 uMRC  ┌──── ▄█▀▀▀▀▀█▄ ───┬───┬───┬─┐
 v103┌──── ▄██ ▄███ ▀▀█▄ ·────────┐ ┤
   ┌──── ▄█▀▀ ▐█▀ ▀ █ ██  ▄ ▄ ▄ · │ │
 ┌──── ▄█▀ ▄██▄▀█▄▄██ ██  █████ · │ ┤
┌─── ▄█▀ ▐██▀▀█▌ ▀▀▀ ▄█▀  ▐▄█▄▌   │ │
┌─ ▄█▀ ▄▄ ██▄████  ▄█▀  · ▐█╫█▌ cf│ ┤
 ▄▀▀ ▄█▀██▄▀██▌  ▄█▀  · · · · · · ┘ │
 █ ▐█▀██▄▀██▄▀ ▄█▀    Universal     ┘
▄▀  ██▄▀██ ▀ ▄█▀   Multi-Relay Chat
▀ ▐█▄▀██ ▀ ▄█▀       Client Door
▐█▄▀██▄▀ ▄█▀ .│┌────────────────────┐
 ▀███▀ ▄█▀ .││|│ ■ Windows 32/64-bit│
█▄ ▀ ▄█▀ .││|│││ ■ DOOR32.SYS       │
 ▀█▄█▀ .││|│││││ ■ SSL capable      │
 └ ▀ ──┴─┴─┴─┴─┴────────────────────

by Craig Hendricks
codefenix@conchaos.synchro.net
  https://conchaos.synchro.net/umrc/
  https://github.com/codefenix-dev/uMRC


What is uMRC?

uMRC is a full-featured, cross-platform Multi-Relay Chat client for BBSes. It 
runs as a native door on your system, letting you access Multi-Relay Chat 
without having to install and maintain a Mystic BBS instance with Python. In 
other words, as long as your BBS is capable of running 32-bit doors, then you 
and your users can participate in MRC.

It should be compatible with any DOOR32.SYS capable BBS such as EleBBS, WWIV,
Synchronet, Mystic, and possibly others. It runs on Windows 7 and later.

If you use NetFoss to start up your DOS-based BBS, then the NFU utility
bundled with NetFoss should run the uMRC Client. As of this writing, Renegade
and Oblivion/2 have been confirmed.


Features:

- Secure SSL MRC host connections
- Automatic host reconnection & rejoin
- TAB username auto-completion
- Password masking (e.g.: /identify ********)
- Mention counter
- Built-in chat and mention history scrollback
- Pipe code color support
- CTCP command support
- Sysop-editable 2-line ANSI status bar themes
- Twit filter


Files Included:

- setup.exe:        Setup utility
- umrc-bridge.exe:  MRC host connection program (multiplexer)
- umrc-client.exe:  MRC Client door
- ODoors62.dll:     OpenDoors door kit library
- ssl-60.dll:       LibreSSL (OpenSSL) SSL library
- crypto-57.dll:    LibreSSL (OpenSSL) Cryptographic library
  [screens]:        Subdirectory containing ANSI & text files
  - intro.ans:      Intro/main menu & status screen
  - help.txt:       Help file showing basic chat commands
  - helpctcp.txt:   Help file on CTCP command usage
  - helptwit.txt:   Help file on twit filter management
  [themes]:         Subdirectory containing ANSI files
  - *.ans:          ANSI theme files


Install Instructions:

If you have any existing MRC process currently running, stop it at
this time. The MRC host generally does not play well with concurrent
connections from the same BBS.

1. Extract all files to their own directory, keeping the structure
   the same as shown above in the list of files included.

   Example:  c:\doors\umrc


2. Run setup.exe, and press 1 to begin.

   For the first 3 prompts, you can simply press enter to accept the
   default values:

    a. The MRC host address defaults to mrc.bottomlessabyss.net. If in
       the future the MRC host address changes, it can be updated here.

    b. SSL is recommended for secure connections to the MRC host and
       should be left enabled, but can optionally be disabled if needed.

    c. The MRC host port number defaults to 5001 if using SSL,
       or 5000 if using a standard socket.


   The remaining prompts are about your BBS:

    d. BBS name \*

    e. BBS software (pick from a list or enter an option not listed)

    f. BBS website \* (include either http:// or https://)

    g. BBS telnet address & port \* (you don't need to include telnet://)

    h. BBS SSH address & port \* (you don't need to include ssh://)

    i. Sysop name \* (this is you!)

    j. Short description of your BBS \*

   Pipe color codes are allowed in options marked with an asterisk (\*)

   Supported pipe color codes:

    |01 ... dark blue
    |02 ... dark green
    |03 ... dark cyan
    |04 ... dark red
    |05 ... dark magenta
    |06 ... brown (dark yellow)
    |07 ... gray
    |08 ... dark gray (bright black)
    |09 ... bright blue
    |10 ... bright green
    |11 ... bright cyan
    |12 ... bright red
    |13 ... bright magenta
    |14 ... yellow
    |15 ... white
    |16 ... black background
    |17 ... blue background
    |18 ... green background
    |19 ... cyan background
    |20 ... red background
    |21 ... magenta background
    |22 ... brown background
    |23 ... gray background

   After you've entered your information, it will be displayed to you,
   with the option to re-enter everything, or quit. Your settings will
   be saved to a file called mrc.cfg.

3. Run umrc-bridge.exe. This program is responsible for maintaining a
   connection to the MRC host and passing chat traffic back and forth
   between the host and your BBS. It must run continuously in order for
   umrc-client.exe to work, so it's recommended to have this program
   launch on system startup.

   When umrc-bridge starts up, it should say "Ready for clients" if
   successful.

   umrc-bridge takes an optional -V command line switch, which enables
   verbose logging. This logs all packets passed through the bridge to 
   umrc.log, which can be useful for troubleshooting purposes.

   After making a successfully connection to the MRC host, umrc-bridge
   makes unlimited automatic reconnect attempts in the event the connection  
   is lost. This can be changed by starting umrc-bridge with the -Rx option, 
   where "x" is the number of retries (e.g.: -R30 for 30 retries).
 
   The -W option can be used to specify the wait time between retries
   (e.g.: -W10 for 10 seconds). The default is 5 seconds.

4. Set up a menu item to launch a 32-bit door on your BBS.

   The command line syntax is:

     umrc-client -D c:\path\to\DOOR32.SYS

   If you get an error saying, "Invalid config. Run setup", it means you either
   did not run Setup, or you're not launching umrc-client from its own 
   directory. On some BBSes (like Mystic) it is necessary to use a batch 
   file or bash script to launch the door. Something like the below ought
   to do the trick:

   
     :: call this file "launch.bat" and pass the node number (%N) to it
     C:
     cd \path_to\umrc
     umrc-client -D c:\path_to\node%1\door32.sys


   umrc-client takes an OPTIONAL -IP parameter, so that sysops may include the
   user's IP address. If used, umrc-client reports the user IP to the host,
   which grants the host greater control over banning users without banning an 
   entire BBS.
	
   Usage: -IPxxx.xxx.xxx.xxx (no space between "IP" and the actual IP)
   
	   On Synchronet, %i specifies the user's IP:

		 umrc-client -D c:\path\to\DOOR32.SYS -IP%i
	   
	   On Mystic, %4 specifies the user's IP:

		 umrc-client -D c:\path\to\DOOR32.SYS -IP%4
   
   The -IP can only be used if the BBS is capable of knowing a user's IP
   and passing it to a door. Check your BBS documentation.

   Optionally include the -SILENT option to prevent the local Windows GUI 
   from popping up while the door is running. This is highly recommended, 
   since umrc-client takes a noticeable performance hit when outputting to 
   both the BBS and the local Window, especially while paging through the chat
   scrollback.

     umrc-client -D c:\path\to\DOOR32.SYS -SILENT

   To run the client locally from the command line, use the -L option:

     umrc-client -L

   NOTE: It will only run as user number 1 (Sysop) in local mode.

  At this point, you should be ready to launch the door and join chat.


uMRC Client Usage:

When a user first launches the uMRC client door, they'll be given the option
to confirm the user name the door detected, or enter a custom one (in case the
BBS passed the user's real name to the door). After the user confirms their
name, they'll be shown a brief list of their default settings with the option
to change them.

Display name:

   The display name is the user's chatter name shown next to all their
   messages in chat.

   A default chatter name is formed with a randomized set of options:
   chatter name color, prefix, and suffix.

Default room:

   This is the room the user will automatically join when they enter
   chat. If left blank, "lobby" will be the default room.

Text color:

   This is the default color used for all of the user's messages. The
   user may also use the left and right arrows to cycle through color
   options while in-chat.

Chat sounds:

   Console beeps can optionally be heard any time the user's name
   is mentioned in chat. These beeps are disabled by default. They
   can be toggled on or off with the /sound command while in-chat,

Join Message:

   This is a short string that is sent to the chat room to announce
   that the user has entered the room. Pipe color codes are allowed.

Exit Message:

   This is a short string that is sent to the chat room to announce
   that the user has left the room. Pipe color codes are allowed.

Theme:

   This is a 2-line ANSI file in the "themes" subdirectory. The sysop
   can add/edit theme files as needed. Only the first 2 lines in the
   file are used. Anything after line #2 is ignored.

The user presses the Q key to save their options and quit to the
main menu.

User settings are saved the userdata subdirectory. One file per user,
named using their alias or username on the BBS. If a user's settings 
ever need to be reset, simply delete (or rename) the file associated 
with them.


Main Menu:

The main menu shows a short list of options and the current status
of the MRC Host as reported by umrc-bridge.


Options:

C Enter Chat:       Places the user into chat, automatically joining
                    their default room.

S Chatter Settings: Lets the user modify their options.

I Instructions:     Shows a list of basic chat commands, as listed in
                    the screens/help.ans file.

Q Quit:             Exits back to the BBS.


MRC Stats, as reported by umrc-bridge:

State:    ONLINE or OFFLINE. 60 seconds or less since last ping = ONLINE
BBSes:    Number of BBSes currently connected to the MRC host.
Rooms:    Current number of chat rooms.
Users:    Total number of users in all chat room.
Activity: NUL, LOW, MED, or HI, based on chatter activity.

umrc-bridge makes requests for server stats every 60 seconds and stores 
them in the mrcstats.dat file for display elsewhere on the BBS.

The stats are separated by spaces and follow this order:
   1 - BBSES
   2 - Rooms
   3 - Users
   4 - Activity (0=NONE, 1=LOW, 2=MED, 3, HI)


Basic Chat Usage:

Upon entering chat, the user will be greeted with the message of the day
and other messages from the MRC server.

Anything the user types starting with a forward slash (/) will be treated
as a chat command. For example, /help for a list of commands.

Anything else the user types will be sent to the room as a chat message
for others to read.

Basic room stats are shown near the bottom of the screen above the user's
text input, showing the current room, topic, user count, number of times
the user was mentioned, latency, and input buffer (max input: 140). These
stats update continuously throughout chat.

The door should let the user remain in chat up to the number of minutes
allowed by the BBS, and should not have an issue with any time spent 
idling.

The user types /quit or /q to exit chat and return to the main menu.


Meetups!

Now that your BBS offers MRC, here's where the most action is!

thE grAvY trAIn

Saturdays at 21h00 UK / 16h00 Eastern / 13h00 Pacific
Host: MeaTLoTioN
More info at: https://erb.pw

Type /meetups in chat for a current list of meetups.


Known Issues & Limitations:

Height and width are limited to 80 columns by 24 rows. OpenDoors has
a default maximum row limit of 23, but umrc-client is hard-coded with
this setting adjusted to 24. As far as I know, OpenDoors cannot
automatically detect the terminal's height and width.

The font size of the local window cannot be adjusted. This seems to be
an internal limitation of the OpenDoors kit.

At the time of this writing, when using the !ddial command, the MRC
host returns extraneous packets missing the BODY field. uMRC treats
these as invalid, since they contain fewer than 6 tildes (~). The
Syncrhonet mrc-connector service logs similar warnings for !ddial.


Future Plans:

As of this writing, I don't plan on making many changes or adding a lot of
extra features. Bugs will be fixed, and changes will be made to support
future changes to the MRC protocol, but that's about it.


Technical Notes:

uMRC is written in C, and was developed and compiled using Microsoft Visual
Studio Community 2022.

uMRC makes extensive use of threading, both in umrc-bridge and umrc-client.
Separate threads are used for establishing connections to the MRC host,
listening for and handling client connections from local clients, and
handling user input while displaying incoming messages to the output window.

Secure SSL sockets are implemented using LibreSSL, a variant of OpenSSL. SSL
is used only from the umrc-bridge to the MRC host, while local umrc-client
connections to the umrc-bridge are made using standard TCP/IP sockets, using
the same port number as selected in the Setup program.

You should NOT have ports 5000/5001 open on your firewall/router, since
umrc-client makes OUTBOUND requests to the MRC host on ports 5000/5001.
If you leave these ports open on your end, then you may occasionally see
umrc-bridge log odd messages, caused by outside HTTP requests to your system.


Thanks, Acknowledgements, and Links:

Thanks to StackFault at The Bottomless Abyss BBS, MRC HQ!

https://bbs.bottomlessabyss.net
telnet://bbs.bottomlessabyss.net:2023
ssh://bbs.bottomlessabyss.net:2222


StingRay of A-Net Online: testing and feedback.

StingRay offers a wide array of BBSes and BBS-related services that all sysops
should avail themselves of. The main links here will get you on the path to
everything he offers.

https://a-net-online.lol/bbs/
telnet://a-net-online.lol
ssh://a-net-online.lol


X-Bit of x-big.org: testing and feedback.

X-Bit is a veteran sysop and league coordinator of the X-League (777) Inter-BBS
network which re-launched in 2025. If you're interested in joining the network,
check out these links below:

https://x-bit.org
telnet://x-bit.org
ssh://x-bit.org:22222

xbit also contributed the "l33t" and "stars" themes!


Exodus of The Titantic BBS: testing and feedback.

Exodus is the network coordinator of MetroNet and maintains Renegade BBS. He was
instrumental in confirming uMRC could run on DOS-based systems like Renegade.

https://www.rgbbs.info
telnet://ttb.rgbbs.info


Shurato of Shurato's Heavenly Sphere: testing and feedback.

Shurato runs perhaps the most unique and customized instance of EleBBS anywhere,
and is always happy to try running new things on his board.

https://shsbbs.net
telnet://shsbbs.net
for SSH, see: https://shsbbs.net/faq.html


Enjoy!

See you in chat!
