(edited for slight content/corrections)
Image BBS only deals with terse result codes (2 instead of RING in other words; the terminal/BBS init string setting would include ATV0). You'll have to try Jim Brain's tcpser or tcpserj programs, unless Leif has made the necessary changes to work with numeric response codes.
Also, Image uses RTS/CTS flow control, not XON/XOFF. So you need to put a &K3 into the init string.
And finally, in my testing (using tcpser1.0rc10) with Image running on a real 128 in 64 mode, hooked up to my Linux box, we need &D3.
Since I'm too lazy to boot up my Linux box right now, here's a slightly older init script which worked on the MS-DOS version of tcpser:
rem this is for image bbs 2.0
rem modified 12/14/2007
tcpser -d /dev/ttyS0 -p 6400 -s 19200 -i"e0v0h0x4&C1&D2&K3" -l9 -tSsiI
rem -I inverts DCD pin -- terribly important, BBS won't work otherwise!
rem autoanswer doesn't work?
rem -Aanswer.txt -Bbusy.txt
rem -Bbusy.txt -Ino-answer.txt
rem -i"e0v0h0x4m0s0=1s2=27s7=35&k3&C1" original init string
&C1 is the carrier detect setting, and &Dx... well, I have the Hayes Command Reference, but I'm a bit unclear on that one. I had notes to myself on this stuff, but again I'm going off memory. Try playing around with different values and see whether &Dx:
0/1: text flows to the BBS only (but the send window in Image doesn't echo characters back to tcpser)
2: text flows from tcpser, but the BBS doesn't receive it
3: text will flow both ways
That seems to be my experience so far. YMMV.
Also, play with the -I parameter; it inverts the DCD pin going to the BBS computer. The complementary option at Image BBS's idle screen is Shift-T to invert carrier detect.
Oh. I'm taking another look at a project Metal Mage and I started last year: to add all the "good stuff" to Image 1.2A -- we're calling it Image 1.2B.
Year 2000/19.2kBPS mods: The "ml.rs232" file is modified to support SwiftLink/Turbo232 cartridges (base address $DF00 I think? or is it $DE00? Again, rusty memory, and I have it written down in notes)
There is one slight cosmetic bug with the Y2K mod: Since it only changes the occurence of "19" to "20" in news/posts, you could conveivably end up with posts dated "2098" if the date were 10 years ago. It's recommended to get this fix in place before you do much posting. Image's internal 11-digit date/time string doesn't have a place for the century base. Anyway, this is something I'm searching for in the disassembly process.
Extended Command Set: Add/remove (or just set inactive) commands, define security group levels which can access them, password-protect or restrict to "local mode" the use of sysop/maintenance commands without needing to take the BBS offline to modify the core "im" file.
"TurboREL" sub-board system: Instead of reading straight through a SEQ file containing the post/reply chain, there is a fast, fully self-maintained indexing system which can locate the 100th response to a post in under 5 seconds. Plus, when you go back to edit a post or response to shorten or kill it, the newly reclaimed space is used to hold new responses, cutting down on wasted drive space.
"wordlike2.0.vsd" mods: This stores test in an upwardly compatible way with Image 2.0 -- it doesn't do anything visible on a 1.2a system; but when 2.0 is finished, the text of posts/news items/etc. will be formatted to 40 columns on the local console, 80 to the printer, and the user's line length. In other words, no more 80-column posts viewed on a 40-column monitor, or vice versa.
"e.modrc" mod: Written by Rascal, this bestows upon Image the concept of configurable modem init strings, something we've needed for a long time.
Iron Axe's Y2K mod introduced a few things I don't care for: mainly, he changes the "chat flash" page colors to shades of blue instead of shades of grey; in my opinion, it clashes with the colors of the screen masks. As a result of this modification, the litebar is also shades of blue. I found where the color table is in the ML, but overwriting the bytes with stock ones still doesn't change anything. More investigation is needed.
I will be including Joe Commodore's Image manual, with updates for all these mods, on the disk as well, along with the Image SEQ reader.
And much more.
Here is a table that details which mod affects which file(s).
Patch C= file(s) MS-DOS 8.3 name 64COPY Diff? Comment
=======================================================================
STOCK ml 1.2 ml12stok.obj *.txt *.ovv Yes
Network
Protos ++ 2
++ net netstok.obj *.txt *.ovv Yes
++ netlist netlist.obj *.txt *.ovv
++ netsub netsub.obj *.txt *.ovv
++ post poststok.obj *.txt *.ovv Yes eagles!
Y2K ml 1.2 y2k ml12-y2k.obj *.txt *.ovv Yes
++ net y2k net-y2k.obj *.txt *.ovv Yes
++ post y2k post-y2k.obj *.txt *.ovv Yes
ml12ia2k.obj *.txt *.ovv Iron Axe's
mod w/Y2K
19.2K ml.rs232/19.2k
++ 0/19.2k
++ 1/19.2k
++ 3/19.2k
serial ml 1.2
number ++ net
turbo- ++ post serials must match or message text doesn't display
RELs
I've been working on disassembling the ML (I'm using Peter Schepers' excellent 64copy), understanding how the serial number patch gets put in place, among other things. Thanks go to The Alien, Fred Kreuger, and Iron Axe; we have a mostly-functioning serial number changer (there seem to be a few odd serial numbers which won't display the number you select). I would like to modify it to use block-read and block-write commands instead of reading from the original file to the modified file byte by byte; this will result in a major speed increase. I've taken Commodore's "change load addr" program as my guide; I just need to figure out track and sector offsets.
(Different serial numbers are required for each BBS to participate in a network scenario. The "++ net", "ml 1.2" and "Otherwise, you can just keep the G2001 serial number which comes with the Y2K mod.)
The 19.2Kbps mod - I would have to revisit the stock ML files to find out which serial number it has by default; the files concerned do need to be serialized.
I have the 1.2 programmer's reference guide all typed up and HTMLized; however in going over it, I've decided it needs some fixes/additions/tweaking. I'll fit that into my busy schedule, too. If you (or anyone else reading this post) want a copy, just ask.
I am also awaiting the programmer's reference guide for Image 2.0 from Jack "Rascal" Followay. This version, which doesn't work as presented from his web site, has been modified by me to boot and be somewhat usable. I'm working on understanding the ML. Major portions of the BASIC code are missing; my idea is to port the existing code from 1.2, renumber the modules as required, and replace the BASIC arrays used in 1.2 with the new & "structure" calls used with 2.0. (Simply put, a "structure" is a block of memory which can be loaded, saved, inserted into, removed from, searched, sorted, and cleared -- all at ML speeds instead of slow BASIC loops.) The only tricky part is understanding the actual routine calls -- even WITH the source, Luke.
i r ml bonehed, but I'm learning. It's very much like in the comic strip "Calvin and Hobbes," as Calvin's father admonishes him to "Do something you hate! Being miserable builds character."
By the way, there is also a fork of Image called "Image 2000" by Bob "Iron Axe" Sisco, with a lot of beta features. (It uses different networking routines, supposedly including CommNet, which I heard from Alien.) I have the code, but there needs to be some changes made in order to make it fully functional. When Overlord bought Iron Axe's development HD, he got the code along with it. Overlord has offered to send me Iron Axe's development disks, about ten of them (whether they're 1541 or 1581 disks remains to be seen). In the meantime, I've tried going through code, keeping that version away from Image 1.2a or b.
Ummm... I sort of lost track of what I was going to say. Something important, undoubtedly. Are you signed on to either of the Image BBS's currently available via telnet? (Riktronics or LV426?) I have both the Y2K patch and the 19.2kBPS patch if you're interested. I don't have any web space to host it on right now (gotta ask Moloch I s'pose), if gmail or yahoo aren't too finicky I could stuff them both on to a .d64 and send them your way.
Hmm, reminds me. HAWK EYE signed on to Q-Link Reloaded and heard about our project. I'm looking at his new user application on the Image 1.2B dev disk... maybe I should sign on and re-connect with him. Or even post an update there...
And didn't you sign on to the Dragon's Eye BBS, Centurion? Your handle seems familiar.
I am still working on it..... ;D
