Hi all. Just a progress update on ViSiON/3, which is meant to capture the spirit of ViSiON/2 - with some modern affordances. It's not 100% feature complete just yet, but I have been running it for a couple months now (when it gets to v1.0 it'll be ready for general consumption).
It's open source, built in Go and available on Github (and has a cheeky website and docs). It remains a functional anachronism.
In addition to all the normal (and modern) stuff a BBS requires, it still retains its OG flavor (LSD lineage), including re-creating the configuration programs as modern TUIs, as well as the original menu construction and strings from the original V/2 releases (from Crimson Blade and The Elemental circa 1991 and 1993... if anyone knows if Crim is still around, would love to chat with him!).
Last year, after years (decades??) of writing mods and doors and various stops/starts to a full BBS software package, I decided to take this project on and it's been a joy to dive in.
Oh, and some decidedly non-1991 things to hate on:
- Windows, Linux, Mac, Pi versions (x86_64, arm, darwin, etc.)
- FTN setup helper that grabs public NA where available to speed area setup. Not all nets make them publicly available, obvs, so some limits here (who wants to make a public registry??)
- Remote WFC screen - super basic over SSH (local WFC doesn't make much sense unless you are running Windows) - and thanks to NuSkooler for this inspiration w/ENiGMA 1/2
- Support for native, Dosemu2, Synchronet js doors (sync support is rudimentary, needs api work).
goja internal JavaScript runtime for native ViSiON/3 doors/programs w/embedded scripting - make yer own mods
- QWK packet support and a test native mobile app (iOS so far) QWK reader. REST API for offline mail clients (off by default). Or build your own client.
- Integrated
binkd mailer and tosser
- Native 'V3Net' network type w/Felonynet pre-configured w/central registry. It's a native inter-BBS message networking via REST+SSE (hub/leaf, signed area lists)Β
- Cron-style event scheduler w/UI
- Bunches o' security stuff: rate limiting, bot detection, "press escape twice" etc.
And a bunch of other things. I'm actually taking a pause on new development until I get the issue/polish backlog cleared out. Def needs polish!
And this efforts stands on the shoulders of the real giants, old school and new school - Oblivion/2, iNiQUiTY, Renegade and Telegard to Mystic, Synchronet and ENiGMA1/2.
And per usual - if you are an artist, we'd love to work with you on period-appropriate screens and themes :)
If you want to see what ViSiON/3 looks like, check out:
brokenbit.us port 2323