From: mpdillon@halcyon.com (Michael Dillon) Subject: Re: BBS Development for Linux Date: 15 Jun 1993 07:26:09 -0700
>> Guess what? A good GNU BBS is on the list.
>>
>
>Since Linux can utilizes ansi graphics, it would be nice to have the addition of
>a Linux ansi drawing program. Anyone care to tackle that?
And Linux could also handle the NAPLPS online graphics protocol which uses
real graphics (like X). It is a very efficient and compact protocol that
uses drawing primitives and also includes support for all European
language characters including Icelandic, Finnish, Czech etc. If you want
technical info, the file NAPLPS.ZIP in mirrors/msdos/naplps at either
oak.oakland.edu or wuarchive.wustl.edu or any other SIMTEL mirror is
a complete technical specification of the protocol. The directory also
contains other software for DOS including a drawing program, 1 or 2 terminal
programs, a file viewer, a CorelDraw conversion program, some sample images.
Lets not get stuck in the world of (yechh) ANSI graphics. Linux is a step
ahead of systems like DOS, so lets take a step ahead and build a BBS
that provides full realtime on-line graphics.
For those of you familiar with X over serial lines, let me assure you
that NAPLPS is very fast. Fast enough that it is reasonable to run it
over a 2400 bps link such as the majority of BBS callers use today. In
fact, the average NAPLPS image takes *LESS* bytes than the average
ANSI graphics image. Most images I have are between 2 and 6 K bytes.
-- Michael Dillon Internet: mpdillon@halcyon.halcyon.com C-4 Powerhouse Fidonet: 1:353/350 RR #2 Armstrong, BC V0E 1B0 Voice: +1-604-546-8022 Canada BBS: +1-604-546-2705