[Savannah-hackers] savannah.gnu.org: submission of Newline Internet BBS

[xavier]

A package was submitted to savannah.gnu.org.
This mail was sent to address@hidden, address@hidden


Xavier Antoviaque <address@hidden> described the package as follows:
License: gpl
Other License: 
Package: Newline Internet BBS
System name: newline
This package does NOT want to apply for inclusion in the GNU project

The Newline project intent is to provide a real Internet-based alternative to 
the traditionnal BBS, that recently lost their audience. BBS were separate 
servers, accessed by modems, that mainly provided three types of services to a 
dedicated community : download of files, chat and written distant communication 
(netmail/echomail).

Newline takes what was good on traditionnal BBS, and adapt it to use the 
advantages of Internet. The lack of anonymity and the privileged contact 
between the users and their SysOp (the administrator of a BBS) makes the strong 
of a BBS community, while Internet provides instantaneity and lowered costs.

Newline makes also intensive use of existing technologies and standards, like 
the FTP protocol for file transfers or the NNTP protocol for newsreading. The 
objective is not to reinvent everything, but to adapt what already exists to 
fit the needs of a real Internet BBS.

There are two types of Newline packages : the server side packages, and the 
client side package. The server side packages can be used separately or as a 
whole (chat/news/file-transfer); the news and file-transfer sub-servers being 
compatible respectively with FTP and NNTP clients, they can even be used as 
\"traditionnal\" FTP and NNTP servers. The client side package allows the 
end-user to fully use the possibilities of a Newline Internet BBS.

One other major feature of Newline is the intensive use of a MySQL server for 
data storing, like message boards, allowing for example the SysOp to give a web 
front-end to his discussion groups.

It does not exist yet but I\'m working on it.