Just poking about and spotted PYTHON and SERIAL .. :)

Nice... Also finally noticed the additional screen real estate added to
message base editor.

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A39 2018/04/08 (Windows/32)
* Origin: Agency BBS | Dunedin, New Zealand | agency.bbs.nz (21:1/101)

Just poking about and spotted PYTHON and SERIAL .. :)

Nice... Also finally noticed the additional screen real estate added to message base editor.

I accidentally left those open to the world, normally I hide them before I release anything. They've been there for a long time, just behind the scenes.

In order to do Serial I would need to spend a couple hundred on a serial emulator as someone recommended a while back, and I am not sure if its worth the investment or not.

Python are scripted servers which I would like to do sooner than later. I
was planning to work on it a little more recently and then never did.

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A39 2018/04/08 (Windows/32)
* Origin: Sector 7 [Mystic BBS WHQ] (21:1/108)

On 04/10/18, g00r00 pondered and said...

I accidentally left those open to the world, normally I hide them before
I release anything. They've been there for a long time, just behind the scenes.

Gotcha.. also I note there's some leftover files in docs dir from the pre-alphas you may want to remove as well, something seems to have changed there too.

In order to do Serial I would need to spend a couple hundred on a serial emulator as someone recommended a while back, and I am not sure if its worth the investment or not.

What I would like to do but have no clue how to start this is get mystic talking to HAM / Amateur radio gear in a way where the radio can be the link between mystic systems. I have seen some dated video on YouTube of a person using two ham radios to pass TCP/IP traffic between them using a raspberry Pi and some additional hardware bolted on to it. But the video was light on
how-to detail.

What I'm wondering (and others with more knowledge in this area may care to comment) is if Mystic did offer a serial server that could be connected to
via PC hardware / breakout board?? if that would be the key to getting something like the above to work?

I'll need to do some more homework but ideally some kind of hardware /
software combo would open up Mystic (and other BBS platforms too?) to another set of users who enjoy amateur radio and digital modes of transmission.

I also *really* like the idea of finding ways of making BBS in 2018 less reliant on the Internet as the means of transport of packets between systems.

... phew, better stop waffling now :)

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A39 2018/04/10 (Windows/32)
* Origin: Agency BBS | Dunedin, New Zealand | agency.bbs.nz (21:1/101)

* An ongoing debate between g00r00 and Avon rages on ...

Just poking about and spotted PYTHON and SERIAL .. :)

In order to do Serial I would need to spend a couple hundred on a
serial emulator as someone recommended a while back, and I am not sure
if its worth the investment or not.

What do you need to do Serial wise? I have a USB to Serial interface (DB9 connector and Windows drivers) that only costs $20-ish and worked great when I used it :-)


.-- Keep the faith, -------------------------------------------------.
| |
| Ben aka cMech Web: http|ftp|binkp|telnet://cmech.dynip.com |
| Email: fido4cmech(at)lusfiber.net |
| Home page: http://cmech.dynip.com/homepage/ |
| |
`-------- WildCat! BBS 24/7 +1-337-984-4794 any BAUD 8,N,1 -------'

... Everyone becomes disabled - unless they die first.
--- GoldED+/W32-MSVC v1.1.5-b20170303 + Mystic BBS v1.12 A39 4/10 01:22
* Origin: FSXNet - Positronium: telnet://cmech.dynip.com (21:2/117)

Avon wrote to g00r00 <=-

What I would like to do but have no clue how to start this is get
mystic talking to HAM / Amateur radio gear in a way where the radio can
be the link between mystic systems. I have seen some dated video on YouTube of a person using two ham radios to pass TCP/IP traffic between them using a raspberry Pi and some additional hardware bolted on to it. But the video was light on how-to detail.

Depends how you want to do it. If you run IP over the radio link, then Internet protocols should work, but protocols like Zmodem that were originally designed to be used over serial lines would likely struggle to work. FTP does work ofer an IP based packet radio link. Getting IP running on Liux is straightforward, there are a few options - LinBPQ (Linux)/BPQ32(Windows), Linux kernel AX.25 support or JNOS come to mind. :)

If you want to use AX.25 without IP, you could experiment with launching a Mystic session from the AX.25 daemon (ax25d) on Linux. I have heard of it being done with Synchronet. Again, file transfer protocols are likely to be a sticking point.

What I'm wondering (and others with more knowledge in this area may
care to comment) is if Mystic did offer a serial server that could be connected to via PC hardware / breakout board?? if that would be the
key to getting something like the above to work?

I think modern technology offers a few options. Oh, while I think of it, I have a 44.x IP range and am running LinBPQ to manage them, so I can run ham IP based apps and also could peer with you for an AXIP wormhole. I just have to put my end on the air. :)

I'll need to do some more homework but ideally some kind of hardware / software combo would open up Mystic (and other BBS platforms too?) to another set of users who enjoy amateur radio and digital modes of transmission.

I also *really* like the idea of finding ways of making BBS in 2018
less reliant on the Internet as the means of transport of packets
between systems.

I'd also like to gate packet radio bulletins to my BBSs, but the old software that used to do it seems to be long gone. :(


... * <- Tribble ^ “^ <- Viking Tribble
=== MultiMail/Win32 v0.49
--- SBBSecho 3.03-Linux
* Origin: Freeway BBS Bendigo,Australia freeway.apana.org.au (21:1/109)

In order to do Serial I would need to spend a couple hundred on a ser emulator as someone recommended a while back, and I am not sure if it worth the investment or not.

Not sure if this would help, but will post the note. We had a gentleman that wrote a java applet that interfaced MAME to a serial port through the localhost.

The program was TIIMAGETOOL.JAR . We have one guy running a BBS that is
about to switch to Mystic. Presently, he is running MAME emulating a system using TIIMAGETOOL.JAR as the interface to the serial world for the software.

I have a similar setup where I can use either a Lantronix UDS-10 or
WiModem232 from a Telnet connection connected to a serial port <> TIIMAGETOOL.JAR <> MAME . There is no reason a modem could not be connected instead.

It might be a solution without a lot of effort.

A link on the subject can be found at mess.redump.net/people/mizapf/serial_connection

--Beery Miller -- 9640 News BBS -- 9640news.ddns.net:9640 --

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A39 2018/03/26 (Windows/64)
* Origin: 9640 News BBS (21:4/109)

Vk3jed wrote to Avon on 04-11-18 08:30 <=-

I also *really* like the idea of finding ways of making BBS in 2018
less reliant on the Internet as the means of transport of packets
between systems.

I'd also like to gate packet radio bulletins to my BBSs, but the old software that used to do it seems to be long gone. :(

Have you tried echicken's node-ax25?


--

Bill

Telnet: tequilamockingbirdonline.net
Web: bbs.tequilamockingbirdonline.net
FTP: ftp.tequilamockingbirdonline.net:2121
IRC: irc.tequilamockingbirdonline.net Ports: 6661-6670 SSL: +6697
Radio: radio.tequilamockingbirdonline.net:8010/live


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What I would like to do but have no clue how to start this is get mystic talking to HAM / Amateur radio gear in a way where the radio can be the link between mystic systems. I have seen some dated video on YouTube of
a person using two ham radios to pass TCP/IP traffic between them using
a raspberry Pi and some additional hardware bolted on to it. But the
video was light on how-to detail.

Its should absolutely be possible, although I would imagine it might not be very reliable. Maybe frequent connection drops and file transfers would maybe not work? This isn't something I have any real world experience with so I am just guessing.

I want to say people have done it before with Mystic but I am not totally sure.

I'll need to do some more homework but ideally some kind of hardware / software combo would open up Mystic (and other BBS platforms too?) to another set of users who enjoy amateur radio and digital modes of transmission.

If you can access a Linux shell via radio then you can set Mystic as the shell instead of the Linux shell and it'll execute Mystic on connection. I've seen dialup done that way with Mystic using mgetty.

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A39 2018/04/08 (Windows/32)
* Origin: Sector 7 [Mystic BBS WHQ] (21:1/108)

What do you need to do Serial wise? I have a USB to Serial interface
(DB9 connector and Windows drivers) that only costs $20-ish and worked great when I used it :-)

No, I need hardware that can emulate actual analog phone lines on at least two ends, so I can set up Mystic on one end and terminal software on the other. It has to be 100% compatible with analog phone lines and modems. Then I need to buy actual modems too.

I didn't even know such a thing existed but someone pointed me in the right direction here a few months back. The cost to get it going was around $250 at the time I think, and it would allow me to add dialup directly into Mystic.

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A39 2018/04/08 (Windows/32)
* Origin: Sector 7 [Mystic BBS WHQ] (21:1/108)

Hello Avon!

I'll need to do some more homework but ideally some kind of hardware / software combo would open up Mystic (and other BBS platforms too?) to another set of users who enjoy amateur radio and digital modes of transmission.

I also *really* like the idea of finding ways of making BBS in 2018
less reliant on the Internet as the means of transport of packets
between systems.

There are currently a number digital modes in amateur radio. The currently popular
mode is FT8 which allows Hams to communicate their QSO's in text mode. The FT8 mode
does not use the internet to communicate.

There are other digital voice modes such as in C4FM that allow one to talk around
the world on VHF or UHF. These modes DO use the internet to communicate. As in radio <--> internet server <--> radio. The other evening I was talking to a guy

south
of Tokyo. His english was marginal but ALOT better than my Japanese. :-) We were able
chat abit which was cool. We have weekly nets of people from around the world on UHF.


Jeff


--- GoldED+/LNX 1.1.5-b20170303 / Mystic BBS v1.12 A39 2018/02/28 (Linux/64)
* Origin: The Ouijaboard II - Anoka, MN (21:1/128)

Bill McGarrity wrote to Vk3jed <=-

Have you tried echicken's node-ax25?

Thanks for the tip. Will have to look that up. :)


... If a bear is chasing you please don't run this way.
=== MultiMail/Win32 v0.49
--- SBBSecho 3.03-Linux
* Origin: Freeway BBS Bendigo,Australia freeway.apana.org.au (21:1/109)

g00r00 wrote to Avon <=-

If you can access a Linux shell via radio then you can set Mystic as
the shell instead of the Linux shell and it'll execute Mystic on connection. I've seen dialup done that way with Mystic using mgetty.

Might be able to do it with ax25d.


... This message has been UNIXized for your protection.
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--- SBBSecho 3.03-Linux
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g00r00 wrote to Cmech <=-

No, I need hardware that can emulate actual analog phone lines on at
least two ends, so I can set up Mystic on one end and terminal software
on the other. It has to be 100% compatible with analog phone lines and modems. Then I need to buy actual modems too.

Looking at working on POTS development and testing? :)

I didn't even know such a thing existed but someone pointed me in the right direction here a few months back. The cost to get it going was around $250 at the time I think, and it would allow me to add dialup directly into Mystic.

I have heard of this, but can't say I've found out where to buy one.


... What?! I'm missing Star Tre$#%$^ NO CARRIER
=== MultiMail/Win32 v0.49
--- SBBSecho 3.03-Linux
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What I would like to do but have no clue how to start this is get mystic talking to HAM / Amateur radio gear in a way where the radio can be the link between mystic systems. I have seen some dated video on YouTube of
a person using two ham radios to pass TCP/IP traffic between them using
a raspberry Pi and some additional hardware bolted on to it. But the
video was light on how-to detail.

What I'm wondering (and others with more knowledge in this area may care to comment) is if Mystic did offer a serial server that could be
connected to via PC hardware / breakout board?? if that would be the key to getting something like the above to work?

I'll need to do some more homework but ideally some kind of hardware / software combo would open up Mystic (and other BBS platforms too?) to another set of users who enjoy amateur radio and digital modes of transmission.

the gear that was connected to the radio was a TNC . the mode is Packet RADIO and yes you need a Com port to do this

There are Packet Radio BBS's around , Speeds of 300 BPS and up to 9600 if I remember is the top end ( i think most oare 1200 oe 2400 bps)

If this worked I would be more then happy to bring my TNC's out and play

note some of the Packet BBS do have a internet backbone some place but most treated as our old bbs's ( one phone line) , we are limited as to speed , per bandwith , look at the D Star stuff , and you will see as they went up and
frq ( GHZ) they got better data transmission ,

I hope This helps ...

and I wonder if we could not use some of the software thats out there to do serial to telnet or use another computer or PI to go from the TNC to log into mystic via local connection ( like I do at home.) yes its another peice of hardware , even thinking a HP T-510 would work nice ...

Richard Szajkowski AKA The Wizzard

U.S.S. Alliance BBS (Brampton) (Born 1984 Reborn 2017)

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A38 2018/01/01 (Windows/32)
* Origin: U.S.S. Alliance (BBS Brampton) (21:4/111)

Looking at working on POTS development and testing? :)

It used to be in Mystic but I removed it years ago because I can't support it without two analog phone lines and modems (which costs hundreds a month here).

Now that I know there are hardware emulators it could be back on the table!

I have heard of this, but can't say I've found out where to buy one.

You can buy them on Amazon I think although I don't know how to search for one.

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A39 2018/04/11 (Windows/32)
* Origin: Sector 7 [Mystic BBS WHQ] (21:1/108)

On 04/11/18, g00r00 pondered and said...

You can buy them on Amazon I think although I don't know how to search
for one.

What are they called?

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A39 2018/04/11 (Windows/32)
* Origin: Agency BBS | Dunedin, New Zealand | agency.bbs.nz (21:1/101)

You can buy them on Amazon I think although I don't know how to searc for one.

What are they called?

I'm not sure! Someone linked one in here a long time ago (thats how I found out about them) and I looked on Amazon, read about it, etc. It does appear to do exactly what I would need - emulation of a real analog phone line.

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A39 2018/04/11 (Windows/32)
* Origin: Sector 7 [Mystic BBS WHQ] (21:1/108)

On 04/11/18, g00r00 pondered and said...

I'm not sure! Someone linked one in here a long time ago (thats how I found out about them) and I looked on Amazon, read about it, etc. It
does appear to do exactly what I would need - emulation of a real analog phone line.

sounds like a job for boolean search :)

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A39 2018/04/11 (Windows/32)
* Origin: Agency BBS | Dunedin, New Zealand | agency.bbs.nz (21:1/101)

g00r00 wrote to Vk3jed <=-

Looking at working on POTS development and testing? :)

It used to be in Mystic but I removed it years ago because I can't
support it without two analog phone lines and modems (which costs
hundreds a month here).

Ouch. All I can get now is VoIP. True analog lines are no more, since the NBN came to work.

Now that I know there are hardware emulators it could be back on the table!

Yeah, that would be good, though as I said, I'd have to try and make it work over VoIP. :)

I have heard of this, but can't say I've found out where to buy one.

You can buy them on Amazon I think although I don't know how to search
for one.

Now, that's a good question too! :)


... Air conditioned environment - Do not open Windows.
=== MultiMail/Win32 v0.49
--- SBBSecho 3.03-Linux
* Origin: Freeway BBS Bendigo,Australia freeway.apana.org.au (21:1/109)

Richard wrote to Avon <=-

the gear that was connected to the radio was a TNC . the mode is Packet RADIO and yes you need a Com port to do this

Doesn't mean the BBS has to work the COM port. For example, if running over IP, the Linux kernel or LinBPQ/BPQ32 are in control of the serial port, and all the BBS has to do is talk IP. Even on raw AX.25, there are ways of passing sockets to applications.

There are Packet Radio BBS's around , Speeds of 300 BPS and up to 9600
if I remember is the top end ( i think most oare 1200 oe 2400 bps)

If this worked I would be more then happy to bring my TNC's out and
play

note some of the Packet BBS do have a internet backbone some place but most treated as our old bbs's ( one phone line) , we are limited as to speed , per bandwith , look at the D Star stuff , and you will see as
they went up and frq ( GHZ) they got better data transmission ,

I hope This helps ...

and I wonder if we could not use some of the software thats out there
to do serial to telnet or use another computer or PI to go from the TNC
to log into mystic via local connection ( like I do at home.) yes its another peice of hardware , even thinking a HP T-510 would work nice
...

I haven't yet setup my packet infrastructure, that's still on the todo list. I have the IP-IP encapsulation working (for my 44.x subnet), as well as LinBPQ to drive the TNC, and I have the TNC condigured, just have to get around to hooking up a radio, then I can go out in the field and try my own packet system. :)


... Your car is a lemon if a bicycle pump is required to inflate airbags.
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g00r00,

I love the new features! work GREAT!! thank you so much!

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A39 2018/04/12 (Linux/64)
* Origin: New Frontier 2| thenewfrontier2.hopto.org (Ohio) (21:2/105)

It used to be in Mystic but I removed it years ago because I can't support it without two analog phone lines and modems (which costs hundreds a month here).

Ouch. All I can get now is VoIP. True analog lines are no more, since the NBN came to work.

I'm not even sure I still have analog options anymore. Its been a couple of years since I looked to see if I still could. Of course I used to live in the downtown area of one of the larger cities in the country (ie I could get just about anything I wanted) but I've recently moved into a new more suburban neighborhood... so technically I guess I've never looked into it.

This is one of the reasons why I debate whether or not its worth the
investment both in time and money. Who is going to use it? And its not like you can't do it now using a serial/telnet gate or mgetty, etc.

If only we had a cheap and reliable VOIP interface I think I'd probably do it in a second. If we could do reliable 57k over VOIP to pretty much anywhere I think the decision would be easy to make.

I agree with what someone else said (or maybe it was you)... I'd be cool to be able to pull BBSes back a little bit from reliance on the Internet (optionally).

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A39 2018/04/14 (Windows/32)
* Origin: Sector 7 [Mystic BBS WHQ] (21:1/108)

g00r00 wrote to Vk3jed <=-

I'm not even sure I still have analog options anymore. Its been a
couple of years since I looked to see if I still could. Of course I
used to live in the downtown area of one of the larger cities in the country (ie I could get just about anything I wanted) but I've recently moved into a new more suburban neighborhood... so technically I guess
I've never looked into it.

You'd have to do your research, but analog phone lines are very much an endangered species, becoming extinct in many areas.

This is one of the reasons why I debate whether or not its worth the investment both in time and money. Who is going to use it? And its
not like you can't do it now using a serial/telnet gate or mgetty, etc.

That's pretty easy. I did consider setting up a modem when I had the old phone line, which was only attracting telemerketers, nut was necessary for the DSL I had then.

If only we had a cheap and reliable VOIP interface I think I'd probably
do it in a second. If we could do reliable 57k over VOIP to pretty
much anywhere I think the decision would be easy to make.

I agree with what someone else said (or maybe it was you)... I'd be
cool to be able to pull BBSes back a little bit from reliance on the Internet (optionally).

That's getting harder and harder to do. I think ham radio is fast becoming the only medium not totally dependent on the Internet. I'm not sure what analog modems over VoIP achieves, other than nostalgia. Modems over POTS did make sense as a non Internet alternative. One exception is if the lack of "Net Neutrality" in certain parts of the world affects telnet, or there's severe congestion, the use of VoIP might allow more reliable communication over a modem - but one would presume they'd setup the odecs to prevent that.


... Uncertainty: Finding your wife reading your Will.
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I agree with what someone else said (or maybe it was you)... I'd
cool to be able to pull BBSes back a little bit from reliance on
Internet (optionally).

*sigh* Yeah, I don't think you and I would ever understand each other.
In this age it should be full on Internet love and embrace. Sure, I went through my period of hating the internet because it's pretty much
destroyed my passion for my past time, but that eventually faded and
embraced it. That was all of about a year or two and by 2000 the passion
was re-imagined in web form.

Sorry, I just don't get you.

--- MagickaBBS v0.10alpha (Linux/armv7l)
* Origin: A Tiny slice o pi (21:1/130.4)

I agree with what someone else said (or maybe it was you)... I'd
cool to be able to pull BBSes back a little bit from reliance on Internet (optionally).

*sigh* Yeah, I don't think you and I would ever understand each
other. In this age it should be full on Internet love and embrace.
Sure, I went through my period of hating the internet because it's
pretty much destroyed my passion for my past time, but that
eventually faded and embraced it. That was all of about a year or
two and by 2000 the passion was re-imagined in web form.

Sorry, I just don't get you.

Vk3jed, Sorry about that, I meant to readdress it to g00r00. I did not
intend that for you.

--- MagickaBBS v0.10alpha (Linux/armv7l)
* Origin: A Tiny slice o pi (21:1/130.4)

GeekDoctor wrote to Vk3jed <=-

I agree with what someone else said (or maybe it was you)... I'd
cool to be able to pull BBSes back a little bit from reliance on
Internet (optionally).

*sigh* Yeah, I don't think you and I would ever understand each other.
In this age it should be full on Internet love and embrace. Sure, I
went through my period of hating the internet because it's pretty much destroyed my passion for my past time, but that eventually faded and embraced it. That was all of about a year or two and by 2000 the
passion was re-imagined in web form.

I think you're replying to someone else's message. My own view is I like to take advantage of the Internet while it's here, but if it ever goes away, I'd like to be able to continue operating somehow. I've already been through this with ham radio, and the VoIP modes, back in the early 2000s. Back then, it was a real buzz to be ble to communicate with the world with a handheld and clear audio with no need to wait for the bands to open. I brought IRLP (Internet Radio Linking Project) to Melbourne in 2001, after experiencing it in Sydney while on a work trip. For the first few months, the system was being utilised non stop for hours on end, until the novelty wore off.

However, some people said "It's not real ham radio", but I saw it had a place alongside the more traditional modes. Also, other RoIP systems like Echolink came along, which required NO radio to use - you could use it direct from a PC (and more recently, on a smartphone).

But I still like to have HF capability alongside the Internet connected systems. HF works in remote places over vast distances. In a sense, it complements the newer systems, and if the Internet goes down, it's often a good backup. And vice-versa, if a solar flare wipes out the HF bands, IRLP or Echolink are fantastic fallbacks.

Now I feel the same about BBSs. I love that we can be Internet connected, and furthermore, I also love that we can use newer protocols such as HTTP for those users who come from a post WWW world, while I can continue to use SSH and an offline reader, because I prefer that means of access to my messages. I intend to install ecweb4, to improve the web experience of my Synchronet board, because I want to better support web users, not because I want to use it myself (though on rare occasions, I have used my web interface).

Sorry, I just don't get you.

I think you got the wrong person. ;)


... That unit is a woman. A mass of conflicting impulses. Spock and Nomad
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