WolfBBS

WolfBBS is a self-hosted, SSH-first bulletin board system with a Wildcat-style ANSI experience, modern web companion, IRC bridge, doors, file areas, and turnkey installation.

The canonical public repo is Awassee/wolfbbs.

WolfBBS gives you classic BBS texture with a modern operator control plane and turnkey install/upgrade workflows.

Quick links:

Current Release Status

WolfBBS is currently shipped as v2.1.9 with:

clean package generation via scripts/package-dist.sh --clean --version v2.1.9
checksum + manifest output per bundle under dist/v2.1.9/
full acceptance validation (go test, verifier fast/smoke, automated manual acceptance)
one-command readiness validation via scripts/feature-complete.sh
a simplified web shell with grouped status/tools menus, compact legacy nav rails, and lower-noise dense pages
refreshed screenshots and public docs that match the shipped UI
updated GitHub-facing product pages (README, docs/SHOWCASE.md, docs/DATASHEET.md, docs/PRODUCT_GUIDE.md)

Product Snapshot

Lane	Primary surfaces	Why this lane exists
Caller	SSH ANSI, `/today`, `/boards`, `/chat`, `/doors`	keeps daily interaction fast, social, and game-friendly
Sysop	`/admin/setup`, `/admin/launch`, `/admin/config`, `/admin/ops`	gives operators a direct launch and maintenance control plane
Community	`/events`, `/challenges`, `/clubhouse`, IRC bridge	creates repeat visit loops and shared momentum
Distribution	`bootstrap.sh`, `install.sh`, release tarballs	supports quick install, upgrade, repair, and uninstall lifecycle

Start In 3 Minutes

Paste one command (Linux): curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Awassee/wolfbbs/main/bootstrap.sh | bash
Sign in to /admin/setup using the bootstrap sysop from installer output.
Validate caller surfaces in this order: SSH, /boards, /chat, /doors, /scores.

Why WolfBBS

WolfBBS is built for operators who want the feel of a classic board without the usual setup pain.

Retro caller experience: ANSI/TUI menus, message boards, private mail, doors, newscan, and classic operator views.
Modern access layer: web companion, admin console, live chat, IRC bridge, password reset, health checks, and packaging.
Low-friction operations: paste-and-run bootstrap, guided installer menu, upgrade and repair commands, Docker-first deployment.
Community-ready: callers, moderators, sysops, guest tours, directory, bulletins, one-liners, scores, and public-facing discovery surfaces.

What You Get

Capability	What it does	Why it matters
ANSI BBS	SSH-first caller experience with message boards, files, chat, doors, newscan, and classic menus	Delivers the nostalgic interaction model people actually want
Web companion	Browser-based boards, mail, chat, admin, setup, status, and discovery routes	Makes the board usable for modern users and operators
IRC bridge	Shared channel state between web chat and IRC clients	Lets existing IRC users join the same community without a custom client
Sysop control center	Setup wizard, config center, audit views, diagnostics, and door/file/chat administration	Reduces day-two operational burden
File base and doors	Uploads, indexing, queue management, scores, trophies, and integrated games	Gives the board depth beyond message threads
Packaging and lifecycle	Bootstrap installer, release tarballs, repair, doctor, upgrade, uninstall	Makes the product practical to deploy and maintain

Datasheet Highlights

Highlight area	Core features	What this gives you
Terminal-first caller UX	ANSI menus, message boards, private mail, doors, score surfaces	classic BBS feel with modern reliability
Multi-surface access	SSH + web companion + IRC bridge	one community layer across different clients
Sysop operations	setup wizard, launch center, config, audits, diagnostics	lower friction on day one and day two
Release and lifecycle	bootstrap installer, package artifacts, upgrade/repair/uninstall commands	practical deployment path for non-developer operators

Full product datasheet: docs/DATASHEET.md

Best Fit

WolfBBS is a good fit if you want to:

host a hobbyist retro board with modern onboarding
run an internal community hub with SSH, web, and IRC access
launch a retro-gaming or door-game focused community
experiment with BBS-style interaction without building a stack from scratch

Quick install (Linux)

curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Awassee/wolfbbs/main/bootstrap.sh | bash

This path does not require git to be installed first.

Quick install (macOS)

curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Awassee/wolfbbs/main/bootstrap.sh | bash -s -- --install-brew

This path also works without a preinstalled git client.

Screenshot Gallery

Connect Hub _{SSH, web terminal, and IRC onboarding from one screen.}	Message Boards _{Threaded discussion, filtering, and caller-focused board flow.}
Live Chat _{Multi-channel chat with joined rooms, active-room discovery, drafts, and IRC bridge sync.}	Doors & Scores _{Door discovery, replay loops, and score-first game surfaces.}
Today Brief _{Daily summary route for callers and operators.}	Admin Setup _{Launch wizard for identity, safety baseline, and bootstrap checks.}
Admin Config Center _{Runtime controls and feature flags from one operations panel.}	Mobile Connect _{Phone-first connection instructions and browser terminal path.}

More visuals and route-level notes: docs/SHOWCASE.md

Choose Your Path

If you want to...	Use this	Why
get WolfBBS running as fast as possible	bootstrap installer	installs dependencies, downloads the latest packaged app bundle, and starts the stack
inspect or modify the code locally	clone the repo	best for operators who also want a working tree
download a packaged bundle	GitHub Release tarball	best for controlled installs and offline handoff

Install In Minutes

Source checkout flow:

git clone https://github.com/Awassee/wolfbbs.git wolfbbs
cd wolfbbs
bash install.sh

Packaged app bundle flow:

tar -xzf wolfbbs_<version>_<os>_<arch>.tar.gz
cd wolfbbs_<version>_<os>_<arch>
bash install.sh --yes

The paste-and-go bootstrap path now aims for the same bundle-first experience. It should not need git for a normal install.

Build clean v2.1.9 distro bundles locally:

scripts/package-dist.sh --clean --version v2.1.9 \
  --platform linux/amd64 --platform linux/arm64 \
  --platform darwin/amd64 --platform darwin/arm64

Which Surface Should You Use?

Role	Best starting point	What it is for
sysop	`/admin/setup`	identity, safety baseline, bootstrap actions, first health checks
moderator	`/chat`, `/boards`, `/admin/chat`	live moderation and day-to-day community visibility
caller	`/today`, SSH, `/boards`, `/chat`, `/doors`	the actual board experience plus the fastest daily brief
visitor	`/connect`, `/tour`, `/help`	orientation before committing to an account

First Launch Checklist

After install, WolfBBS prints the connection summary and bootstrap sysop credentials. The recommended first-run flow is:

Open /admin/setup to complete identity, safety, and bootstrap checks.
Open /admin/launch to see the operator launch verdict and direct next actions.
Open /admin/config to tune site text, runtime flags, services, and operator preferences.
Seed default boards and confirm the mailbot bootstrap action.
Create at least one non-sysop user or moderator from /admin/users.
Schedule at least one event in /admin/events, then verify /events and /events/recaps.
Configure an active season in /admin/challenges, then verify /challenges and /clubhouse.
Run upgrade safety checks in /admin/upgrade-safety and validate artifacts in /admin/backups.
Connect over SSH and verify the caller-facing ANSI flow.
Open /boards, /chat, /doors, and /scores to confirm the public experience.

The installer also writes:

<prefix>/FIRST_STEPS.txt with exact URLs, commands, and next actions
<prefix>/SERVICE_STATUS.txt after bash install.sh --status

Default local endpoints:

SSH: ssh localhost -p 2222
Web admin: http://localhost:8080/admin
Web chat: http://localhost:8080/chat
IRC: localhost:6667
IRC TLS: localhost:6697 when enabled

Daily Operator Commands

bash install.sh --status
bash install.sh --doctor
bash install.sh --port-audit
bash install.sh --debug-bundle
bash install.sh --repair
bash install.sh --start
bash install.sh --stop
bash install.sh --restart
bash install.sh --logs
bash install.sh --upgrade
bash install.sh --rapid-upgrade
bash install.sh --uninstall --purge --yes
bash install.sh --clean-uninstall --yes

In-BBS upgrade:

bash install.sh --repair

--repair backfills in-app upgrade env wiring on older installs. Then in the SSH main menu press / and enter /app upgrade.

License

WolfBBS is open source under the MIT License.

licensing details: docs/OPEN_SOURCE.md
contribution terms: CONTRIBUTING.md

Documentation

Full doc hub: docs/README.md

Start Here: fastest route from install to a usable board
Quickstart: fast path from download to first login
Install Guide: install modes, lifecycle commands, and packaging
Product Guide: positioning, use cases, and operator workflow
Datasheet: concise feature and deployment profile
Showcase: GitHub-facing feature highlights and screenshot tour
Operator Playbook: which operator surface to use, and when
Post-Release Triage: first-72-hours release loop and hotfix rules
Next Feature Wave: what to build after the hardening/trust tranche
Troubleshooting: symptom-driven fixes and recovery path
Feature Reference: route, binary, and surface inventory
Acceptance Contract: MUST/SHOULD acceptance criteria

Regenerate screenshot assets:

scripts/capture-doc-screenshots.sh

Core Product Areas

Callers: ANSI login, plain-language main menu, guest tour, boards, private mail, bulletins, who’s online, last callers, files, doors, multi-room chat
Community: IRC bridge, one-liners, clubhouse, seasonal challenges, directory, discovery queue, events calendar + recaps, today brief, scoreboards, file picks
Operators: admin setup wizard, config center, users, boards, files, doors, events/challenges, upgrade safety, backup browser, release dashboard, audit, health, diagnostics
Distribution: release bundles, bootstrap installer, upgrade flows, smoke verification, packaging checksums

What Success Looks Like In 15 Minutes

You should be able to say yes to all of these:

I can sign into /admin.
/admin/setup and /admin/config reflect my board name and host.
SSH login works and the ANSI menu feels right.
/chat works and mirrors to IRC if IRC is enabled.
/boards has seeded or starter content.
/doors and /scores render without dead ends.
bash install.sh --doctor returns a usable health report.

Build, Test, And Package

go test ./...
go build ./...
scripts/verify.sh --fast
scripts/security-audit.sh
scripts/qa-functional.sh
scripts/run-e2e.sh
scripts/package-dist.sh

Warm-environment shortcuts:

WOLFBBS_SKIP_NPM_INSTALL=true WOLFBBS_SKIP_BROWSER_INSTALL=true scripts/run-e2e.sh --no-go --no-tui
WOLFBBS_WEB_E2E_MIN_FREE_MB=800 scripts/run-e2e.sh --no-go --no-tui

One-command QA runner:

scripts/build.sh --quick
scripts/build.sh --full

If local Node is 25+, use Node 24 on macOS:

brew install node@24
export PATH="$(brew --prefix node@24)/bin:$PATH"
scripts/run-e2e.sh

Manual Acceptance

scripts/manual-acceptance.sh --guided

This writes docs/manual-acceptance-latest.md with PASS, FAIL, and SKIPPED results by manual spec ID.

Technical Documentation

docs/START_HERE.md
docs/ACCEPTANCE_SPEC.md
docs/OPERATIONS.md
docs/manual-acceptance.md
docs/screens.md
docs/admin.md
docs/chat.md
docs/irc-compat.md
docs/doors.md
docs/message-network.md
docs/mods.md

Name		Name	Last commit message	Last commit date
.codex		.codex
.github		.github
.wolfbbs/offline/caller		.wolfbbs/offline/caller
cmd		cmd
dist/v2.1.9		dist/v2.1.9
docs		docs
doors		doors
e2e/web		e2e/web
internal		internal
menus		menus
migrations		migrations
scripts		scripts
.dockerignore		.dockerignore
.env.example		.env.example
.gitignore		.gitignore
.gitkeep		.gitkeep
.impeccable.md		.impeccable.md
CONTRIBUTING.md		CONTRIBUTING.md
Dockerfile		Dockerfile
Dockerfile.bundle		Dockerfile.bundle
LICENSE		LICENSE
README.md		README.md
SECURITY.md		SECURITY.md
bootstrap.sh		bootstrap.sh
docker-compose.yml		docker-compose.yml
go.mod		go.mod
go.sum		go.sum
install.sh		install.sh

Navigation Menu

Repository navigation

About

Repository files navigation

WolfBBS

Current Release Status

Product Snapshot

Start In 3 Minutes

Why WolfBBS

What You Get

Datasheet Highlights

Best Fit

Quick install (Linux)

Quick install (macOS)

Screenshot Gallery

Choose Your Path

Install In Minutes

Which Surface Should You Use?

First Launch Checklist

Daily Operator Commands

License

Documentation

Core Product Areas

What Success Looks Like In 15 Minutes

Build, Test, And Package

Manual Acceptance

Technical Documentation

About

Releases

Packages

Contributors

Languages

Latest commit

History

Folders and files

Repository files navigation

WolfBBS

Current Release Status

Product Snapshot

Start In 3 Minutes

Why WolfBBS

What You Get

Datasheet Highlights

Best Fit

Quick install (Linux)

Quick install (macOS)

Screenshot Gallery

Choose Your Path

Install In Minutes

Which Surface Should You Use?

First Launch Checklist

Daily Operator Commands

License

Documentation

Core Product Areas

What Success Looks Like In 15 Minutes

Build, Test, And Package

Manual Acceptance

Technical Documentation

About

Topics

Resources

Contributing

Security policy

Stars

Watchers

Forks

Releases

Packages

Contributors

Languages