Open Source • Fidonet Technology • BSD-3 License

BRING BACK
THE BBS.

BinktermPHP lets you run a full-featured bulletin board system — rooted in Fidonet tradition, accessible from any modern browser.

View on GitHub Try Claude's BBS →
BinktermPHP Doors and Games screen
Classic BBS Experience

Echomail, netmail, ANSI art, web doors, voting booths — everything that made BBS culture great, running in a browser.

Modern Web Stack

PHP 8, PostgreSQL, Bootstrap 5, and PWA support. Installs in minutes on standard hosting. No special hardware needed.

Fidonet Connected

Full BinkP protocol support. Connect to Fidonet and LovlyNet to exchange messages with nodes around the world.

See it in action

Screenshots

BinktermPHP Doors and Games
Web Doors

Games & Utilities

A full grid of browser-based doors — classic games like Hangman, Solitaire, and Wordle alongside utilities and network gateways. No plugins, no downloads. Plays in any browser.

Legend of the Red Dragon running in BinktermPHP
Classic Door Games

Legend of the Red Dragon

Classic BBS door games running live in the browser via the web terminal. The nostalgia is real — LoRD, ANSI art and all, exactly as you remember it.

BinktermPHP Echo Areas
Fidonet Messaging

Echo Areas

Browse public message areas organized by network and topic. Unread counts, latest post previews, and sysop-tagged areas at a glance. Connected to real Fidonet traffic.

BinktermPHP Echomail message list
Echomail

Message Threading

A clean, modern inbox for echomail threads. Network origin tags, reply indicators, and timestamps — familiar enough for new users, authentic enough for veterans.

BinktermPHP ANSI art reader
ANSI Art

Native ANSI Rendering

ANSI art rendered natively in the browser. Classic BBS artwork displays exactly as intended — no terminal emulator needed.

BinktermPHP Activity Statistics dashboard
Sysop Tools

Activity Dashboard

A full sysop dashboard with user counts, message activity, door plays, and daily trends. Know exactly what's happening on your board at a glance.

What you get

Features

Echomail & Netmail

Public message areas and private messaging fully integrated with FTN packet processing.

Web Doors

Browser-based games and utilities — Blackjack, Wordle, Solitaire, Hangman, and more.

ANSI Art Rendering

Authentic ANSI art displayed natively in the browser. Classic aesthetic, no terminal required.

PWA & Mobile Ready

Installable as a Progressive Web App. Works on any device — desktop, tablet, or phone.

Telnet, SSH & Web Terminal

Built-in Telnet daemon for classic BBS access, SSH support, and a browser-based web terminal via WebSocket proxy — users connect however they prefer.

Multi-User Chat

Live chat for connected users. Build community beyond the message boards.

Message Sharing

Share individual messages via secure web links — bring posts to the open web.

Message Search

Search across all echo areas by keyword, author, or subject. Find anything fast.

Gemini Protocol

Built-in Gemini browser and capsule server. Explore the small web from inside your BBS.

Built-in entertainment

Doors

DOS Doors

Classic DOS-based door games run via DOSBox-X integration, bringing the original BBS door gaming experience to modern systems.

Legend of the Red Dragon 8 Way Slots
Games

Classic and new BBS games, plus multiplayer titles, playable from your browser.

Blackjack Hangman Klondike Solitaire Wordle Source Games Server Browser
Utilities

Tools and gateways that extend your BBS beyond messaging.

Community Wireless Node Mapper MRC Chat Browser SSH Terminal Gemini Browser Gemini Capsule
Network 227:*/*

Join LovlyNet

LovlyNet is a Fidonet Technology Network built specifically for BinktermPHP systems. Echo areas dedicated to operators sharing knowledge, troubleshooting, and building community.

Run one script and you're connected. No manual configuration, no waiting for approval.

One command to join
php scripts/lovlynet_setup.php
Get started

Installation

Download and run the installer — it handles dependencies, database setup (you have to create the database and user first), and initial configuration.

# Download the installer
wget https://raw.githubusercontent.com/awehttam/binkterm-php-installer/main/binkterm-installer.phar

# Run the installer
php binkterm-installer.phar

Prefer manual setup? Install from Git →

Requirements
  • PHP 8.0+ with PDO, PostgreSQL, Sockets, JSON, DOM, Zip, OpenSSL, GMP
  • PostgreSQL database
  • Composer package manager
  • Apache or Nginx (or PHP built-in)
  • OS: Windows, Linux, macOS
Going deeper

Advanced Topics

.env
  • • PostgreSQL credentials
  • • SMTP settings
  • • Web terminal parameters
  • • System environment variables
config/binkp.json
  • • System name & address
  • • BinkP port & parameters
  • • Uplink polling schedules
  • • Packet directories
config/bbs.json
  • • Credits system
  • • User-facing BBS settings
  • • Activity costs & rewards
  • • Login bonuses & limits
config/webdoors.json
  • • Door manifests & metadata
  • • Leaderboard config
  • • Storage settings
  • • Feature requirements

Setup

The web terminal provides browser-based SSH/Telnet access, letting users connect to your BBS without a dedicated client.

  • • Set TERMINAL_ENABLED in .env
  • • Configure SSH server hostname and port
  • • Deploy a Terminal Gateway WebSocket proxy
  • • Optional: custom welcome messages
Security Notes
  • • Terminal disabled by default
  • • Access limited to authenticated users
  • • Remote servers must be authorized by the gateway
  • • SSH auth is separate from web credentials
  • • Network-level protections advised

Message Posting

Automated netmail and echomail posting from scripts and the command line.

Connection Management

Connection testing, debugging, and server daemon management (Linux/UNIX).

Maintenance

Real-time status monitoring, weather reports for echomail, and message purging.

Ready to run your own BBS?

BinktermPHP is free, open source, and actively developed.
Claude's BBS serves as the home BBS and primary development node.

Screenshots View on GitHub Claude's BBS myPoint System