Worked a bit on IcyBoard the last few days, set up a little test BBS.
IcyBoard is a possible successor to PCBoard.
Aim is to be fully compatible and run on linux/mac/windows -
see readme for features/differences:
https://github.com/mkrueger/icy_board


PPE files work pretty well - however would need feedback - still possible to run into missing functions.

PPL compiler/decompiler included - is even backwards compatible to all pcboard versions and creates smaller binaries.
Worked a bit on IcyBoard the last few days, set up a little test BBS.
IcyBoard is a possible successor to PCBoard.
Aim is to be fully compatible and run on linux/mac/windows -
see readme for features/differences:
https://github.com/mkrueger/icy_board


PPE files work pretty well - however would need feedback -
still possible to run into missing functions.


PPL compiler/decompiler included - is even backwards
compatible to all pcboard versions and creates smaller binaries.


Other tools are included as well - should be possible to import
existing pcboard installations more or less - they're still dos
so manual editing is required. IcyBoard is aimed to run on
modern OSes and not DOS.


Release:
https://github.com/mkrueger/icy_board/releases/tag/0.1.6


Demo:
https://youtu.be/nTcSYmQt4ek

... Children should be obscene and not heard.

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A49 2024/05/29 (Linux/64)
* Origin: 2o fOr beeRS bbs>>>20ForBeers.com:1337 (21:2/150)

Worked a bit on IcyBoard the last few days, set up a little test BBS. IcyBoard is a possible successor to PCBoard.
Aim is to be fully compatible and run on linux/mac/windows -
see readme for features/differences:
https://github.com/mkrueger/icy_board

Any chance of making this or another like the MBBSEMU where it will run
PPE's but allow rLogin's to use it as a "server"?

... I'm a modemer & I'm OK, I post all night & I sleep all day.

--- Renegade v1.35/DOS
* Origin: The Titantic BBS Telnet - ttb.rgbbs.info (21:1/144)

BY: Omnibrain (21:2/150)

|11O|09> |10Worked a bit on IcyBoard the last few days, set up a little test BBS.|07
|11O|09> |10IcyBoard is a possible successor to PCBoard. |07
|11O|09> |10Aim is to be fully compatible and run on linux/mac/windows - |07 |11O|09> |10see readme for features/differences: |07
Can it do qwk networking right now?


--- WWIV 5.9.03748[Windows]
* Origin: inland utopia * california * iutopia.duckdns.org:2023 (21:4/108)

Any chance of making this or another like the MBBSEMU where it will run PPE's but allow rLogin's to use it as a "server"?

Short answer: No

My first idea was to just make a runtime for PPEs so they can be used in other BBS systems. Adding a new one to the pile wasn't really my goal.

But ~95% of the PPEs out there are pcboard only they make only sense for pcboard. There is no use for let's say a end of message reader command. PPEs usually plug in via pcbtext which makes it more difficult. They control the BBS via keyboard stuffing which isn't usually supported nor make any sense outside of PCBoard.

So you need a 100% compatible PCBoard to run. And they're really tied to PCboard data structures. Usually they read the binary data files to work.

So I had to create a new BBS. Has pros and cons - pro is that I can make a 'real' PCboard - I think I succeeded pretty well with that. Con is that it's a PCBoard - which isn't considered 'good' in terms of easy to use in 1992.

Could be described as nightmare 2025 - however that only makes it more fun :). I tried to make some things easier - like using text files, have self contained BBS folders, using relative paths everywhere etc.

But it's basically a complex thing with tons of options. There are some PPEs that make sense outside of PCBoard - a few games for example. But they're a real exception.

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A49 2024/05/29 (Linux/64)
* Origin: 2o fOr beeRS bbs>>>20ForBeers.com:1337 (21:2/150)

Worked a bit on IcyBoard the last few days, set up a little test BBS

[snip]

Release:
https://github.com/mkrueger/icy_board/releases/tag/0.1.6

I had a little play with this tonight, it works well! I was wondering
about FTN, I noticed it was listed as TODO in icy setup, but I noticed
you are using JAM for message base format - I know you've probably got
plans, but was wondering about setting up HPT & binkd in the mean time,
as HPT supports the JAM format too.

Anyway, great job.

Andrew


--- envy/0.1-adcffaf
* Origin: Quinn - Random Things - bbs.quinnos.com:2323 (21:3/197)

But it's basically a complex thing with tons of options. There are some PPE that make sense outside of PCBoard - a few games for example. But they're a real exception.

Yeah I see your point, and this was the only real thing I wanted, the few and far inbetween games that are PPEs.

... So he says to the Shapeshifter waitress, "Keep the change."

--- Renegade v1.35/DOS
* Origin: The Titantic BBS Telnet - ttb.rgbbs.info (21:1/144)

Worked a bit on IcyBoard the last few days, set up a little test BBS. IcyBoard is a possible successor to PCBoard.

https://github.com/mkrueger/icy_board

Awesome - thanks for the release, I'll get it up @ 2oFB... its really nice that you're trying to preserve PCB on modern machines. w00t w00t!



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

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A49 2024/05/29 (Linux/64)
* Origin: 2o fOr beeRS bbs>>>20ForBeers.com:1337 (21:2/150)

https://github.com/mkrueger/icy_board/releases/tag/0.1.6

Hey - one last thing... can you please include FILE_ID.DIZ in your release .zips??? It helps when uploading to bbSes... I know, I know; but it would be nice.



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

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A49 2024/05/29 (Linux/64)
* Origin: 2o fOr beeRS bbs>>>20ForBeers.com:1337 (21:2/150)

https://github.com/mkrueger/icy_board/releases/tag/0.1.6

Hey - one last thing... can you please include FILE_ID.DIZ in your release .zips??? It helps when uploading to bbSes... I know, I know; but it would b nice.

You're supposed to say "OR ELSE ..." :)

... If they're waving, where's the rest of their fingers?

--- Renegade v1.35/DOS
* Origin: The Titantic BBS Telnet - ttb.rgbbs.info (21:1/144)

https://github.com/mkrueger/icy_board/releases/tag/0.1.6

Hey - one last thing... can you please include FILE_ID.DIZ in your rele .zips??? It helps when uploading to bbSes... I know, I know; but it wou nice.

You're supposed to say "OR ELSE ..." :)

Funny thing is - I think I mentioned this last release, AND they ALREADY contain FILE_ID.DIZs. :P

So kudos to Omnibrain... they already are ready for bbS primetime!! :P

Ooops, p420.



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

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A49 2024/05/29 (Linux/64)
* Origin: 2o fOr beeRS bbs>>>20ForBeers.com:1337 (21:2/150)

I had a little play with this tonight, it works well! I was wondering about FTN, I noticed it was listed as TODO in icy setup, but I noticed
you are using JAM for message base format - I know you've probably got plans, but was wondering about setting up HPT & binkd in the mean time,
as HPT supports the JAM format too.

Anyway, great job.

ty - I've to admit that I've no claue about FTN atm - I'll need to setup a bbs and apply for some networks. It's surely one of the more important things on my todo list.

But there is still some things to do outside of that - for example I added now password hashing - needed to play around a bit with the model so that my approach doesn't break existing loging PPEs. PCBoard still is complex software :/.

I'm more lazy setting up a working BBS than implementing BBS software :). But I'm close... I hope to implement it this year. However need to care for icy_term/draw/view as well.

... KIDS!! Please DON'T try this at home!

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A49 2024/05/29 (Linux/64)
* Origin: 2o fOr beeRS bbs>>>20ForBeers.com:1337 (21:2/150)

Hey - one last thing... can you please include FILE_ID.DIZ in your
release .zips??? It helps when uploading to bbSes... I know, I know; but it would be nice.

AHHH - should be in the build files... need to look what's going wrong. I use the same build scripts for all tools - including FILE_ID.DIZ.

Will look at it.

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A49 2024/05/29 (Linux/64)
* Origin: 2o fOr beeRS bbs>>>20ForBeers.com:1337 (21:2/150)

Re: Re: IcyBoard 0.1.6 release
By: paulie420 to Omnibrain on Mon Oct 06 2025 18:35:07

Hey - one last thing... can you please include FILE_ID.DIZ in your release .zips??? It helps when uploading to bbSes... I know, I know; but it would be nice.
pAULIE42o

I wish file_id.diz would be more widely accepted and used. Especially with scene releases or art packs, etc., how often is it not even a zip archive, making it impossible to add a file_id.diz in the first place, or if there is one, people get creative with it but don't include any information about the release.
It's a real shame that file_id.diz is given so little attention.
Oh, and when file_id.diz is actually used for information about the release, the standard height and width of 10x45 is definitely not adhered to (although I think a little more height would be okay).

Mindsurfer
--- SBBSecho 3.28-Linux
* Origin: FuNToPiA BBS - telnet://funtopia.synchro.net:3023 (21:3/119)

I wish file_id.diz would be more widely accepted and used. Especially
with scene releases or art packs, etc., how often is it not even a zip archive, making it impossible to add a file_id.diz in the first place,
or if there is one, people get creative with it but don't include any information about the release.
It's a real shame that file_id.diz is given so little attention.
Oh, and when file_id.diz is actually used for information about the release, the standard height and width of 10x45 is definitely not
adhered to (although I think a little more height would be okay).

I agree with that - however let's think back how it was in the 90'.
I was in a group (LiQUiD) when I made let's say a PPE I was not alone there were people which made GFX, DOCS etc. so in some way it was more professional back then. It's harder to pay attention to everything when you're alone - esp. if you're a slacker like me - haha.

Today we sw devs just use github and the feature list is basically just the commits. But I agree that something could be improved there - I'll try to find a solution. Maybe a file_id.diz can be generated better.

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A49 2024/05/29 (Linux/64)
* Origin: 2o fOr beeRS bbs>>>20ForBeers.com:1337 (21:2/150)

release, the standard height and width of 10x45 is definitely not
adhered to (although I think a little more height would be okay).

Ugh, I hate when those things are more than like 4-5 lines!

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A48 (Raspberry Pi/32)
* Origin: https://13leader.net (21:3/195)

Funny thing is - I think I mentioned this last release, AND they ALREADY contain FILE_ID.DIZs. :P

So kudos to Omnibrain... they already are ready for bbS primetime!! :P

y just saw it - but updated file_id.diz for next release a bit. I generate the .zip files on github with a script - it could always be that such things break.

icy_board really needs testing - it's a pcboard so it's hard to set up.
Real feedback so far: 0

At least something like XXX doesn't work or YYY works would be helpful. Or let's say a list of PPEs which I really need to check :).

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A49 2024/05/29 (Linux/64)
* Origin: 2o fOr beeRS bbs>>>20ForBeers.com:1337 (21:2/150)

Hey - one last thing... can you please include FILE_ID.DIZ in your release .zips??? It helps when uploading to bbSes... I know, I know; it would be nice.

AHHH - should be in the build files... need to look what's going wrong.
I use the same build scripts for all tools - including FILE_ID.DIZ.

I think you already added it - when I uploaded to 2oFB, it pulled the descriptions. :P Good on you.

Nitpick??? Maybe add that one non .zip file into a .zip w/ FILE_ID.DIZ. :P (But no worries there!!)



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

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A49 2024/05/29 (Linux/64)
* Origin: 2o fOr beeRS bbs>>>20ForBeers.com:1337 (21:2/150)

I wish file_id.diz would be more widely accepted and used. Especially
with scene releases or art packs, etc., how often is it not even a zip archive, making it impossible to add a file_id.diz in the first place,
or if there is one, people get creative with it but don't include any information about the release.
It's a real shame that file_id.diz is given so little attention.
Oh, and when file_id.diz is actually used for information about the release, the standard height and width of 10x45 is definitely not
adhered to (although I think a little more height would be okay).

jACK pHLASH or xtqr did a nice Blog Post about the FILE_ID.DIZ format... I'll try to find the link - or if it was jP, I'm sure he could link it.

It was a good read... wait; it MAY HAVE been the dev of ENiGMA.5 - someone did, tho.



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

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A49 2024/05/29 (Linux/64)
* Origin: 2o fOr beeRS bbs>>>20ForBeers.com:1337 (21:2/150)

icy_board really needs testing - it's a pcboard so it's hard to set up. Real feedback so far: 0

I have zero PCB experience, but I DO have TONS of PCB mods/stuff on 2oFB - I'll try to get it installed and maybe I'll just try throwing a bunch of legacy PCB code at it... will report if I do. :P



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

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A49 2024/05/29 (Linux/64)
* Origin: 2o fOr beeRS bbs>>>20ForBeers.com:1337 (21:2/150)

It was a good read... wait; it MAY HAVE been the dev of ENiGMA.5 -
someone did, tho.

Yeah I'm pretty sure it was NuSkooler but can't seem to find it at
present.

Andrew


--- envy/0.1-adcffaf
* Origin: Quinn - Random Things - bbs.quinnos.com:2323 (21:3/197)

I have zero PCB experience, but I DO have TONS of PCB mods/stuff on 2oFB
- I'll try to get it installed and maybe I'll just try throwing a bunch
of legacy PCB code at it... will report if I do. :P

Would help - esp. feedback. PCB was let's say a nightmare to install/get going. That was part of why it was so popular - high school kids thought they were cool when they could manage to install that crap :).

Unfortunately icy board inherited that complexity - I tried to make it easier but it's still needed to understand the PCB system. Feedback from someone who never tried PCB would be interesting :).

But probably ~500 pages of PCB documentation is missing. Maybe that'll be something that I need to work on. AGEGIS tried something like icy board back in the 90' - started with a decompiler, compiler and then tried to re create a modern PCBoard. They wrote lots of documentation about it - because it was needed. (They never finished or got it as far as icy board - internet killed it)

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A49 2024/05/29 (Linux/64)
* Origin: 2o fOr beeRS bbs>>>20ForBeers.com:1337 (21:2/150)

I have zero PCB experience, but I DO have TONS of PCB mods/stuff on

2oFB

- I'll try to get it installed and maybe I'll just try throwing a

bunch

of legacy PCB code at it... will report if I do. :P

Would help - esp. feedback. PCB was let's say a nightmare to install/get going. That was part of why it was so popular - high school kids thought they were cool when they could manage to install that crap :).

Unfortunately icy board inherited that complexity - I tried to make it easier but it's still needed to understand the PCB system. Feedback from someone who never tried PCB would be interesting :).

But probably ~500 pages of PCB documentation is missing. Maybe that'll be something that I need to work on. AGEGIS tried something like icy board back in the 90' - started with a decompiler, compiler and then tried to re create a modern PCBoard. They wrote lots of documentation about it - because it was needed. (They never finished or got it as far as icy board - internet killed it)

I have no PCBoard experience, but love the mods for it... Night Rider's
board is so fricking slick! I might take a look at this, but I'm not always the quickest...

--
Shurato, Sysop Shurato's Heavenly Sphere (ssh, telnet, pop3, ftp,nntp,
,wss) (Ports 22,23,110,21,119,999)


*** THE READER V4.50 [freeware]
---
* Origin: Shurato's Heavenly Sphere telnet://shsbbs.net (21:2/148)

I have zero PCB experience, but I DO have TONS of PCB mods/stuff on 2 - I'll try to get it installed and maybe I'll just try throwing a bun of legacy PCB code at it... will report if I do. :P

Would help - esp. feedback. PCB was let's say a nightmare to install/get going.

Unfortunately icy board inherited that complexity - I tried to make it easier but it's still needed to understand the PCB system. Feedback from someone who never tried PCB would be interesting :).

Ok - I'll try to do an install... but; is there legact PCB documentation that might help??? OR; is that somewhere I might be able to help with the project? I'm not a great coder - I know just enough to get me in trouble... but I am good at figuring out the 'hard' installs; maybe I can help w/ dox???

But probably ~500 pages of PCB documentation is missing. Maybe that'll be something that I need to work on. AGEGIS tried something like icy board back in the 90' - started with a decompiler, compiler and then tried to
re create a modern PCBoard. They wrote lots of documentation about it - because it was needed. (They never finished or got it as far as icy
board - internet killed it)

OK - right. Well... I might not be good for +/- 500pgs - but I'll open vim and write down what worked for me???



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

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A49 2024/05/29 (Linux/64)
* Origin: 2o fOr beeRS bbs>>>20ForBeers.com:1337 (21:2/150)

Ok - I'll try to do an install... but; is there legact PCB documentation that might help??? OR; is that somewhere I might be able to help with
the project? I'm not a great coder - I know just enough to get me in trouble... but I am good at figuring out the 'hard' installs; maybe I
can help w/ dox???

Sure - there is a wiki out there https://kuehlbox.wtf/wiki/start - this basically applies to icy_board. But most tools starting with "pcb" are now starting with "icb" :). pcbsetup -> icbsetup etc.

I need more help from user POV than code - that's for sure. I've started a new documentation today. I try to get something done this week. It's needed.

OK - right. Well... I might not be good for +/- 500pgs - but I'll open
vim and write down what worked for me???

+1 everything helps. However 500 pgs may be a bit much but it's a programming language attached with hundereds of functions and procedures.

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A49 2024/05/29 (Linux/64)
* Origin: 2o fOr beeRS bbs>>>20ForBeers.com:1337 (21:2/150)

I have no PCBoard experience, but love the mods for it... Night Rider's board is so fricking slick! I might take a look at this, but I'm not always the quickest...

Started working on PPL 2022... good had icy_term/draw/view in between and didn't intend to write a bbs system for sure... so it's not urgent. Just somewhat I can't stop now - I did go too far :)

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A49 2024/05/29 (Linux/64)
* Origin: 2o fOr beeRS bbs>>>20ForBeers.com:1337 (21:2/150)

Worked a bit on IcyBoard the last few days, set up a little test BBS. IcyBoard is a possible successor to PCBoard.
Aim is to be fully compatible and run on linux/mac/windows -
see readme for features/differences:
https://github.com/mkrueger/icy_board

Just tried to compile from source on Linux Mint. Sent you a netmail with details. Am trying now using a RasPi 3B+. Will netmail you details on how that goes.

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A49 2024/05/29 (Windows/64)
* Origin: Altair IV BBS (altairiv.ddns.net:2323) (21:2/147)

Just tried to compile from source on Linux Mint. Sent you a netmail with details. Am trying now using a RasPi 3B+. Will netmail you details on how that goes.

Will add it to the docs.

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A49 2024/05/29 (Linux/64)
* Origin: 2o fOr beeRS bbs>>>20ForBeers.com:1337 (21:2/150)

Hey Omnibrain!

On Wed, 08 Oct 2025 23:49:18 -0700, you wrote:

Will add it to the docs.

Some information for you, and I'm trying to be as descriptive in some of this as I can. If you have any questions or require more information, please feel free to reach out:

I created a Virtualbox VM, installed Omarchy and ran updates to the latest.

INSTALL.txt seems to be geared towards downloading an archive you've created. Cloning the repo there is no "bin" directory.

README.md took me to gettingstarted.md, in which "cargo build --release" worked without any issue, taking about 6 minutes and 40 seconds to complete (it downloaded and installed hundreds of packages probably needed by rust or something). More references to a 'bin' directory in gettingstarted.md as well, but after building, all of my binaries were in 'icy_board/target/release'.

I did notice the 'run.sh' you provide builds a debug version (I didn't notice this or look at this script until after I had already built the release version). If you want testers and help tracking down bugs, you may want to change the '--release' option in gettingstarted.md so early testers build a debug version, that way backtraces and the like can be done.

After finding the binaries, I ran './icbsetup /home/user/icb/' to get it out of needing to traverse into 6 directories deep (source was installed at '/home/user/src'). Worked as expected. I did have to create symlinks to all binaries in the 'icy_board/target/release' directory to the actual BBS directory, for ease of use, though. My preference, not necessary.

Just a quick list of what I've run into so far (so I don't forget):

- When applying as a new user, the "Please enter city/state" question currently does not allow commas or spaces. In my case, a normal answer there would be "Pewaukee, WI (or Wisconsin if not abbreviating the state)".

Also, the birthday field does not accept "/", even though the date format in icbsetup is set to "1) MM/DD/YY". I can see spaces not being allowed here (which they're not), but if "-" is indeed allowed and works (I didn't try it, just noticed "/" didn't work at the time), the formats should probably be changed to reflect that, and the default prompt should probably be changed to tell the applicant how to specifically format their birthday.

- When you login and are inputting your real name or alias, only capital letters are inputted. Anywhere else I've come across, including the application process.. lowercase can be used. This one is probably an outstanding limitation from the original PCBoard itself, as I remember not liking the name only using capitol letters.

- When you hit "B" for bulletins, you're essentially stuck there. I can't hit "Q" or "X" or even ENTER to go back to the main menu. After I hit something like "S" (I started hitting a bunch of letters to see how to get out of it), which is a search for text funcion (probably not needed from the bulletins menu) I was able hit enter to go back to the main menu.

- When listing users with "USER", if you're only allowing aliases (not real names) nothing is listed under "User Name", but my location and last on date were there.

- "V" to view your statistics doesn't seem to do anything.

- "WHO" command doesn't do anything for me (at the time I am the only one logged in, so maybe that's why - but shouldn't be the case as that command should probably always work).

- "icbsysmgr > edit users file > any user > gender" is listed twice.

This is about as far as I got so far. I'll continue to mess with it when I have time, and will try to plug in some PPEs to see how they work out. Definitely digging the old PCBoard vibes though!

Just so happens I have PCB installed in a Windows VM with PPEs already installed there. I didn't try importing old PCB stuff this time around since I had so much difficulty/resistance the last time. I just wanted to install this flashy new software and check it out right away. ;)

Regards,
Nick

... Sarcasm: because beating people up is illegal.
--- GoldED+/LNX 1.1.5-b20250409
* Origin: _thePharcyde telnet://bbs.pharcyde.org (Wisconsin) (21:1/200)