Hey

Does anyone have any particular features they want to see in talisman?

I can think of a couple (an optional full screen reader & some kind of
cgi interface for websites) but I'm not in a rush to do those.

I was thinking v0.6 could be mostly a bug fix release. I've done some
polishing of the FSE, quoting should now work much better for non-ansi messages. I think I've got all the refreshing bugs nailed, and I've added
a confirm dialog to the abort message option.

How do people feel about the TOML & INI files for configuring? I'm not
keen on a configuration editor (mainly because I struggle with ncurses)
but if it's something that's really important it would probably be best
to start early so it's not such a huge undertaking later.

Andrew


--- Talisman v0.6-dev (Linux/x86_64)
* Origin: Talisman BBS - telnet://talismanbbs.com:11892/ (21:1/126)

Hey

Does anyone have any particular features they want to see in talisman?

On my TALISMAN install, I started a message base that has MY suggestions and wants... they are mainly MY desires, and I hope you wouldn't read them as anything negative... some are probably stupid, but all are from a USER. So... when I get it live, I think it might help in FUTURE releases; I'm just joining the TALISMAN party and all...

How do people feel about the TOML & INI files for configuring? I'm not keen on a configuration editor (mainly because I struggle with ncurses) but if it's something that's really important it would probably be best
to start early so it's not such a huge undertaking later.

I actually like it - again I really just got started today and didn't spend a bunch of time with TALISMAN - but similar to Enigma, I kinda like the INI/TOML [Enigma is a little different... but text based.] setup. You can see everything, you can comment out sections for testing and some of us [Linux users] are used to this sort of thing. For me, it makes sense and I can understand what I can visually SEE. If there were editors, I don't know that I would use them; unless the software became more closed [and forced me to], which I wouldn't like.



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--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A47 2020/10/23 (Raspberry Pi/32)
* Origin: 2o fOr beeRS bbs>>>20ForBeers.com:1337 (21:2/150)

On my TALISMAN install, I started a message base that has MY
suggestions and wants... they are mainly MY desires, and I hope you
wouldn't read them as anything negative... some are probably stupid,
but all are from a USER. So... when I get it live, I think it might
help in FUTURE releases; I'm just joining the TALISMAN party and
all...

Cool. I'll look forward to seeing them when your board is ready.

I don't mind feature suggestions, constructive critisim etc. It's helpful.

I have found another bug in the FSE lol :)

Andrew


--- Talisman v0.6-dev (Linux/armv7l)
* Origin: HappyLand v2.0 - telnet://happyland.zapto.org:11892/ (21:1/126.1)

Re: v0.6 ideas?
By: apam to All on Mon Nov 23 2020 01:01 pm

Does anyone have any particular features they want to see in talisman?

Videotex :P

...ëîåï

... When I die, I'm leaving my body to science fiction.
--- SBBSecho 3.11-Linux
* Origin: I'm playing with ANSI+videotex - wanna play too? (21:2/116)

apam wrote to All <=-

Does anyone have any particular features they want to see in talisman?

1) Bluewave support
2) full screen reader
3) possible web side like Magicka had? Was usable on phones but I'll admit
I didn't use it often and it would be on the bottom of the list.

How do people feel about the TOML & INI files for configuring? I'm not keen on a configuration editor (mainly because I struggle with ncurses) but if it's something that's really important it would probably be best
to start early so it's not such a huge undertaking later.

I prefer editing files to configure things. I find the config editors get
so complex... I refer to the ezycom docs all the time to find stuff because
there are so many utilities to configure it.

Shawn

... Money does bring happiness. Send some and watch me smile.

--- EzyBlueWave V3.00 01FB001F
* Origin: Tiny's BBS - telnet://tinysbbs.com:3023 (21:1/130)

1) Bluewave support
2) full screen reader
3) possible web side like Magicka had? Was usable on phones but

Bluewave shouldn't be too hard to add. Probably not in v0.6, but maybe a
bit later.

Full screen reader, I just finished this. Or at least an initial version
of one.

Web side, I'm still thinking about this, I admit the webside was one of
my favourite features of magicka and I used it all the time. It was a
heck of a lot of work though. I'm also not sure how it would work with
the way this is designed.

I'm thinking maybe this time adding some sort of api or cgi or some thing
to make a webside out of php or something and run it on a real server.
I'm not sure. Probably wont happen for some time.

Andrew


--- Talisman v0.6-dev (Linux/x86_64)
* Origin: Talisman BBS - telnet://talismanbbs.com:11892/ (21:1/126)

Videotex :P
...ëîåï

Lol deon... :P I do like logging into your sbbs videotex playground - I haven't quite figured out how to get around, BUT thats probably more that I've never used Videotex than anything else. It is NEAT, and I hope you keep working it out.



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--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A47 2020/10/23 (Raspberry Pi/32)
* Origin: 2o fOr beeRS bbs>>>20ForBeers.com:1337 (21:2/150)

On 23 Nov 2020, apam said the following...

How do people feel about the TOML & INI files for configuring? I'm not keen on a configuration editor (mainly because I struggle with ncurses) but if it's something that's really important it would probably be best
to start early so it's not such a huge undertaking later.

A configuration editor would really bring the program "to the masses" as I'm sure many people are intimidated by editing ini files. JMO

-=- Gary aka HSM -=-
-=Mystic.BBSGameTime.com=-

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A47 2020/10/20 (Linux/64)
* Origin: BBS GameTime - mystic.BBSGameTime.com:23 (21:2/162)

3) possible web side like Magicka had? Was usable on phones but I'll admit I didn't use it often and it would be on the bottom of the
list.

I have some what of a holy-grail-esque obsession with using BBSs on my phone. Pre-Covid, it was something I was keen on exploring more. Now, I've had a chance! I think mobile device support should be baked into modern BBSs--small screens are just as valid as larger screens. Just my opinion.

Having a web view certainly seems to be a solution--but the software author would essentially need to create an entire framework (like Synchronet does). Seems like a *lot* of work, especially when it's practically just another screen size that needs to be supported by the client and server.
This is a bit of a hack, and maybe an aside, but I wanted to do small proof of concept on this. I'm leaning Go (golang) right now, and it's pretty trivial to spin up a tcp (telnet) server. So...

I used Terminus on iOS, which supports cp437 encoding and renders BBSs consistently--almost as flawlessly as if it was over a connection on my PC. So the theoretical solution *could* be BBS software supporting a smaller screen width which is optimally sized for a phone's dimensions, including a visible keyboard, with text magnification bumped up (that's critical unless you like eye strain).

In my code test, 33 cols x 25 rows fit the iPhone beautifully when using Terminus' built-in zoom setting--e.g. essentially creating a 2x zoomed view. Here's a screenshot of the actual connection:

https://bit.ly/36VUJC8

Could be totally usable, not rendered in a web framework, but directly over telnet or ssh in the device.

Of course, there's more to a BBS than a welcome screen. I think menus would be easy to handle as art, it's more things like the FSE, wrapping, etc. I could also see, essentially a specific BBS-based term app--like MagiTerm or SyncTerm for iOS/Android.

Sorry for the divergence. As you were!

|07Ú[|08..|15Alpha|08.....................|07]¿
|07Ã[|08..|11The Drunken Gamer BBS|08.....|07]´ |07À[|08..|03TheDrunkenGamer.com:8888|08..|07]Ù

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A47 2020/10/20 (Linux/64)
* Origin: The Drunken Gamer BBS (21:4/158)

Re: Re: v0.6 ideas?
By: paulie420 to deon on Mon Nov 23 2020 04:28 am

Howdy,

Lol deon... :P I do like logging into your sbbs videotex playground - I haven't quite figured out how to get around, BUT thats probably more that I've never used Videotex than anything else. It is NEAT, and I hope you keep working it out.

:)

Getting around is via page numbers, or key strokes. You can go to *516# I've got some help there - and I'll update it as necessary.

*0# Always takes you "home".

Working on messaging and imports from feeds, etc... Ahh, so many ideas, so little time...

...ëîåï

... Confound these ancestors They've stolen our best ideas!
--- SBBSecho 3.11-Linux
* Origin: I'm playing with ANSI+videotex - wanna play too? (21:2/116)

In my code test, 33 cols x 25 rows fit the iPhone beautifully when using Terminus' built-in zoom setting--e.g. essentially creating a 2x zoomed view. Here's a screenshot of the actual connection:

This is very cool. And I agree that the ability to access a BBS in some sort of smart phone app or interface would be really great. One of the reasons I spend so much time on Reddit is because Apollo (ios app) makes it so damn easy to browse.

It would be killer to have an app that could view messages in a clean mobile view from a BBS. Almost like a QWK reader but..... more modern?

|01bobbobbobbob|09bob|03bob|11bob|03bob|09bob|01bobbobbob |01robrobrobrob|09rob|03rob|11rob|03rob|09rob|01robrobrob
|07
--- SBBSecho 3.11-Linux
* Origin: Halls of Valhalla <> San Francisco <> hovalbbs.com (21:2/118)

It would be killer to have an app that could view messages in a clean
mobile view from a BBS. Almost like a QWK reader but..... more
modern?

I think it would be better to access messages on a phone via a mobile
friendly website, just because then you don't have to develop apps for
various mobile platforms.

I think echicken's synchronet web interface is mobile friendly?

Andrew


--- Talisman v0.6-dev (Linux/armv7l)
* Origin: HappyLand v2.0 - telnet://happyland.zapto.org:11892/ (21:1/126.1)

Having a web view certainly seems to be a solution--but the software
author would essentially need to create an entire framework (like
Synchronet does). Seems like a *lot* of work, especially when it's practically just another screen size that needs to be supported by the client and server.

It wasn't too hard with magicka, I used libmicrohttpd which is a library
to implement a webserver, all I had to do was write the page generation -
this was a bit harder using C as opposed to some more friendly web
language like php.

The good thing about a web interface though is it doesn't only need to be working on a mobile phone, you can use it on a computer to check messages without logging in to the bbs - which can be useful if it's not your
computer (most computers have a web browser, not so many a bbs telnet/ssh client)

This is a bit of a hack, and maybe an aside, but I wanted to do small
proof of concept on this. I'm leaning Go (golang) right now, and it's
pretty trivial to spin up a tcp (telnet) server. So...

Had a look at your screenshot, very cool.

The downside to using a bbs on a phone, and also a web interface on a
phone is the width doesn't play nice with things like ansi messages that
are formatted for 80 columns. On a web interface at least you can scroll
around to see the message, on a small terminal it would look all wrong.

Still, if you don't mind skipping ansi messages, it could work. It would
be lots of fun rewapping messages (sarcasm lol I hate rewrapping
messages) due to many systems formatting messages at around 80 columns. (including this one, which I really should fix... just not sure how.)

Of course, there's more to a BBS than a welcome screen. I think menus
would be
easy to handle as art, it's more things like the FSE, wrapping, etc. I
could also see, essentially a specific BBS-based term app--like
MagiTerm or SyncTerm for iOS/Android.

Yep, writing a BBS package isn't super hard, once you have a basic
structure to manage users and the connection, the rest kind of falls into place.

Good luck with your project!

Andrew


--- Talisman v0.6-dev (Linux/armv7l)
* Origin: HappyLand v2.0 - telnet://happyland.zapto.org:11892/ (21:1/126.1)

It wasn't too hard with magicka, I used libmicrohttpd which is a library to implement a webserver, all I had to do was write the page generation - this was a bit harder using C as opposed to some more friendly web language like php.

The good thing about a web interface though is it doesn't only need to be working on a mobile phone, you can use it on a computer to check messages without logging in to the bbs - which can be useful if it's not your computer (most computers have a web browser, not so many a bbs telnet/ssh client)

That's a really good point. I'd definitely use that web feature.

The downside to using a bbs on a phone, and also a web interface on a phone is the width doesn't play nice with things like ansi messages that are formatted for 80 columns. On a web interface at least you can scroll around to see the message, on a small terminal it would look all wrong.

Totally. I think a phone/web experience focused around messaging as the primary use case makes sense.

Still, if you don't mind skipping ansi messages, it could work. It would be lots of fun rewapping messages (sarcasm lol I hate rewrapping
messages) due to many systems formatting messages at around 80 columns. (including this one, which I really should fix... just not sure how.)

Oh, right. So essentially every message would need to be stripped of ANSI color codes/characters, newlines, etc. -- then re-wrapped at the target col width? But then you'd have to deal with the 'intentional' line breaks by the post's author as well. Phew.

Yep, writing a BBS package isn't super hard, once you have a basic structure to manage users and the connection, the rest kind of falls into place.

Good luck with your project!

Thank you, although more of a tutorial for me--going to leave the BBS software to the pros :)

Speaking of which, I'm off to install Talisman v0.5!


Cheers,

|07Ú[|08..|15Alpha|08.....................|07]¿
|07Ã[|08..|11The Drunken Gamer BBS|08.....|07]´ |07À[|08..|03TheDrunkenGamer.com:8888|08..|07]Ù

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A47 2020/10/20 (Linux/64)
* Origin: The Drunken Gamer BBS (21:4/158)

apam wrote to Tiny <=-

Bluewave shouldn't be too hard to add. Probably not in v0.6, but maybe
a bit later.

Thanks!

Full screen reader, I just finished this. Or at least an initial
version of one.

LOL Soon as I get motivated enough to fix my mistakes I'll see it. LOL

Web side, I'm still thinking about this, I admit the webside was one of
my favourite features of magicka and I used it all the time. It was a
heck of a lot of work though. I'm also not sure how it would work with
the way this is designed.

It was also a well designed (keeping it like a BBS) web interface.

I'm thinking maybe this time adding some sort of api or cgi or some
thing to make a webside out of php or something and run it on a real server. I'm not sure. Probably wont happen for some time.

No rush. Just wanted to get it on the list. :)

Shawn

... Beware of all enterprises requiring new clothes.

--- EzyBlueWave V3.00 01FB001F
* Origin: Tiny's BBS - telnet://tinysbbs.com:3023 (21:1/130)