Draft:3270BBS

Submission declined on 29 September 2025 by Sksatsuma (talk).

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Declined by Sksatsuma 59 days ago. Last edited by Citation bot 58 days ago. Reviewer: Inform author.

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Comment: In terms of notablility, almost all of the sources count as user-generated sources for example github and blogspot, and cannot be used to demonstrate notability. sk satsuma 16:43, 29 September 2025 (UTC)

Comment: In accordance with Wikipedia's Conflict of interest policy, I disclose that I have a conflict of interest regarding the subject of this article. Bbmoshix (talk) 16:29, 29 September 2025 (UTC)

3270BBS is a bulletin board system (BBS) software specifically designed for access via IBM 3270 terminal emulators. Developed by programmer Moshix, the software represents a modern implementation of classic BBS technology adapted for mainframe-style terminals.

History and Development

3270BBS was developed by Moshix and released as binary-only software on GitHub. The software was written in approximately 40,000 lines of Go programming language and utilizes the go3270 library developed by racingmars for 3270 terminal emulation support.^[1]

The most prominent public instance of 3270BBS is Forum3270, operated by the software's creator and accessible at www.moshix.tech on port 2300.

Technical Architecture

System Requirements

3270BBS is designed to be resource-efficient, requiring minimal server resources. According to the developer, the system can support up to 50 concurrent users while consuming only 25 MB of memory, with reports of handling up to 150 concurrent users on 64 MB of memory.^[2]

The software runs on multiple platforms including:

Linux (64-bit AMD, 32-bit, 64-bit ARM, and s390x architectures)
FreeBSD
macOS

All data is stored in an SQLite3 database that operates in Write-Ahead Logging (WAL) mode for improved performance.

Access Methods

Unlike traditional BBSes that use telnet or SSH connections with standard ASCII terminals, 3270BBS requires access through IBM 3270 terminal emulators such as x3270, c3270, or Vista3270. The system supports both unencrypted TN3270 connections and TLS-encrypted connections for secure access.

Features

3270BBS includes comprehensive BBS functionality adapted for the 3270 terminal interface:

Communication Features

Discussion groups and conference management
Public message boards
Private messaging between users
Real-time chat with multiple participants
Private chat capabilities

Content Management

Built-in text editor with spell-checking (including mainframe-specific terminology)
Personal notes system
Calendar functionality
User profiles and rolodex

Administrative Tools

User management panels
Topic and post moderation
Session management
SDSF-style activity monitoring
System console interface

Additional Services

Integrated FTP server for file uploads and downloads
Web server for viewing notes and topics
SSH access for chat and topics
Marketplace for users to post items
Multiple games including Blackjack, Wordle (in English, Italian, and German), and a hot air balloon game
Virtual session management using function keys F23 and F24
Proxy capability to connect to other mainframe systems

Text Rendering

Messages and topics can be enhanced with color rendering tags including blue, white, red, pink, green, yellow, turquoise, and reverse video formatting.

Community and Usage

The software is designed to enable users to establish their own 3270-themed BBS communities. Each instance operates independently, though the software includes support for proxying users to other mainframe systems or 3270BBS instances.

Forum3270, the primary public instance, serves as a gathering place for mainframe enthusiasts and retro-computing hobbyists interested in experiencing computing through the distinctive interface of IBM 3270 terminals.

Community member Morten Harding created a dockerized version of 3270BBS, describing its creator as "a brilliant gentleman in the mainframe community" and noting that containerization provides "easy deployment" benefits for system administrators.^[3] The "An idiot at a mainframe" blog, which documents mainframe adventures, recommends the Moshix YouTube channel as "a very good source of information to mainframes" for those interested in learning about systems from MVS 3.8J to modern z/OS.^[4]

Reception and Impact

3270BBS represents a unique convergence of retro-computing enthusiasm and modern BBS revival culture. While traditional BBSes experienced a resurgence in the 2010s and 2020s through telnet access, 3270BBS distinguishes itself by requiring authentic 3270 terminal emulation, appealing specifically to mainframe enthusiasts and those interested in IBM's legacy terminal architecture.

The software has garnered attention in the retrocomputing community, with Hackaday highlighting ErnieTech's Little Mainframes YouTube channel in 2025, noting that ErnieTech creates content showing viewers how to "build" their own mainframe using emulation and covers 3270BBS installations.^[5] The article noted that while mainframe knowledge repositories exist across the internet, many have not been updated and content often fades after the basics, making channels like ErnieTech's valuable for continued learning.

References

^ "3270BBS: a BBS for 3270 terminals". GitHub. Retrieved 2025-09-29.
^ "3270BBS GitHub Repository". GitHub. Retrieved 2025-09-29.
^ Morten Harding. "docker-3270BBS: Containerised 3270bbs". GitHub. Retrieved 2025-09-29.
^ "Links - An idiot at a mainframe". Retrieved 2025-09-29.
^ "Retro Big Iron For You". Hackaday. 2025-01-08. Retrieved 2025-09-29.

External links

Official 3270BBS GitHub repository
Forum3270 BBS (requires 3270 terminal emulator)
Moshix Mainframe Channel – YouTube channel by the creator featuring mainframe-related videos
ErnieTech's Little Mainframes – YouTube channel featuring videos about 3270BBS and mainframe emulation
Dockerized 3270BBS – Containerized version by Morten Harding
An idiot at a mainframe – Blog documenting mainframe adventures including 3270 terminals

Category:Bulletin board systems Category:Free software Category:IBM mainframe software Category:Free communication software Category:Software using the Go programming language

[1] "3270BBS: a BBS for 3270 terminals". GitHub. Retrieved 2025-09-29.

[2] "3270BBS GitHub Repository". GitHub. Retrieved 2025-09-29.

[3] Morten Harding. "docker-3270BBS: Containerised 3270bbs". GitHub. Retrieved 2025-09-29.

[4] "Links - An idiot at a mainframe". Retrieved 2025-09-29.

[5] "Retro Big Iron For You". Hackaday. 2025-01-08. Retrieved 2025-09-29.

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