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TechQuiet 2d · day 3

Restored PDP-11/83 computer now serves web pages on 211BSD Unix

A vintage 1980s minicomputer has been restored to working condition and connected to the internet.

newest coverage 2d agosummary written 1d ago10 pieces100 likes & upvotes44 comments Hacker NewsNewswires

What to know

  • A fully functional PDP-11/83 minicomputer from the 1980s has been restored and is now serving web pages live on the internet running 211BSD Unix.
  • The project has drawn enthusiasts who appreciate working vintage hardware, but also raised security concerns about exposing a historic system to potential malicious access.
  • The incongruity of vintage hardware serving modern AI-generated content has prompted ironic commentary from the tech community.

The dispute Whether the website being served is legitimate content or potentially malicious—some users question whether it's trustworthy or a vehicle for malware. · positions read across 8 posts and comments

many voices

Vintage hardware restoration is valuable and should be preserved and celebrated.

  • “I love it. My PDP-11 has some fault that keeps it blowing fuses. Emulators don't feel the same. Real hardware doing the work, well done”

    jmbwell · Hacker News ↗
some voices

Running a historic system online creates security risks that may lead to its destruction by malicious users.

  • “Please do not treat it as a challenge box; I can restore from tape, but that ruins it for everyone else. I'd turn off telnet.”

    kjs3 · Hacker News ↗
some voices

The use of vintage hardware to serve AI-generated content is incongruous and potentially suspicious.

  • “A PDP-11 serving adverts for an AI-written site in 2026 was not on my bingo card. Imagine being brought back from the dead for that.”

    dwedge · Hacker News ↗

davepl PDP-11/83 restorer

Restored PDP-11/83 computer now serves web pages on 211BSD Unix
pdp1173.com

How it unfolded 4 developments, newest first · click a bar or a number to jump articlespostscomments

Peak 4 pieces in one hour at Sep 21, 12 PM; 10 pieces over 3 days (1 article · 1 post · 8 comments) Sep 21, 11 AM — 3 pieces · 1 article · 1 post · 1 comment — Hacker News 2, Newswires 1Sep 21, 12 PM — 4 pieces · 4 comments — Hacker News 4Sep 21, 1 PM — quietSep 21, 2 PM — 1 piece · 1 comment — Hacker News 1Sep 21, 3 PM — quietSep 21, 4 PM — quietSep 21, 5 PM — quietSep 21, 6 PM — quietSep 21, 7 PM — quietSep 21, 8 PM — quietSep 21, 9 PM — quietSep 21, 10 PM — quietSep 21, 11 PM — quietSep 22, 12 AM — quietSep 22, 1 AM — 1 piece · 1 comment — Hacker News 1Sep 22, 2 AM — quietSep 22, 3 AM — 1 piece · 1 comment — Hacker News 1Sep 22, 4 AM — quietSep 22, 5 AM — quietSep 22, 6 AM — quietSep 22, 7 AM — quietSep 22, 8 AM — quietSep 22, 9 AM — quietSep 22, 10 AM — quietSep 22, 11 AM — quietSep 22, 12 PM — quietSep 22, 1 PM — quietSep 22, 2 PM — quietSep 22, 3 PM — quietSep 22, 4 PM — quietSep 22, 5 PM — quietSep 22, 6 PM — quietSep 22, 7 PM — quietSep 22, 8 PM — quietSep 22, 9 PM — quietSep 22, 10 PM — quietSep 22, 11 PM — quietYesterday, 12 AM — quietYesterday, 1 AM — quietYesterday, 2 AM — quietYesterday, 3 AM — quietYesterday, 4 AM — quietYesterday, 5 AM — quietYesterday, 6 AM — quietYesterday, 7 AM — quietYesterday, 8 AM — quietYesterday, 9 AM — quietYesterday, 10 AM — quietYesterday, 11 AM — quietYesterday, 12 PM — quietYesterday, 1 PM — quietYesterday, 2 PM — quietYesterday, 3 PM — quietYesterday, 4 PM — quietYesterday, 5 PM — quietYesterday, 6 PM — quietYesterday, 7 PM — quietYesterday, 8 PM — quietYesterday, 9 PM — quietYesterday, 10 PM — quietYesterday, 11 PM — quietToday, 12 AM — quietToday, 1 AM — quietToday, 2 AM — quietToday, 3 AM — quietToday, 4 AM — quietToday, 5 AM — quietToday, 6 AM — quietToday, 7 AM — quietToday, 8 AM — quiet 1–4
Sep 22yesterdaynow · 9:44 AM ET
  1. 4

    Users react with irony and concern about the website content

    Some commenters note the incongruity of running a 1980s computer for modern AI-generated content, while others question the legitimacy of the site.

    “A PDP-11 serving adverts for an AI-written site in 2026 was not on my bingo card. Imagine being brought back from the dead for that.”
    — dwedge

    • I miss my 11/83, which was connected to my network through a SLIP connection to a Power Mac running Yellow Dog Linux and connecting to the Internet via dialup.It was the late '90s, and it shared my small apartment with a DEC AlphaServer running VMS, an HP 3000 running MPE, an IBM System/36, an IBM AS/400, a Wang OIS, a SparcStation 1, and a…

      jasomillHacker News2d agoview on Hacker News ↗
    2 more of the top 3 · 5 posts in this stretch

    • I will never understand why, but the story of Reddit Place ( https://web.archive.org/web/20170409173246/http://sudoscript... ) certainly supports this :(

      pmlnrHacker News2d agoview on Hacker News ↗

    • I posted this to twostopbits. Community over there is small but devoted to such willful acts of restoration

      mikerg87Hacker News2d agoview on Hacker News ↗
    all of them →
  2. 3

    Enthusiasts express appreciation for working vintage hardware

    Computing hobbyists respond positively to the restoration, valuing real hardware over emulation and sharing nostalgia about their own vintage systems.

    “I love it. My PDP-11 has some fault that keeps it blowing fuses. Emulators don't feel the same. Real hardware doing the work, well done…”
    — jmbwell

    • I love it. My PDP-11 has some fault that keeps it blowing fuses. Emulators don’t feel the same. Real hardware doing the work, well done

      jmbwellHacker News2d agoview on Hacker News ↗
    1 more of the top 2 · 2 posts in this stretch

    • Thanks for keeping the spirit of the old internet alive :)I hope you won’t have to restore it from tape!

      frumplestlatzHacker News2d agoview on Hacker News ↗
    all of them →
  3. 2

    Comments surface concerns about malicious access attempts

    Users note the vulnerability of running a historic system online, with the operator warning against treating it as a challenge box and suggesting telnet access be disabled to prevent disruption.

    “Please do not treat it as a challenge box; I can restore from tape, but that ruins it for everyone else.”
    — pdp1173.com operator

    • Please do not treat it as a challenge box; I can restore from tape, but that ruins it for everyone else.Unfortunately, for a disturbing percentage of the Internet, ruining things for everyone else is the goal. I'd turn off telnet.

      kjs3Hacker News2d agoview on Hacker News ↗
  4. 1

    Restored PDP-11/83 goes online serving web pages

    A PDP-11/83 minicomputer has been restored to working condition and connected to the internet, running 211BSD Unix and serving web pages live at pdp1173.com.

    1. 1 outlet A restored PDP-11/83 serving this page on 211BSD Unix

      first by HN Frontpage, 2d ago

What people are saying 1 voices from 1 site · best of 8 · verbatim