Latest release: Checking GitHub...
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 →
Echomail, netmail, ANSI art, RIPscrip, web doors, QWK offline mail — everything that made BBS culture great, running in a browser.
PHP 8, PostgreSQL, Bootstrap 5, and PWA support. Installs in minutes on VPS, RaspberryPi and dedicated hosting (shared hosting is iffy).
BinkP protocol support. Connect to Fidonet, LovlyNet and other networks to exchange messages with nodes around the world.
Screenshots
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
Classic BBS door games running live in the browser via the web terminal. The nostalgia is real — LoRD, ANSI art and all.
Echo Areas
Browse public message areas organized by network, topic and interest. Unread counts, latest post previews, and sysop-tagged areas at a glance. Connected to real Fidonet traffic.
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.
Native ANSI Rendering
ANSI art rendered natively in the browser. Classic BBS artwork displays as intended — no terminal emulator needed.
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.
Browse by Interest
Browse messages and files by Interest, not long area lists.
Features
Public message areas and private messaging fully integrated with FTN packet processing.
Browser-based games and utilities — Blackjack, Wordle, Solitaire, Hangman, and more.
ANSI art, RIPscrip graphics, Sixel images, PCBoard color codes, and Markdown rendered natively in the browser. Classic formats, zero plugins.
Installable as a Progressive Web App. Works on any device — desktop, tablet, or phone.
Built-in Telnet daemon for classic BBS access, SSH support, and a browser-based web terminal via WebSocket proxy — users connect however they prefer.
Live chat for connected users. Build community beyond the message boards.
Share individual messages and files via secure web links — bring posts to the open web.
Search across all echo areas by keyword, author, or subject. Find anything fast.
Built-in Gemini browser and capsule server. Explore the small web from inside your BBS.
Browse and download files with inline previews — images, video, audio, MOD music, ANSI art, PETSCII, and C64 disk images with built-in emulation. Mount ISOs directly as read-only file areas.
Download QWK and QWKE mail packets for offline reading. Scriptable via HTTP Basic Auth, FTP and Telnet for automation tools.
Schedule automated echomail posts — BBS advertisements, weather reports, bulletins, and news — via a content library with scheduling and a one-click weather report preset.
Admin-defined topic groups that bundle related echo areas together. Users subscribe to an interest with one click and are automatically enrolled in all its message areas.
Non-admin uploads go into a pending queue. Sysops can inspect, scan for viruses, and approve or reject each file before it becomes visible in the library.
Built-in FTP server exposes your file library to classic BBS clients and automated tools. Supports QWK mail packet downloads and uploads.
User MCP key management and AI-assistant access to the MCP server for supported clients.
Daily or weekly email digests summarising new messages across subscribed echo areas. Per-user opt-in.
We love features. BinktermPHP is packed with them — and more are added with every release!
Doors
DOS Doors
Classic DOS-based door games run via DOSBox-X integration, bringing the original BBS door gaming experience to modern systems.
Games
Classic and new BBS games, plus multiplayer titles, playable from your browser.
Utilities
Tools and gateways that extend your BBS beyond messaging.
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.
Installation
Download and run the installer — it checks for 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.pharPrefer 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
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
Registering your BinktermPHP installation unlocks a set of features for sysops who want to go further. Registration also supports continued development of the project.
Branding Control
Hide "Powered by BinktermPHP" attribution, set custom footer text, and show a "Registered to <system name>" badge in the footer and admin dashboard.
Custom Splash Pages
Sysop-defined Markdown or HTML content shown above the login and registration forms.
Message Templates
Save and load subject/body templates in the compose form. Per-user, filterable by netmail or echomail.
Echomail Digest
Daily or weekly email digest summarising new messages across subscribed echo areas. Per-user opt-in.
Netmail to Email Forwarding
Forward incoming netmail — including FTN attachments — to a user's email address. Per-user opt-in setting.
Public File Areas
Per-area flag allowing unauthenticated visitors to browse and download files, with an optional public files index page.
Anonymous FTP
Allow anonymous logins to the FTP server for browsing and downloading files from public file areas without a BBS account.
Economy Viewer
Admin dashboard for credit economy stats, transaction history, and active user reporting.
Referral Analytics
Admin page showing top referrers, referral signups, bonus credits earned, and summary totals.
ANSI (Website) Ad Analytics
Admin page showing ansi advertisement impression and click performance, daily activity chart, per-ad CTR breakdown, and period filtering.
BinkP Packet Inspector
Admin tools to browse, inspect, and download kept packets and live queue packets from the BinkP session pages.
MCP Server Access
User MCP key management and AI-assistant access to the MCP server for supported clients.
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 report generation for Broadcast Manager, 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.