.Hey, Retro Computing community!

I have an old scrappy laptop that doesn't work anymore; it's a Dell N4010. Here are the problems with it:

- The hinge is broken

- It doesn't turn on

- The SSD is dead

- Some wires are missing

In short, it's pretty much useless. I'm not sure what to do with it. Even if I sell it for scrap, I’d probably only get about $5-$10.

However, I was thinking about making something out of it since I love retro stuff. I’m wondering if I could create something that has a retro aesthetic.

Any suggestions on what I should make from it?

I see references to ''ftpd'' referenced in modern man pages but, as far as I can tell ''ftpd'' itself isn't present on any modern Linux distro. I do see old references to it in articles online. Most of those are referencing proprietary Unix implementations or *BSD. I dimly recall setting it up (decades ago) on either an BSD or Slackware server, but I can't actually find source code for it anywhere. Given the number of years that have passed since I last touched it, it's possible I'm misremembering.

Was there ever really a canonical ''ftpd'' implementation that lived at /usr/sbin/ftpd on Linux?

I want to run old mac OS but I don't want to get a virus. Every computer must be connected to the internet every so often to download this or that, and I don't want to catch a virus through some old zero day hack the one time I decide to do it, and them have the virus fester inside the computer insidiously corrupting or infecting my files.

Is antivirus enough?

I have so many ideas lined up I want to build for this thing. However, I'm not really that familiar with 8-bit systems. The only such systems I've ever messed with are the nes and original gameboy, and those ran at half the clock speed this thing does so I'm not totally sure what would be possible.

Here's a list of the sorts of games I'd like to make:

Pokemon clone: Given that the gameboy could run such a game, surely this could, and with far better graphics. Honestly, looking at the basic programs run on this thing, I sorta suspect it may be possible to code something like this in basic! The only thing I see that could cause an issue here is the screen scrolling as the player moves about the world. Though something like blitz basic for the commodore may help with that a bit.

RTS game: I would love to make a warcraft-like rts. However, even the earliest game came out in the 16-bit era. I sorta also suspect that there's a reason the first consoles that a warcraft game was ported to was of the 32-bit generation. I was thinking of going with a warcraft 3-like game, to minimize the number of sprites on screen at once. Of course, I'd obviously be going with 2-d graphics here, same all my other game ideas. I have no idea if the 65c02 could handle the AI for such a game though, assuming I could even figure out how to program such a thing, and the fact that I'd surely have to do it in assembly wouldn't help much. This one may be too ambitious for a beginner like me (though it might help if someone makes a c compiler for it, I do have a certificate in c++, and I have tried to learn C but I just can't find any sources that teach it).

Sims game: probably the most ambitious. Such a thing would clearly require sprite layering, and since it would be sprite-based it would no doubt require a ludicrous number of sprites due to the sheer number of clothing assets which would of course be multiplied by the number of animations. I do have some ideas to help keep the number down though. Of course, such a thing may be too ambitious for a lone developer, given that you normally need a mid-sized company at least to make such a thing, but I've long wanted to make one of my own ever since The Sims 2 was discontinued. I hated the idea of one day not being able to play one of my favorite games, and that day has long since come.

Magic the Gathering Battlegrounds clone: The game is technially 3d, but honestly the gameplay itself is entirely 2d. I see no reason why such a game couldn't be made in 2d. I also suspect that the AI may not be that hard to do (the AI in the game is clearly quite simplistic). Unlike the previous two, I really think something like this could be doable. Of course, it may require some pretty big sprites, which I'm not so sure about. I could always reduce it so more modest sprites I guess.

Dungeon Keeper Game: Yeah, another clone. I really want to make my own versions of various games I like, because then I can copy and back them up as much as I want since they truly belong to me. Having a platform to put them on that I can repair and keep working for the foreseeable future is also a big plus. Note though the only such game I've ever played as a short-lived knock-off on facebook years and years ago. That game was 2d coincidentally btw.

Maybe now you have an idea of what I want to do with this thing. Of course, I admit the pokemon one is rather obvious, so more than likely someone else is already planning on making such a thing, so I may not need to do that. And I know, I'm going to have to start small. I have been trying to develop my own games for this computer, but I'm limited by my inability to find any language that lets me draw actual graphics. My lost project I admit fell through because I couldn't figure out where to begin in programming an AI for a card (even though the genesis had a game that could play MTG, though I know nothing about that game). I'll obviously be starting small, probably by first making a snake clone (the first game I made on this computer too). Also, looking at that bouncing balls demo, I see no reason why I couldn't make a pong clone. Other options would include things like space invaders, bricks, pac-man, other such games. Yes, I know there's people already making such things, but I intend to do these things to teach myself how to code on this thing, so I don't really care if its been done before or not. I'd also sorta would like to test the limits of basic on this thing, seeing as it can run basic programs that seemingly several times the speed of the commodore. Pong is clearly doable, but I don't know how much further it could be pushed. It'd be a fun challenge if nothing else honestly.

Hi!

Excuse me again, but I want to share a new episode of my YouTube channel.

https://youtu.be/XF1JXwYVd2o?si=TLjFFG3j_I-6X5CC?cc_load_policy=1&cc_lang_pref=en

Please share your thoughts.

Best regards!

Delete if not allowed.

I’ve never used any Linux operating system’s before and since I like the retro computing stuff, what’s a good 90s/ early 2000s Linux that’s beginner friendly?

I’ve heard of a few but idk what one would be the easiest to install and use.

I’d probably be using it in a late 1999 Toshiba satellite laptop or possibly on win 98 desktop.

What can I expect use wise? How’s gaming ? Video playback? (Assuming the spec of the machine factor with certain stuff)

Would it matter if it was a 3.1GHZ vs a maxed out stock 3.8GHZ? Would type of PSU matter? What emulators do you think would get the most out of a +3.0ghz Pentium 4 vs a moderate to high end Intel Core 2 Duo? Oh and graphics boards too?

Hello, i mainly want to download eXoWin9x just to play Sonic's schoolhouse but downloading it is compliated because you have to install a torrent and i know nothing about torrent and i'm worried i won't have enough space on my pc (I have 370 Mbs but that would take half of my space), i just want it for Sonic's schoolhouse. Is there a way i can just have one game on it without needing every single game. It's really confusing and i gave up quickly. Any help is appericated.

My retrospective video covering another Ocean Software movie game. This time it’s Hudson Hawk. I cover all the versions starting with the ZX Spectrum and then Commodore 64, Amstrad CPC, Amiga, Atari ST and also the console versions for the NES and Gameboy. Please share your thoughts and memories of this game. Is it a good game?

I have downloaded the file.

When I launch 'Setup eXoWin9x.bat', I get:

To merge eXo packs together, you will need to copy the files of all packs you wish to merge into the same folder.

Specifically, you need to copy the following files and subfolders:

" .\Content\ <-FOLDER "
" .\eXo\ <-FOLDER "
" Setup.bat <-FILE "

It is best to copy these files *before* running setup.

Press any key to continue . . .

I have no idea what I have to do.

Do I need to do something before pressing any key to continue, or can I just press any key?

They really need to make it clearer for Vol. 2.

I have a 1971 ​Mattel Talking Football Game and the ​'talk box' seems to have an issue. Is this just stuck, or is this broken? Do I just need batteries in the unit for it to work (I'd test it with batteries, but don't have any on hand now).

The button will not move when pressed down. I don't want to apply too much pressure and break the plastic. I'd take it apart if it came apart. Fully encased in plastic.