HTTPS mounts are now possible on original Spectranet

HTTPS mounts are now possible on original Spectranet hardware.

Spectranext makes publishing resources much easier: host a folder on the internet, and the cartridge can mount it over HTTPS. That is good for new software, but it creates the same kind of problem the Spectrum 128K faced: developers want to use the newer capabilities, while still reaching the widest possible audience.

If a game, tool, catalogue, or update channel only works on Spectranext, it leaves original Spectranet users behind. That is not great for developers, and it is not great for users either.

Installing the proxy module

To bridge that gap, Spectranext now provides a small module for original Spectranet systems.

Mount the installer from the proxy:

%mount 0, "https-proxy.spectranext.net/installer"
%load ""

The installer flashes the module into a free ROM page. Once installed, the original Spectranet can mount https:// resources through the proxy provided by Spectranext.

Technically, the original Spectranet is still speaking TNFS. The module registers itself as the HTTPS filesystem handler, then connects to the proxy and asks it to fetch the real HTTPS resource. From the user's point of view, HTTPS mounts work. From the network point of view, the TLS and HTTP work happen on the proxy.

What the proxy does

For example, when the machine mounts:

https://theretroranch.co.uk/speccy

the module opens a TNFS session to:

https-proxy.spectranext.net

and asks it to mount:

/theretroranch.co.uk/speccy

The proxy then talks to the real HTTPS site, downloads files as needed, and exposes them back to the Spectrum through the TNFS protocol.

The module is convenient, not mandatory

The module is not technically required. A user can mount the proxy directly with the normal TNFS filesystem:

%mount 0, "https-proxy.spectranext.net/theretroranch.co.uk/speccy"

That works, but it means the user has to know about the proxy path format. The module makes HTTPS resources look like HTTPS resources again, which is what developers will normally document and what software can expect.

Why Spectranet users should install it

Some resources in the Spectranet index are now HTTPS-only.

If you are using an original Spectranet, you should install this module. It gives existing machines a practical path to new Spectranext-hosted resources, while still keeping compatibility with the TNFS stack that original Spectranet already has.

There is still a practical limit. Some resources, especially ones that depend on newer Spectranext features beyond simple filesystem access, cannot realistically work on original Spectranet hardware. But resources that mostly use the filesystem to provide files, catalogues, levels, text, data, or updates should work through the proxy.

For developers, this means HTTPS publishing can become the default without cutting off classic Spectranet users.