NecroNeon BBS

Published on June 25, 2025, and last updated on June 30, 2025. It contains 359 words and 3 links.

What's Going On

I started a project to code and host my own BBS, hearkening back to the early 1990s. It is a Gothic horror themed BBS with neon highlights, is how I think of it. I imagine the ASCII art will reflect the same style of gray and black brick, castles of stone in the moonlight, and highlights from things in neon pink and blue.

GitHub link: https://github.com/deadbeefmonster/NecroNeon_BBS

Still in the discovery and planning phase. Check back later. I estimate a 1.0 release won't be until 2026. Currently it is vaporware with a dream.

README.md - June 30, 2025

A current view of README.md is available on the GitHub repository (linked above). The contents below are roughly copy and pasted into this page, for purposes I question as I type this.

Current Stage: Planning / Discovery

Taking this from idea to concrete!

  1. I am learning exactly what makes up and defines a "BBS" as one, including telnet support and all that. I need to read RFCs and telnet standards, because I am ignorant there. I'd love to have tls support, too, need to figure out how that works with telnet.
  2. Having learned what BBS software mostly entails, I am confident in moving forward. Although there is little that is "wrong", I do want to cosplay the life I missed long ago. But not taking it too seriously, this isn't a job.
  3. I created a TODO.md file with rough plan for each pre-MVP release to get things done in stages.

Technology Requirements

These are technology requirements I decided on already.

  • Code will be written in C
  • Everything will be stored in a database, and that database is currently sqlite (exploring sqlcipher), including application configuration
    • a lot of business logic and audit tracking will be done in the database as much as possible automatically via triggers, rules, views, etc.
  • libevent will be used for all socket/timer and other event callback mainloop functionality
  • libtelnet will be used for the majority of telnet stuff
  • openssl will be used for encryption
  • basic ascii will be used until I get all the terminal stuff figured out for dope BBS graphics
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