BeebLink

A file storage system for the BBC Micro. Make your PC do something useful for a change: have it act as a file server for your BBC.

No more swapping discs, no more noisy drives, no more 31 file limit, file access is very fast, and it's super-easy to share BBC files with your PC.

If you've got multiple BBCs, they can all connect at once and share files.

"Action" screen grabs

BeebLink also has experimental support for the Electron.

Installing the server

Windows

Get the latest release from https://github.com/tom-seddon/beeblink/releases/latest. Download the Windows zip and unzip it somewhere.

macOS

Get the latest release from https://github.com/tom-seddon/beeblink/releases/latest. Download the macOS zip and unzip it somewhere.

The macOS version is not notarized. To bypass any Gatekeeper dialogs: open Terminal, change to the folder to which you unzipped the server, and run the following command:

xattr -dr com.apple.quarantine beeblink-server bindings.node prebuilds/darwin-x64+arm64/node.napi.node

Linux

Follow the build instructions to build the server.

You can build the ROM yourself, or get a prebuilt copy from the Windows or macOS release: https://github.com/tom-seddon/beeblink/releases/latest (you can use either; they are equivalent, though not currently bit-identical)

Setting up the Beeb

You'll need a BBC B/B+/Master 128, ideally with some kind of EEPROM module or battery-backed write-protectable sideways RAM - it's no fun having to reload the ROM each time you power on, or have it zapped by careless programs!

(If upgrading: you're advised to run the same version of ROM and server, though the server does try to support older ROMs at least well enough to allow *CAT and RTOOL to work. Newer ROM + older server on the other hand is not supported.)

You can connect BBC and PC using a Tube USB serial adapter or a UPURS cable.

Tube USB serial adapter

See https://stardot.org.uk/forums/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=14849. You'll need the full kit with the PLD.

Connect the Tube serial board to the BBC's Tube connector, connect any second processor to the Tube serial board, use the jumper to select Comms mode, and connect the device to your PC.

If using Windows, you'll need to tweak one of the device settings.

If you've got some way of getting files to your BBC already, copy the appropriate ROM image from the zip and load it on your BBC; otherwise, use the bootstrap process, and get the file that way.

UPURS cable

See https://www.retro-kit.co.uk/UPURS/. You'll also need a FTDI FT232 USB serial adapter. Connect UPURS cable to BBC's user port connector and USB serial adapter, connect USB serial adapter to PC.

If using Windows, you'll need to tweak one of the device settings.

If using macOS 10.15 Catalina, you'll need to install the FTDI virtual COM port driver. UPURS BeebLink does not currently work on macOS 11 Big Sur - apologies.

There's no bootstrap process for the UPURS cable. Use the UPURS tools to get beeblink_upurs_fe60.rom copied onto your BBC.

There are some notes about using BeebLink with the UPURS cable.

Setting up the Electron (experimental!)

Electron support is experimental! DIY required

You'll need an Electron with Plus 1 (or equivalent - I'm uing an Acorn Plus 1) and Advanced Plus 5 (or equivalent - I'm using the Retro Hardware New AP5).

You'll need a Tube USB serial adapter (see above). The PLD needs reprogramming with the .jed file here: https://gist.github.com/tom-seddon/07d9f2942590899044a161edd5fe891a, and please also note the instructions there. (The reprogrammed PLD will be fully compatible with BBC B, B+ and Master as well.)

Once set up, Connect the Tube serial board to the AP5's Tube connector, use the jumper to select Comms mode, and connect the device to your PC.

If using Windows, you'll need to tweak one of the device settings.

There's not currently a bootstrap process for the Electron. I used my Master to get the appropriate ROM image onto a cartridge, then plugged the cartridge into the Electron.

Electron support is experimental! DIY required

Use

See the filing system docs for some info about how to use it.

The server docs have some additional information about useful command line options, and a few notes about sharing files between BBC and PC.

If you also use TubeHost, you can access your TubeHost files via BeebLink.

If you use git, some notes on git interop.

Building it yourself

This repo has submodules. Clone it with --recursive:

git clone --recursive https://github.com/tom-seddon/beeblink/

Or, after cloning, use git submodule from inside the working copy to set the submodules up:

git submodule init
git submodule update

master is the branch used to build the latest release, so it should be good. wip/tom is for whatever I'm working on currently, and will probably work pretty well. Other branches are undocumented and probably only temporary.

After switching branch, you'll need to do a git submodule update.

How to build the server.

How to build the ROM.