X-News

Headlines from X-bit BBS News Feed, a feed about BBSes, BBS software, door games and the scene. The list is rebuilt once a day.

• SyncTERM v1.9 has been released!

  2026-09-07

  SyncTERM v1.9 has been released with many changes and bug fixes since v1.8. For a full list of whatsnew visit: [https://tinyurl.com/syncterm-19]

• Door game: Carnival Season 3 Unlocked!

  2026-09-06

  Three seasons. One mystery that keeps getting bigger. Start beneath the bright lights of the midway, follow the Barker's keys into the Back Lot, and carry your history forward into a final chapter where what you earned, found, and became may still matter. Amazing door game from the maker of BBS Wordle!

• MiSTiGRiS: New art pack has been released

  2026-08-31

  Mistigris latest amazing art pack has been spotted in the wild! [https://16colo.rs/pack/mist0826]. Would you like to see more?

• DeuceGate: SSH-only replacement for GameSrv

  2026-08-30

  A modern, SSH-only replacement for GameSrv that runs against your existing BBS root - no menu rewrites, no user migration, no second transport stack. DeuceGate is a C17, SSH-native replacement for Rick Parrish's GameSrv door server. It reads an existing GameSrv directory in place and uses DeuceSSH for all remote connections.

• New drop file for BBS doors in development

  2026-08-30

  RealDeuce is creating BBSDEV.DRP, a small line-oriented format for handing a live BBS session to a door. It retains the easy sequential parsing of classic drop files while specifying the details they left ambiguous: UTF-8 text, absolute logoff time, terminal geometry and encoding, stable user identity, modern I/O mechanisms, and forward-compatible versioning. Modern BBS packages (like Synchronet) and Doors (like Immortal Barons) are already adding support.

• Happy 35th Birthday Linux!

  2026-08-25

  On August 25, 1991, Torvalds announced the project on the comp.os.minix Usenet newsgroup, stating: "I'm doing a (free) operating system (just a hobby, won't be big and professional like gnu) for 386(486) AT clones. This has been brewing since april, and is starting to get ready. I'd like any feedback on things people like/dislike in minix, as my target brain is a 386/486 AT clone." The post sought input from Minix users on desired improvements, emphasizing its non-commercial intent and compatibility with GNU tools.

• YouTube, live in your BBS: SixelDoor Update

  2026-08-23

  SixelDoor releases a huge update. Now streams YouTube search results straight into a retro ANSI CRT-TV - synced native audio through SyncTERM's own mixer, photo-quality JPEG XL video when the client supports it, and a sixel fallback for everyone else. Would you like to know more? Visit the SixelDoor website here: [https://a-net-online.lol/sixel-tv/index.html] And its github here: [https://github.com/anetonline/SIXEL-TV]

• The X-League: InterBBS League 777

  2026-08-21

  The X-League News/Notes and Updates: 1) Added Immortal Barons 777 to its game roster 2) BRE 777 will all reset on 8-31 with gameplay starting on 9-1 3) Other games resetting on 9-1: BRE 701 - FE 777 - TAL 777 4) Global War is very active and always looking for more players For more info on Inter-BBS League 777 and info on how to join visit the following: [https://x-bit.org/info/xleague/]

• Synchronet termgfx doors: retro and modern games

  2026-08-17

  Digital Man playing DOOM, Duke Nukem 3D, several SCUMM titles, EasyRPM, Intellivision, NES, and Arcade games as BBS doors using JXL and Sixel graphics, SyncTERM audio (music and sound effects), mouse and evdev/kitty native keyboard input. This is the BBS in 2026!

• IcyBoard 0.2.0-lsp1 released

  2026-08-15

  IcyBoard's goal is to re-create PCBoard, one of the most famous DOS BBS systems of its time. Version 0.2.0-lsp1 is a large update with many new features, improvements, and fixes. For more information about the IcyBoard project and the 0.2.0-lsp1 update, visit: [https://github.com/mkrueger/icy_board]

• On this day in Tech History: The IBM PC

  2026-08-13

  IBM introduces its Personal Computer (PC) also known as the IBM Model 5150, lending legitimacy to microprocessor-based computers. IBM's first PC ran with a 4.77 MHz Intel 8088 microprocessor and used Microsoft's MS-DOS operating system. Steve Jobs was quoted in a 1985 interview, “If … IBM wins, my personal feeling is that we are going to enter sort of a computer Dark Ages for about 20 years.”

• New Door Game: Family Feud (2026)

  2026-08-08

  From the maker of BBS Wordle comes Family Feud - 2026! FAMILY FEUD 26 v2026.8.5 [Door Game] Daily survey-guessing door. Everyone on your BBS plays the SAME board each day - real competition, real leaderboards. 14,600 questions = 5 YEARS no repeats. 3 rounds + Fast Money, make-up days, play-ahead, 5 scoreboard views, optional timers, ANSI music w/ SyncTERM autodetect. DOS/Win32/Win64/Linux/Pi. No DB, no DLLs. By Alexander Corris -- bbswordle.com For more info and to download your FREE copy visit: [https://bbswordle.com/feud/]

• PCBoard-X updates

  2026-08-07

  PCBoard-X is a working revival of PCBoard 15.3, the DOS bulletin board system originally published by Clark Development Company and one of the most respected commercial BBS packages of the dial-up era. The project takes the original source code, rebuilds it on authentic period tooling, repairs what time had broken, and carries it forward under a new name: PCBoard-X. The monumental task of the 16-bit -> 32-bit port is done. Many bugs discovered and fixed. For more info on this project visit: [https://www.facebook.com/groups/455333335058324]

• ANetMRC - Multi-Relay Chat for DOS

  2026-08-06

  ANetMRC is a full MRC (Multi-Relay Chat) 1.3 client for any DOS-native BBS that produces a DOOR.SYS dropfile and runs a FOSSIL driver. It lets users on your BBS join the live MRC chat network (na-multi.relaychat.net:5000) and talk in real-time with users on other connected BBSes worldwide. For more info and to download visit: [https://github.com/anetonline/ANetMRC]

• NoCarrierMail - offline mail packet reader

  2026-08-06

  NoCarrierMail is an offline mail packet reader with a curses-based interface, for Unix / Linux, macOS, Windows, and other systems. It reads and replies to messages in the Blue Wave, QWK, OMEN, SOUP, and OPX formats. Available for Win32/64, Linux, macOS Apple Silicon, and DOS.

• SyncTERM v1.9rc4 released

  2026-08-05

  This is the fourth release candidate for SyncTERM v1.9. If there are no bugs, reported in the next week or two, this will become the official SyncTERM release.

• Spitfire BBS Lives Again in 2026+

  2026-08-04

  TLDR: Spitfire is once agina working in 2026+ And it has a few tools to help it on its way: 1) Months of binary review to locate/fix the Y2K & Y2K25 issues 2) SFNetAdd32 is a win32 tool that reads .NA files and auto-add to your msg DB 3) SFToss32 is a win32 tosser so you can once again join FTN nets 4) SFPack32 is the new SF message packer - old one could corrupt the messages 5) SFPckUsr32 is SF's new user backer - old one would delete real users 6) SFAME & SFSME (full screen msg editor) Y2K patching 7) Y2K/Y2K25 patched the official shareware version 8) etc.. etc Would you like to know more? In short, i had a hard time giving up on my first BBS software I used and reg'ed in the early 90s. If you still have your reg'ed copy and would like to try and get it going again see below!

• BBS Tournament Bowling Solitaire: Update

  2026-08-04

  BBS Tournament Bowling Solitaire has been updated to v2026.8.2 offering a number of quality of life improvements and other enhancements. If you have this awesome game installed, update! If you've yet to check out and install BBS Tournament Bowling Solitaire then nows the time as this is a very fun game. BBS Tournament Bowling Solitaire runs on DOS, Win32/64, Linux and the Pi. For more info and to download visit: [https://bbswordle.com/solitaire/]

• Usurper Reborn hits v1.0.0

  2026-08-04

  A modern remake of the 1993 BBS classic! With version 1.0 the Beta label comes off. A launch event on the live server: world bosses, a Blood Moon, and the crowning of the first monarch of the new age. If you played in the early days and drifted away, understand two things: the flaws that drove you off have been repaired, and your grudges are still remembered. Playable on Linux/Win/Mac/Steam (yes, that steam). For more info visit: Github: [https://github.com/binary-knight/usurper-reborn/] Website: [https://usurper-reborn.net/]

• Immortal Barons - An Open Source Barren Realms Elite Clone

  2026-08-03

  The current state of the OG BRE game is, not good. No support and its not been updated in many years. So this is very exciting news! Immortal Barons is a turn-based strategy game for the terminal. You rule a barony in a ruined, post-apocalyptic world. You buy land, feed your people, build an army, and fight rival empires. The goal is to have the highest net worth when the turns run out, or to conquer everyone else. Inter-BBS is not ready yet but you can download and test the local version now.