How to Connect

Two ways in. Same BBS.

Phosphor runs on a single backend. SSH and web are just two doors into the same room. Same users, same chat, same mail, same boards, same event bus. A message sent from SSH appears instantly for a user on the web, and vice versa.

SSH (Terminal)

ssh phosphorbbs.net -p 2222

That’s it. You’ll get a login prompt. Create an account on first connect — no email required, no verification, no phone number. Just pick a handle and a password.

Works with any SSH client:

macOS / Linux: ssh phosphorbbs.net -p 2222 from the terminal
Windows: OpenSSH (built into Windows 10+), PuTTY, Tabby
Mobile: Termius, Blink Shell, Prompt

What you get: The full terminal experience. ANSI art, animated transitions, keyboard-driven navigation, the way BBSes were meant to look. 80x24 or larger — the BBS adapts to your terminal size.

Web Browser

https://phosphorbbs.net

Point your browser there. You’ll get a terminal emulator (xterm.js) running the same BBS — same screens, same chat, same mail, same door games. No SSH client needed.

Works on:

Desktop: Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge — any modern browser
Mobile: Works on phones and tablets. The terminal scales to your screen.
The web client uses WebSocket for real-time updates — same event bus as SSH

Telnet (Classic)

telnet phosphorbbs.net 2323

For the true classic experience. No encryption, no SSH handshake — just raw TCP, like 1992. Connect with any telnet client:

macOS / Linux: telnet phosphorbbs.net 2323 from the terminal
Windows: Enable the Telnet client in Windows Features, then telnet phosphorbbs.net 2323
Mobile: Telnet Lite, Prompt, or any telnet app

What you get: The same BBS as SSH, just without encryption. Perfect for retro computing setups, vintage hardware, or environments where SSH isn’t available.

What’s the Difference?

Nothing meaningful.

Feature	SSH	Telnet	Web
Chat	✓	✓	✓
Mail	✓	✓	✓
Message Boards	✓	✓	✓
File Archive	✓	✓	✓
Door Games	✓	✓	✓
ANSI Art	✓	✓	✓
Real-time Updates	✓	✓	✓
User Scripts	✓	✓	✓
Encrypted	✓	✗	✓
Keyboard Input	Physical keyboard	Physical keyboard	Browser input
File Transfers	SCP/SFTP	ZMODEM	Download links
Works on Mobile	Needs SSH app	Needs telnet app	Native browser

SSH gives you the authentic terminal experience — the one your fingers remember from the 90s. Web works from any device, including your phone, without installing anything. Use whichever you prefer. Switch between them freely. Your session follows you.

Account Creation

No email required
No phone number
No personal information
Pick a handle and password — that’s your identity
Your data stays on the BBS. It’s not sold, harvested, or analyzed.

System Requirements

SSH: Any SSH client. No special setup. Supports modern crypto.
Web: Any browser with JavaScript. WebSocket support for real-time updates.
Terminal size: 80x24 minimum. The BBS scales up to 132x50+ if your terminal supports it.

First Time?

Type help after login for a command reference. Type ? on any screen for context help. The SysOp is friendly.

Welcome to Phosphor.