• Get my C128/C64 on FIDO

    From Andreas Dissel@2:240/8001.8 to Alle on Thu Jul 26 18:26:00 2018
    Hi, all.

    After a "hundred years" I got me a C128 and I would like to read my fido
    mail with it. Is there a way to do that? Maybe download the messages with linux, make a qwk out of it and then read it with QWKRR on the C128? After all, I realized, that I don't have a hunch about fido, so any starting
    point would be great. Back then I left the scene before fido was a thing,
    so I'm quit old... :-D

    Thanks a lot for your help.

    --- OpenXP 5.0.28
    * Origin: (2:240/8001.8)
  • From Andreas Kohlbach@3:770/3 to Andreas Dissel on Thu Jul 26 16:35:12 2018
    On Thu, 26 Jul 2018 18:26:00 +1200, Andreas Dissel wrote:

    After a "hundred years" I got me a C128 and I would like to read my fido
    mail with it. Is there a way to do that? Maybe download the messages with linux, make a qwk out of it and then read it with QWKRR on the C128? After all, I realized, that I don't have a hunch about fido, so any starting
    point would be great. Back then I left the scene before fido was a thing,
    so I'm quit old... :-D

    Thanks a lot for your help.

    Do you still have your modem? Should be possible then to find a BBS in
    your area which might still has a FIDO feed.

    I also saw some videos on YouTube connecting a C64 (and so probably a
    C128) with some additional hardware and crazy cable setup to the internet.
    --
    Andreas

    My random toughts and comments
    https://news-commentaries.blogspot.com/

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: Agency HUB, Dunedin - New Zealand | Fido<>Usenet Gateway (3:770/3)
  • From Grant Taylor@3:770/3 to Andreas Dissel on Thu Jul 26 21:18:41 2018
    On 07/26/2018 12:26 AM, Andreas Dissel wrote:
    Hi, all.

    Hi,

    After a "hundred years" I got me a C128 and I would like to read my fido
    mail with it. Is there a way to do that? Maybe download the messages
    with linux, make a qwk out of it and then read it with QWKRR on the
    C128? After all, I realized, that I don't have a hunch about fido, so
    any starting point would be great. Back then I left the scene before
    fido was a thing, so I'm quit old... :-D

    I know virtually nothing about BBSs or FidoNet (or FTNs in general), so
    please correct me if I'm wrong.

    Your statement, "I would like to read my fido mail" makes me think that
    you want email, which I believe is tied to a specific BBS. Or at least
    a specific BBS at the FidoNet node address.

    This makes me think that connecting to any random BBS with your C128
    won't do what you want.

    Or are you talking about reading posts to echos? I think that could be
    done by connecting to any random BBS that does carry that echo and have
    history going back that far.

    Thanks a lot for your help.

    I suspect I wasn't much help.

    But I would appreciate if anyone can help educate me on what and where
    I'm wrong in my understanding.



    --
    Grant. . . .
    unix || die

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: Agency HUB, Dunedin - New Zealand | Fido<>Usenet Gateway (3:770/3)
  • From Grant Taylor@3:770/3 to Andreas Kohlbach on Thu Jul 26 21:23:52 2018
    On 07/26/2018 02:35 PM, Andreas Kohlbach wrote:
    Do you still have your modem? Should be possible then to find a BBS in
    your area which might still has a FIDO feed.

    Depending on where the OP lives, I'd be somewhat surprised if there is
    still an active BBS with a dial up modem in the area. I believe they
    are few and far in between in the US. I think some countries still have
    a more dense population of BBSs.

    That being said, I think there is a resurgence of new BBSs that start as
    telnet (or SSH) and then add modem support. I don't know how many of
    these boards are joining FidoNet.

    I also saw some videos on YouTube connecting a C64 (and so probably a
    C128) with some additional hardware and crazy cable setup to the internet.

    I wonder if that was a WiFi232 with the proper cables and / or adapters
    to connect to a C64 or C128.

    I think the WiFi232 is an impressive little device that gateways between
    AT commands and IP connected telnet enabled BBSs. (Or really anything
    that you can telnet to.)



    --
    Grant. . . .
    unix || die

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: Agency HUB, Dunedin - New Zealand | Fido<>Usenet Gateway (3:770/3)
  • From Andreas Dissel@2:240/8001.8 to Andreas Kohlbach on Fri Jul 27 12:00:00 2018
    Thanks for your answer.

    Do you still have your modem? Should be possible then to find a BBS in
    your area which might still has a FIDO feed.
    Going the BBS way would be the easiest for now.
    But I wondered if I have e.g. blinkd and husky working on linux will I get qwk files out of that or if not, is there a reader for c64/128 for this format?

    I also saw some videos on YouTube connecting a C64 (and so probably a
    C128) with some additional hardware and crazy cable setup to the internet.
    Yes, I have that working.


    --- OpenXP 5.0.28
    * Origin: (2:240/8001.8)
  • From Grant Taylor@3:770/3 to Andreas Dissel on Sat Jul 28 01:40:26 2018
    On 07/26/2018 06:00 PM, Andreas Dissel wrote:
    is there a reader for c64/128 for this format?

    It looks like QWKRR128 is an option.

    Link - QWKRR128 v5.10
    - http://commodore.software/index.php?option=com_jdownloads&view=download&id=897: qwkrr128-v5-10&catid=142&Itemid=126

    Older versions of QWKRR128.

    Link - Files under /pub/cbm/c128 (Search the page for QWKRR.)
    - http://www.zimmers.net/anonftp/pub/cbm/c128/ALLFILES.html



    --
    Grant. . . .
    unix || die

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: Agency HUB, Dunedin - New Zealand | Fido<>Usenet Gateway (3:770/3)
  • From Grant Taylor@3:770/3 to Andreas Dissel on Sat Jul 28 01:32:01 2018
    On 07/26/2018 06:00 PM, Andreas Dissel wrote:
    Going the BBS way would be the easiest for now.

    Agreed.

    But I wondered if I have e.g. blinkd and husky working on linux will I
    get qwk files out of that or if not,

    Aren't blinkd and husky effectively FTN daemons for Linux? Doesn't that
    mean that you will need to establish your new BBS as part of FidoNet to
    receive echos and email?

    is there a reader for c64/128 for this format?

    I have no idea if there is a QWK reader for C64 or C128. I guess you'd
    be downloading those from a BBS, possibly your to be built BBS.



    --
    Grant. . . .
    unix || die

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: Agency HUB, Dunedin - New Zealand | Fido<>Usenet Gateway (3:770/3)
  • From Robert Wolfe@3:770/3 to All on Sat Jul 28 14:34:06 2018
    After a "hundred years" I got me a C128 and I would like to read my
    fido
    mail with it. Is there a way to do that? Maybe download the messages
    linux, make a qwk out of it and then read it with QWKRR on the C128?
    all, I realized, that I don't have a hunch about fido, so any startin
    point would be great. Back then I left the scene before fido was a th
    so I'm quit old... :-D

    Not a problem :) On the BBS I am replying to this message from (one of
    mine) I carry Fido and Usenet newsgroups :) Granted wildcat.uuhec.net
    runs a DOS-based package with some telnet server shims and I pull
    newsgroups and email via a UUCP connection, but it all works well
    together :)

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: Agency HUB, Dunedin - New Zealand | Fido<>Usenet Gateway (3:770/3)
  • From Andreas Kohlbach@3:770/3 to Andreas Dissel on Sat Jul 28 15:53:28 2018
    On Fri, 27 Jul 2018 12:00:00 +1200, Andreas Dissel wrote:

    Thanks for your answer.

    Do you still have your modem? Should be possible then to find a BBS in
    your area which might still has a FIDO feed.
    Going the BBS way would be the easiest for now.
    But I wondered if I have e.g. blinkd and husky working on linux will I get qwk files out of that or if not, is there a reader for c64/128 for this format?

    Do you have the files on a physical floppy disk? Then Catweasel <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Individual_Computers_Catweasel> might
    help.

    If you have them already as file image I think MAME has a tool to convert several image (floppy) files into others.
    --
    Andreas

    My random toughts and comments
    https://news-commentaries.blogspot.com/

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: Agency HUB, Dunedin - New Zealand | Fido<>Usenet Gateway (3:770/3)
  • From Andreas Dissel@2:240/8001.8 to Grant Taylor on Fri Aug 3 13:47:00 2018
    On 07/26/2018 06:00 PM, Andreas Dissel wrote:
    is there a reader for c64/128 for this format?

    It looks like QWKRR128 is an option.
    Yes, that's a good one.

    --- OpenXP 5.0.28
    * Origin: (2:240/8001.8)
  • From Andreas Dissel@2:240/8001.8 to Grant Taylor on Fri Aug 3 13:51:00 2018
    Aren't blinkd and husky effectively FTN daemons for Linux? Doesn't that
    mean that you will need to establish your new BBS as part of FidoNet to receive echos and email?
    Yes, that's Linux. I"ll not setup new BBS. So husky is not for me. I
    cancel this approach.



    --- OpenXP 5.0.28
    * Origin: (2:240/8001.8)
  • From Andreas Dissel@2:240/8001.8 to Andreas Kohlbach on Fri Aug 3 13:53:00 2018
    Do you have the files on a physical floppy disk? Then Catweasel <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Individual_Computers_Catweasel> might
    help.
    Catweasel looks nice. I'll bookmark, but is not needed in the moment.

    --- OpenXP 5.0.28
    * Origin: (2:240/8001.8)
  • From Andreas Dissel@2:240/8001.8 to Robert Wolfe on Fri Aug 3 14:11:00 2018
    Not a problem :) On the BBS I am replying to this message from (one of
    mine) I carry Fido and Usenet newsgroups :) Granted wildcat.uuhec.net
    runs a DOS-based package with some telnet server shims and I pull
    newsgroups and email via a UUCP connection, but it all works well
    together :)

    This sounds great. Can you give me some more info on that? Maybe I can
    setup this by myself...


    --- OpenXP 5.0.28
    * Origin: (2:240/8001.8)
  • From Andreas Dissel@2:240/8001.8 to Grant Taylor on Fri Aug 3 14:18:00 2018
    Your statement, "I would like to read my fido mail" makes me think that
    you want email, which I believe is tied to a specific BBS. Or at least
    a specific BBS at the FidoNet node address.

    This makes me think that connecting to any random BBS with your C128
    won't do what you want.

    Yes, you're right. The BBS way is not 100% tied to my point.
    For now, I think, I'll download the QWK from my BBS and later I maybe
    setup this UUCP thing...



    --- OpenXP 5.0.28
    * Origin: (2:240/8001.8)