Hotline server
Mobius
An open source, cross-platform Hotline server with full protocol compatibility.
Hotline was the file-sharing and chat community platform of the late-’90s Mac scene. Mobius is a modern, from-scratch reimplementation of the server, distributed as a single self-contained binary.
The demo runs a real Mac OS 8 + classic Hotline client in your browser. The server runs on macOS · Linux · Windows · single binary · also via Homebrew & Docker.
Features
- Runs on macOS, Linux, and Windows from a single self-contained binary.
- Full compatibility with all popular Hotline clients.
- File sharing, threaded news, chat, and a server message board.
- Tracker registration so your server is discoverable.
- Optional HTTP API for server administration and user management.
- User accounts and bans managed live from a Hotline client.
- Runs as a
systemdservice, or in Docker with a bind-mounted config.
Install
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Homebrew
Easiest on macOS — compiles locally to satisfy notarization.brew install jhalter/mobius-hotline-server/mobius-hotline-server
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Docker
Try it instantly with the sample configuration.docker run --rm -p 5500:5500 -p 5501:5501 \ ghcr.io/jhalter/mobius-hotline-server:latest
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Build from source
Install Go, then build the server binary.make server
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Pre-built release
Download a binary for your platform from the releases page.mobius-hotline-server -init
Hotline Development
Resources for building and debugging Hotline software: read the full protocol reference for the session handshake, transactions and fields, flattened file object, tracker interface, and HTTP tunneling; then inspect Hotline traffic with the Wireshark protocol dissector.