A modern terminal-based bulletin board system built with .NET 8
Bringing the nostalgic BBS experience to the modern era
Features • Quick Start • Documentation • Contributing • Support
Blackboard is a modern implementation of classic bulletin board systems (BBS), inspired by legendary systems like Telegard, Mystic, and Renegade. Built with .NET 8 and featuring a rich terminal interface, it combines the nostalgic charm of 1980s-90s BBSes with modern reliability, security, and maintainability.
Whether you're a sysop looking to run a retro BBS community or a developer interested in terminal applications and networking protocols, Blackboard provides a solid, extensible foundation with comprehensive features.
- 🚀 Modern Architecture - Clean, modular .NET 8 solution with dependency injection
- 🌐 Custom Telnet Server - Full ANSI/VT100 support with proper telnet protocol negotiation
- 🖥️ Terminal Administration - Rich Terminal.Gui interface for system management
- 🗃️ SQLite Database - Reliable data persistence with WAL mode and connection pooling
- ⚙️ YAML Configuration - Hot-reloadable configuration with file watching
- 📝 Comprehensive Logging - Structured logging with Serilog (console + file output)
- 🔐 Secure Authentication - BCrypt password hashing with complexity requirements
- 👤 User Profiles - Customizable profiles with preferences and statistics
- 🛡️ Access Control - Permission levels with granular access control
- 🔒 Session Management - Secure session handling with timeout controls
- 📊 Audit Logging - Complete audit trail for administrative actions
- 📧 Private Messaging - Secure inbox/outbox with read/unread tracking
- 📋 Public Message Boards - Threaded discussions with moderation tools
- 🎨 ANSI Editor - Built-in ANSI art editor for creative message composition
- 🔍 Message Search - Full-text search with pagination support
- 🚫 User Blocking - Block/unblock system for user privacy
- 📈 Message Quotas - Configurable daily and monthly limits
- 🗂️ File Areas - Organized file libraries with permissions and quotas
- 📥 File Transfers - Upload/download support with approval workflow
- ⭐ Rating System - 5-star rating system with user comments
- 🏷️ File Tagging - Tag-based organization and search
- 📊 Statistics - Download tracking and usage analytics
- 🧹 Auto-cleanup - Automatic removal of expired files
- 🚪 Door Registry - Comprehensive door game management interface
- 💾 DOS Games Support - DOSBox integration for classic BBS doors
- 📄 Drop File Standards - Support for DOOR.SYS, DORINFO1.DEF formats
- 🔌 FOSSIL Emulation - Serial port to telnet emulation for legacy compatibility
- 🎯 Access Controls - User-level permissions and scheduling
- 📈 Game Statistics - Session monitoring and usage statistics
- 📊 Real-time Dashboard - Live system statistics and monitoring
- 👨💼 User Management - Comprehensive user administration tools
- 🔧 Configuration Manager - Hot-reloadable YAML configuration system
- 📝 Log Viewer - Built-in log analysis and monitoring
- 🛠️ Maintenance Tools - Database optimization and cleanup utilities
- .NET 8.0 SDK or later
- Operating System: Linux, Windows, or macOS
- Terminal: Any ANSI/VT100 compatible terminal or telnet client
-
Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/yourusername/blackboard.git cd blackboard -
Build the solution
dotnet build
-
Run the BBS
dotnet run --project src/Blackboard
-
Connect to your BBS
telnet localhost 2323
Note: The system starts with the telnet server offline by default for security. Use the admin interface to enable it.
| Setting | Default Value | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Telnet Port | 2323 | Non-privileged port (23 requires root) |
| Database | data/blackboard.db |
SQLite database location |
| Configuration | blackboard.yml |
Main configuration file |
| Logs | logs/ |
Log file directory |
| Screens | screens/ |
ANSI screen files |
┌─────────────────┐ ┌──────────────────┐ ┌─────────────────┐
│ Telnet Client │────│ Blackboard │────│ SQLite Database │
└─────────────────┘ └──────────────────┘ └─────────────────┘
│
┌────────┴────────┐
│ │
┌──────▼──────┐ ┌──────▼──────┐
│ Terminal UI │ │ YAML │
│ (Admin) │ │ Config │
└─────────────┘ └─────────────┘
Blackboard/
├── 📁 src/
│ ├── 🎯 Blackboard/ # Main application & Terminal.Gui interface
│ ├── 🧠 Blackboard.Core/ # Core business logic & services
│ └── 💾 Blackboard.Data/ # Data access layer & SQLite management
├── 🧪 tests/ # Unit and integration tests
├── 📚 docs/ # Documentation & guides
├── ⚙️ blackboard.yml # Configuration file
└── 📄 README.md # This file
- 🚪 Door System Guide - Complete guide to setting up door games
- 📋 Product Requirements - Detailed feature specifications
- ✅ Development Tasks - Current development roadmap
# Clone and build
git clone https://github.com/yourusername/blackboard.git
cd blackboard
dotnet restore
dotnet build
# Run tests
dotnet test
# Run with hot reload
dotnet watch --project src/Blackboard- Framework: .NET 8.0
- UI: Terminal.Gui
- Database: SQLite with Entity Framework
- Logging: Serilog
- Configuration: YamlDotNet
- Security: BCrypt.Net, JWT tokens
- Testing: xUnit, Moq
- Fork the repository
- Create a feature branch (
git checkout -b feature/amazing-feature) - Commit your changes (
git commit -m 'Add amazing feature') - Push to the branch (
git push origin feature/amazing-feature) - Open a Pull Request
Please read our Contributing Guidelines for details on our code of conduct and development process.
Phase 1: Core System
- .NET 8.0 project structure with modular design
- Custom telnet server with ANSI/VT100 support
- Terminal.Gui administration interface
- SQLite database with comprehensive schema
- YAML configuration system with hot-reload
- Serilog structured logging
Phase 2: User Management
- User registration and authentication
- Profile management and preferences
- Permission levels and access control
- Password security with BCrypt
- Session management and audit logging
Phase 3: Administration
- Real-time dashboard with system statistics
- Active sessions monitoring
- Configuration management interface
- User management tools
- System alerts and notifications
Phase 4: Messaging
- Private messaging with inbox/outbox
- Public message boards with threading
- ANSI editor integration
- Message search and pagination
- User blocking and preferences
- Admin moderation tools
Phase 5: File Management
- File areas with permissions
- Upload/download with approval workflow
- File search and tagging
- Rating system with comments
- Statistics and auto-cleanup
Phase 6: Door Games
- Door registry and management
- DOSBox integration for DOS games
- Drop file support (DOOR.SYS, DORINFO1.DEF)
- FOSSIL emulation for legacy compatibility
- Access controls and scheduling
Phase 7: Inter-BBS Networks
- FidoNet protocol support
- QWK/REP packet processing
- Network configuration interface
- Message routing and import/export
Phase 8: Enhanced UI
- Custom ANSI art screens and menus
- Real-time updates and notifications
- Enhanced keyboard navigation
- Template system for dynamic content
- System starts with telnet server offline by default
- Default telnet port 2323 (non-privileged)
- BCrypt password hashing with salt
- Comprehensive audit logging
- Session timeout controls
- Database WAL mode for better concurrency
This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.
- Inspired by classic BBS systems: Telegard, Mystic BBS, and Renegade
- Built with modern .NET technologies
- Terminal.Gui for rich console interfaces
- The BBS community for keeping the spirit alive
- Issues: GitHub Issues
- Discussions: GitHub Discussions
- Documentation: Project Wiki
Made with ❤️ by the Blackboard community