I've been working on PPE (The scripting language of PCBoard) tooling as side project and it has grown a bit so I decided to finish that and it'll end up as a BBS system.

I know that there are probably more BBS authors than users left these days but it's a project for fun and testing out what's possible.
(The same applies for my other projects :))

IcyBoard is still months from beeing an alpha - however it's shaping up:
+ Can convert old PCBOARD installations (I'm interested in getting some for testing purposes.
+ Can run .PPE files (even 15.4 ones)
+ Has basically all PCBOARD commands implemented

First demo:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tjBUZVtrzWk

Files:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RWq2iFDUbp8

Running a PPE & sysop screen:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wWytQHRvutM

Writing mail with extern PPE editor: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IKc7fwmPZas

I set up a blog today. First post is about the menu system I'm working on: https://icytools.blogspot.com/2024/05/icy-board-menu-system.html

In that state I can really need input in all areas. Everything helps.
The main goal is to provide a base to run the old .PPE ecosystem and to modernize the PPL programming language.

I've a working compiler, decompiler, disassembler and language server. However I can need help/input on getting the language server running on editors.
Is there one editor I should try to plug the lsp into (beside VS Code of course).

The LSP works in vs code: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZNV9mrnn-Ms
It provides syntax highlighting, on the fly errors, tooltips, completion.

I want to add formatting & refactorings and want to target at least vs code (still need to learn a bit about it) and zed (if it's ready).

I've been extending PPL a bit if anyone is interested in discussing that I would like to get feedback on PPL.
The plan for PPL is to bring it not only to icy_board but to icy_draw as plugin & animation language as well.
--- ENiGMA 1/2 v0.0.14-beta (linux; x64; 18.18.2)
* Origin: Xibalba -+- xibalba.l33t.codes:44510 (21:1/121)

I've been working on PPE (The scripting language of PCBoard) tooling as sid project and it has grown a bit so I decided to finish that and it'll end up a BBS system.

I know that there are probably more BBS authors than users left these days it's a project for fun and testing out what's possible.
(The same applies for my other projects :))

I'd rather you put that to the side and come join the RG team. :) I'd love to bring it up to speed, but the time, want, and "windows" know how is above me. Plus porting from TP to FreePascal is a pain to get everything working again.


So we'll just stick in ol' DOS land for a while longer I guess.

... Equal Opportunity: The prospect of pillage for the meek

--- Renegade v1.35α/DOS
* Origin: The Titantic BBS Telnet - ttb.rgbbs.info (21:1/144)

On 15 May 2024, Exodus said the following...

I've been working on PPE (The scripting language of PCBoard) tooling as project and it has grown a bit so I decided to finish that and it'll en a BBS system.

I know that there are probably more BBS authors than users left these d it's a project for fun and testing out what's possible.
(The same applies for my other projects :))

I'd rather you put that to the side and come join the RG team. :) I'd
love to bring it up to speed, but the time, want, and "windows" know how is above me. Plus porting from TP to FreePascal is a pain to get everything working again.

i'd ask ignatious @ catch22bbs.com .. his website there has a linux port of renegade using freepascal.. maybe he'll share the source

the way it's ported to use xinetd it's pretty likely the easiest port to windows would involve having a synchronet bbs frontend that immediately spawned it with cioxtrn (wiki.synchro.net/howto:cioxtrn) since it likely doesn't have any serial nor socket code in it at all anymore

he's also on efnet with that same nick

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A47 2021/12/25 (Windows/32)
* Origin: cold fusion - cfbbs.net - grand rapids, mi (21:1/616)

i'd ask ignatious @ catch22bbs.com .. his website there has a linux port of

One, it doesn't work. It loads, sure. The port Rick Perrish did of my 1.19 code loads too, but does most of it work? No.

Two it's forked from my 1.19/DOS release, which is 6 versions behind our current release, so it's no good to us.

the way it's ported to use xinetd it's pretty likely the easiest port to windows would involve having a synchronet bbs frontend that immediately spawned it with cioxtrn (wiki.synchro.net/howto:cioxtrn) since it likely

Why would I use another BBS to load it? That seems counter-productive, doesn't it?

The current code would have to be ported fresh to be worth anything, going back 11 years does no good for anyone. :(

But anyone looking to help, feel free to jump in. http://www.rgbbs.info -- The link to the Git site is under Renegade Information tab.

... I haven't killed anyone yet. Help me keep it that way.

--- Renegade v1.35α/DOS
* Origin: The Titantic BBS Telnet - ttb.rgbbs.info (21:1/144)

On 15 May 2024, Exodus said the following...

One, it doesn't work. It loads, sure. The port Rick Perrish did of my 1.19 code loads too, but does most of it work? No.

at least they tried. it sounds like you just want someone else to do it all for you. sorry i didn't know the entire history of renegade porting.

Why would I use another BBS to load it? That seems counter-productive, doesn't it?

one simple reason: you could actually do it. the WFC is already useless anyways. all of the com port/fossil stuff is useless. rip it all out and make it work with writeln and keypressed/readkey .. fix all the files one at a time until you can type 'renegade' at the command prompt and it displays the welcome ansi and shows a login prompt locally. wow, you have something that actually works on windows! get over the pride and you can even have people log into it with the suggested method.

now that step one is done, what can you replace keypressed with? it's pretty easy to swap it for a function that checks if there's data to be read on a
socket at the same time you're checking for keypresses locally. wrap it in a function like r_getch(). writeln? send(sockhandle, ...) make yourself r_puts() and write to the socket and the screen at the same time.. make it
read door32.sys files and you could have it working with gamesrv in an hour.

i bet you know the next step.. because it's exactly how mystic works.. swap a few command line params around and you can have mystic's telnet server loading renegade. now this is where i'd probably just cram in that jam library you were talking about and run renegade out of mystic's carcass, but it sounds like you don't like that :) so then you write a telnet server of your own, with bot blocking, an event system to run daily maint, etc.

all of this could be one-at-a-time steps with some sort of rewards along the way. and surely when you bring back that blue WFC screen for your telnet
server, it'll be pretty f'n sweet.

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A47 2021/12/25 (Windows/32)
* Origin: cold fusion - cfbbs.net - grand rapids, mi (21:1/616)

at least they tried. it sounds like you just want someone else to do it all for you. sorry i didn't know the entire history of renegade porting.

Do I want to try? No. I am happy running on DOS. I update this code for what I want. I opened the code up for anyone to do what the wanted years ago, no one touched it until I came back to it 7 years later.

one simple reason: you could actually do it. the WFC is already useless

Depends how you run it.

anyways. all of the com port/fossil stuff is useless. rip it all out and ma it work with writeln and keypressed/readkey .. fix all the files one at a t

Not really. There are still dialup and comport use in Renegade. FidoNet Z1 over at Dark Realms is run via dialup and comport. I have a seperate instance of the board that runs via the com port just to run old doors that are comport only. Useless? Not to some of us.

actually works on windows! get over the pride and you can even have people into it with the suggested method.

It's not pride, it's people taking an off shoot, that is versions behind the code and then releasing it. Half working and saying look at me, I did this. Which makes the software look bad, as anyone trying to use that would be like that shit doesn't even work, why would I run it? Thus ruining the updates we've been hashing out since 2003.

and write to the socket and the screen at the same time.. make it
read door32.sys files and you could have it working with gamesrv in an hour

Again why go that route? Plus RG can already read DOOR32.SYS files since like 2004. Does it do anything with it? Not really.

all of this could be one-at-a-time steps with some sort of rewards along th way. and surely when you bring back that blue WFC screen for your telnet server, it'll be pretty f'n sweet.

Probably, but at what point? I don't want a windows system. I have over 600 DOS doors that run locally here. RG doesn't have its fan base it did in the 1990s.

Would it be nice to port? Yes. Do I want to spend time doing it for 9
people that run it? No.

server, it'll be pretty f'n sweet.

Yeah, it would be.

... Puns are bad, but poetry is verse.

--- Renegade v1.35α/DOS
* Origin: The Titantic BBS Telnet - ttb.rgbbs.info (21:1/144)

On 15 May 24 22:03:06, Exodus said the following to Fusion:

It's not pride, it's people taking an off shoot, that is versions behind the code and then releasing it. Half working and saying look at me, I did this Which makes the software look bad, as anyone trying to use that would be lik that shit doesn't even work, why would I run it? Thus ruining the updates we've been hashing out since 2003.

If I'm not mistaken thats exactly what happened to Mystic and Allfix. Someone took the code and slapped their name on it, compiled it just to look cool.

Atreyu

--- Renegade vY2Ka2
* Origin: Joey, do you like movies about gladiators? (21:1/176)

On Wednesday, May 15th Exodus was heard saying...

I'd rather you put that to the side and come join the RG team. :) I'd love to bring it up to speed, but the time, want, and "windows" know how is above me. Plus porting from TP to FreePascal is a pain to get everything working again.

I really thought about joining a BBS project. The key feature I had in mind was PPL. I wanted to make it BBS agnostic but I didn't see any way to achieve that beside some stand alone PPE files (let's say games).

The PPL programs interact usually very specific with PCBoard features - they're glued to that system. It doesn't make real sense to make a new BBS system - I know that but I don't see any other way to bring back PCBoard than to make PCBoard.
However I can't take naming rights :(.







--- ENiGMA 1/2 v0.0.14-beta (linux; x64; 18.18.2)
* Origin: Xibalba -+- xibalba.l33t.codes:44510 (21:1/121)

I really thought about joining a BBS project. The key feature I had in mind was PPL. I wanted to make it BBS agnostic but I didn't see any way to achie that beside some stand alone PPE files (let's say games).

It would be a cool idea, like how Telegard had, and PCBoard has ... if you wanna take a look, feel free .. www.rgbbs.info under Info, Release Info.

Always welcome to join.

... I M a tru beleever in hour edukashun sistum.

--- Renegade v1.35α/DOS
* Origin: The Titantic BBS Telnet - ttb.rgbbs.info (21:1/144)

I've been working on PPE (The scripting language of
PCBoard) tooling as side project and it has grown a bit
so I decided to finish that and it'll end up as a BBS
system.

Sounds interesting - I don't personally have much experience with PCBoard though I do remember it being a major player back in the day. (just not in my tiny local calling area)

I know that there are probably more BBS authors than
users left these days but it's a project for fun and
testing out what's possible.
(The same applies for my other projects :))

I like the way you do projects!

IcyBoard is still months from beeing an alpha - however it's shaping up:

The demos look great! It looks like it works well already.

In that state I can really need input in all areas. Everything helps.
The main goal is to provide a base to run the old .PPE
ecosystem and to modernize the PPL programming language.

I wish I had more input to offer you, all I have is encouragement. :)

I've been extending PPL a bit if anyone is interested in
discussing that I would like to get feedback on PPL.
The plan for PPL is to bring it not only to icy_board
but to icy_draw as plugin & animation language as well.

I'll be following the development, thanks for sharing information about your projects!


Chris/akacastor

--- Maximus 3.01
* Origin: Another Millennium - Canada - another.tel (21:1/162)

On Sunday, May 19th AKAcastor muttered...

I like the way you do projects!

Thanks :).

On Sunday, May 19th AKAcastor muttered...

The demos look great! It looks like it works well already.

That's because I demo what works and not what doesn't :).

I wish I had more input to offer you, all I have is encouragement. :)

Helps too :). But any input is valuable.

I'll be following the development, thanks for sharing information about your projects!

I set up a blog where I try to keep blogging during development. https://icytools.blogspot.com/

--- ENiGMA 1/2 v0.0.14-beta (linux; x64; 18.18.2)
* Origin: Xibalba -+- xibalba.l33t.codes:44510 (21:1/121)

The demos look great! It looks like it works well already.

That's because I demo what works and not what doesn't :).

Good strategy, but now you've set expectations very high!

I set up a blog where I try to keep blogging during development. https://icytools.blogspot.com/

I did read the blog, great to see some insight into the development process. I hope you keep posting updates here as well, it's nice having updates delivered to me, at least as a reminder to check in for updates on the blog.

Keep Icy! :)


Chris/akacastor

--- Maximus 3.01
* Origin: Another Millennium - Canada - another.tel (21:1/162)