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VTX_ClientServer

updated: 23-JUL-2019

VTX Client Screenshot

Intro

VTX consists of a web / websocket server written in FreePascal, and a browser based javascript client. The client can be run as a stand alone item if the operator has their own webserver and access to a websocket proxy.

The server software listens to two separate ports while running. A port for HTTP, and a separate port for Web Sockets.

A 'user' connects to the web server via HTTP. The web server delivers a client payload (html, css, javascript client, web font) to the 'user's web browser.

The client software then connects to the server via a web socket connection. Upon a 'user' connection to the web socket server, the server will wither spawn a 'sysop' defined application ('node' software) or connect to a telnet server. The 'node' software pipes raw binary text to / from the server via StdIn / StdOut. The server then relays this stream to the 'user' through the web socket connection. Alternately, VTX server can be configured to connect to a remote telnet server (bbs or other service).

The server console is written in Free Pascal.

The client is written in javascript. The client can be run independant of the server if you have your own web and websocket proxy. (See Client Only Setup below.)

The sample 'node' is written in Free Pascal.

Lazarus project files are included.

The www directory contains files sent via HTTP.

The node directory contains files needed for the 'node' applications.

The work directory is various unneeded stuff I use for web graphics and testing.

Client Features

Any column width display by any length page. Using webfont specified in html/css template file (in the www path).

ANSI: 256 colors (base 8 + high intensity + 6x6x6 color cube + grays) - see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ANSI_escape_code PETSCII: Commodore color palettes.

ANSI: 24-bit color support. (see vtx.txt)

Transparent black in VTX mode.

Variable row sizing, row background effects, and marquee text rows in VTX ANSI mode.

Support up to 64 SVG sprites from 64 SVG sprite definitions.

See https://github.com/codewar65/VTX_ClientServer/blob/master/vtx.txt for ANSI code sequences supported.

Y-Modem 1K upload and download.

Build in audio player for streaming audio with ANSI sequences to set source, volume, play, stop.

PETSCII Mode

VIC 20, Commodore 64 or 128 font support. All PETSCII controls are emulated. Color palette depends on CodePage.

Keys mapped to:

ATASCII Mode

ATARI 8bit font support. All ATASCII controls are emulated. Only two color support (0/1).

Keys mapped to:

Compiling

There is no make procedure at this time. It currently only builds on Windows. Basically, snag a copy of the latest Lazarus / Free Pascal, open the project file and build.

I have ported the current project to console more so it will be easier to port to other platforms.

Larazus : http://www.lazarus-ide.org/

Free Pascal : https://www.freepascal.org/

You will need the Synapse package (synapse40) to compile at this time until I get around to replacing them with my own routines.

Setup

The vtxserv.ini file contains settings for configuring the server.

SystemName : the name of the server / node processes. Typically the name of of a bulletin board system. The name here is embedded into the HTML sent to the client from the VTX web server.

SystemIP : The IP address that the server needs to bind to. If you are behind a firewall / router, this would be your internal LAN IP.

InternetIP : The address that 'user's out in internet land will need to visit to hit your system (via port forwarding, etc.)

HTTPPort : The port number the web server will be listening to HTTP requests on.

WSPort : The websocket port number.

WSSecure : 0 = use ws, 1 = use wss

NodeType : 'ExtProc' or 'Telnet'

Terminal : Terminal type. PETSCII, ATASCII or other..

CodePage: The codepage that is running on the node process telnet service. Currently supported Code Pages: ARMSCII_8, ATARI, C128, C64, CP437, CP667, CP668, CP737, CP770, CP771, CP772, CP773, CP774, CP775, CP790, CP808, CP813, CP819, CP850, CP851, CP852, CP853, CP855, CP857, CP858, CP859, CP860, CP861, CP862, CP863, CP864, CP865, CP866, CP867, CP869, CP872, CP878, CP895, CP900, CP912, CP915, CP916, CP920, CP991, CP1117, CP1118, CP1119, CP1131, CP28593, CP65001, CPMIK, HAIK8, ISO8859_1, ISO8859_2, ISO8859_3, ISO8859_4, ISO8859_5, ISO8859_6, ISO8859_7, ISO8859_8, ISO8859_9, ISO8859_10, ISO8859_13, ISO8859_14, ISO8859_15, ISO8859_16, KOI8_R, KOI8_U, TELETEXT, UTF8, UTF16, VIC20, WIN1250, WIN1251, WIN1253, WIN1254, WIN1255, WIN1256, WIN1257

ExtProcess : the name of the node process that is launched for a 'user' connection. This will be the main process that the 'user' interacts with. The program needs to communicate with the server via StdIn / StdOut UTF-8 IO pipe streams. These streams need to be character based and not line based to function properly.

TelnetIP : IP address that the server needs to connect to the telnet server.

TelnetPort : The port number the telnet server is running on.

MaxConnections : maximum number of websocket connections allowed to operate at the same time.

AutoConnect : 0 = don't autoconnect on lauch, 1 = connect on launch.

Running VTXServ

Type vtxserv from the command line. Once the server is running you can enter commands like:

START ALL : start up the web server, websocket server, and the bridge process.

STOP ALL : stop all processes.

QUIT : close all 'nodes', connections, servers, and exit the program.

LIST : list connections.

KICK n : will hang up on a connection

HELP : displays help with other commands.

CLS : clear the console window.

STATUS : show server status.

LOADCFG : stop listeners, reload INI settings, and restart.

Node Software

Sample node software is in the node directory. Actual BBS software is not in the scope of this project, but feel free to tinker, or retrofit existing packages to work with VTX.

Client Only Setup.

To run the client without using the VTX server software, all you need is a web page and access to a websocket proxy server.

Files Needed:

HTML additions.

In the HTML that will contain the client, in the <HEAD>, include:

    <script type='text/javascript' src='https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/pako/1.0.3/pako.min.js'></script>
    <script type='text/javascript' src='vtxdata.js'></script>
    <script type='text/javascript' src='vtxclient.min.js'></script>

In the <BODY> of your page, place something like (the outer 2 divs are the border area and one to center the terminal on the page. you can tinker with these to suit your website):

        <!-- =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- -->
        <!-- center term on page -->
        <div style='text-align:center'> 
            <div id='vtxclient' style='text-align:center;margin:0 auto;display:inline-block;padding:34px;'>
                <!-- VTX client will appears in here -->
            </div>
        </div>
        <!-- =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- -->

The vtxpage div element will house the client once the vtxclient.js has booted up.

Place the two javascript files on your webserver so the HTML can get at them.

vtxdata.js

The contents of the vtxdata is information the client needs to connect to your system.

sysName will be place in the <TITLE> of the page if it is missing or blank.

wsConnect is the [ws/wss]://url:port to the websocket service that will direct you to your system.

wsProtocol is the protocol specified when the websocket connection is made. Normally this is either telnet or plain.

wsDataType either 'string' or 'arraybuffer'. if not specified, string is used. 'blob' is as of now, unsupported.

term is the terminal type that gets reported to the telnet server. Use PETSCII if you are connecting to a Commodore style board.

codePage is the default codepage of the system.

crtCols, crtRows are the dimensions of the a normal terminal screen. Rows may grow as upto crtHistory. Lines of data beyond crtHistory get appended to the bottom, and rows from the top of the terminal get truncated.

xScale is a scaling factor for displaying the terminal. A value of 1 is no scaling, values larger than 1 would double the size of the terminal horizontally.

initStr contains optional ANSI codes that can be sent to the term prior to connection to set it into whatever modes the system operator desires.

defPageBorder is the border color of the terminal (the parent container outside of the main vtxpage div). 0-255.

defPageBG is the page color of the terminal. 0-255.

defCrsrFG is the color of the cursor. (0-255).

defCrsrAttr is a list of attributes for the cursor. Values are 'none', 'thin', 'thick', or 'full' for the size, along with either 'horizontal' or 'vertical' for cursor orientation.

defCellFG is the default character foreground color. Values are 0-255 for indexed color or '#RRGGBB' for 24 bit color.

defCellBG is the default character background color. Values are 0-255 for indexed color or '#RRGGBB' for 24 bit color.

defCellAttr is a list of character attributes for the default character state (i.e. after a reset). Values include: 'bold', 'italics', 'underline', 'reverse', 'shadow', 'doublestrike', 'strikethrough', 'faint', 'blinkslow', or 'blinkfast'

telnet lets the client know if the server is connecting to a telnet service if set to 1. If the value is set to 0, no telnet handshaking negotiations will take place once a connection is made.

autoConnect 0 = don't autoconnect on launch, 1 = autoconnect.

fontName is the default font to use. UVGA16 should be specified in most cases.

fontSize the default font size to use. 16px unscaled default size. Larger sizes will increase the required size of the client.

var vtxdata = {
  sysName:        "Goblin Studio BBS",
  wsConnect:      "wss://goblin.strangled.net:8811",
  term:           "ansi-bbs",
  codePage:       "CP437",
  autoConnect:    0,
  telnet:         1,
  wsProtocol:     'telnet',
  wsDataType:     'arraybuffer',
  fontSize:       '24px',
  fontName:       'UVGA16',
  crtCols:        80,
  crtRows:        25,
  crtHistory:     500,
  xScale:         1,
  //initStr:     "\x1B[?50h\x1B[0;10m\x1B[255l\x1B[?25h\x1B[?31h\x1B[?32l\x1B[?33l\x1B[?34l\x1B[?35l",
  initStr:        "",
  defPageBorder:  232,
  defPageBG:      0x10,
  defCrsrFG:      0x07,
  defCrsrAttr:    [ 'thick', 'horizontal' ],
  defCellFG:      0x07,
  defCellBG:      0x00,
  defCellAttr:    []
};

To Do($) / To Fix(!) / Investigate(?)