS occupied by a user. That is all a dead connection. So if you can't get a connection, please try again in a few minutes.

telnet://ainside.no-ip.org

And try the online games!
 
Just to be sure I'm getting this, this Atari thinks it is connected to a modem and it is the Lantronix box that is doing the TCP/IP work? That would explain why it is one connection at at time ...
 
marius,
mbbruteman brings up a good point. What if you were to drop a router in between the incomeing connection and the lantronix box? The router could handle more connections and send more data through. Just off the top of my head. I'll think more on it and tell more later.

Nathan
 
I'm going to answer that one ...

The Atari thinks it is connected to a modem. If that connection is busy, there is nothing else to do. It is just like when you used to get a dial tone - that connection is busy.

The limitation is probably on the Atari side. It takes just one connection at a time.

What I think Marius is referring to is that it would be nicer if other connections would get a 'The line is busy' message instead of 'connection refused'.
 
This probably needs its own thread, but I'm gonna tell it here, in a proper BBS thread :)

Curt vendel has been talking about the Flashback3 lately (well, up to recently but cause of some wise cracks made he has stopped) and it is apparently going to be an 800 computer in a 5200-ish case.

To me, this means with a little creativity and hardware, you can have BBS access stright from the TV set! Curt doesn't do emulators, he does actual hardware and I have every faith that this is gonna be a really cool item. I am posting HERE cause this is a vintage lover's place, and this is a re-released vintage 8-bit computer.

O! The prospects!

Nathan
 
So is it going to be like the c64DTV and use real compatable hardware? That's the biggest difference vs all these other clones that came out for intellivision, atari, etc is they're just an emulator or different hardware with rewrites of the games vs the DTV which if taken apart is actually expandable to a full c64.
 
It'll be a lot like it, yes. Real compatible hardware, just like the FB2 had (the original Flashback had a NOAC[nintendo on a chip] in it, and did a poor rendering of the classic games). So far as the news goes, it will be fully compatible, and before he had to stop talking, Curt said that there would be solder boards and internal expansion capabilities to use even the old peripherals. But there will be some kind of external expansion built in, so I don't know why you'd hook a 1010 to it :)

People have even made cartridge slots for the Flashback2, and the bar was raised to that. Nothing less will suffice for the atari community. I mean anything of less quality and capability of the FB2, that is. So I'm waiting patiently. Supposed to be in Spring of next year it gets released.

Nathan
 
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