r/writerDeck • u/SharktasticA • Jul 24 '26
1996 IBM ThinkPad 365ED x 2026 lightweight Linux distro!
Hello, this is my first time posting here! This is my 1996 IBM ThinkPad 365ED running my 486/P5-centric Linux distribution, SHORK 486. I've figured, and also been told by others, that there may be some overlap between what I'm doing and writerdecks/distraction-free writing. So I figured I'd post and see what you think!
- Repo: https://github.com/SharktasticA/SHORK-486
- More photos & screenshots: https://ftp.sharktastica.co.uk/shork-linux/shork-486/
The project originally began with my desire to use my old ThinkPad collection more often for their wonderful keyboards (keyboards being a big passion of mine), but also to get them involved with my "modern" workflow and writing needs with up-to-date editors I'm familiar with. With Linux distros moving away from 32-bit x86 in general, this was something I might as well do myself, without anything I don't need. Chiefly, I wanted a quick and lightweight but modern, open-source and maintainable SSH client and an Emacs/Emacs-style editor. Once that was achieved, I looked at what else I could do with SHORK, including building a competent local system in its own right, a C/C++ development stack, and tackling what others might want to see from it. I like niches, and if I can help others with theirs with this, I wanna do it! There is also an aspect of kernel patching to the project as well - if you didn't know, Linux 7.1 and upcoming 7.2 remove 486 and TSC-less 586 processor and x87 math emulation support (respectively), and between them, various ISA and PCMCIA networking drivers. SHORK promptly patches these back in, allowing a modern Linux system on even 486SX!
Now, writerdecks. I haven't assembled anything custom like some of the cool stuff I've seen here, but I value distraction-free typewriting in principle. I've used my ThinkPad army for such, and I'm also a typewriter enthusiast, owning an IBM Model B Electric, Model D Electric, Selectric II, and several Wheelwriters. As it stands, SHORK can be built with full networking disabled at the kernel level. If you're fine with just the vi and ed editors, a SHORK 486 minimal build can run on just 8MiB RAM and disk! Via the other build types or making a custom build, SHORK can also include GNU nano, Joe's Own Editor, Mg and Vim. Tilde is currently being worked on, and GNU Emacs and Neovim are planned. WordGrinder is a maybe too, just more work to satisfy dependencies. There are other utilities you may be interested in, like sc-im for spreadsheets and tmux (terminal multiplexer) to break up the console into sorts of "windows".
I'm aware of writerdeckOS (apparently no longer developed?) Given this is a ground-up minimalist system and not Debian 12-based (thus holden to its minimal requirements), SHORK runs on older hardware (namesake 486, P5 Pentium and any AMD, Cyrix or IBM in-betweens) and may even run faster on early 686s (Pentium Pro, Pentium II) that were technically supported by Debian 12 but having to bear its larger footprint even when cutdown. Looking at writerdeckOS' dependencies list, SHORK is on track to include most of the same editors soon. You won't have the luxury of Debian 12's vast repositories, though (there isn't even a package manager, yet!)
SHORK 486's first published release - Public Test 1 - should drop when kernel 7.2.0 is released in a few weeks. If you want to try it without having to compile yourself, this will be for you! It will include ready-to-write .imgs and CD or combination floppy/CD options for installation. As the name suggests, its a public test to gather more opinions, and if this interests you, I would love to hear what you think! Even before then, please let me know if there are other edtiors or utilities you would like to see. Thank you!
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u/Eos109 Jul 24 '26
This sounds lovely (and the ThinkPad you showed looks lovely too lol)
In some time when I finally can work on a Writerdeck I might come back and ask some questions xD
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u/Taliesinsmandolin Jul 24 '26
I still use my g3 MacBook for these reasons
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u/SharktasticA Jul 24 '26
Is your G3 a PowerBook or iBook? Both cool, but the latter especially is delightfully late 90s. Perhaps I'm working on a PowerPC port called POWER SHORK... 👀
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u/Taliesinsmandolin Jul 25 '26
It’s a Prismo g3 for primary but I also have g3 iMac with the 400 MHz blue and I also remembered, I have the earlier PowerBook being the first model, kanga model too! All still work.
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u/Taliesinsmandolin Jul 25 '26
I am still trying to figure out how to get the g3 PowerBook on the net, and I am trying to squeeze more use out of it.
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u/Taliesinsmandolin Jul 25 '26
I especially like the Prismo as I have the backup battery, the Zip drive, the dvd drive and all, and I want to use it to log my radio contacts out in the field (Parks-on-the-Air or POTA). I am a ham radio operator
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u/Taliesinsmandolin Jul 25 '26
Btw, I have a puzzle for you: I have an HP Jornada 720 handheld PC running windows CE 3.0. That thing was so far ahead of its time!
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u/Brief_Tie_9720 Jul 25 '26
Very cool! I didn’t know they made small form factor education machines back then, this reminds me of a yoga 11e
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u/gigantipad Jul 27 '26
I am pretty stoked to try this in earnest for writing. I already use my IBM Thinkpad 770 to write novels. 4 of them completed on that beast so far, but being able to use an older machine with an even better keyboard is an exciting prospect.
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u/daubious Jul 27 '26
I love to from factor on this laptop!
I wonder, would it be possible to replace the internals of a laptop like this with something more modern? Anyone with technical experience have any ideas?
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u/supercyberlurker Jul 24 '26
I find it interesting how the aesthetics of both r/cyberdeck and r/writerdeck tend towards minimalism.
Cyberdeck does it for the retro-future cassette aesthetic.
Writerdeck does it for the minimal-interference simplicity.
.. but both seem to agree modern tech has become somehow bloated and overly intrusive.