Does anyone have any experience using SyncTERM on Ubuntu (20.04) to connect to C64 BBS's? I can make a connection but only the keys A-Z and 0-9 on my keyboard seem to do anything. Enter/Return, for example, simply doesn't work. I have the "screen" set to C64 but I've also tried 80x25 with the same effect. PC-based BBS's like Mystic and Synchronet work without issue.

Maybe SyncTERM isn't sending the keycodes the C64 BBS expects/understands when I press Return, etc.?

- Foobrew

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A47 2021/04/20 (Linux/64)
* Origin: Castle Rock BBS - bbs.castlerockbbs.com (80:505/0)

On 30 Jul 2021, Foobrew said the following...

Does anyone have any experience using SyncTERM on Ubuntu (20.04) to connect to C64 BBS's? I can make a connection but only the keys A-Z and 0-9 on my keyboard seem to do anything. Enter/Return, for example,
simply doesn't work. I have the "screen" set to C64 but I've also tried 80x25 with the same effect. PC-based BBS's like Mystic and Synchronet
work without issue.

Maybe SyncTERM isn't sending the keycodes the C64 BBS
expects/understands when I press Return, etc.?

I use Syncterm to connect to my Commodore BBS and every other one, I have no issues, I am using WIndows. BUT in Linux when I tried to compile several
months ago, I couldn't even get a screen in 64 or 128 mode. I recently set about to get it to work on one of my Pi's and did. Make sure you have the following pre-requisites installed, gcc, g++ cvs, libsdl1.2-dev, libncurses5-dev, and libcursesw5-dev. Once all of those are installed and it compiles. Then it should work with no issues.. Make sure you have the Screen mode set to C64 AND the font set to c64 lower. That's all there is to it. If the font is wrong you'll get a messed up screen and most likely the keyboard will be wrong.. Hope that helps..

Al

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A46 2020/08/26 (Windows/32)
* Origin: The Wrong Number Family Of BBS' - Wrong Number ][ (80:774/70)

Does anyone have any experience using SyncTERM on Ubuntu (20.04) to connect to C64 BBS's? I can make a connection but only the keys A-Z and 0-9 on my keyboard seem to do anything. Enter/Return, for example,
simply doesn't work. I have the "screen" set to C64 but I've also tried 80x25 with the same effect. PC-based BBS's like Mystic and Synchronet
work without issue.

Maybe SyncTERM isn't sending the keycodes the C64 BBS
expects/understands when I press Return, etc.?

- Foobrew

Hmmm, I'll take a crack at responding as I use Kubuntu, SyncTERM and I dial C64 boardsusing both 40col and 80col settings. My keystrokes all work perfectly, and I wonder why yer having problems...

What board(s) are you dialing? I ask because I dial many... maybe its just an issue with ONE board you're trying??

Also, remember to use the right setting. I use C64 for my screen size to dial 40col C64 BBSes... I use C128(80col) mode to dial C64 BBSes that support 80cols, like Image 3.0...

Here are a couple addresses and their settings that I dial into all the time using SyncTERM on Kubuntu:

wn4.duckdns.com:3000 C128(80col) mode The Wrong Number IV
rtg.dyndns.biz:6428 C64 mode Retrograde C=64 BBS
cib.dyndns.org:6400 C64 mode Commodore Image v1.2

Then, just to go deeper... I'm using SyncTERM v.1.1 from syncterm.bbsdev.net

:P Not trying to be facetious, just giving as much info as I can think of; you are setting the screen mode in each individual directory entry, yea? Pressing F2, scrolling down to screen mode and selecting the C= mode you want there??? Sure, I think it would work if you set the MAIN screen mode to some C= one and the directory entry is set to Current, but I like selecting per each BBS in their entries...

Hope something here helps. :P I call C= boards all the time... man, some of my favorites must only be in my ccgms term on my actual C= hardware... I also LOVE:

The Surf Shop



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--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A47 2021/07/28 (Raspberry Pi/32)
* Origin: 2o fOr beeRS bbs>>>20ForBeers.com:1337 (80:505/12)

What board(s) are you dialing? I ask because I dial many... maybe its
just an issue with ONE board you're trying??

I've tried a number of boards such as Borderline, Citadel and Reflections. I also just tried two of the ones you suggested, Wrong Number IV and Retrograde.

Also, remember to use the right setting. I use C64 for my screen size to dial 40col C64 BBSes... I use C128(80col) mode to dial C64 BBSes that support 80cols, like Image 3.0...

Yes, I'm pretty sure the ones I originally tried were C64(40col) but I also tried C128(40 & 80) just to test but observed the same behavior.

Then, just to go deeper... I'm using SyncTERM v.1.1 from syncterm.bbsdev.net

I'm using the same version from the same source. No issues compiling either. I've even tried deleting everything and starting over but saw no difference in behavior. It's really strange since it works perfectly, otherwise.

:P Not trying to be facetious, just giving as much info as I can think
of; you are setting the screen mode in each individual directory entry, yea? Pressing F2, scrolling down to screen mode and selecting the C=
mode you want there??? Sure, I think it would work if you set the MAIN screen mode to some C= one and the directory entry is set to Current,
but I like selecting per each BBS in their entries...

Yeah, I set the screen mode individually for each entry also. I also tried setting the main screen mode to C64 but made no difference.

It sounds like the issue must be unique to my system so that's good info. For the record, I'm actually using Xubuntu so it could even be a quirk of that variant. I think I'm going to try spinning up a VM with a vanilla install of Xubuntu and then build there and see if I get the same issue. If so, I'll try plain Ubuntu and possibly Fedora too just to see if I can narrow down the cause.

Thanks for the response.

Foobrew

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A47 2021/04/20 (Linux/64)
* Origin: Castle Rock BBS - bbs.castlerockbbs.com (80:505/0)

On 01 Aug 2021, Foobrew said the following...

I've tried a number of boards such as Borderline, Citadel and
Reflections. I also just tried two of the ones you suggested, Wrong
Number IV and Retrograde.

Hmmm I am getting the feeling it could be a Xubuntu thing, but I am running
it on Ubuntu and Raspbian also with no issues.. I am going to spin up a
Xubuntu VM to see what happens...

Al

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A46 2020/08/26 (Windows/32)
* Origin: The Wrong Number Family Of BBS' - Wrong Number ][ (80:774/70)

I use Syncterm to connect to my Commodore BBS and every other one, I
have no issues, I am using WIndows. BUT in Linux when I tried to compile several months ago, I couldn't even get a screen in 64 or 128 mode. I recently set about to get it to work on one of my Pi's and did. Make
sure you have the following pre-requisites installed, gcc, g++ cvs, libsdl1.2-dev, libncurses5-dev, and libcursesw5-dev. Once all of those
are installed and it compiles. Then it should work with no issues.. Make sure you have the Screen mode set to C64 AND the font set to c64 lower. That's all there is to it. If the font is wrong you'll get a messed up screen and most likely the keyboard will be wrong.. Hope that helps..

Al

This is good info. I suggest the OP tries using SyncTERM v.1.1 like I'm on... it isn't the nightly build/super current one, rather the last STABLE release. I wonder if thats where the issue lays.

OP, what version are you on? Its listed on the top line of the SyncTERM window.... and I suggest trying 1.1...



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|08.........

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A47 2021/07/28 (Raspberry Pi/32)
* Origin: 2o fOr beeRS bbs>>>20ForBeers.com:1337 (80:505/12)

On 31 Jul 2021, paulie420 said the following...

This is good info. I suggest the OP tries using SyncTERM v.1.1 like I'm on... it isn't the nightly build/super current one, rather the last
STABLE release. I wonder if thats where the issue lays.

OP, what version are you on? Its listed on the top line of the SyncTERM window.... and I suggest trying 1.1...

Good advice Paulie! I used the latest build to build my setup, but it took me days to scour the net for everything.. TQW Meatlotions docs are great, but
were missing a couple of pre-requisites, then I found another set of docs, which combined with ML's got me further along, THEN the final piece was a
post on a forum somewhere adding in another couple of items. After that it assembled and worked fine.. THe Windows version runs fine. The stable version might be the key here for him..

Al

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A46 2020/08/26 (Windows/32)
* Origin: The Wrong Number Family Of BBS' - Wrong Number ][ (80:774/70)

FIXED! :-D

After spinning up an Xubuntu VM, building SyncTerm and having everything work perfectly the first time, I knew it must be something specific to my main system's environment. It turned out to be a combination of two things.

First, I didn't haven't libsdl2-dev installed even though I could've swore I did. I mean, I checked multiple times to make sure I had all the libs installed but I must've just not looked close enough. I had quite a few SDL libs installed already so I guess I saw those and didn't notice -dev was missing.

Second, 'make clean' wasn't cleaning everything up. Even after noticing my sdl-dev mistake and installing that, I couldn't get a fully working build (without the C64 issue) until I completely rm'd the whole dir and did a fresh unzip of the src again.

Anyways, I'm ecstatic now that I can finally get on some C64 BBS's!

Thanks paulie420 and Bucko for the responses!

Cheers,
Foobrew

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A47 2021/04/20 (Linux/64)
* Origin: Castle Rock BBS - bbs.castlerockbbs.com (80:505/0)

I'm using the same version from the same source. No issues compiling either. I've even tried deleting everything and starting over but saw no difference in behavior. It's really strange since it works perfectly, otherwise.

Another thing to check for, as I remember I had a lot of issues with this on one of my compiles...

What interface mode are you running SyncTERM in? At the top line (Again, not trying to talk dumb - just saving time..) you see something like this:

SyncTERM 1.1 Debug (Jun 30 2021) - SDL

The last bit can be SDL, X11, Curses, CursesASCII, CursesIBM or ANSI modes.

When I didn't have SDL prerequisites installed correctly, Sync would run in either curses or X11 mode; neither of which gave ME the best results. I know that some of that is dependant on your Linux install, as far as which mode you want/need to run in, but I'm on Kubuntu (and Arch, Manjaro & Debian) and SDL always has the most functionality for ME. Other modes don't allow me to open the window to full-screen and curses didn't display ANSI correctly all the time if I was in a GUI - sure its needed for CLI functionality, but... are you running in SDL mode?

LOL - 1.1 works for ME, but you might have different luck, then, actually using the nightly build??? At least those are the next few things I'd check. :P

Nightly builds can be had using wget:

wget http://syncterm.bbsdev.net/syncterm-src.tgz



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--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A47 2021/07/28 (Raspberry Pi/32)
* Origin: 2o fOr beeRS bbs>>>20ForBeers.com:1337 (80:505/12)

On 01 Aug 2021, Foobrew said the following...

FIXED! :-D

Thanks paulie420 and Bucko for the responses!

No problem at all... :) That's what makes our community great! We all help
each other...

AL

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A46 2020/08/26 (Windows/32)
* Origin: The Wrong Number Family Of BBS' - Wrong Number ][ (80:774/70)

Good advice Paulie! I used the latest build to build my setup, but it
took me days to scour the net for everything.. TQW Meatlotions docs are great, but were missing a couple of pre-requisites, then I found another set of docs, which combined with ML's got me further along, THEN the
final piece was a post on a forum somewhere adding in another couple of items. After that it assembled and worked fine.. THe Windows version
runs fine. The stable version might be the key here for him..

Thats what I thought - I've finally gotten building Syncterm down to a sciene, lol. But yes... must make sure your SDL and SDL-dev is in there... and libncurses libncursesw5...

OP then stated they were on 1.1 already, but I think my SDL vs curses vx X11 MIGHT be something for him to check. For me, SDL mode is needed to get the most out of SyncTERM... :P

Sometimes its just nice to have a few minds on things that might help - HOPING the OP gets his C= BBSing ironed out, as I know Sync is CAPABLE...



|07p|15AULIE|1142|07o
|08.........

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A47 2021/07/28 (Raspberry Pi/32)
* Origin: 2o fOr beeRS bbs>>>20ForBeers.com:1337 (80:505/12)

Anyways, I'm ecstatic now that I can finally get on some C64 BBS's!

Thanks paulie420 and Bucko for the responses!

Awesome - thats all that matters is that you got it ironed out, rockstar! Hope you have it running correctly on your main system and yea - the SDL-Dev is an important bit. :P If I had to guess, you had been running sync in the curses mode which is more limited.

Glad you can enjoy the rad C= boards now! Checkout Bonzai Bromance, a killer new-ish C= demo - its rad!!!

csdb.dk



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--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A47 2021/07/28 (Raspberry Pi/32)
* Origin: 2o fOr beeRS bbs>>>20ForBeers.com:1337 (80:505/12)

On 01 Aug 2021, paulie420 said the following...

Sometimes its just nice to have a few minds on things that might help - HOPING the OP gets his C= BBSing ironed out, as I know Sync is CAPABLE...

And that is why BBS' are so much better then Facebook or any of the other forums.. We post our thoughts and most of the time it fixes up the person
with the issue.. :)

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A46 2020/08/26 (Windows/32)
* Origin: The Wrong Number Family Of BBS' - Wrong Number ][ (80:774/70)