Recovered Unix v4 tape quickly yields a usable operating system — nostalgia addicts can now boot up Unix v4 in a browser window
Nostalgia addicts can now get their Unix v4 fix in a browser
(Image credit: University of Utah)
Computer archaeology lovers among the audience are in for a rare treat in these challenging times. Remember that Unix v4 tape that was found and recovered at University of Utah around last week? You can play it in a browser emulator right now, thanks to the wonders of modern browsers and the work of Mitch Riedstra.
The emulator's page actually runs a Linux emulator first, which then you can use to call up the SimH project's PDP-11 emulator, passing it a boot.ini file containing bootstrap instructions. After booting into Unix v4 proper, you'll be greeted with a familiar prompt so you can log in as the "root" user.
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Bruno Ferreira is a contributing writer for Tom's Hardware. He has decades of experience with PC hardware and assorted sundries, alongside a career as a developer. He's obsessed with detail and has a tendency to ramble on the topics he loves. When not doing that, he's usually playing games, or at live music shows and festivals.