Early Major BBS Screenshot Gallery

[Duckula]

After becoming nostalgic, I decided to install and run some of the very early releases of The Major BBS and created some screenshots for those interested in how the product developed over time, the versions covered are:

- The Major BBS V2.2
- The Major BBS V3.0
- The Major BBS V4.1
- The Major BBS V5.08

Interestingly with V2.2, you could not login to the system even locally without the appropriate breakthrough library software and hardware!

Screenshots can be found here: https://www.themajorbbs.com/gallery/

If you have any pictures from the Galacticomm, MBBS/WG days you would like to contribute, please PM me.

[Specin]

That is cool to see. I think the first version I saw running was 5.something, it's interesting to see earlier versions. Thanks for sharing and for working on all of this in general!

[daniel_spain]

Duckula wrote:
> After becoming nostalgic, I decided to install and run some of the very
> early releases of The Major BBS and created some screenshots for those
> interested in how the product developed over time, the versions covered
> are:
>
> - The Major BBS V2.2
> - The Major BBS V3.0
> - The Major BBS V4.1
> - The Major BBS V5.08
>
> Interestingly with V2.2, you could not login to the system even locally
> without the appropriate breakthrough library software and hardware!
>
> Screenshots can be found here: https://www.themajorbbs.com/gallery/
>
> If you have any pictures from the Galacticomm, MBBS/WG days you would like
> to contribute, please PM me.

aye... with 2.2 the software was just a demonstration of what the hardware could do as it required the 16 channel card.

[Duckula]

Specin - No problem, it was fun going through the old versions. V5 was the first that required installation, everything else was just a small number of files in a directory.

Daniel - The decision to release v2.2 as open source without the ability to really show what it was capable of without the hardware/library is a strange one to me. I suspect thats why by the next release (v3) you could emulate a local channel and login.

[Kracken]

Yes seems that version works only with a galactiboard. Tested with default COM1-4 ports in dosbox, and unlike other version, the channels would always stays not operational (---)

An interesting excerpt from the README:

You will probably not be able to actually DO a whole lot with this copy
of MAJORBBS.EXE, since it requires the presence of a GALACTICOMM
BREAKTHROUGH card in order to operate as a multi-user BBS. The reason
it is supplied at all is just so that you can see how the system looks
from the System Operator's point of view. The intent here is that you
can use our free demo system (305-922-3901) to see what the system looks
like from the "typical user's" point of view, with live modems and so
forth. Running MAJORBBS on your own machine, then, gives you a feel for
the kinds of things you will be able to do as a System Operator.
Between using our demo system, reviewing these "SYSOP" displays, and
reading the source code, you will be able to form a sound judgement as
to whether The Major BBS is what you need.

A lot of assumptions here IMHO. Maybe reading C is like reading plain english for Stryker, but for regular sysops of the time? I think he learned better ways to market his work.. later ;)

[Duckula]

I found that funny as well! Basically he was saying, look at this screen, read my code and you will know how good it is. As you said, fine for a genius like Stryker but probably not a great sales pitch for your average sysop.

By v3 there was a local login so I guess he figured it out pretty quickly.

[Questman]

To be fair, this was like 1986. He wasn't even sure what he had yet. The company was really building multi-modem hardware and the GSBL library for developers to use to build custom systems. It wasn't until soon after he realized the BBS software itself could be the pathway to commercial success.

[Duckula]

Agreed - I am sure 2.2 never went anywhere without him and the hardware, I just found it interesting the he open sourced it thinking that would help. Maybe it did?