Linking text-based apps to ports

[kenshi]

Ahoy. Here's what I would like to do. I thought it would be fun to host a text-based game on my server, like Monopoly or Hack. That way people can telnet to a certain port and play the game without having to log in. The problem is that I need some kind of wrapper to connect the game's input and output to the connection. I thought inetd would do that for me but apparently it won't. Is there any way to do this or is it necessary that the game be specially designed for network ability?

[Feztaa]

I think the easiest way would just be to set up a guest account on your machine, let people telnet in, and once they've telnetted in, let them play the game normally. This would require that the game has multiplayer support, but not neccessarily networking support.

[kenshi]

I thought about that but the problem is that people who I haven't told the username and password (if any) wouldn't be able to use it. I want anyone on the internet to just be able to find it and play. Plus your method could provide security risks. Although I can set their shell to the game so they can't get a telnet shell, ftp and other services would still let them in because I'd have to make /usr/games/monop a valid shell. (Well I could tell ftp to block the particular user but I have a few other services running too.) Basically it's not the preferred method if you know what I mean. Thanks though.

[gorn]

if the game isn't multiplayer you can use inetd,

12345 stream tcp nowait nobody /usr/games/fortune

or whatever

good luck

[kenshi]

if the game isn't multiplayer you can use inetd,

12345 stream tcp nowait nobody /usr/games/fortune

or whatever

Ok, I tried it exactly like that. I used the game hack for now since monopoly isn't installed. At least this time it gives an error message. Here's what it says:

Hack (gettty): Operation not supported
Hack (settty): Operation not supported
Can't get TERM
Connection closed.

Shouldn't it have a tty if it's in a telnet session? I don't know.

[kenshi]

I want to bring this topic up again. I've tried linking a chatbot to an inetd port. When I telnet to the port, I get the output of the program but can't type anything to it. It just sits there. This is a program that I can run from the command line and just type stuff and it will respond. So I ask again for ideas. If I can get this working, I'll hold a contest here (and probably at LO) and give a small prize to whoever wins. You like prizes don't you? So help me help you. [smiles]

[Rastar]

You might want to look at a Multi User Dungeon for hints how to set up a wrapper or you could install a linux version of a BBS and then have monopoly and hack as a door?

I think the bbs would be a wrapper in this case.

Ras

[Feztaa]

Plus your method could provide security risks.

I think any communication with any form of network could pose a threat to security. Granted, some ways more than others... but nothing is 100% secure

[kenshi]

You might want to look at a Multi User Dungeon for hints how to set up a wrapper or you could install a linux version of a BBS and then have monopoly and hack as a door?

I think the bbs would be a wrapper in this case.

Ras

Yeah. I guess I could look at an example from a mud. I have a feeling it's going to be quite complicated though. And I'm just not sure what you mean by the BBS thing.

[Rastar]

Yeah. I guess I could look at an example from a mud. I have a feeling it's going to be quite complicated though. And I'm just not sure what you mean by the BBS thing.

BBS == Bulletin Board System.

For info on a linux based BBS click below:
http://www.ibiblio.org/pub/Linux/system/bbs/citadel/!INDEX.html
This is citadel you would need the source.

Hope it helps.