Goal – To host an original Commodore 64 BBS (Bulletin Board System) on original C64 hardware, but accessible via the internet using telnet client rather that direct dial-up via phone line and modem.
To connect to the BBS -
If you have a Windows based PC, you can (Download) and install the pre-configured terminal emulator. I configured the open source “CGTERM” utility with all of the settings necessary to connect to this BBS and packaged it in a Windows installer. Just install it and use the desktop icon or Start Menu entry.
Or - use a telnet client of your choice (putty, reflections, etc), open a session to host “osgeek.dyndns.org” port “6400″.
Telnet requests will be received by a dedicated PC on my network and forwarded to the Commodore 64 via serial connection.
Tasks Completed -
Commodore 64 is running generic BBS software
Commodore 64 is connected to the internet via serial connection to slave PC
BBS is accessible via telnet terminal emulator over the internet
Complete pre-packaged Windows terminal emulator (Download)
To Do -
Live BBS monitor on the www.theoldschoolgeek.com website
Customize BBS software – remove “Zackman” references from CMBBS (more BASIC programming!!!!)
Package for Linux distros
Package for Mac
Create web browser-based terminal emulator to access the BBS so no software installation is needed
Put live webcam on C64 monitor so that users can see that they are actually communicating with and original Commodore 64
Complete documentation, instructions and diagrams
stay tuned……
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Great project! i love the fact that there are people keeping the BBS alive!
The reason for my post here is to ask how many people would be interested in participating in actually running/calling boards on REAL equipment, REAL modems, and REAL phone lines. As a hobby it would cost you about 50 bucks a month for a REAL phone line. I for one would shell out the 50, just because I was really into the SCENE back in the day. I am grateful for the TELNET BBS scene, but it is NOT quite the same.
I am curious, please call or E-mail me. I would like to talk to those of us left in the 64 BBS community and try to get this started.
tommyparnau@yahoo.com
I would prefer a phone call, as I don’t check my mail very often.
phone 262-844-5786 – tommy