What's this IceBBS thing anyways? (used to be: What's this VBBS thing anyways?) Updated: 13-February-95 Stephen Vermeulen Voice: (403) 282-7990 Current Status: IceBBS has finally finished the Beta stage of development, once I update the manuals (a few weeks work) I will be releasing a demo version to AmiNET. You may obtain a copy of IceBBS for US$60.00 (plus $10.00 shipping) by writing to: Stephen Vermeulen 45-Butler Cr N.W. Calgary, Alberta, CANADA, T2L 1K4 once you have registered you may get upgrades at any time by downloading them from the closed area on my BBS (an IceBBS system of course) or for $10.00 per set (you can pre-order a number of upgrades if you want). New versions appear about once every 6-8 weeks. Updates of the sysop manual are $20.00. The full version of the BBS includes about 400 pages of documentation and the additional FidoNet and USENET tools and other utilities. Additionally, you get the rights to print and sell copies of the IceTERM and IceOLR manuals at the rate of $1.00 per copy sold. The programs IceBBS and IceTERM have undergone a name change recently, they used to be called VBBS and TERM. The name change was required to avoid confusion with the IBM Virtual BBS and the TERM program from Germany. The Author's IceBBS system is available 24 hours a day at: (403) 284-2048 or 284-5625 with USR Dual Standard (V32bis/HST/MNP5/V42bis) modems on both lines if you want to give it a try. If the phone rings but does not answer this usually means the BBS is offline because I am working on something... There are several other IceBBS sites you might want to call instead: ------------------------------------------------------------------ (403)284-2048 9600 DST IceBBS Host Stephen Vermuelen (403)284-5625 9600 DST ( Alberta, Canada VBBS Support, FIDO, UUCP ) ------------------------------------------------------------------ (403)282-5224 AMUC Express Stephen Vermeulen (403)282-5137 ) (403)282-5171 Amiga Users ) (403)282-5238 of Calgary ) (403)282-5624 Society ) (403)289-1794 ) (403)289-1882 ) ( Canada Todd Klassen ) ------------------------------------------------------------------ (403)279-7696 Buffaloe BBS Bill Stott ( Calgary, Canada ) ------------------------------------------------------------------ (608)258-9009 RCC Systems unknown ( Madison, WI, USA ) ------------------------------------------------------------------ ( Zyxel: 613-230-2172 Jammy's Amiga Corner IceBBS James McOrmond ) ( VFC: 613-230-1136 ) ( Ottawa, Canada ) ( Jam@Jammys.OCUnix.On.Ca Fido#1:163/139 ) ( ZyXELNET#18:18/0 ) ( AmigaNet#40:553/139) ------------------------------------------------------------------ (904)422-2695 2400 The VANishing Point Van Stonecypher ( Tallahassee, FL, USA : Tallahasse Amiga Users' Group ) ------------------------------------------------------------------ (705)497-1799 Michael Constant) (Ontario, Canada ) ------------------------------------------------------------------ (514) 367-1778 (USR Sporster, IceTerm available on this line) ( Sysop: Yan Koehler) (514) 367-0575 (SupraFax) GfxBase Amiga Only) (LaSalle , Quebec ) ------------------------------------------------------------------ (604) 251-7257 Paul Quinn) (Monty's Place Vancouver Bc ) ------------------------------------------------------------------ (358 18 7304 076 (Finland) Harry Uggeldahl) ( Fido: 2:221/118.0) ( Internet: uharry@vebsi.fipnet.fi) ------------------------------------------------------------------ -------------------------------------------------------------------- Design Goals: IceBBS was designed with several goals in mind: 1. The software should support a fully-multiplexed error-corrected communications channel, 2. The user should be able to do more than one thing at a time, 3. The BBS should not require an accelerated machine to run more than one line (AMUC Express has run 5 lines on a 68000 with 3Megs of ram, and has run with 9 lines for conferences), 4. The BBS should not eat huge amounts of RAM, 5. The BBS should easily support a mixed set of serial ports and modems, as well as providing support for the new fixed baud rate modems (between computer and modem) at the same time as the old style modems, 6. The BBS should provide the basics (messages, sysop chat, conference mode, email and a file system) and offer some means of expansion. 7. The BBS should facilitate support of Usenet and Fidonet. 8. The system should support an off-line message reading and reply facility. 9. The system should provide support for remote sysops, this is done through a remote shell, a remote file maintainance door and a remote account maintainance door. At this point the software meets all of these goals. What is this IceBBS thing anyways? IceBBS is a new bulletin board system for the Amiga, it is a commercial product available directly from the author. IceTERM is the terminal program that is required to make use of the special multi-tasking features of IceBBS. IceTERM is a copyrighted product, but is freely distributable. A printed manual (about 160 pages) for IceTERM (along with a copy of the latest version of IceTERM) is available from the author for US$15.00 (CDN$15.00 within Canada). All registered IceBBS Sysops get a license to print copies of the IceTERM manual for their users or can buy finished copies at a substantial discount. What is so unique about IceBBS/IceTERM? The IceBBS/IceTERM product allows the user to do several things at once while he is on the BBS. This is what is meant by saying IceBBS is a multitasking BBS. For example the user might be in the conference talking to other users while he is also uploading a file and downloading new messages. The IceBBS/IceTERM product provides the user with a mouse-driven windowed interface to the BBS. This is in contrast with most other systems which provide a traditional text-based interface. IceBBS also supplies a text based login facility so that less fortunate computer users (non-Amiga owners) can use an IceBBS based BBS. The IceBBS/IceTERM product also provides a fully error-corrected link. The error correction facility applies to all the tasks the user might perform -- not just the file transfer system. The system is smart enough to recognize when the user has connected with an MNP/HST/V42 modem and will turn its error correcting off leaving it to the modems (resulting in less data transmission overhead and less CPU consumed). What features are included in IceBBS/IceTERM? The current version includes the following features: - private user to sysop chat windows, these are helpful when a new user is on the system and he needs some handholding. The multitasking capability allows the Sysop to provide assistance while the user is actually using the various tools. - a narrator based paging facility (Talk) which allows the user to page a sysop who is not at the machine (or visa versa) - a simple local message base designed for quick feedback between the users and sysop - a complex multi-section messages base that batch downloads new material to the users machine for use with the off-line reader program. The user can read, post and reply off-line and his new contributions will be automatically loaded into the system when he next connects. There is also an on-line read/post/reply facility for this message base. - a file downloading facility that will allow the user to select the file(s) he wants to download through a normal scrolling Amiga requester. The user can sort the displays by name or date (file sizes and short descriptions are also displayed) and if a file has an extended description it will be sent to him before he confirms commencement of the download. Downloading to a floppy based Amiga 500 at 19200 baud is possible. While the user is downloading files he may proceed with any other BBS operations (including starting more downloads and even uploads) without interruption. Downloads may be paused to free up the communications line when a more important task is being performed. The download facility supports downloading of entire directory trees (very useful with CDROM disks). Both single file and directory downloads are resumable in the event of communications loss or session time out. - a file uploading facility is available. Users can select the file to be uploaded with the ARP file requester (or the ASL requester if the user has AmigaDOS 2.0) and enter (and edit) the extended file description with their favourite editor. The user can start multiple uploads, and on a full duplex modem (ie. normal 1200/2400 or V32/V34 modems) the user can upload and download at the same time without loss in throughput in either direction. HST modems will slow to appoximately 350CPS in either direction if this is attempted, but if only uploading or downloading will move an LHARC file at up to 1650 CPS. - a system monitor window is provided so that the user can see what other users are online, what they are currently doing and page them for the confernce area. The monitor can be left open while other tasks are performed. There are buttons provided to disable the audible bell and screen flash on the paging function for privacy. - an email system is provided which allows the user to enter/read/reply to messages. These are private between users, and the user can also send or receive FIDONET netmail and INTERNET email. Users can also send files to other users on the same BBS. Internet mail requires that you are running the UUCP package from Matt Dillon. The internet mail facility allows users to subscribe to mailing lists. - a doors facility is provided so that additional functions can be added to the BBS and terminal programs. These doors programs are run like other IceBBS tasks, allowing the user to use several doors while also making use of other built in functions (like downloading files). Currently there are seven doors available: - a remote file maintainance utility for co-sysops, - a remote account maintainance utility for co-sysops, - an IFF picture previewer that - will display small versions of pictures so that a user can see if the picture is worth downloading (preview pictures take as little a 10 seconds to transfer with a fast modem), - an on-line chess game where the users play each other in the BBS version of chess-by-mail, - the Amiga version of CircleMUD, and since a user can start more than one door at a time he can create his own party of MUD characters - a voting door, with a tallying program - An internet FTP (file transfer protocol) door - An internet IRC (Internet Relay Chat) door A developer's kit for doors is also available that includes a sample door client and server in C-source format along with a test driver program that simulates the action of IceBBS and TERM so that doors can be developed and tested on a system which does not have IceBBS running on it. There is also an ARexx version of the doors system (so that the doors can be written in ARexx which is easier). There is a tool kit for developing ARexx doors, which includes a simulator and source for the voting door. It should also be possible to compile the ARexx doors using the ARexx compiler. - a news facility is available to make certain text files readily viewable (like documentation). - an AmigaDOS shell is available for remote sysops to do work on the BBS. Several shells can be opened at once, and shells may be used at the same time as other BBS functions. - a flexible access control and time limit/bank system is implemented which enables you to control exactly what each user is allowed to do and see and for how long. What protocol is used? The IceBBS/IceTERM combination uses a custom sliding windows protocol which is bi-directional and multiplexed. It is very DNet-like internally. Throughput on the protocol is as good as Zmodem, between non-MNP modems the throughput is slightly below Zmodem and between MNP or V42 modems it tends to be a bit faster. On the ASCII interface side (for non-IceTERM callers) the only built in protocols are Xmodem and XPR. XPR support allows the BBS to use the standard XPR libraries, such as xprxmodem, xprymodem and zprzmodem for file transfers. It is possible to run IceBBS along side a conventional BBS (sharing the same line). What data rates will it run at? Both IceBBS and iceTERM are capable of running at 19200 baud on the internal serial port of an unaccelerated Amiga. If you have an additional serial board (like the ASDG dual serial board) the software can run much faster. Multiple lines on an unaccelerated BBS machine work fine. Limits to performance? As far as performance is concerned, IceBBS is capable of running 6-8 lines on a stock 2000HD at 2400 baud on each line. With an '030 accelerator card in an Amiga you should be able to run 8 lines at 9600 baud, as I have run 4 lines at 19.2K and 2 lines at 38.4K in a direct wired test. The actual maximum transfer capability depends a bit on what the users are doing since IceBBS will allow users to upload and download files at the same time, and when doing so they can nearly double the load on the system. The AMUC Express, is a 7 line IceBBS system, it runs 4 lines at 38400 baud (14400 v32bis baud modems), one line at 19200 and 2 lines at 2400 baud, it runs UUCP and FidoNet (via TrapDoor) and it runs the CircleMUD door. It has 1.4Gigs of hard drive space and 13 CDROMs online (1 Sony drive, one Pioneer DRM-600 and one DRM-602). It does this with 8Megs of 32bit ram on a GVP 3001 (25MHz '030 accelerator) in an A2000 with an Amigo ComPorts 8-line card (it used to use a pair of A2232 cards) and a GVP Series II SCSI card. Once all this has booted there is about 4Megs of ram free. What are the system requirements? CPU any Amiga, if you want to run more than about 4 - 2400 baud lines an accelerated machine is recommended, RAM 1Meg to 3Meg recommended, this largely depends on the number of lines you run and the amount of multitasking you do as a Sysop. With 3 lines on my machine the BBS uses about 800K. If you want lots of CDROMs or want to run the CircleMUD more than 3Megs many be required. DISKS Of course a hard disk, unless you are planning to use the system just as a mailbox between a few people. The system supports any number of hard drives. It also supports CDROM drives (it has special provisions for access control and extended buffering of the files). The Xetec CDROM file system is the recommended one. The AsimCDFS is reported to work well to. One site (Great White North) is running the Pioneer 604 multidisk changer. SERIAL DEVICES Any serial device that provides a standard AmigaExec xxxx.device type driver is supported, you can even use several different devices. The MultiFace II is currently the most favoured board, it works fine with the A2232 and the ASDG Dual Serial Board. MODEMS Should work with just about anything, it has been tested with SupraModem 2400 SupraModem 2400 MNP SupraModem 2400 Plus (V42) SupraModem v32bis GVC SuperModem 2400 MNP Packard Bell 2400 US Robotics Dual Standards (V32bis/HST) UDS V32 Zyxel v32bis modems Hayes Optima 288 (v.fc 28K baud) USR Sportster v32bis and V34 OS VERSION IceBBS and IceTERM run under AmigaDOS 1.3 and 2.0. Future development will include more 2.0 feature support. When will it be available? Available now. What will the upgrade policy be? Free-to-download upgrades to the BBS and support utilities for registered sysops from my BBS. For those who don't want to pull massive files down there is an upgrade disk mailout program at $10.00 per upgrade requested, send me a check for $20 or so and then you can request an update at any time by phone, BBS or mail and I'll send you out an update disk. Updated manuals will be available for about $10-20 depending on what the printing and postage costs turn out to be. What networking will be supported? Currently FidoNet is supported (through TrapDoor) and Usenet through Matt Dillon's UUCP. Work is starting on direct internet access tools too. Off line message reading? IceBBS and IceTERM provide a completely automatic SIG (message base) downloading facility (including automatic resume), I provide another program: IceOLR to allow the user to read message bases off line, and post and reply to them. These postings are automatically uploaded to the correct message base the next time the user logs in to get new messages. What Sysop utilities? The majority of Sysop utilities are local, CLI-based ones. They can be used through the remote DOS shell built into TERM. There are also some remote Sysop tools. Multiline support? Yes, from day one, as many lines as you can squeeze in. I have run up to 8 lines on one machine so far (a stock A2000 with 6Megs to be exact). What serial boards has it been tested with? The ASDG dual serial board and the Commodore 2232 multi-serial card and the GVP IO Extender (driver 1.7 or higher), MultiFace II and the ComPorts 8 line card. What about customization? By its very nature IceBBS will appear to be less customizable than other BBS systems. As time goes on additional areas of customizability will be added. Currently the doors and the custom login stats screen represent the most significant areas of customization. What is the current version? The current version of IceBBS is 56, the current TERM is 119. Call the support board for more up to date information. Reliability? The current version of IceBBS is quite reliable, with a mean time between failures of about 10 days. It runs completely clean under both MungWall and the Enforcer. In a recent test on AMUC Express (a seven line, heavily used system) ran for 8 days without incident. -------- End of the Extract ------- If you want to know more about IceBBS, give it a call at the above numbers or give me (Stephen Vermeulen -- Ragnarok Software) a voice call at (403) 282-7990. If you have usenet access you can mail me directly at "svermeulen@ragnarok.mtroyal.ab.ca" as well I am on FidoNet at 1:134/92 (the IceBBS machine) and 1:134/27 the 7 line AMUC Express (send to Stephen Vermeulen on these nodes). And one last thing: what does ICE stand for? Well it was developed in Canada, land of ICE and snow, its a COOL product, although sometimes COLD and hostile, and mainly it stands for: Integrated Communications Environment.