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

(nikhiljha.com)

32 points | by ninjha 2 days ago

6 comments

  • chasil 1 day ago
    MAME will emulate several terminals. Among them is the vt240.

    Here are my links for roms and docs:

    http://www.bitsavers.org/pdf/dec/terminal/

    https://github.com/larsbrinkhoff/terminal-simulator/issues/1

    https://www.mail-archive.com/simh@trailing-edge.com/msg09086...

    https://forums.bannister.org/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Num...

    https://simh.trailing-edge.narkive.com/qgzCvrl8/dec-vt-emula...

    I have a bunch of PDFs in along with this, and a vt240.zip that must have come from one of the above.

    I also used this command line call to get the terminal running with "bitbanger."

      mame -rp . vt240 -window -nothrottle -host null_modem -bitb socket.localhost:2323
  • drzaiusx11 2 days ago
    Back in college I ended up rooming with a bunch of unix neck beards and we used a vt320 as our "house control system." It controlled a rack in the basement hooked up to sound systems, tv remote controls for the living room entertainment systems which included a 70in crt monitor that played movie rips from network storage. Fun times.
    • anovikov 1 hour ago
      70in CRT monitor?? Wasn't 43in Trinitron largest CRT ever created?
      • raffraffraff 1 hour ago
        Yep. Either projector or rear projector or didn't happen. I think 70 was pretty big for a rear projection unit.
  • wolvoleo 2 days ago
    I love old terminals and I still have a VT520 which is still very practicable, it can do up to 115200 instead of rhe VT-100's 9600.

    But most programs ignore termcap these days which is a huge issue. Running stuff through tmux helps but it's not ideal.

  • JSR_FDED 1 hour ago
    You can put two of these back to back with the transmit and receiver wires crossed, and type straight from one to the other. Did this as a kid to chat with my little sister in another room.
  • guenthert 55 minutes ago
    "generating SIGTERM on Control + C"

    That'll be SIGINT, but I understand, he just tests whether we pay attention.

  • nickdothutton 2 days ago
    Every now and then I look for a vt320 from my university days. Still miss the smell of hot dust on CRT electron guns.