Searchlight BBS
Encyclopedia
Searchlight BBS is a bulletin board system
(BBS) developed in 1985 by Frank LaRosa for the TRS-80
.. LaRosa formed a company, Searchlight Software, through which he marketed and sold Searchlight BBS. In 1987, LaRosa expanded the software and sold it as shareware
written for the PC in Pascal
(using Turbo Pascal
). The features of Searchlight BBS included a full screen text editor, a remote DOS
shell
, and file transfer
via the XMODEM
protocol. Searchlight BBS rapidly grew in popularity, and appeared frequently in Boardwatch
magazine and at BBS conventions across the United States. Eventually, Searchlight BBS supported FidoNet
, ZMODEM
, Internet
e-mail
and telnet
connectivity.
In 1995 LaRosa began work on Spinnaker Web Server, to compete with Netscape and other web server software. Searchight Software sold Searchlight BBS, along with Spinnaker Web Server, to TeleGrafix Communications
in 1998.
Bulletin board system
A Bulletin Board System, or BBS, is a computer system running software that allows users to connect and log in to the system using a terminal program. Once logged in, a user can perform functions such as uploading and downloading software and data, reading news and bulletins, and exchanging...
(BBS) developed in 1985 by Frank LaRosa for the TRS-80
TRS-80
TRS-80 was Tandy Corporation's desktop microcomputer model line, sold through Tandy's Radio Shack stores in the late 1970s and early 1980s. The first units, ordered unseen, were delivered in November 1977, and rolled out to the stores the third week of December. The line won popularity with...
.. LaRosa formed a company, Searchlight Software, through which he marketed and sold Searchlight BBS. In 1987, LaRosa expanded the software and sold it as shareware
Shareware
The term shareware is a proprietary software that is provided to users without payment on a trial basis and is often limited by any combination of functionality, availability, or convenience. Shareware is often offered as a download from an Internet website or as a compact disc included with a...
written for the PC in Pascal
Pascal (programming language)
Pascal is an influential imperative and procedural programming language, designed in 1968/9 and published in 1970 by Niklaus Wirth as a small and efficient language intended to encourage good programming practices using structured programming and data structuring.A derivative known as Object Pascal...
(using Turbo Pascal
Turbo Pascal
Turbo Pascal is a software development system that includes a compiler and an integrated development environment for the Pascal programming language running on CP/M, CP/M-86, and DOS, developed by Borland under Philippe Kahn's leadership...
). The features of Searchlight BBS included a full screen text editor, a remote DOS
DOS
DOS, short for "Disk Operating System", is an acronym for several closely related operating systems that dominated the IBM PC compatible market between 1981 and 1995, or until about 2000 if one includes the partially DOS-based Microsoft Windows versions 95, 98, and Millennium Edition.Related...
shell
Shell (computing)
A shell is a piece of software that provides an interface for users of an operating system which provides access to the services of a kernel. However, the term is also applied very loosely to applications and may include any software that is "built around" a particular component, such as web...
, and file transfer
File transfer
File transfer is a generic term for the act of transmitting files over a computer network or the Internet. There are numerous ways and protocols to transfer files over a network. Computers which provide a file transfer service are often called file servers. Depending on the client's perspective the...
via the XMODEM
XMODEM
XMODEM is a simple file transfer protocol developed as a quick hack by Ward Christensen for use in his 1977 MODEM.ASM terminal program. XMODEM became extremely popular in the early bulletin board system market, largely because it was so simple to implement...
protocol. Searchlight BBS rapidly grew in popularity, and appeared frequently in Boardwatch
Boardwatch
Boardwatch, published and edited by Jack Rickard, began as an important publication for the online Bulletin Board Systems of the 1980s and 1990s and ultimately evolved into the primary trade magazine of the ISP industry in the late 1990s. Late in the magazine's run, it was renamed to ISPWatch when...
magazine and at BBS conventions across the United States. Eventually, Searchlight BBS supported FidoNet
FidoNet
FidoNet is a worldwide computer network that is used for communication between bulletin board systems. It was most popular in the early to mid 1990s, prior to the introduction of easy and affordable access to the Internet...
, ZMODEM
ZMODEM
ZMODEM is a file transfer protocol developed by Chuck Forsberg in 1986, in a project funded by Telenet in order to improve file transfers on their X.25 network...
, Internet
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
E-mail
Electronic mail, commonly known as email or e-mail, is a method of exchanging digital messages from an author to one or more recipients. Modern email operates across the Internet or other computer networks. Some early email systems required that the author and the recipient both be online at the...
and telnet
TELNET
Telnet is a network protocol used on the Internet or local area networks to provide a bidirectional interactive text-oriented communications facility using a virtual terminal connection...
connectivity.
In 1995 LaRosa began work on Spinnaker Web Server, to compete with Netscape and other web server software. Searchight Software sold Searchlight BBS, along with Spinnaker Web Server, to TeleGrafix Communications
TeleGrafix Communications
TeleGrafix Communications, Inc. was a software company in Huntington Beach, California that developed the Remote Imaging Protocol, the RIPscrip scripting language, the RIPterm terminal emulator, and the RIPaint authoring tool. TeleGrafix published the Remote Imaging Protocol specification in 1991....
in 1998.