Using a 1978 terminal in 2026 (DEC VT-100)

5 hours ago

The author created a coding agent for the terminal, reflecting on the juxtaposition of old technology like the VT-100 with modern advancements.
All modern terminals emulate the VT-100 released in 1978, prompting the author to buy one and use it as their main terminal.
The VT-100 has a CRT display, an Intel 8080 processor, 3 KB RAM, and communicates via RS-232, but its keyboard is outdated.
Terminals work by sending and receiving byte streams; interactive apps use ANSI escape sequences for cursor movement and formatting.
On Linux/MacOS, terminals involve tty and pty subsystems with raw and cooked modes handling line discipline and control.
Using the VT-100 required overcoming issues like flow control (fixed via a Linux VM), slow redraws at 9600 baud, and escape sequence incompatibility.
Incompatibility issues included Unicode support (VT-100 only handles ASCII) and OSC sequences, solved by adding ASCII-only and legacy modes.
After adjustments, using the VT-100 was delightful for basic tasks like vim and the author's app, highlighting old vs new tech contrast.

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