this post was submitted on 04 Jul 2026
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Self hosting on retro computer? (aussie.zone)
submitted 6 days ago by SuspiciousCarrot78@aussie.zone to c/selfhosted@lemmy.world
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I'm big on retro tech (which, sadly, is becoming code for credit bills in a trenchcoat; why did I give all that good shit away :( ) and occasionally think "damn, I should try to get an old C64 or Amiga, specc it up and use it as a daily driver".

Then I got to wondering "do folks still use retro PCs to self host cool stuff?"

So, do folks here still use retro computers for self-hosting- either actually hosting services on the old hardware, or self-hosting lightweight tools specifically for use from vintage machines?

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[–] litchralee@sh.itjust.works 6 points 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago) (1 children)

If a Nintendo Wii counts as retro, there's at least one person hosting a website using one: https://infosec.exchange/@alexhaydock/114377262481451962

But that was (incredibly!) able to run a prebuilt version of NetBSD, which had drivers for the official Wii USB LAN adapter. If instead there's a piece of hardware that can boot an OS but doesn't have a network interface device, then SLIP could be useful. Here's a vape hosting a website: https://bogdanthegeek.github.io/blog/projects/vapeserver/

And if still, said retro device has no concept of IP or networking, can it at least speak serial over a 300 baud modem?

[–] irmadlad@lemmy.world 2 points 6 days ago

Here’s a vape hosting a website: https://bogdanthegeek.github.io/blog/projects/vapeserver/

I've seen the disposable vape. That's actually pretty wild.

[–] kkj@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 points 5 days ago

https://youtu.be/PGWpGMrroi8

[–] rimu@piefed.social 4 points 6 days ago

Really old CPUs (486 or earlier) lack the computing power to do SSL at any decent speed. So you're limited to serving http, gopher, nntp, or telnet. Maybe IRC.

You could have a modern computer handle the SSL connection and proxy requests through to the antique but some of the purity of the thing is lost by doing that.

[–] homesweethomeMrL@lemmy.world 4 points 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago)

Depends on how retro you’re talking. My Atari is sadly DOA but i don’t have the time to make it a project, but my $1500-on-release apple slaptop that i dug out of e-recycling, with a core 2 duo is fairly plug-n-play for whatever docker can provide.

Not that I do that either . . . That’s what the raspbi was for . . .

Edit: essentially I guess I’m saying if it can run some kinda *nix then maybe.

[–] irmadlad@lemmy.world 3 points 6 days ago (1 children)

I still have my Altair, complete TI99 with expansion box and a crate full of carts, and a Timex Sinclair. I don’t think you’d do much self hosting on those though

[–] sorghum@sh.itjust.works 2 points 6 days ago (1 children)

I would imagine you could host a BBS on them. Doubt it could handle many if even concurrent connections

[–] irmadlad@lemmy.world 2 points 6 days ago

All of that was cool back in the day, but I have no inclination to go back.

[–] PetteriPano@lemmy.world 2 points 6 days ago

There's plenty of BBSes still being hosted on hardware like this. Like fria bad.

Most of them do require a proper PETSCII terminal, to keep the lamers out.

[–] cmnybo@discuss.tchncs.de 2 points 6 days ago

If the computer has a serial port, you can use SLIP to get an internet connection. Then you could host a simple website from it. It will run at dial-up speeds and you may have to write your own software though.

[–] K3can@lemmy.radio 1 points 5 days ago

Not often, but there's a niche. I wish I could remember the details, but I saw someone earlier this year that was hosting a public BBS on a c64.

[–] frongt@lemmy.zip 1 points 6 days ago

Yeah I've seen a couple posted, but I didnt save any of the links.

At one point I got a 286 up and running with Minix, but I didn't get as far as getting an Ethernet driver compiled for the kernel.