1. Forum
  2. tqwNet
  3. TQW RASPBPI

  • BBS on a Raspberry Pi

    From ChkSum4Gvn@1337:2/104 to All on Mon Feb 3 07:45:16 2025
    Hello,

    I'm new to this board and it feels like I'm new to BBSes in general because it's been 40 years since I logged into one and almost as long since I've thought about it. So expect me to ask dumb questions, post in the wrong
    forums all while continuing to search for the ANY key...

    My mind is stuck on auto pilot with the idea of setting up a BBS some day. I don't know if I'll wrest control of the yoke and avoid collision or not but
    one of the questions taking up too much of my attention is the following...

    Is there a 'best' BBS software to run on a Raspberry Pi and if so, what is it and why? If I do it, I would want to use no less than a Pi4, I'm guessing...
    I assume I could use a smaller slice of Pi but I've always been a greedy glutton when it comes to Pie, so knowing me, I'd probably use a Pi5, but I don't want to get stupid about it. In fact, my extreme nature can go either
    way with this. There's a part of me that wants to know what is the least Pi that could do an excellent job of hosting a BBS - if that's the right term? I am extremely interested to know your thoughts on this subject.

    Thank you in advance if you take the time to answer my question.

    ChkSum4Gvn

    --- Mystic BBS v1.12 A46 2020/08/26 (Linux/64)
    * Origin: Sent from Al's Geek Lab 1337:2/104 (1337:2/104)
  • From Mortar@1:124/5016 to ChkSum4Gvn on Fri Apr 11 22:42:51 2025
    Re: BBS on a Raspberry Pi
    By: ChkSum4Gvn to All on Mon Feb 03 2025 07:45:16

    Is there a 'best' BBS software to run on a Raspberry Pi...

    "Best" is a relative term, however, probably the most popular is Raspberry Pi OS (whodda thunk?), which is a Linux distro.

    ...I'd probably use a Pi5...

    You'd think the latest and greatest might be the way to go, but there are tradeoffs between the Pi 5 and 4. Also, don't limit youself to just the Pi SBCs, there's a whole slew of other brands out there, including SBCs that use the x86 platform, so you could install Windows, if you want. There's also RISC-based SBCs, if you want the bleeding edge.

    I don't know your SBC level of knowledge, but here's a couple of resources you might want to check out:

    Raspberry Pi Comparison Chart
    https://socialcompare.com/en/comparison/raspberrypi-models-comparison
    Videos on SBC Reviews
    https://explainingcomputers.com/sbc.html

    Hope you find these useful.
    --- SBBSecho 3.24-Linux
    * Origin: End Of The Line BBS - endofthelinebbs.com (1:124/5016)
  • From paulie420@1337:3/129 to ChkSum4Gvn on Sat Apr 12 19:23:34 2025
    Is there a 'best' BBS software to run on a Raspberry Pi and if so, what
    is it and why? If I do it, I would want to use no less than a Pi4, I'm guessing... I assume I could use a smaller slice of Pi but I've always been a greedy glutton when it comes to Pie, so knowing me, I'd probably use a Pi5, but I don't want to get stupid about it.

    You can run any of the BBS softwares on [mostly] any Raspberry Pi. I started 2oFB on a Pi 4 - and a Pi 5 would give even more CPU - but I think you'll find that you could have went w/ a Pi 3 and be totally fine...

    2oFB has grown, and I mostly moved it to enterprise server hardware because of the massive File Conferences - something most BBSes will never need to worry about.

    A simple answer to your question is that ANY Raspberry Pi will run a BBS software - its just how vast you add to the BBS that will dictate how much CPU you'll need. :P Have fun - you can get started BBSing with a Pi... easy peasy.

    What are you gonna run? I always ran Raspberry Pi OS Lite. A nice Debian Linux based OS that could run my Mystic, Synchronet, Enigma .5 or other BBS software... the w0rld is your oyster!



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

    --- Mystic BBS v1.12 A49 2024/05/29 (Linux/64)
    * Origin: 2o fOr beeRS bbs>>>20ForBeers.com:1337 (1337:3/129)
  • From Mike Powell@1337:3/103 to CHKSUM4GVN on Sun Apr 13 09:21:00 2025
    Is there a 'best' BBS software to run on a Raspberry Pi and if so, what
    is it and why? If I do it, I would want to use no less than a Pi4, I'm guessing... I assume I could use a smaller slice of Pi but I've always
    been a greedy glutton when it comes to Pie, so knowing me, I'd probably
    use a Pi5, but I don't want to get stupid about it.

    I ran MagickaBBS and, later, Talisman BBS on a Pi. They were both pretty
    easy to set up, and IIRC Talisman is still being maintained
    (talismanbbs.org).

    I was running both on a Pi 2. A Pi 3 or better might work better for
    Talisman.

    There are folks running both Synchronet and maybe Mystic on Pis, too. I
    have not tried those.


    * SLMR 2.1a * Innocent critters *squashed* on the highway of life!
    --- SBBSecho 3.20-Linux
    * Origin: capitolcityonline.net * Telnet/SSH:2022/HTTP (1337:3/103)