You can use Mastodon on many retro computer systems:...

I am not OK with windows 95 being retro.

3 September at 19:37 | Open on octodon.social

Extinction Studies

@alienghic @FediTips I'm not ok with any of these operating systems being supported. I remember them too well.

3 September at 19:40 | Open on hcommons.social

Steve Leach

@alienghic @FediTips Yup - that was the first version of Windows I refused to install or use as a kid.

Hearing Windows 95 referred to as "retro computing" has similar vibes to once seeing classic/collector license plates on a Ford Taurus - something I stared at in disbelief when I first came upon it and still can't quite process many years later.

3 September at 22:31 | Open on sigmoid.social

in_sympathy

@FediTips got one for Windows Mobile? 😀

3 September at 19:41 | Open on mastodon.social

Michelle Hughes

I figure most of these require connecting to a real computer to do the internet stuff or the TLS stuff. Are there any that can actually stand on their own? I imagine the most likely candidates are Mac, Amiga, DOS, and Win 95.

3 September at 20:17 | Open on a2mi.social

Michelle Hughes

https://github.com/cc65/ip65

Okay, it looks like we've got:

Fully independent:
* Amiga
* DOS

Needs a proxy to do TLS:
* MVS
* Win 95
* Mac

Needs a proxy to do internet:
* Apple II
* Commodore 64

Offline operation. Syncs with a computer:
* Palm

3 September at 20:29 | Open on a2mi.social

Alanna

@MegaMichelle @FediTips I wonder how difficult it would be to add direct TCP/IP to MOStodon. That means you'd only need a TLS proxy for a C64 when using an RR-Net for example. 🤔

4 September at 21:07 | Open on mastodon.ie

Michelle Hughes

@kelpana @FediTips

It looks like some work has been done to make a very small tcp/ip stack.

You need special-built ethernet hardware, it doesn't do PPP or anything over the modem.

The VICE emulator can emulate an ethernet card, apparently.

4 September at 21:17 | Open on a2mi.social

Alanna

@MegaMichelle @FediTips yes, you need an RR-Net, which are not hard to get. Here's one, for example.

4 September at 21:20 | Open on mastodon.ie

past oral no mad

@MegaMichelle @FediTips Hmmm, LUnix runs on an unexpanded C64 and has a TCP/IP stack.

4 September at 22:29 | Open on retro.social

dioramic_life

@MegaMichelle @FediTips You nerds lol 😉

5 September at 0:36 | Open on raphus.social

Mireya Strife

@MegaMichelle @FediTips they can't. None of these systems support SSL, like at all. You'd have to write a SSL implementation from scratch and that is not only unnecessarily time consuming but also insecure.

The only need for a "real computer" is a SSL terminating proxy, which you could configure on the router directly, to make it seem more "real".

3 September at 21:51 | Open on masto.es

Michelle Hughes

@strife @FediTips

The readme files for the amiga and dos ones mention having their ssl built in.

3 September at 22:35 | Open on a2mi.social

Mireya Strife

@MegaMichelle @FediTips oh apparently there's an OpenSSL port for Amiga. That's nice. I stand corrected, the Amiga one seems to be standalone.

3 September at 22:41 | Open on masto.es

SuperIlu

@strife @MegaMichelle @FediTips #DOStodon is, too.
It uses mbedTLS and cURL.

4 September at 20:34 | Open on mastodon.social

Anjune

@MegaMichelle @FediTips Amidon is standalone. There’s an up-to-date OpenSSL port (AmiSSL), there’re several TCP/IP stacks, there’re drivers for NICs, email clients, web browsers, all that stuff (*not going to run the majority of modern websites)

3 September at 23:19 | Open on chaosfem.tw

froggfish

@MegaMichelle @FediTips 20 years ago we did that with a Philips P2000T and P2000C. The machine was more or less a terminal. We had internet with the text browser, "links".

4 September at 21:23 | Open on mas.to

Michelle Hughes

@greenfrogg @FediTips

I had a TRS-80 Model 100 set up as a terminal once. It has like 6 lines of text or whatever, so instead of "links", I ran "w3m" which doesn't put anything ui elements on the screen.

It was too annoying to use, though, because of all the cables and converters I needed to get its modem port plugged into the usb port of a real computer.

4 September at 21:30 | Open on a2mi.social

froggfish

@MegaMichelle @FediTips Just found out in my archive that the interface was a linux computer and the software used was Mgetty for the communication between the P2000C and the Linux machine. The linux working group within the Dutch HCC (Hobby Computer Club) developed the interface for us.

5 September at 14:27 | Open on mas.to

Salvo Micciché

@FediTips maybe also for Epoc Psion S5? 😉

3 September at 20:26 | Open on flipboard.social

@FediTips
What, no BeOS?

3 September at 21:14 | Open on sfba.social

Ben Cox

@godzero @FediTips I bet it would be trivial to port at least one of these to Haiku.

I am about 30% likely to port the C64 one to Commander X16.

4 September at 15:53 | Open on pgh.social

Wintermute_BBS :verified: ⛔

@FediTips CP/M is painfully missing on this list ...

3 September at 21:26 | Open on oldbytes.space

fedicat

@FediTips wish we had mastodon on blackberry pagers

3 September at 21:32 | Open on pc.cafe

kΔ

@FediTips I’ll need to get my Amiga out… 🎶 cos I was born in the 80s… the 80s.. yeah! 🎶🤪

3 September at 23:05 | Open on mastodon.ie

Julie Sqveakaroo

@FediTips ... I sincerely wish I still had my old Apple//c, now... wow!

3 September at 23:14 | Open on dragon.style

DoctriZ

@le_technicien c'est 100% pour toi, ça !

3 September at 23:34 | Open on imaginair.es

CCC Freiburg

@FediTips 👆 👀 @3rz

4 September at 0:14 | Open on chaos.social

🌪 MikeMathia.com 📡

World's simplest Mastodon client in BASIC.

This is so very cool, on so many levels. :)

4 September at 0:23 | Open on ioc.exchange

:startrek: As not seen on TV!

@FediTips This is so cool!

4 September at 1:19 | Open on friendsofdesoto.social

Dallas Groot

@FediTips brb gotta copy a floppy

4 September at 2:38 | Open on mastodon.social

Usagineko, Catgirl of Battle

@FediTips @foone Eagerly awaiting the client for the Atari 800XL!

4 September at 2:45 | Open on mastodon.social

Brie Mmm

/|\ Here:

#Atari #FujiNet

4 September at 17:55 | Open on venera.social

Jackie (aka Queen Antifa) 🌹:debian_logo::linux:

@FediTips what about classic Unix?

4 September at 2:53 | Open on tech.lgbt

Captain

@FediTips Wish there was a feature phone friendly style website version that could be used on Nintendo 3DS/PlayStation Vita like dabr.co.uk/Tweete used to be for Twitter.

4 September at 3:09 | Open on mas.to

Fedi.Tips

@Lady_Noremon

You could try using a lightweight web interface like Brutaldon? That might work on older devices that can access the web:

https://brutaldon.org/about

4 September at 12:53 | Open on social.growyourown.services

Raccoon Formality

@FediTips @sudaksis why am I even using a modern computer

4 September at 3:21 | Open on tech.lgbt

Rue Mohr

@FediTips wait, your saying I could be using my apple for this!!!!

4 September at 3:24 | Open on infosec.exchange

Amin Hollon 🇺🇸🇲🇾🇮🇳🇦🇫

https://brutaldon.org/about

cc @ivan

4 September at 4:24 | Open on alpha.polymaths.social

Christopher Paun ☑️

@FediTips
How about Symbian?
https://symbianfoundation.org/all-about-the-symbian-os/

4 September at 6:50 | Open on digitalcourage.social

DELETED

@FediTips@social.growyourown.services i dont have a retro device but now im interested

4 September at 10:22 | Open on sharkey.world

Kalos, Prismatic Painter

@FediTips Dang. This post made me nostalgic over System 7 🤣

Thank you for the tips!

4 September at 12:43 | Open on warhammer.social

OrangeR

@Mycomancer @FediTips how about HP85?😄

4 September at 13:45 | Open on mastodon.zaclys.com

Fedi.Tips

p.s. A number of people asking if there's a lightweight version of Mastodon's web interface to use on older devices, you could try "Brutaldon":

It works on text browsers, so it may be lightweight enough for some older devices that can't cope with the official web interface.

4 September at 12:58 | Open on social.growyourown.services

drathir

@FediTips or just use tui/console client and cp paste puburl of post with added /embed switch... (still wonders why instances by default not redirect non js clients to text version of posts even if all post content is included in source of "To use the Mastodon web application, please enable JavaScript. Alternatively, try one of the native apps for Mastodon for your platform." error message page)

4 September at 13:11 | Open on mastodon.social

@FediTips "Client authentication failed due to unknown client, no client auth included, or unsupported auth method" My instance blocking it?

4 September at 14:28 | Open on moth.social

@FediTips Would like to access Masto on my iOS9 iPad. Tootle worked until Masto v4. :-/

4 September at 14:30 | Open on moth.social

Fedi.Tips

Have you tried the official web interface?

4 September at 20:03 | Open on social.growyourown.services

@FediTips Yep. Nothing but a black screen since Masto v4

4 September at 20:05 | Open on moth.social

Fedi.Tips

Hmm... What about https://elk.zone?

4 September at 20:08 | Open on social.growyourown.services

@FediTips Ah, didn’t know about that, ta. But merely an almost completely white screen. :-)

4 September at 20:15 | Open on moth.social

Fedi.Tips

https://semaphore.social/

Brutaldon would be your best bet, still wondering why it doesn't work... 🤔

Another option might be Semaphore?

5 September at 11:44 | Open on social.growyourown.services

@FediTips Thx for all the suggestions. No luck there either, alas. I await email reply from @mammoth re Brutaldon^.

5 September at 12:18 | Open on moth.social

Fedi.Tips

I'm not sure, you might need to check with your admin?

4 September at 20:04 | Open on social.growyourown.services