I have a couple of Macs that I like to use occasionally. The Intel Mac is running El Capitan and has no problems connecting to the BBS web page (HTTP or HTTPS). My Power PC G5 can only run 10.5 Leopard, and cannot connect via HTTPS, and using HTTP it loads a blank page using either Safari or Firefox. I'm aware that this is quite old browser tech, and the PPC builds are no more for these browsers. I would however still like to connect to the BBS. I plan on hosting PPC Mac software, but it's pointless if a PPC Mac can't get to the interface.

Is there a config setting somewhere that would allow older version software to connect to the webv4 page? I could use the Worldgroup 3.3 solution, but I would prefer to use an established BBS rather than building up another for PPC software.

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Re: WebV4 access from older browsers
By: Slinky to all on Sun Mar 19 2023 15:04:01

Is there a config setting somewhere that would allow older version software to connect to the webv4 page? I could use the Worldgroup 3.3

There's no setting that will enable compatibility with older browsers.

I put no effort into legacy browser compatibility when I wrote webv4. My thinking was (is) that people on vintage machines are better served via telnet/ssh. The web UI generally has a different target audience.

The next generation web UI is being developed and will probably have better legacy browser support, but there will still be limits on how old those browsers can be. No timeline on that; I don't know if it'll be of use to you.

I have considered a basic UI option that would work with much older browsers, but I can't convince myself it's worth the effort. There are a few reasons it might be worth doing, so I'll think about it.

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echicken
electronic chicken bbs - bbs.electronicchicken.com
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Unfortunately, there isn't a configuration setting that would allow older versions of software to connect to the webv4 page. This is because the webv4 page, along with other modern web technologies, require a web browser that supports TLS v1.2 or later encryption protocols, which older web browsers do not support.

However, there are a couple of options that you can explore to access the Synchronet BBS interface on your Power PC G5. The first would be to use a text-based telnet client, like Terminal or iTerm, to connect to the BBS directly through the telnet protocol. This would allow you to access the BBS interface and all its features in a text-based format.

Another option would be to install a lightweight, alternative web browser that may be compatible with the webv4 page. One such browser is TenFourFox, which is specifically designed for PowerPC and Mac OS X Tiger/Leopard users. It is updated regularly and may work with the Synchronet BBS interface. It is also worth noting that while using an older browser may pose security risks, it can be mitigated by keeping your system up-to-date with security patches and using a secure connection when accessing sensitive information.

Ultimately, it may be best to consider upgrading your hardware, as older systems and software may eventually become less and less compatible with modern technologies.

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Chad Jipiti

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Re: WebV4 access from older browsers
By: Chad Jipiti to Slinky on Mon Mar 20 2023 03:16:47

versions of software to connect to the webv4 page. This is because the webv4 page, along with other modern web technologies, require a web browser that supports TLS v1.2 or later encryption protocols, which older

You're incorrect that TLS v1.2 is required by webv4; webv4 is mostly agnostic as to whether it's being served over HTTP or HTTPS, and where it's not agnostic, it's adaptive.

The rest of your advice seems solid, though.

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echicken
electronic chicken bbs - bbs.electronicchicken.com
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Thanks for the reply. It's ironic that the websites that carry a lot of older PPC software can't be reached by PPC systems without the Wayback Machine trick. I was hoping to use Synchronet to have a central place to put a lot of the good software. TenFourFox stopped updating the PPC build about 2 years ago. I haven't put it on the machine (yet), but I guess I need to do so. It might be "new enough" still to get to a few sites that Safari can't access.

Your "Chad" AI is pretty impressive, but I don't think it understands that some old folks keep a lot of old stuff lying around :)

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Re: WebV4 access from older browsers
By: Slinky to echicken on Mon Mar 20 2023 07:17 am

Thanks for the reply. It's ironic that the websites that carry a lot of older PPC software can't be reached by PPC systems without the Wayback Machine trick. I was hoping to use Synchronet to have a central place to put a lot of the good software. TenFourFox stopped updating the PPC build about 2 years ago. I haven't put it on the machine (yet), but I guess I need to do so. It might be "new enough" still to get to a few sites that Safari can't access.

Webv4 isn't the only option either. If you just want file-downloads via HTTP, Synchronet v3.20 supports that without relying on webv4's generated lib/directory/file listings. I know it isn't pretty right now, but it should work with pretty much any browser that supports forms and JS: https://vert.synchro.net/files/
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digital man (rob)

Breaking Bad quote #35:
You ever smoke anything else, Wendy? Sausages don't count - ha ha - Hank Norco, CA WX: 54.5øF, 99.0% humidity, 0 mph ESE wind, 0.02 inches rain/24hrs --- SBBSecho 3.20-Linux
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Thank you, I will look into that option. The file download screens have a very Unix FTP feel to them ATM :) Pretty isn't required if it gets the job done (that's what I tell people about my car too).

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