Lmst

I'd previously been under the impression that the details of the #ARPANET IMP-to-IMP protocol (as opposed to the well documented #1822protocol for Host-to-IMP communications) had been lost, but it turns out that's not the case. In fact, it appears that in the last 15 years copies of multiple versions of the full source code for the #IMP software have been recovered by using OCR on hard copies. Much more information at https://walden-family.com/impcode/. I don't know the extent that the protocol itself has been reverse engineered from the code.

I love that this was written using #Midas, a programming language which was developed by a hospital. I think I did actually already know that, maybe from https://katiehafner.com/books-new/where-wizards-stay-up-late/ - presumably #BBN just used code they already had from an earlier consulting project.

Anyway - preserve your software projects. I'm sure many of the people doing this in the 60s and 70s didn't realise that what they were doing would be historically significant at the time.

#retrocomputing #computerhistory #softwarepreservation

The Winter #Olympics continue! ⛷️

🏂 Celebrate gaming history by revisiting 1985’s "Winter Games" from our classic software collection ❄️

💾 #SoftwarePreservation is how we go for the Gold! 🥇

🕹️ Play it on your favorite vintage platform ⤵️
https://archive.org/search?query=winter+games&and%5B%5D=mediatype:%22software%22

#8bit

Yeah, that v4 tape find was kinda neat!

I can't help but think, older sources may still exist, somewhere?

I mean, not just because I helped restore some (e.g. https://code.google.com/archive/p/unix-jun72/ USENIX presentation on such findings here, PDF of Toomey's 2009 on "The Restoration of Ancient UNIX Artifacts": https://www.usenix.org/legacy/events/usenix09/tech/full_papers/toomey/toomey.pdf) and some of those collaborators went even deeper, e.g. https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2010IAHC...32c..74T/abstract "First Edition Unix: Its Creation and Restoration" (from 2010) and because well, for the 50th Anniversary of UNIX, they booted up a system with a version supposedly dating back to 1969 "The Earliest Unix Code: An Anniversary Source Code Release" (2019): https://computerhistory.org/blog/the-earliest-unix-code-an-anniversary-source-code-release/

But also, this: "1971 Bob Fabry buys UNIX license for $99 to share with students" (from https://www.berkeley.edu/about/history-discoveries/ though, you have to click "Contributions/Discoveries" then click on 1977 and I'll note: there's a typo within the associated image of "FreeBDS" when I am pretty sure they intended to write FreeBSD" so y'know, maybe not the most accurate source of earlier provenance outside of Bell Labs? Still, definitely older than the University of Utah UNIX v4 tape from 1974).

#AncientUNIX #UNIX #Artifacts #SoftwarePreservation #History #OurStory

software mystery: does anyone have an archived copy of Case Western University's "FreePort" Free-Net software?

this is the collection of server daemons and scripts that, collected together, formed the backbone of most FreeNets. despite the tools being free, the collected package and scripts were not free, and were sold and licensed to freenet operators.

(chebucto appeared a few years later as a free replacement (and it is still available for download) - but it's not the same software package as FreePort.)

boosts very welcome.

#digiPres #softwarepreservation

RE: https://mstdn.social/@swheritage/115932187489013105

We’re excited to welcome @swheritage to the #DPGRegistry 🎉

As an Open Data DPG, Software Heritage collects, preserves, and shares all public software source code, ensuring it remains accessible for everyone in the long term.

https://www.digitalpublicgoods.net/r/software-heritage

#DigitalPublicGoods #OpenData #OpenSource #SoftwarePreservation #DPGs

Love the excitement of everyone involved in this Unix V4 find and the data retrieval. They are all up in the sky, and I completely understand it. And it shows how reliable magnetic media can be if stored well. That is the spirit of what makes vintage computing so fascinating to me. Great that the channel gave this so much air time.

https://youtu.be/m-3RJaKcw_4?si=_5FXAdBYFB57N-a4

#vintagecomputing #computerhistory #softwarepreservation #unix

I have been working on regenerating the (long-lost) source code for Nodes of Yesod, a game I wrote for the Sinclair ZX Spectrum in 1985. I have been picking away at this Z80 disassembly for nearly 20 years, starting with IDA and later moving to Ghidra.

While the project has been technically complete for some time (it reassembles to a binary identical to the shipped game), my goal is to release a fully documented codebase that is actually readable for future developers and historians.

To that end, this weekend, I compared the Claude Code CLI and the Gemini CLI for the specific task of identifying and defining symbols for methods, labels, and constants. In the past, I've run into context memory issues with the web interfaces, but the CLI tools seem to handle this single 30K+ line file very well.

Here is the breakdown:

Claude Code CLI: It is faster and understands the Z80 context with very few mistakes. However, it is significantly more expensive for this volume of work, running into Pro plan rate limits relatively quickly.

Gemini CLI: This allows me to work much longer before hitting rate limits on the Pro plan. It requires more iteration to get the output right, but it is a great workhorse.

The screenshots below show an example of the results, including some ASCII art Claude generated directly from the raw sprite bitmap data, and a section of code constants where both the name and comments were determined or augmented by Claude.

#SinclairSpectrum #OdinComputerGraphics #OldDogNewTricks #RetroDev #RetroGames #ReverseEngineering #SoftwarePreservation #ClaudeCodeCLI #GeminiCLI

The image is a screenshot of lines of code, specifically assembly language data definitions for a graphic sprite. The code is preceded by a large comment block.

The comment block begins with astro_walk_00 - Astronaut walking frame 0. It then describes the format of the data: Format: 3-byte header + 32 rows x 3 bytes (24 pixels wide). It also notes the pixel order: Pixel order: MSB (bit 7) = leftmost pixel, first byte = left side of sprite.

Below this, a visual representation of the sprite is shown using periods (.) for empty space and hashes (#) for filled pixels, alongside the corresponding three-byte hexadecimal values for each row. This section shows the shape of an astronaut figure.

Following the comment block is the actual code label astro_walk_00:.

The first line of code after the label is db $16, $20, $47, with a comment explaining it as header: height, width-info, flags.

The subsequent lines are a series of db (define byte) instructions, each defining three bytes of data in binary format (e.g., db %00000000, %00011111, %00000000). These lines contain the raw binary data that corresponds to the visual sprite representation and hexadecimal values shown in the comments above, defining the pixels for each of the 32 rows of the astronaut sprite.

A screenshot of assembly language code defining constants and structure offsets, divided into three sections.

Sprite Control Block (SCB) field offsets Lines 6 through 46 define offsets for a 32-byte structure used for sprite state and draw parameters.

Position and Size: SCB_X (equ 1), SCB_Y (equ 2), SCB_WIDTH, SCB_HEIGHT.

Pointers: SCB_SPRITE_L/H (bitmap data), SCB_SEQ_L/H (animation sequence), SCB_DRAW_L/H (draw routine).

Rendering: SCB_FLAGS, SCB_COLOR, and dirty rectangle tracking fields like SCB_PREV_DRAW_COL and SCB_DRAW_ROW.

Size: SCB_SIZE is defined as 32.

Baddy structure field offsets Lines 48 through 60 define an 8-byte structure for enemy position and animation.

Fields: BADDY_SEQ_L/H, BADDY_ROOM, BADDY_MOVE_STEP, BADDY_X, BADDY_Y, BADDY_COLOR, and BADDY_FLAGS.

Size: BADDY_SIZE is defined as 8.

Miscellaneous constants Lines 62 through 69 define various game constants.

Values: BOUNCY_SEQ_HIGH (170), PLAYER_SPRITES_H (183), PLAYER_STATE_RIGHT (1), INITIAL_LIVES (3), and INITIAL_HEALTH (63).

Would you like to see UNIX V4 on MissPiggy? #retrocomputing #vintagecomputing #unix #softwarepreservation

Warm yourself by the virtual fireplace in this cosy 8-bit #Christmas scene. No MS-DOS or floppy 💾 drive required to stoke this very 1980s hearth. Thanks to software preservation, the flames are still crackling on the Internet Archive.

✉️ Open the full 1986 Sierra On-Line "A Computer Christmas" card ⤵️
https://archive.org/details/sierra-christmas-card-1986

#RetroComputing #VintageComputing #8bit #SoftwarePreservation #ComputerHistory

A significant historical artifact has resurfaced: the long-lost Fourth Edition Research Unix source code (1973) was recovered from magnetic tape and authenticated. This pivotal release marked the kernel's transition to C. Analysis confirms its authenticity against prior assumptions, revealing 52,000 foundational lines persisted into later Unix versions. This discovery reshapes our understanding of early OS evolution, highlighting the enduring legacy... #SoftwarePreservation #OpenSourceHeritage

❄️ ’Tis the season to celebrate with Sierra On-Line’s 1986 "A Computer Christmas." ❄️ Thanks to #softwarepreservation, this retro holiday classic is now a perennial gift for new generations of holiday revelers. 🎄

See all the animated sequences ⤵️
https://archive.org/details/sierra-christmas-card-1986

#DigitalArchive #TechHistory #retrocomputing #retrogaming

#FollowerPower / #BoostsWelcome :boost_ok:

Does someone in the #SoftwarePreservation circles here want to dump and preserve the original retail release #firmware for an #Iridium #9555A satellite Phone?

It still has the old #BootAnimation with the #LockheedMartin #LM700A Satellites instead of the new one with #IridiumNext Satellites.

#libraries #softwarePreservation

anyone else remember the html code you could add from icq to show your on/offline status on your homepage 😅

source:
https://web.archive.org/web/19980212183219/http://www.icq.com/respondpanel/

#icq #1990s #softwarePreservation

An ICQ Respond-Online panel, showing several buttons:

Chat Me
ICQ Me
Add Me
Page Me
Zoom Me
Email Notify Me

today's buried treasure:

an interview with john henry thompson on the history of Macromedia Director. it's one of the only interviews ever recorded on the subject.

as the lead programmer and creator of Lingo - the OO scripting language used in director - he relates intimate knowledge of its origins. i was delighted to learn that he borrowed much of the grammar from Hypertalk!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TqISbaJ7qug

#macintosh #vintageApple #macromedia #softwarePreservation #programming

bbs enthusiasts might remember the name Telegard - a bbs server written based on wwiv's source code and hugely popular with the ibm pc/ms-dos crowd

telegard had a long and tumultuous history by its authors, and its own source was eventually leaked and was modded into many more popular (pirate-friendly) ms-dos boards like Renegade, Oblivion and Iniquity.

while i was doing research a few months ago on the history of those systems, i found out that telegard.net - the original home of tg - was taken over by a domain squatter in 2010, populated with ads for the past 15 years.

two months ago, i noticed that the squatter had not renewed the domain, and it went into the long grace/redemption/auction/expiry cycle. i checked on it every single morning, and to my absolute delight, it was released this morning for purchase. 💸

the domain will be used purely for historical preservation of telegard and its many descendants

update: restored the old site from the WBM archived version to https://telegard.net

#bbs #warez #softwarePreservation

tim strike's telegard.net website, circa its last update in 1999

Telegard Product Information

Home
Guestbook
Telegard
Information
Resources
Download
File Archive

Other Software
fks Software
Telegard Information
Telegard BBS Software is a full featured bulletin board system software for beginners and experts! Features include a full message section with JAM and Squish formats, a full file section w/file tagging & CDROM support, multinode & multilingual support, powerful menus, scripts, and door support!
Telegard 3.09.g2 Service Pack 4 Release - Y2K Fixes
Service pack 4 for Telegard 3.09.g2-sp3 fixes all the known Y2K problems (pertaining mostly to subscription expiry). The service pack contains a binary fix and some other supplemental files to update both the DOS and OS/2 3.09.g2-sp3 releases. NOTE: You must already have applied the sp3 service pack in order to apply sp4.
Download Telegard 3.09.g2 Service Pack 4 (tg309sp4.zip, 583K)

Telegard 3.09.g2 Service Pack 3 Release
Service pack 3 for Telegard 3.09.g2 fixes most (if not all) the known problems and bugs with Telegard 3.09.g2. The service pack contains a binary fix and some other supplemental files to update both the DOS and OS/2 3.09g2 releases.

Download Telegard 3.09.g2 Service Pack 3 (tg309sp3.zip, 282K)
Telegard 3.09.g2

TIL a toy company released a line of Independence Day toys in the late 90s; each toy included a different "mission disk" floppy with a multimedia program on it for windows 3.1

toy collector @eisnerguy1 managed to collect all 11 of the toys and uploaded disk images to IA 🙏

https://archive.org/details/iD4_Independence_Day_Mission_Disks

#retroComputing #softwarePreservation #win31 #toys

A Captain Steven Hiller action figure by Trend Setters toy company. It shows a 3.5 inch ID4 mission disk in the back of the package.

SIMP_SND.DLL contains every sound used in the berkeley systems simpsons after dark screensaver

it turns out to be a long chain of unsigned 8-bit RIFF waveform 11025hz files

extracted here for your pleasure

#simpsons #macintosh #softwarePreservation

til about japan's Nifty-Serve online service, which was designed to be japan's answer to CompuServe.

while renown for its online forums, i was impressed to see that it was also a shareware distribution service. you could pay for and download registered versions of utilities and games, and the creators were paid directly by nifty.

while the service shut down in 2006, it was revived for one year as a museum of sorts for people to login and poke around. there was even an iOS app.

did anyone happen to archive a copy of the app?
https://web.archive.org/web/20110721053135/http://www.appbank.net/2011/07/20/iphone-application/278566.php

it originally was downloadable here - if that helps to track it down:
http://itunes.apple.com/jp/app/id447556735?mt=8

#japan #retroComputing #softwarePreservation #shareware

A screenshot of the nifty-serve login on an iPhone, showing japanese characters and a menu.

as promised, the treasure trove of US Robotics dialup ISP software is now available on IA. Please note that while I've done my best to describe the software, none of it has been tested. If you're planning on doing something like firmware upgrades, be 100% sure it's the right equipment and firmware.

and if you're one of those lucky 9 people that has a USR Total Control device, i'd love to hear your results.

USR Total Control SNMP Manager MIBs:
https://archive.org/details/tc-mibs

US Robotics SNMP Total Control Manager 2.0.1 and 4.13 Upgrade DIsks
https://archive.org/details/usr-tc-nmc-snmp

COM/US Robotics Total Control NetServer 8/16 Manager and Utilities
https://archive.org/details/usr-tc-netserver8-manager

US Robotics Total Control Modem Pool 8/16 Firmware:
https://archive.org/details/usr-tc-mp16-firmware

Novell NetWare Services Manager 1.1
https://archive.org/details/novell-nsm-1.1

US Robotics Total Control SNMP Manager for NetWare NMS:
https://archive.org/details/usr-tc-snmp-extras

US Robotics Modem Software Downloader 1.7 & USR Sportster Modem Firmware upgrade
https://archive.org/details/usr-sportster-upgrader

US robotics hardware upgrade offer document for dial-up ISPs. This is just a marketing document, but it's a fun read:
https://archive.org/details/usr-x2-offer

#retroComputing #dialup #softwarePreservation #digiPres

#softwarePreservation

Client Info