A complete telnet BBS and MUD platform for Unix/Linux
Copyright (C) 2002-present, Fewtarius
This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by the Free Software Foundation; either version 2 of the License, or (at your option) any later version.
This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the GNU General Public License for more details.
You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License along with this program; if not, write to the Free Software Foundation, Inc., 59 Temple Place, Suite 330, Boston, MA 02111-1307 USA
The latest version of this software can be downloaded from: https://github.com/fewtarius/photonbbs
Try PhotonBBS and PhotonMUD live at Terminal Tavern:
telnet bbs.terminaltavern.com
Experience the full BBS, chat system, door games, and integrated MUD gameplay!
PhotonBBS is a comprehensive telnet-based bulletin board system (BBS) and multi-user dungeon (MUD) platform written in Perl. Originally created as a simple multi-node chat server, it has evolved into a full-featured platform combining classic BBS functionality with a modern, procedurally-generated MUD adventure.
Integrated BBS and MUD: PhotonBBS seamlessly combines traditional BBS features (chat, bulletins, door games) with PhotonMUD, a fully-featured multi-user dungeon with procedurally-generated worlds, dynamic combat, and persistent gameplay.
Modular Architecture: Built with extensibility in mind, PhotonBBS uses a modular Perl-based architecture that makes it easy to add new features, customize behavior, and integrate external door games.
Classic BBS Revival: Support for traditional BBS door games like Legend of the Red Dragon, Trade Wars 2002, and many others, allowing preservation of classic DOS gaming.
Modern Deployment: Containerized deployment via Docker ensures easy installation and portability across Linux, macOS, and Windows.
- Multi-user chat and teleconference system
- User account management and authentication
- System bulletins and oneliners
- Customizable menu system
- Theme support with ANSI colors
- Classic BBS door game support
- Administrative tools and utilities
- Procedurally-generated persistent worlds
- D&D-style combat system with dice mechanics
- Character classes, races, and progression
- Magic system with spells and abilities
- Monster AI with intelligent behavior
- Dynamic economy and trading
- Multiplayer exploration and interaction
- Unique world generation every campaign
PhotonBBS supports classic BBS door games through multiple drop file formats:
- DOOR.SYS
- DORINFO1.DEF
- DORINFOx.DEF
Pre-configured support for popular doors:
- Trade Wars 2002 - Space trading and combat
- Legend of the Red Dragon (LORD) - Fantasy RPG adventure
- Barren Realms Elite (BRE) - Space strategy
- Operation Overkill II - Post-apocalyptic combat
- And many more
# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/fewtarius/photonbbs.git
cd photonbbs
# Start PhotonBBS
make docker-up
# Connect via telnet
telnet localhost 23That's it! PhotonBBS will build and start automatically.
For Docker deployment:
- Docker Engine 20.10 or higher
- 512MB RAM minimum, 1GB+ recommended
- TCP port 23 available (or configure alternate port)
Platform support:
- Linux (any modern distribution)
- macOS with Docker Desktop
- Windows with Docker Desktop + WSL2
For Users:
- PHOTONBBS.md - BBS commands and features
- PHOTONMUD.md - MUD gameplay guide
For Administrators and Developers:
- PHOTONBBS.md - Installation and configuration
- DEVELOPER.md - Extending and customizing
- Multi-node support with concurrent users
- Channel-based chat system
- Private messaging and broadcasts
- System bulletins and oneliners
- User profiles and preferences
- Security levels and permissions
- Customizable themes and colors
- ANSI terminal support
- IP-based access control
- Procedurally-generated unique worlds
- Multiple character classes and races
- D&D-style combat with dice rolls
- Magic system with 20+ spells
- Dynamic monster AI
- Equipment and inventory management
- Player vs Environment (PvE)
- Player vs Player (PvP) combat
- Persistent character progression
- Multiplayer exploration and cooperation
- Support for classic DOS and Unix door games
- Multiple drop file format support
- Concurrent door execution limits
- Security level restrictions
- Easy door configuration
- User account editor
- Bulletin editor
- Security management
- Session monitoring
- Scheduled task execution
- Maintenance automation
- Customizable menus
- Theme management
PhotonBBS consists of several key components:
photonbbs - Main daemon handling connections, node management, and sessions photonbbs-client - Client application for user interaction photonmud - MUD game engine with world generation and combat photonmud-monsterai - AI system for monster behavior and spawning pb- modules* - Core BBS functionality (framework, doors, chat, etc.) pm- modules* - MUD game logic (combat, spells, rooms, monsters, etc.)
The system uses:
- Perl for core BBS and MUD logic
- Storable for data persistence
- Docker for containerized deployment
- Shell scripts for door game integration
# Clone repository
git clone https://github.com/fewtarius/photonbbs.git
cd photonbbs
# Build Docker image
make docker-build
# Start PhotonBBS
make docker-up
# View logs
make docker-logs
# Access shell
make docker-shellDocker operations:
make docker-build- Build Docker imagemake docker-up- Start containermake docker-down- Stop containermake docker-restart- Restart containermake docker-logs- View logsmake docker-shell- Open shell in containermake docker-rebuild- Full rebuildmake docker-clean- Remove all containers and images
Run make help for complete documentation.
PhotonBBS uses a modular architecture with core modules in the modules directory.
BBS Modules (pb-): Framework, main functionality, doors, user tools, security
MUD Modules (pm-): Combat, rooms, monsters, spells, player management, objects
Main configuration is in modules/pb-defaults:
- BBS home directory and paths
- Port number
- Maximum nodes
- Maintenance settings
- Default theme
- System preferences
Menus are defined in text files in data/:
- main.mnu - Main menu
- external.mnu - External commands and doors
Menus are defined in text files in the data directory.
PhotonMUD settings control world generation, combat balance, and monster spawning.
- photon - Default theme
- mbbs - Alternative theme
- terminal_tavern - Terminal Tavern BBS theme
Themes define system colors using @CODE variables for consistent appearance.
PhotonBBS implements several security features:
Privilege Separation:
- Daemon starts as root to bind port 23
- Client connections drop to configured BBS user
- Scheduled tasks run as "nobody" user
Access Controls:
- IP-based banning and whitelisting
- User security levels
- Permission-based feature access
- Optional duplicate IP prevention
Data Protection:
- Restricted file permissions
- Secure password storage
- Session isolation
- GitHub: https://github.com/fewtarius/photonbbs
- Issues: Report bugs and feature requests via GitHub Issues
- Live Demo: telnet bbs.terminaltavern.com
Contributions are welcome! Please:
- Fork the repository
- Create a feature branch
- Make your changes
- Test thoroughly on a live system
- Submit a pull request
PhotonBBS is released under the GNU General Public License v2.
See LICENSE file for complete license text.
Original Author: Fewtarius
Contributors: See GitHub contributors list
Special Thanks: The BBS and MUD communities for keeping these platforms alive
Made with care for the BBS and MUD communities.
Connect, explore, and adventure at Terminal Tavern: telnet bbs.terminaltavern.com