FAQ: How do can I setup a BBS door on a webpage?
Author: Michael Preslar

Lets see what we can do here.. 

It can be done with java.. Youll need a java telnet client.. You can
find one at the link below..

http://www.first.gmd.de/persons/leo/java/Telnet/

Now now.. its not quite that simple  Theres still some things to
consider.. Im not sure of how much previous sysoping experience youve
had, so ill try to cover everything i can..

The doors youll want to run will want a dropfile.. A dropfile being a
text file that the bbs creates that has the user's information. The door
will want this dropfile so it knows who the player is.. So, this means
youll either need a bbs software as well as the doorgame (which is not
that bad, you get messages, chatrooms, and other whatnot built into the
bbs software itself)

or, youll need a program to create a dropfile for you.. the information,
probably, gathered from a form on the webpage or something (this would
be a huge security hole. anyone could cheat and get another player's
game account)

Sooo.. bbs it is. Youd have to run the bbs on your own machine, as
Angelfire, lycos, and the other free servers (and more than likely the
private ones of friends) wont run a bbs software for you. Not to
mention, youd have to have a server to run the game itself on..

So far our ingredient list says we need our own server, a bbs software,
and a java telnet client. Hope Ive not lost you..

now to decide which bbs software to run. This will depend on a few
things, but is ultimtely based on your personal opinion. What operating
system are you on? If linux (or nix based) or mac, youll have a few
problems finding a good easy-to-configure bbs software package.. Running
dos, windows, or nt? Theres a complete plethora of options there.
Whatever operating system youre running.. I'd suggest EleBBS.. He has
versions for dos/win3.1, win32 (95,98,2k,NT), os2, and linux. If you on
mac, I've not idea what to suggest, as theres never been much for macs..

Another thing to consider when choosing what bbs software to run. The
games youll want to run.. What OS are they for? Games like Lord,
Exitilus, Usurper and the like are designed for dos, but would run on
most windows based systems (some nt setups have problems with them)..
Why consider this? If youre running linux, youll need to play with
DOSEMU to get the games running right.

From here on, Ill assume youve picked what bbs software to run, and have
a server to run it on. Youll want to setup the software for telnet. For
some bbs softwares, this means you'll need a "vmodem" (virtual modem)..
COM/IP or NetModem is what youll need. 

Now, Ill assume that the bbs is setup for telnet (a lot of work just to
get a doorgame on a webpage, isnt it?).. Youll need to configure the
java telnet client correctly.. pointed to the right address and whatnot.
What configs youll need to do will vary on what java telnet client you
pick..

That should be it. I know, a lot of mess to get a doorgame on a webpage,
but itd work. Maybe one day, the guys that design the HTML standards
will make a better interface for the text based programs of yesteryear..