This is more aimed at UK people, I guess...

Back in the 80's Prestel/Micronet 800 advertised their service could
be accessed with a number of modems, the Pace Nightingate with a
cartridge, and the Commodore Modem Cartridge.

Micronet 800 and Prestel didn't use the usual terminal software that
runs 8N1 but it uses 7E1 and a specific character set. There is mention
of something like "Y2-Mustang" but I have not been able to track it
down.

Is there anyone around who accessed Prestel in the 80's with a CBM 64
that can recall the software they used and, more importantly, does
anyone have the software? It would be known as Videotex or Viewdata
software.

Thanks,
Nigel

--
End Of The Line BBS - Plano, TX
telnet endofthelinebbs.com 23

You may be talking about Vidotex by Handic Software AB from 1984.

This is what it looks like:

https://i.imgur.com/YJrMrDu.png

I uploaded it here. I do not know how to use it.

https://file.io/IAy9xxFLthUj

You may also be interested, if you are not already aware, in modern Videotex
services with clients for modern platforms:

https://glasstty.com/?p=1

I'm from the US and this is really the first opportunity I have had to check it
out since, as you indicate, this is mainly a UK thing, or, if not mainly a UK
thing, not a US thing. I encourage people who have never played around with
Videotex to check it out as it is trivial to install and runs right over the
Internet.

Hi Nigel,

On 17. Apr, 2022 at 08:20:38 CEST, "Nigel Reed" <sysop@endofthelinebbs.com>
wrote:

> This is more aimed at UK people, I guess...

I'm not a UK person and don't know the software you're talking about. But I'm
happy to see that there is still someone around despite Robert Bernardo's
postings about meetings and events. :-)

Cheers,
Paul

Nigel Reed <sysop@endofthelinebbs.com> writes:

> There is mention of something like "Y2-Mustang" but I have not been
> able to track it down.

That might be Mustang 32, the C64 Micronet terminal software that came
with Modem House's Voyager 7 modems. Their ads were pretty distinctive:

https://archive.org/details/popular-computing-weekly-1986-09-18/page/n7/mode/1up
https://archive.org/details/YourCommodoreIssue25Oct86/page/n24/mode/1up
https://archive.org/details/Commodore_Computing_International_Vol_05_No_02_1986-09_Croftward_GB/page/n11/mode/1up

(No idea whether it survives, though...)

--
Adam Sampson <ats@offog.org> <http://offog.org/>

Re: Re: CBM64 Viewdata software
By: Ignacio Duarte to Nigel Reed on Mon Apr 18 2022 10:09:52

> You may be talking about Vidotex by Handic Software AB from 1984.

Not heard of that during my research.

> https://i.imgur.com/YJrMrDu.png

But that seems to be exactly what I am looking for.

> I uploaded it here. I do not know how to use it.

Thanks. I will grab it later. I'll be running tcpser on my PC along with
WinVice. This should let me direct a serial port to a the tcp/ip port that
tcpser is listening on.

You can then use AT commands to dial a hostname.

atdtendofthelinebbs.com:6502

tcpser will then deal with the communications and then hand it back to WinVice.

If you're not aware, WinVice is a CBM64 emulator.

> You may also be interested, if you are not already aware, in modern Videotex
> services with clients for modern platforms:
>
> https://glasstty.com/?p=1

Yes, I'm familiar with that project and have been in touch with the author a
few times. There's also ccl4 out of Hull which is still going but seems to
require its own web based java interface to access it.

> I'm from the US and this is really the first opportunity I have had to check
> it out since, as you indicate, this is mainly a UK thing, or, if not mainly
> a UK thing, not a US thing. I encourage people who have never played around
> with Videotex to check it out as it is trivial to install and runs right
> over the Internet.

I'm from the UK originally so grew up with it. I now live in the US and have
added a viewdata module to my BBS. It's highly experimental at the moment and
still need some work but it's slowly getting there.

Anyway, thanks for the software suggestion, I'll grab it tonight after work.

Thanks,
Nigel

Re: Re: CBM64 Viewdata software
By: =?UTF-8?B?UGF1bCBGw7Zyc3Rlcg==?= to All on Mon Apr 18 2022 11:22:42

> I'm not a UK person and don't know the software you're talking about. But
> I'm happy to see that there is still someone around despite Robert
> Bernardo's postings about meetings and events. :-)

Well, only here for purely selfish reasons. I did own a Vic-20 recently. I
wouldn't mind picking up a CBM64 though we'll have to see.

Regards
Nigel

Re: Re: CBM64 Viewdata software
By: Adam Sampson to Nigel Reed on Mon Apr 18 2022 16:15:44

> > There is mention of something like "Y2-Mustang" but I have not been
> > able to track it down.
>
> That might be Mustang 32, the C64 Micronet terminal software that came
> with Modem House's Voyager 7 modems. Their ads were pretty distinctive:

Yes, that does sound like it. From the description, it was a rom cartridge so
whether anyone has made an image, I have no idea. I'll have to poke around some
of the CBM bulletin boards to see what I can find.

Thanks,
Nigel

Re: Re: CBM64 Viewdata software
By: Ignacio Duarte to Nigel Reed on Mon Apr 18 2022 10:09:52

> I uploaded it here. I do not know how to use it.
>
> https://file.io/IAy9xxFLthUj

I just went to download and got a notice that it has already been deleted :(

On Mon, 18 Apr 2022 10:38:06 +1200, Nigel Reed wrote:
>
> If you're not aware, WinVice is a CBM64 emulator.

It's called VICE and happens to *also* be available for Windows as
WinVice (like WinUAE as Amiga for Windows). I use VICE as well as UAE in
Linux.
--
Andreas

So, for those following along. I couldn't get anywhere with the Handic
Software Videotex cartridge. The C= did a few things with various keys
but nothing I could actually define.

The enter/return key sent # which is expected and CTRL-M seemed to send
a linefeed, but I couldn't see it connecting to tcpser at all. I've
spent a couple of hours trying to find a manual online but nothing.

Then I came across this gem

https://archive.org/details/GatewayVideotexVTX64SoftwareForUseWithCommodore64198
5

I downloaded the "ISO Image" which is a .d64 disk image, however it
seems corrupt as I load the program

LOAD"VTX64",8

then when I run it, I get a syntax error in line 42394

When I LIST it looks corrupt. 42394 is SQRGOSUB followed by line 169
then 47648.

I don't seem to be able to find another image anywhere.

So...stuck again :(
--
End Of The Line BBS - Plano, TX
telnet endofthelinebbs.com 23

On Tuesday, April 19, 2022 at 2:20:30 PM UTC-4, Nigel Reed wrote:

> I don't seem to be able to find another image anywhere.
>
> So...stuck again :(

Have you tried contacting the British C= clubs for help?

Truly,
Robert Bernardo
Fresno Commodore User Group - http://www.dickestel.com/fcug.htm
Southern California Commodore & Amiga Network - http://www.portcommodore.com/sccan
June 25-26 Commodore Los Angeles Super Show 2022 - http://www.portcommodore.com/class

On Tue, 19 Apr 2022 13:25:31 +0000
"Robert Bernardo" <robert.bernardo@3:770/3> wrote:

> On Tuesday, April 19, 2022 at 2:20:30 PM UTC-4, Nigel Reed wrote:
>
> > I don't seem to be able to find another image anywhere.
> >
> > So...stuck again :(
>
> Have you tried contacting the British C= clubs for help?

I didn't know there was one. I'll look them up. Thank you.
--
End Of The Line BBS - Plano, TX
telnet endofthelinebbs.com 23

On Tuesday, April 19, 2022 at 9:20:32 PM UTC-4, Nigel Reed wrote:

> I didn't know there was one. I'll look them up.

Well, they are usually disguised under Amiga clubs! :) There is definitely a C64 element in Amiga North Thames (ANT). They are located in Enfield (north London). I've visited them twice and have seen 8-bit Commodores at that club. http://www.amiganorththames.co.uk/main.shtml

Truly,
Robert Bernardo
Fresno Commodore User Group - http://www.dickestel.com/fcug.htm
Southern California Commodore & Amiga Network - http://www.portcommodore.com/sccan
June 25-26 Commodore Los Angeles Super Show 2022 - http://www.portcommodore..com/class