+++ Sunday 13 July 2025 +++
OCC25 Start of the OCC 2025
===========================
The 2025 edition of the Old Computer Challenge started today.
The theme for this year is "There Is No Challenge".
In order to give as much people as possibe a chance to
participate, the rules quite relaxed. The OCC website mentions
for example "using an alien operating system".
My system of choice for this year is an Apple Power Mac G4 (AGP
graphics), a machine with a 400 MHz PowerPC G4 and 704 MB RAM
memory, from around 1999. It is running Mac OS X 10.3.9.
The is a system that is tuned towards control by the mouse.
Normally I run systems with the Ratpoison window manager, the
Emacs EXWM window manager, or no X at all.
Using the Power Mac for the Challenge ticks some boxes:
- the Power Mac is at least 25 years old
- this way of working is indeed quite alien for mue.
Display, keyboard and mouse
---------------------------
The monitor is a 1999 15 inch flat panel Graphite Apple Studio
Display with a resolution of 1024x768. This is a lovely display!
The keyboard is the stock Apple keyboard from this era.
The mouse is a less old Logitech mouse.
Image of the setup
------------------
From the internet I stole a small picture that shows the Power
Mac, the Studio display and the keyboard. Only my mouse differs.
See.
gopher://box.matto.nl/I/i/g4-met-monitor.jpg
Additional installed software
-----------------------------
Some additional installed software:
- GNU Emacs 22.05.50
- Firefox 1.5.0.7
- X-Chat Aqua 0.10.1 (IRC-client)
- Palm Desktop 4.2.1 (to sync my Palm TX)
- Adium (instant messaging application)
- FreeMind 0.8.1 (mind mapping application)
- Flightgear 0.9.8 (flight simulator)
Network connection
------------------
The Power Mac is at my desk in the attic, an area without
wired network. The Power Mac is connected to a TP-Link Access
Point which bridges the wired network of the Mac to the
wireless home-network.
Challenges
----------
Not being able to use SSH due to outdated cyphers was to be
expected, during the preparation phase I set up a jail with
a FTP-server and a Telnet server.
Some other challenges I already can report about:
* Revision management
There is no revision management system installed.
I try to compile openrcs, but without success.
* Keyboard incompatibilities
The terminal version of Emacs, either locally or remote,
doesn't recognize the Alt-key (or the Command key).
The GUI version treats the Command key as Alt-key, but
selecting a paragraph with Command-h minimizes the Emacs window
and formatting a paragraph with Command-q kills it.
Probably there will be more to follow :)
Last edited: $Date: 2025/07/13 16:50:47 $
