this page is the board's .nfo, not the board itself. The board is a real, live BBS. Dial it from any terminal:
telnet connect.skullbbs.com 2323
No telnet handy? Open the browser terminal →
board ...: SKULL BBS sysop ...: marba$ node ...: raspberry pi zero 2 w, bolted inside a hard hat uplink ...: its own LTE modem hat (a hat inside the hat) dial ...: telnet connect.skullbbs.com 2323 ssh ...: ssh -p 2222 yourhandle@connect.skullbbs.com doors ...: the defcon trail · gone to hell · blackjack · the wall est ...: DEF CON 34 · las vegas · aug 6-9 2026
SKULL BBS is a real bulletin board system: message boards, door games, file areas, all of it, running on a Raspberry Pi bolted inside a hard hat.
It carries its own cellular uplink (an LTE modem hat, a hat inside the hat) and tunnels out to a public address, so the board on someone's head is dialable from anywhere on Earth. This page is just the info sheet. The board itself lives at telnet connect.skullbbs.com 2323.
The board also keeps a honeypot on port 22: a fake, sloppy-looking login left open as bait. Real scanners find it and try to break in around the clock, and every attempt gets logged. None of them are anywhere near the real board; they are just knocking on a decoy. Watch them try, live, under intruders.
telnet connect.skullbbs.com 2323
ssh -p 2222 yourhandle@connect.skullbbs.com
For ssh, add -c aes256-cbc; the board's crypto is proudly vintage.
For the full ANSI experience use a BBS terminal like SyncTERM (syncterm.bbsdev.net). Point its telnet mode at port 2323. Plain telnet works too; it'll just be less pretty. New callers welcome.
No terminal on this machine? Connect right here in your browser →
This is the real board: a live session, relayed over websocket by fTelnet's public proxy. Hit connect and log in like any other caller.
No luck? The public relay may be down. Dial direct: telnet connect.skullbbs.com 2323, or use SyncTERM (syncterm.bbsdev.net).
Every screen on the board is hand-built CP437, drawn in Mystic pipe codes and rendered here in the site palette. The animated ones replay on click. Also on display: scenes from the defcon trail, the board's Oregon-Trail-style door game (Portland, Maine → Las Vegas, 2,720 miles of con).
▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄ ▄███████████████▄ ███████ ██ ██ ██ ██ ██ ██ ▄███████████████████▄ ██ ██ ██ ██ ██ ██ ██ ▄▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▄ ███████ █████ ██ ██ ██ ██ │░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░│ ██ ██ ██ ██ ██ ██ ██ ▌│░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░│▐ ███████ ██ ██ ██████ ███████ ███████ ░└┐░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░┌┘░ ░░└┐░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░┌┘░░ ██████ ██████ ███████ ▀▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▀ ░░┌┘▄▄▄▄▄░░░░░▄▄▄▄▄└┐░░ ██ ██ ██ ██ ██ ████▀▄▀████ ▌░│ ▌░░░▐ │░▐ ██████ ██████ ███████ ████▌ ▐████ ░│▐ ▀▀░░▄░░▀▀ ▌│░ ██ ██ ██ ██ ██ ▀█████████▀ ▀─┘░░░░░░░▐ ▌░░░░░░░└─▀ ██████ ██████ ███████ ▄█▄ ▄█▄ marba$ ▄░░░▄▄▄▓░░▀ ▀░░▓▄▄▄░░░▄ ▄─┘ ▌░░░░░░░▐ └─▄ a bulletin board that lives ░░▐ ─┬┬┬┬┬┬┬─ ▌░░ inside a hard hat. ▌░░░▀┬┼┼┼┼┼┼┼┬▀░░░▐ ▄░░░└┴┴┴┴┴┴┴┘░░░▄ telnet/ssh connect.skullbbs.com ▄░░░░░░░░░░░▄ new callers welcome · agency · DEF CON 34 ▄▄▄▄▄▄▄
▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄ ▄███████████████▄ ▄███████████████████▄ ▄▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▄ │░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░│ ▌│░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░│▐ ░└┐░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░┌┘░ ░░└┐░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░┌┘░░ ░░┌┘▄▄▄▄▄░░░░░▄▄▄▄▄└┐░░ ▌░│ ▌░░░▐ │░▐ ░│▐ ▀▀░░▄░░▀▀ ▌│░ ▀─┘░░░░░░░▐ ▌░░░░░░░└─▀ ▄░░░▄▄▄▓░░▀ ▀░░▓▄▄▄░░░▄ ▄─┘ ▌░░░░░░░▐ └─▄ ░░▐ ─┬┬┬┬┬┬┬─ ▌░░ ▌░░░▀┬┼┼┼┼┼┼┼┬▀░░░▐ ▄░░░└┴┴┴┴┴┴┴┘░░░▄ ▄░░░░░░░░░░░▄ ▄▄▄▄▄▄▄ skull bbs · a node inside a hard hat, somewhere no feed. no algorithm. just a node. ── you're in. everything here was put here by a person. ──
── new caller detected. ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────── the net used to be something you built, not something you were fed. in the 1980s, before the platforms, you found your people by dialing into boards someone ran out of a spare room. small places with their own rules, hosted by a person, not a company. no feed deciding what you saw. no algorithm selling your attention. you showed up because you wanted to. the most agency you can have over a corner of the internet is to host it yourself, on hardware you can hold, that answers to nobody. pick a handle. it's yours. that's the point.
▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄ ▄███████████████▄ ┌─────────────────────────────────────────────┐ ▄███████████████████▄ │ ■ ■ ■ telnet/ssh connect.skullbbs.com │ ▄▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▄ ├─────────────────────────────────────────────┤ │░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░│ │ skull bbs / main │ ▌│░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░│▐ └─────────────────────────────────────────────┘ ░└┐░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░┌┘░ ░░└┐░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░┌┘░░ (m)essages (f)iles (d)oors ░░┌┘▄▄▄▄▄░░░░░▄▄▄▄▄└┐░░ (s)bulletins (o)neliners (v)oting ▌░│ ▌░░░▐ │░▐ (u)ser list (b)bs list (l)ast callers ░│▐ ▀▀░░▄░░▀▀ ▌│░ (c)omment (p)age sysop (t)ime bank ▀─┘░░░░░░░▐ ▌░░░░░░░└─▀ (a)ccount (@)usage (!)agency ▄░░░▄▄▄▓░░▀ ▀░░▓▄▄▄░░░▄ (w)ho's on (g)oodbye (h)elp ▄─┘ ▌░░░░░░░▐ └─▄ ░░▐ ─┬┬┬┬┬┬┬─ ▌░░ /n chat · /s msg · /p page · /g hangup ▌░░░▀┬┼┼┼┼┼┼┼┬▀░░░▐ ▄░░░└┴┴┴┴┴┴┴┘░░░▄ new here? press h · just a node. ▄░░░░░░░░░░░▄ ▄▄▄▄▄▄▄
▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄ ┌───────────────────────────────────────────────┐ ██▄▄ ▄▄██ │ ■ ■ ■ telnet/ssh connect.skullbbs.com │ ██ ▀▄▄ ▄▄▀ ██ ├───────────────────────────────────────────────┤ ██ ▀▄▄ ▄▄▀ ██ │ skull bbs / message bases │ ██ ▀▀▀▀ ██ └───────────────────────────────────────────────┘ ██ ██ ▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀ (r)ead (p)ost (k) quickscan (n)ew scan (f)ind (i)ndexed read no feed decides what's (a)rea change (j)oin group (g) psnl scan on top. you read what (w)rite email (c)heck email (e) drafts you choose. (v) outbound (d) scan date (z) scan bases (o)ffline mail (b) nodelist (s)ignature (q)uit to main (h)elp
▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄ ┌───────────────────────────────────────────────┐ ██ ████████████ ██ │ ■ ■ ■ telnet/ssh connect.skullbbs.com │ ██ ██ ██ ██ ├───────────────────────────────────────────────┤ ██ ████████████ ██ │ skull bbs / file areas │ ██ ██ └───────────────────────────────────────────────┘ ██ ████████████████ ██ ██ █ █ ██ (l)ist files (d)ownload (u)pload ██ █ ≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡ █ ██ (n)ew scan (s)earch (i)ndexed list ██ ████████████████ ██ (a)rea change (j)oin group (e) batch q ▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀ (v)iew archive (f) file list (p) scan date (z) scan bases (q)uit to main (h)elp hand-picked textfiles. no recommendation engine here.
▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄ ┌───────────────────────────────────────────────┐ ██░░░░░░░░░░░░██ │ ■ ■ ■ telnet/ssh connect.skullbbs.com │ ██░░░░░░░░░░░░██ ├───────────────────────────────────────────────┤ ██░░░░░░░░░░░░██ │ skull bbs / doors │ ██░░░░░░░░░■░░██ └───────────────────────────────────────────────┘ ██░░░░░░░░░░░░██ ██░░░░░░░░░░░░██ (g)one to hell (cyoa · rescue lintile) ██░░░░░░░░░░░░██ (j) blackjack (mpl, runs on the pi) ▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀ (t)he defcon trail (oregon trail, con-side) ░░░░░░░░░░░░ (l) intruder log (live honeypot) (w) the wall (leave your mark) you pick the game. (q)uit to main (h)elp the game doesn't pick you. the log is real. so are the scanners. lag is part of the charm.
█████ ██████ ███████ ██ ██ ██████ ██ ██
██ ██ ██ ██ ███ ██ ██ ██ ██
███████ ██ ███ █████ ██ █ ██ ██ ███
██ ██ ██ ██ ██ ██ ███ ██ ██
██ ██ █████ ███████ ██ ██ ██████ ██
self-determination · the ability to act · DEF CON 34 · las vegas, aug 6-9
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
the theme of def con 34 is agency: yours, and the machines'.
this board is our answer.
· it runs on hardware you can hold (a pi, in a hard hat, on a head)
· it answers to nobody (no platform, no landlord, no feed)
· you dialed it on purpose (nothing here was pushed at you)
· you could build one tonight (all off-the-shelf; ask marba$)
the most agency you can have over a corner of the internet is to host it
yourself, on hardware you can hold, that answers to nobody.
(the one screen where the official dc34 palette gets to visit the crt.)
how this board works ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── every screen lists its commands in (parens). type that letter. that's all. you're always at a caller$ prompt - type the letter of where you want to go. reading & writing messages ───────────────────────── from the (m)essages menu: r read p post a change area n new scan files ───── from the (f)iles menu: l list d download a change area when it asks for a protocol, choose zmodem - your terminal handles the rest. (everything here is a textfile. no feed. you take what you want.) talking to people ──────────────── /w who's online /p page a user to chat (c)omment leaves marba$ a note leaving ─────── g hangs up clean. or just drop the connection - NO CARRIER is on-brand here. ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── you knew how to get here. now you know how to get around. press a key...
+++ath0 NO CARRIER come back when you want to own something. telnet/ssh connect.skullbbs.com · skullbbs.com · sysop: marba$
═════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════ t h e █▀▀▄ █▀▀▀ █▀▀▀ █▀▀▀ █▀▀█ █▄ █ ▀▀█▀▀ █▀▀▄ █▀▀█ ▀█▀ █ █ █ █▀▀ █▀▀ █ █ █ █ ▀█ █ █▄▄▀ █▄▄█ █ █ █▄▄▀ █▄▄▄ █ █▄▄▄ █▄▄█ █ █ █ █ ▀▄ █ █ ▄█▄ █▄▄▄ ═════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════ Las Vegas, Nevada <────────────────────── Portland, Maine 2,720 miles. 60 hours. five hackers. one con. _|_ /\ /\ .|. /\ | / \/ \ .|. /||\ ▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄ <█▌█░░█░░█ ═══════════════════════════════════════════════▀▀o▀▀▀o▀▀═══════════════ you have died of con flu. (not yet. but you will.)
▄█▄ █▀█ ███ ▐███▌ ▐███▌ ▄▄▄▄ ▐███▌ /\ /\ ~≈~≈~≈~ ▐████▌ ~≈~≈~≈~≈~≈ ▐███▌ ≈~≈~≈ /||\ /||\ ≈~≈~≈~≈~≈~≈~≈~≈~≈~≈~≈~≈~≈~≈~▄█████▄≈~≈~≈~≈~≈~≈~≈~≈~≈~≈~ ~≈~≈~≈~≈~≈~≈~≈~≈~≈~≈~≈~≈~≈~≈~≈~≈~≈~≈~≈~≈~≈~≈~≈~≈~≈~≈~≈~≈~≈~ PORTLAND, MAINE · mile zero. the atlantic at your back.
▄▄█▄▄ ▄███████▄ ▄█████████▄ ▄▄▄███████████▄▄▄ █▌█▌█▌█▌█▌█▌█▌█▌█ █▌█▌█▌█▌█▌█▌█▌█▌█ ░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░ WASHINGTON, DC · everyone here is a fed, so nobody is. (unmarked sedans: 4) (burner phones: half price)
/\ / \ /\ /\ / ▓▓ \ /▓▓\ /\ /▓▓\ /\ / ▓▓ \ / \/ \/ \ /\ / \ / \/ \/ \/ \ / \ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ DENVER, CO · mile high. the passes ahead eat vans alive.
· * · * · * · * · * ▄▄▄▄ ▄▄▄▄▄▄ ▄▄ ▄▄▄▄▄▄▄ █░░█▌ █▐▐▐▐█ ▌██▐ █▌█▌█▌█ ▄▄▄▄ █░░█▌ █▐▐▐▐█ ▌██▐ █▌█▌█▌█ █▒▒█ █░░█▌ █▐▐▐▐█ ▌██▐ █▌█▌█▌█ █▒▒█ ░░░░▒▒▒▒▒░░░░░▒▒▒▒▒▒▒░░░░░▒▒▒▒▒░░░░▒▒▒▒▒▒▒░░░░░▒▒▒▒░░░░ LAS VEGAS, NV · ten thousand hackers and a pool party.
· · · ▄▄▄▄▄▄▄ ▄▄█▀░░░░░░░▀█▄▄ ▀▀█▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄█▀▀ · · · · ░░░░░░░░░░░┌────────────────────┐░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░ ░░░ _|_ ░░░│ RESTRICTED AREA │░░░░░ _|_ ░░░░ | ░░░░ ░░░░ | ░░░│ USE OF DEADLY FORCE│░░░░░░ | ░░░░ -|- ░░░ ░░░░░░░░░░░│ AUTHORIZED │░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░ ░░░░░░░░░░░└────────────────────┘░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░ AREA 51 GATE, NV · do not point the antenna at the base.
· · · · · · ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄ <█▌█░░█░░█ ═════════════════════▀▀o▀▀▀o▀▀════════════════════════════ ░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░ another stop on the trail
· * · · * · * · * · · * ╔═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════╗ ║ W E L C O M E T O F A B U L O U S ║ ║ █▀▀▄ █▀▀▀ █▀▀▀ █▀▀▀ █▀▀█ █▄ █ ║ ║ █ █ █▀▀ █▀▀ █ █ █ █ ▀█ ║ ║ █▄▄▀ █▄▄▄ █ █▄▄▄ █▄▄█ █ █ ║ ║ L A S V E G A S , N V ║ ╚═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝ ║║ ▌█▐ ▐██▌ ▌██▐ ║║ ▐█▌ ▌█▐ ▌█▐ ▐██▌ ▌██▐ ░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░▒▒░░░░░░░░░░▒▒▒░░▒▒▒░░░░░▒▒▒░▒▒▒▒░▒▒▒▒░░░░░ you made it. badge line's that way. pool party at nine.
▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄ ▄██████████▄ ██████████████ ███▀▀▀██▀▀▀███ ██ ▄▄ ██ ▄▄ ██ ███▄▄████▄▄███ █████▀▀█████ ▀███ ▄▄ ███▀ ██ ▀▀ ██ ▀█▄▄▄▄█▀ █▀▀▀ █▀▀█ █▄ ▄█ █▀▀▀ █▀▀█ █ █ █▀▀▀ █▀▀▄ █ ▀█ █▄▄█ █ ▀ █ █▀▀ █ █ █ █ █▀▀ █▄▄▀ █▄▄█ █ █ █ █ █▄▄▄ █▄▄█ ▀▀ █▄▄▄ █ ▀▄
generated from art/src by scripts/build_art.py
Because the net used to be something you built, not something you were fed.
In the 1980s, before the platforms, you found your people by dialing into boards someone ran out of a spare room. Small places with their own rules, hosted by a person, not a company. No feed deciding what you saw. No algorithm selling your attention. You showed up because you wanted to, and you had to know how to get there.
This is that idea dragged forward and bolted into a hard hat, a working answer to DEF CON 34's Agency theme. The most agency you can have over a corner of the internet is to host it yourself, on hardware you can hold, that answers to nobody. No feed. No algorithm. No billionaires in bunkers. Just a node. Mine, and yours too, if you dial in.
[ hard hat ] Pi Zero 2 W + Mystic BBS
| uplink: LTE modem hat
v
frp tunnel --> VPS --> connect.skullbbs.com --> you
The skull rides its own LTE signal out to a small always-on relay that holds the public address. When the signal drops, so does the carrier, which is what the lamp is watching.
Live from the honeypot: real scanners attacking the decoy login on port 22. It looks sloppy on purpose. Nobody's home.
waiting for the feed…