Re: Re: New offline QWK mail reader: SlyMail
By: Errol Casey to Nightfox on Thu Mar 26 2026 01:35 pm

Also, I forgot to mention, SlyMail can connect to remote systems (via FTP
or SSH) to download QWK packets from within SlyMail, which should make it
easier to download QWK packets.

Didn't see that mentioned when I downloaded it. Will have to check it out. I hope absinthe bbs has SSH; so I can use slymail with it :-)

If it supports FTP, that should work too.

Nightfox

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Re: Re: New offline QWK mail reader: SlyMail
By: Mortar to fusion on Thu Mar 26 2026 11:31 am

Re: Re: New offline QWK mail reader: SlyMail
By: fusion to Mortar on Thu Mar 26 2026 12:15:00

in the synchronet ftp server if you try to download a specific non-existant file, say "VERT.qwk" it'll create that packet on the fly and let you download it.

In this example, sounds like you'd end up with an empty packet. Is there a use case for that?

Why do you think that?
Due to the magic of synchronet you are getting your qwk packet.

Yes there was a "use case" for it. We were using it.
I prefer nntp msg networking, though.


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On 25/03/2026 21:14, Nightfox wrote:

It's available on GitHub, and there are screenshots: https://github.com/EricOulashin/SlyMail

Looks fantastic, well done. Exciting to see more offline mail readers and BBS server packages enter the scene!
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Nightfox wrote to All <=-

Based on the request of a fellow sysop, I've created a new offline QWK mail reader (with the help of Claude AI), which I call SlyMail.
Currently I consider it to be a beta version, as it hasn't been tested thoroughly, so there may be some bugs, but currently it's functional as far as being able to read messages from a QWK packet and save new messages, etc.

Nice, checking it out now!


... Always the first steps
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Nightfox wrote to All <=-

Also, I forgot to mention, SlyMail can connect to remote systems (via
FTP or SSH) to download QWK packets from within SlyMail, which should
make it easier to download QWK packets.

Again, very cool. I use a script to download .qwk files and upload .reps
with Multimail, having that built in will be slick.



... Are there sections? Consider transitions
--- MultiMail/Win v0.52
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Mortar wrote to fusion <=-

In this example, sounds like you'd end up with an empty packet. Is
there a use case for that?

BBSNAME.QWK is a magic filename - requesting to receive it triggers the
BBS to generate a QWK packet. Ditto for sending a BBSNAME.REP packet -
the reply packet is automatically tossed into the message areas.

It's very handy, I use it on my BBS all the time in a batch file that
downloads the packet, opens MultiMail, then uploads the replies.




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Re: Re: New offline QWK mail reader: SlyMail
By: poindexter FORTRAN to Nightfox on Sat Mar 28 2026 12:25 pm

Again, very cool. I use a script to download .qwk files and upload .reps with Multimail, having that built in will be slick.

Although SlyMail has the built-in ability to download & upload QWK packets, it's not automated. I've thought of possibly making it automated with SlyMail though.

Nightfox

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