It's a rewrite of PCBoard with all pros & cons.

May be easier to set up than the original PCBoard in some ways but PCBoard was known for it's hard and unintuitive setup.

So IcyBoard takes another approach that mystic/synchronet/enigma where you've a BBS with all bells and whistles after a small setup process.

OTOH it's a platform to run PPEs - so you've access to thousands of plugin options to configure it. It looks, feels and works like PCBoard - just on modern OS.

I've a new PPL compiler - which is way better than anything available for PCBoard - it can produce PPEs for any old PCBoard version and the language got extended a bit. (IcyBoard extended PPL in many ways - see docs.)

And IMO the best PPE decompiler available - so if you need a decompiler for PPE - take this :).

https://github.com/mkrueger/icy_board/releases/latest

Improved documentation a bit https://github.com/mkrueger/icy_board

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

It's a rewrite of PCBoard with all pros & cons. https://github.com/mkrueger/icy_board/releases/latest

Very happy you're continuing work on icy_*... I'm following along as I want to make sure this PCB rewrite gets archived @ 2oFB. Thanks for the update, Omni.



|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)

On 17 Mar 2025, Omnibrain said the following...

It's a rewrite of PCBoard with all pros & cons.

May be easier to set up than the original PCBoard in some ways but
PCBoard was known for it's hard and unintuitive setup.

So IcyBoard takes another approach that mystic/synchronet/enigma where you've a BBS with all bells and whistles after a small setup process.

OTOH it's a platform to run PPEs - so you've access to thousands of
plugin options to configure it. It looks, feels and works like PCBoard - just on modern OS.

I've a new PPL compiler - which is way better than anything available for PCBoard - it can produce PPEs for any old PCBoard version and the
language got extended a bit. (IcyBoard extended PPL in many ways - see docs.)

And IMO the best PPE decompiler available - so if you need a decompiler for PPE - take this :).

https://github.com/mkrueger/icy_board/releases/latest

Improved documentation a bit https://github.com/mkrueger/icy_board

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

Just wanted to drop a note about the install process. I installed icy_board on Ubuntu 24.04, 64bit. I used the source files and installed both Rust and icy_board. Used the installer for rust from their web page.

I downloaded the icy_board file into /Downloads. Then unzipped
automatically into /Downloads/icy_board-0.1.5. Switched to icy_board-0.1.5
and ran "cargo build --release" with no problems.

Where I ran into issues was trying to find "icbsetup." I found it in the /Downloads/icy_board.../target/release subdirectory. That took a while to track down. Once I ran ./icbsetup, things went smoothly. I have it running (not online) and was able to run some configuration changes.

I like what I see so far and will be keeping up with your progress. Last question is do you have a process for upgrading my current install or will I just have to download and restart compiling?

|11ogg
|11SysOp, Altair IV BBS
|11altairiv.ddns.net:2323

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

I like what I see so far and will be keeping up with your progress. Last question is do you have a process for upgrading my current install or
will I just have to download and restart compiling?

You took the build from source approach - this is ok for ppl who want it but I recommend pulling the git repo and not downloading the src.

"git pull" will update the src.

I release compiled versions for all major platforms to get around the rust install party. However building from source is required for other platforms - arm linux for example.

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

Very happy you're continuing work on icy_*... I'm following along as I want to make sure this PCB rewrite gets archived @ 2oFB. Thanks for the update, Omni.

y wanted to get icy_term more focus but icy_board is atm the thing I'm playing around with. It's close to be usable :). Should be able to run the majority of .PPE files and the PPL dev tools are in a state where I can recommend them even for old PCBoard development.

Compiler is compatible and produces better/optimzed .PPE files. Made much fun developing compiler/runtime/decompiler for PPL.

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

y wanted to get icy_term more focus but icy_board is atm the thing I'm playing around with. It's close to be usable :). Should be able to run
the majority of .PPE files and the PPL dev tools are in a state where
I can recommend them even for old PCBoard development.

That's pretty cool. I wasn't sure when i tested it a while back if it has
a tosser/scanner for import/export of FTN mail.

|07|02/|10\|03/ |11j0hnny a1pha |03\|10/|02\|07


--- Talisman v0.54-dev (Linux/x86_64)
* Origin: Space Junk! BBS :: SpaceJunkBBS.com:2323 (21:4/158)

j0hnny a1pha around Tuesday, March 18th...

That's pretty cool. I wasn't sure when i tested it a while back if it has a tosser/scanner for import/export of FTN mail.

https://github.com/mkrueger/icy_board/blob/main/docs/roadmap.md

Still not sure what's needed for FTN - need to learn how that's done.
So this can take a while.

--- ENiGMA 1/2 v0.0.14-beta (linux; x64; 22.14.0)
* Origin: Xibalba -+- xibalba.vip:44510 (21:1/121)

BY: Omnibrain (21:1/121)

|11O|09> |10Still not sure what's needed for FTN - need to learn how that's done.|07
|11O|09> |10So this can take a while.|07
does it use the pc board message base format? if so is there a windows or linux based tosser?



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

does it use the pc board message base format? if so is there a windows
or linux based tosser?

According to the github page: Message base format changed to JAM.

https://github.com/mkrueger/icy_board

Good info there about where it's at in development. Releases are here, including Win, Mac, Linux, etc.:

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

Seeing these modernization projects come to life (and moving toward
'production ready') is so cool. Especially the compatibility with
old-school PPEs...

Thanks, Mike!

|07|02/|10\|03/ |11j0hnny a1pha |03\|10/|02\|07


--- Talisman v0.54-dev (Linux/x86_64)
* Origin: Space Junk! BBS :: SpaceJunkBBS.com:2323 (21:4/158)

does it use the pc board message base format? if so is there a windows
or linux based tosser?

ATM there is no tosser - see roadmap. The current message base format is JAM. But it can be changed. I don't have much clue about the current state of message base formats what's the best etc.

Nor about tosser/mailer - never set up a fido network thing. Probably QWK networks are ez to implement since I added qwk import/export already.

I still have things to do - but mail exchange is pretty high on the todo list just need to find some mood/patience to implement it.

It's interesting that I get asked that a lot - no one seems to care about the PPEs :( or the PPL side of the project.

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

It's interesting that I get asked that a lot - no one seems to care about the PPEs :( or the PPL side of the project.

Not ever being a PC Board sysop, I am not sure what those are but I have
seen folks in BBS forums that seem excited that this new project will
support the PPEs from the original product.


* SLMR 2.1a * "I'm cold, and there are wolves after me!"-Granpa Simpson
--- SBBSecho 3.20-Linux
* Origin: capitolcityonline.net * Telnet/SSH:2022/HTTP (21:1/175)

Dumas Walker wrote to OMNIBRAIN <=-

It's interesting that I get asked that a lot - no one seems to care about

the

PPEs :( or the PPL side of the project.

Not ever being a PC Board sysop, I am not sure what those are but I
have seen folks in BBS forums that seem excited that this new project
will support the PPEs from the original product.

PPEs are generally "add-on" utils/doors that add or improve features.
Same idea as the various .js scripts for SBBS (such as DigDist stuff),
and (I think) the 'MPL' language/scripts for Mystic.



... Bug free, cheap, on time, works. Pick two.
=== MultiMail/Linux v0.52
--- SBBSecho 3.23-Linux
* Origin: Palantir * palantirbbs.ddns.net * Pensacola, FL * (21:2/138)

BY: Dumas Walker (21:1/175)

|11DW|09> |10Not ever being a PC Board sysop, I am not sure what those are but I have|07
|11DW|09> |10seen folks in BBS forums that seem excited that this new project will|07
|11DW|09> |10support the PPEs from the original product.|07
I wonder if there is a huge archive of PPE's still preserved today.


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

Not ever being a PC Board sysop, I am not sure what those are but I ha seen folks in BBS forums that seem excited that this new project will support the PPEs from the original product.

I wonder if there is a huge archive of PPE's still preserved today.

Here's one link I found: https://rob.synchro.net/files/BBS.Archives/PCboard-PPE-s-A-C/

A quick search turned up many more.

|11ogg
|11SysOp, Altair IV BBS
|11altairiv.ddns.net:2323

... Just another prisoner of gravity!

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

Hi

Not ever being a PC Board sysop, I am not sure what those are but I have seen folks in BBS forums that seem excited that this new project will support the PPEs from the original product.

Didn't see it yet :). But it already does support PPEs - as well as PPL development. The PPL development part is already ready - was my main focus.

Would even make sense for current pcboard installations to decompile PPE and recompile them - they're running faster & take less memory then :).

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