ARM'd and dangerous: kzimmermann takes on the #OldComputerChallenge 2025 with nothing but a Raspberry Pi Model B.

https://kzimmermann.0x.no/articles/old_computer_challenge_2025.html

Yes, it's late - but it's done. Sorry for the delay, I was having too much fun learning #NetBSD, I guess :D

New #blog post!

OCC: Rebuilding my first PC

#retrocomputing #oldcomputerchallenge

https://haewyr.mataroa.blog/blog/occ-rebuilding-my-first-pc/

Discussion of USENET on IRC #oldcomputerchallenge got me to thinking about my state of mind circa millennium, say '95-05.

I was spending a LOT of time on USENET, on a couple accounts. ICB, IRC, AOL, ICQ all scroll & beep.

I'd hacked my Linux desktop into something really peculiar, was running mostly Enlightenment (previously IceWM, WindowMaker, briefly KDE but ha ha that shit could go in a dumpster). Everything was automated, floating windows around me.

Warm cozy shell.
#cyberpunk #gits

Its a late #oldcomputerchallenge day 7 but I did finally write my closing thoughts for the old computer challenge with FreeBSD.
This is my second year I did the challenge.

gemini://gemini.jasonsanta.xyz/gemlog/occ-2025/occ-day-7.gmi

Heh, I'm going overtime with the #OldComputerChallenge, but #NetBSD is SO FUN to use on the Pi1!

I'm now running JWM, the dillo browser, Pidgin and PCManFM in addition to my busy multiple pane tmux session, and yet the RAM does not go over 260MB! It's amazing, this is like hooking up a motorcycle to pull a wagon of load, adding more and more weight and that motorcycle never slows down despite the load!

Props and props to the devs, this is definitely my new favorite OS for the raspberry pi!

I spend a week with the Sony Vaio VGN-TX2XP from 2006 and it was surprisingly nice (except for some audio stuff). I wrote about it on my blog: https://blog.not-outdated.com/entries/vaiovgntx2xp.html

(also why I poofed, didn't use my smartphone much and the website is slow on older machines)

I've finalized the #oldcomputerchallenge write-up and updated the post.

https://www.talibov.xyz/posts/occ2025/

Key learning from the exercise:

1. That the modern web is the biggest constrain is not a meme
2. More power to Emacs, it's very transferable
3. I still don't know how do I get to South America once the internment starts.

New blog post:

OCC 2025 Epilogue
http://82mhz.net/posts/2025/07/occ-2025-epilogue/

I've also done a side quest these last few days exploring #Debian on the #RaspberryPi Model B (as it is one of the few Linux distros still supporting the armhf architecture).

The performance is quite amazing for the device; I can do pretty much anything in the console + tmux, and RAM usage will barely go over 100MB. That leaves me with over 300 MB RAM to spare!!

I then tried to launch X11 and a Window Manager for a final stretch, but sadly it won't run. I don't think OOM is the culprit here, but the screen goes dark and it won't respond anymore (needs power cycle) despite my user being added to both the input and video groups, and the framebuffer xorg driver being installed. I'd actually appreciate some suggestions on getting around this to reeeeally stress test this brave lil boi.

Finished setting up my email accounts in 9front with the help of folks in #oldcomputerchallenge on libera.chat. Last day of the challenge. It's been good! I've read more of my books this week than usual, and been more present. Mobile computing, by laptop or smartphone, has both disadvantages and advantages. Being without it this week, and being limited to a mid-90s desktop computer, has very much been a positive experience. I intend to carry on aspects of this challenge past the week allotted.

New blog post:

OCC 2025 - Protoweb and Browservice web proxies
http://82mhz.net/posts/2025/07/occ-2025-protoweb-and-browservice-web-proxies/

https://screwlisp.small-web.org/occ/25/jul18.txt

#oldComputerChallenge

really I just read mdh's oldComputerChallenge markwrites. https://appdot.net/@mdhughes/114856809902955354

---

Maybe old computer challenge is not best viewed as an experience of
retro hardware or software, but as a forward compatible receiving
point for hyperlinks from the past.

New blog post:

OCC 2025 - ICQ? moderately successful
http://82mhz.net/posts/2025/07/occ-2025-icq-moderately-successful/