Information about TNT and DPBox




1. What is dptnt?

dptnt is a packet radio AX25 package running under LINUX with no special requirements to kernel or setup. It is NOT another tcp/ip package

This archive contains the programs:

  • TNT: A hostmode terminal program for packet radio
  • DPBOX: A full featured BBS
  • TFKISS: A TNC-Firmware-Emulator with a KISS and AX/IP interface
  • BOXSTART: A 'watchdog' and program starter
  • DPBOXT: A standalone console for BBS operator

In addition HDPARM is included, because of receiver overruns on the serial line with the actual LINUX-kernels. More details can be found in the README of TNT.

Out of these programs you can create a configuration which fits to your needs. You can set up a personal mail system, a powerful packet radio terminal for your own needs or a full featured public bbs.

2. Some features

terminal part:

  • Virtual screens for every connection
  • connect scripts
  • shell, run and socket interfaces
  • YAPP(C) and AutoBIN protocols for file transfer
  • forcing bbs to start forward if own call found in a mail beacon (to gather your own private mails)
  • NEW: wampes compatible program interface. Attaching converses, clusters etc.

bbs part:

  • F6FBB-, W0RLI-, TheBox- style forward protocols implemented
  • 8-bit transparency of messages using AutoBIN protocol (no 7plus needed)
  • BBS-data online compressed to save space on disk, forward and download
  • BBS can be filled by monitoring the frequency (useful for private usage)
  • PACSAT style bulletin broadcast transmitter and receiver
  • up to 200 simultaneous users
  • file server area, combined with auto-7plus-extractor
  • unproto message list broadcast
  • file request mode in compressed s&f as used by TPK, TSTHOST and others
  • shell login
  • external commands run in separate tasks
  • MD2 and MD5 password authentication
  • YAPP/YAPPC supported
  • NEW: plain text retrieval
  • NEW: http(WWW) access
  • NEW: BBS access from command line

both:

  • fast, reliable, economic. Left beta state more than a year ago.

3. Connectivity

With the current package, you are free to connect an unlimited number of the following devices to the system:

  • TNC2 / TNC3 in wa8ded-hostmode
  • any KISS device, this includes:
    • almost every TNC of any vendor
    • rmnc digipeaters
    • PC/Flexnet digipeaters
    • TheNetNode digipeaters
    • wampes tcp systems (SMACK KISS)
    • any redirectable KISS port on your Unix machine
  • AX/IP to connect via any IP connection
  • NEW: Use of Linux AX25 Kernel support

4. Status

The development is ongoing, the archive is a snapshot of the current status. The documentation is complete.

With this release we want to give an easy access for everybody being interested in the software. TNT and DPBOX is currently running in 20 BBSs of the german/austrian BBS network, and we received a lot of requests for a general release.

TNT, DPBOX and DPBOXT are under the GNU public license, TFKISS under ALAS, which is a german license for HAM RADIO software. For all programs the sourcecode is included.

5. How to get the files

Descriptions of all archives and a possibility of downloading is contained in the downloading page.
If downloading from a WWW-page does not work for you, have a look at ftp.funet.fi.

6. Contact

Author of dpbox:
Joachim Schurig, DL8HBS
AX25: DL8HBS @ DB0GR.#BLN.DEU.EU
email: jschurig@zedat.fu-berlin.de

Author of tnt, dpboxt, tfkiss and boxstart and Co-Author/porting of dpbox:
Mark Wahl, DL4YBG
AX25: DL4YBG @ DB0GR.#BLN.DEU.EU
email: wahlm-at-berlin-snafu-de


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Mark Wahl, 11.04.1999