RetroBBS

In the last issue we mentioned that Simone Voltolini has been busy setting up a bulletin board system reachable via Telnet or via QTPI on the QL (with TCP/SER support on a PC and a serial cable).

Simone quickly added:

  1. a) Textual Web Navigation (Unix Lynx)
  2. b) IRC client (very basilar but works!!!)
  3. c) Weather forecast (from now only for USA & CANADA)

The official e-mail of the BBS is active and can send and receive:

outsoft@retrobbs.sinclair.homepc.it

Further updates on 4th November:

  1. a) E-mail client where will be soon connected the 2 italian Sinclair ML lists so all can read and reply as “Sinclair_BBS” user
  2. b) IRC client new version: super fine and with auto log as “Sinclair_BBS” user on QL channel 😉 Simply need to make a /join #qlforum to chat ^_^
  3. c) RSS feeds client just connect on out Preservation project feeder + QL Forum too!!!

And again on 19th November:

  1. a) Linux applications operable via Sinclair Machines (Calendar, Calculator, network analyzer, the ARPANET)
  2. b) such FXnet newsgroups, Usenet (with the legendary COMP.SYS.SINCLAIR) and active Retronet for messages both in reception and sending customized per user
  3. c) Inter chat that allows you to connect all of the Mystic BBS group and chat with them as well as see which users of each BBS is connected or not to the system in real time
  4. d) text-based Web browser that allows your to be able to surf the internet Retro Machines
  5. e) Electronic Mail: dedicated box BBS connected with Italian and English Mailing list Sinclair with the possibility of user response with the BBS
  6. f) IRC finally available and connected directly to QLFORUM English channel
  7. g) Feeds associated with Italian ML and our project Preservation QL
  8. h) over 32,000 files available for our beloved (for still being tested right now, are not enabled downloads for copyright reasons and material selection)

Other interesting features are in development.

You connect with the Linux terminal or Mac via telnet or via the web directly clickando the link http://telnetbbsguide.com/bbs/sinclair-retro-bbs/

With Windows, you can download TeraTerm which is a great free terminal and log on by typing the address and selecting the standard Telnet port 23 connection.

For connecting to it directly via a Sinclair machine please watch Simone Voltolini’s video here (in Italian for now):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JvgtBJeej9M

Jan Bredenbeek has updated his QLTERM program to make it possible to connect from a QL using a terminal application via a serial port to another machine: https://files.bredenbeek.net/s/hbqfO4RAV38nvRI