Sattelite BBS

By

Adam Shaw & Steve Backer

Introduction:

Sattelite is the very picture of a minimalist BBS system. While having just enough features to be considered a BBS in the full sense, absolutely nothing else is to be found.

The amazingly minimalist waiting for call screen

For starters, there is a single program for the whole system, with a small ML file containing the Punter transfer protocol. No offline configurator, no offline editors. Creation of your system is done from the online remote SysOp menu. Of course, system creation is little more than the creation of certain demo files and the user REL file.

The configurator where you least expect it.

Beyond this, the BBS is a test in how little can be gotten away with. No handles, ONE message base, a single transfer area, and a message editor that lets you type words and little else. Oh, and it's ASCII only, of course.

And a standard issue main menu.

The Facts:

Sattelite does not have any version information. I presume this is the one and only 1.0.

Hardware Information

Computer    :   Commodore 64 or 128 in 64 mode
Video       :   40 columns.
Drives      :   (1 drive) CBM, limited CMD (no parts, no subdirs)
Modems      :   1660, 1650 & compatibles
Input       :   Keyboard
Output      :   Screen only
RAM use     :   N/A
Special     :

General

Pgm Struct  :   Single, large, self-sufficient program
Menu Struct :   Semi-Modular menu system with hotkey commands
Translation :   ASCII only
Access      :   3 levels of access, hard coded
Handle/ID   :   Handles not allowed, users listed by id
User info   :   Name, city, phone, computer, access
User Logs   :   Last caller name, time only
Calls/Time  :   Idle timer only
Network     :   N/A
Customizing :   Not terribly customizable
  Programs  :   Program is compiled BASIC, not changable
  Displays  :   Bulletin files are only changable SEQ files, menus hard coded
  Commands  :   Not changable
Areas       :   Almost all selections from main menu
  E-mail    :   From main menu
  Messages  :   From main menu
  Transfers :   Separate menu
  Network   :   N/A
  Programs  :   N/A
  Text      :   Separate menu, see below
  User Cmds :   From main menu
  SysOp     :   Separate menu, and integrated functions
  Voting    :   N/A
  News      :   Connection screen doesn't count, N/A
  Help      :   Transfers help file, bulletins
Other       :

SysOp Utilities and Support

Offline     :   N/A!!!
Online      :   Chat, disconnect
Remote      :   Data disk creation, user editor, cbm-dos support, time/date, xfers maint
On-L Display:   N/A
W.F.C. Utils:   SysOp menu access, which includes all remote utilities
Chatting    :   During menu displays only
User        :   Full user editor available
Msg Bases   :   Some integrated message support only
Transfers   :   File addition/removal, cbm-dos support
Programs    :   N/A
Network     :   N/A
Drives      :   Full cbm-dos support
Terminal    :   Simple ASCII-terminal only, no xfers

News

Structure   :   N/A
Header      :   N/A
Weeding     :   N/A
Display     :   N/A

Messages

Structure   :   Linear style, nonthreaded
Bases       :   Single public message base
Limits      :   Limited only by drive
            :    Enforced by hardware/SysOp
Reading     :   Forward, Reverse, new
Headers     :   To, from, subject, date
Format      :   Text only
Writing     :   New posts only, or "replies" which are new posts
Anonymous   :   Not allowed
Network     :   N/A
Other       :

Message Editor

Structure   :   Line editor
Commands    :   Hitting return on blank line gives menu
Editing     :   Message bases only: delete, reenter line
Formatting  :   None whatsoever, lines are numbered annoyingly
Graphics    :   Not supported

Transfers

Bases       :   Single transfer area
Storage     :   Maintained list of downloadable files
Limits      :   None
Credits     :   No credit system
Protocols   :   Punter
Headers     :   Filename, type
Selection   :   By name
Listing     :   Catalog only
Network     :   N/A
Other       :

Text Libraries

Structure   :   Limited list of files
Storage     :   Seq files
Network     :   N/A
Other       :

E-Mail

Structure   :   From main menu only
Sending     :   By name or id
Receiving   :   At logon, or on demand
Network     :   N/A
Other       :

Program Libraries

Structure   :   N/A
Programs    :   N/A
Network     :   N/A
Other       :


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