This web site is the home of the Hermes BBS package, one of the oldest BBS programs for the Apple Macintosh computer. Michael Alyn Miller is the current owner of the Hermes software and maintains the source code and the web site. Please see the contact page if you would like to get in touch with me about Hermes.
History
The Beginning
The first version of Hermes was released in 1989 by Will “Frank” Price, III. The minimum system configuration for the first version of Hermes was a 1MB Macintosh Plus. You didn’t even need a hard drive; two floppy drives would do just fine! That configuration still works today, although most SysOps use much more recent hardware.
The Hermes look and feel was based on the popular WWIV BBS software for DOS computers. WWIV was a very successful BBS package and Hermes greatly benefited from the decision to use a similar interface. In contrast to DOS BBSs of the day, Hermes provided a complete SysOp GUI for setup and configuration.
Externals
Soon after the initial Hermes release, a complete external API was added to the product. This API allowed developers to build Mac OS code resources that could extend the functionality of the BBS. Externals were similar to “doors” in the DOS BBS world, although externals could hook into almost any part of the Hermes BBS.
The most popular type of external was, of course, the BBS game. Some games, like Blackjack, were single-user games and challenged you to get your best score on the BBS-wide high score list. Other games, like Leech and Merchant!, were multi-user games and pitted users on the BBS against each other.
The current version of Hermes includes a revolutionary new method of developing externals. The External Development System, first made available in Hermes II 3.5.10, is based on the Python programming language. The new Hermes API is easy to use and fun to work with. Everyone is encouraged to read through the developer documentation and see just how much fun writing a BBS external can be.
The “II” in Hermes II
The last version of the original Hermes BBS was Hermes 2.2. To mark the second major phase in the development of the software, Lloyd Woodall, the then-current owner of Hermes, renamed the product to the Hermes II BBS.
Most people still refer to the product as the Hermes BBS (without the “II”) and this web site follows suit.
Previous Developers
A number of developers have worked on the Hermes source code over the years. The following is a list of those developers in reverse-chronological order:
Developer | Owner | Time Period |
|---|---|---|
Michael Alyn Miller | 1998 - present | |
Bill Dolinar Arachnoware | 1997 - 1998 | |
David Woodall | Lloyd Woodall Computer Classifieds | ? - 1997 |
Robert Rebbun | 1993 - ? | |
Will “Frank” Price, III AOC Software | 1989 - 1993 | |
Version History
I hope to build a complete version history for the Hermes software some day. In the meantime, I have compiled the following list of major milestones:
2006:- The Java-based External Development System is used to embed Jython, a Java implementation of Python, into Hermes. A complete API and set of utilities is created to allow developers to build externals in Python.
- The first version of the new External Development System is created. This version is based on a PowerPC external (the first one ever!) that embeds Apple’s Macintosh Runtime for Java inside of Hermes.
- The FidoNet code is removed from Hermes II and a new FidoNet external is created to handle all of the FidoNet processing and communicate with Formula1.
- Massimo Senna hands off the source code to his Formula1 FidoNet mailer to Michael Alyn Miller. Formula1 becomes the official FidoNet mailer for the Hermes BBS.
- The Hermes II Terminal Java applet is released and lets users to login to a Hermes BBS using their web browser. The applet supports all of the PC ANSI characters, colors, and escape sequences.
- Supported is added in 3.5.9 for TCP/IP (telnet) access to the BBS.
- Michael Alyn Miller purchases Hermes II from Bill Dolinar.
- First PowerPC version of Hermes II (3.6 beta).
- Hermes II 3.0.2 released; the version number is changed to continue the progression started with the original release of Hermes.
- Hermes II 1.0.1 released.
- Hermes 2.2 released. This is the last version of Hermes released before the switch to the “Hermes II” name.
- Hermes 1.6.1 released.
- First version of Hermes released!
Please contact me if you have additions, deletions, or changes to this page.