Re: 80386 support

["Aaron J. Grier" <agrier%poofygoof.com@localhost>]

On Tue, Aug 28, 2012 at 07:54:48AM +0200, Alistair Crooks wrote:
> Interesting - your answer above leads me to pose a question - would
> you feel the same nostalgia/attachment/satisfaction using an emulator
> for the old hardware?  It would give the same intellectual challenge,
> it would check the code in the same manner as you describe above, and
> at least address, in some way, the emotional attachment.

emulators address the academic side: how do I map this best to the
architecture, how is the toolchain holding up, how do things perform
under limited memory constraints, and perhaps the most important: how
portable is this code, really?

however, emulators don't address the intangibles.  they don't emulate
the feel, smell, or sound of the original.

> We very rarely used to sit in machine rooms beside VAXen or PDP11s, so
> I'm trying to get a handle on the attachment to hardware.

the hardware itself is iconic and isn't mere technology, but an
embodiment of the efforts, activity, and emotions that surrounded that
technology.

the main system of my basement datacenter is the very same alphaserver
1000A 5/400 which was the main academic server for my alma mater when I
wrote my senior thesis.  my mail server was a workstation for a math
professor.  my desktop was given to me by a close friend, now departed.
my router is a combination of parts acquired from different sides of the
dotcom boom and bust.  etc...

I get satisfaction (along with occational frustration) in keeping this
old hardware going.  it seems like there should be a word for it, but
I've been unable to think of one.

it's not hoarding if I keep them running, right?  ;)

-- 
  Aaron J. Grier | "Not your ordinary poofy goof." | 
agrier%poofygoof.com@localhost