Bilingual

Linux Now Runs on the Atari Jaguar, a 1993 Console with Just 2 MB of RAM
8 days ago
- Linux kernel 7.2.0-rc1 has been booted on the 1993 Atari Jaguar game console by developer Joel Bueno.
- The Jaguar uses a Motorola 68000 CPU with no MMU, 2 MB of RAM, and custom chips Tom and Jerry.
- Key challenges included the lack of virtual memory support, solved using the uClinux/NOMMU option and a flat memory model.
- To fit the kernel in 2 MB RAM, execute-in-place (XIP) was used, keeping read-only parts on cartridge ROM.
- Timers from the Jerry DSP were repurposed to provide system interrupts for the Linux scheduler.
- Custom console drivers were written for early boot output, using Jerry's serial pins and later Tom's video output.
- Userspace is minimal: Buildroot with BusyBox, FLAT binaries, and a direct shell launch due to memory constraints.
- No full bootloader; control jumps directly to the kernel from the cartridge header.
- The project is seen as a demonstration of Linux flexibility and a retro-computing achievement, despite not being practical for daily use.
- Comments debate the value: some call it wasted time, others highlight the learning and problem-solving involved.
Rendering Real-Time 3D Before GPUs
11 days ago
- Real-time 3D rendering on a 486 using VGA Mode 13h with 256 colors.
- Implemented software double buffering and dirty-rectangle copying to avoid flicker.
- Used fixed-point arithmetic for performance, with different fractional bit scales per subsystem.
- Applied per-pixel Phong lighting via a precomputed light map, similar to MatCap techniques.
- Combined texture mapping with lighting through color quantization to fit 256-color palette.
- Rasterized triangles with a DDA approach, shared across renderers.
- Added metallic rendering via reflection mapping and bump mapping with emboss-style perturbations.
- Techniques were obsoleted by GPUs and hardware advancements but led to first industry job.
A Trip to 90s Kansai: Exploring the XD FirstClass Network BBS
15 days ago
- Exploration of XD FirstClass Network BBS through a 1994 promotional CD, offering an offline archive with original Mac client software.
- Highlight of the BBS's community, focused on music, especially techno, with active posters like Sunao Inami and Yasushi Hashizume sharing posts and files.
- Description of BBS technology as pre-internet, regionally-focused via direct modem dial-up, and use of FirstClass software with desktop metaphor and conferences.
- Discovery of PASSTHRU folder connecting to other Kansai BBSs like SimNaniwa and Virtual Nipponbashi, featuring pixel art maps and hyperlocal content.
- Note on BBS's decline in late 1990s, with some parts like Marching Forum migrating to web-based services under 'Cave', surviving into the 2000s.
- Reflection on the archive's purpose as intentional preservation by operators to introduce outsiders to the community, offering a unique historical snapshot.
Stacks: Run classic HyperCard stacks on modern macOS without emulation
19 days ago
- Run HyperCard stacks directly on modern macOS without an emulator
- Browse and run stacks from the Internet Archive's collection with one-click
- Includes sound, instruments, period-accurate typography, MacinTalk speech synthesis, and cross-stack navigation
- Universal binary requiring macOS 13 (Ventura) or later
The Atari Jaguar Runs Linux
21 days ago
- Atari Jaguar was Atari Corporation's final console, failing to compete in the early '90s market.
- Linux has been ported to the Jaguar using its 68000 processor with a -nommu kernel and custom hackery.
- The port includes a BusyBox userspace and a graphics driver, allowing an on-screen console.
- This follows a trend of Linux ports to '90s consoles like the Sega MegaDrive and Nintendo 64.
Copy That Floppy – Cambridge guide for preserving data from fragile floppy disks
21 days ago
- This guide is for practitioners aiming to preserve floppy disks by creating disk images, focusing on 8-inch, 5.25-inch, 3.5-inch, and 3-inch disks.
- It assumes basic knowledge of digital preservation, familiarity with tools like write blockers, and comfort with configuring software and using command lines.
- Key steps include identifying the floppy disk type, acquiring compatible hardware (drives and controllers), cleaning and maintaining disks and drives, imaging via flux stream capture, and further analysis.
- Identification involves examining disk labels, holes, notches, and regional variations to determine density, sides, and format for appropriate hardware selection.
- Hardware acquisition requires matching drives (e.g., TEAC for 5.25-inch, Shugart for 8-inch) and controllers (e.g., Greaseweazle for general use, Applesauce for Apple disks), with attention to cables and power supplies.
- Cleaning and maintenance cover drive head cleaning, disk inspection for mold or damage, and preventive care to ensure reliable imaging.
- Imaging emphasizes flux-level capture for raw magnetic data, using tools like Greaseweazle or Applesauce, with analysis via software like HxC Floppy Emulator to troubleshoot and create disk images.
- Further steps include consulting online communities, forums, and resources for help, and considering emulation for accessing files from disk images.

retro-computing

Linux Now Runs on the Atari Jaguar, a 1993 Console with Just 2 MB of RAM

Rendering Real-Time 3D Before GPUs

A Trip to 90s Kansai: Exploring the XD FirstClass Network BBS

Stacks: Run classic HyperCard stacks on modern macOS without emulation

The Atari Jaguar Runs Linux

Copy That Floppy – Cambridge guide for preserving data from fragile floppy disks