RetroNET NABU Internet Adapter (show & tell)

[DJSures]

I wanted to share this app I built using Terminal.Gui for the NABU RetroNET project (https://nabu.ca). Quick info about the NABU: it was a Canadian computer from 1980-1984 that was entirely networked over coax. The vision was to have a computer that connected people and communities - even to pay bills and order flowers. The television cable companies did not agree and never upgraded their infrastructure for bi-directional communication, leaving the computer only to receive data. The "hack" was to broadcast ALL available software on a carousel wheel. This meant all software would be broadcasted and repeated - the NABU computer's network adapter would pick up the desired program and load it. I have reverse-engineered the protocol, obtained the original software, and created a program that simulates the network broadcast server. I named it the NABU Internet Adapter. For true cross-platform single-build one-codebase, I choose Terminal.GUI, and it's going great. There are only 1800 nabu's available on earth, so that's the usage cap for the software, but it still has a good user base.

The software allows users to select a source for the data. I've also imagined what the NABU development would look like to alter the protocol for bi-directional communication since it never got done. I've added a remote filesystem, TCP stream, chat, remote resources, and a bunch of other stuff to extend the existing protocol. I even created a custom NABU BIOS with a remote filesystem called Cloud CP/M, so the computer doesn't require local storage - it's all done on the Terminal.GUI program.

Here's a screenshot

[tznind]

Oh man this is so awesome!!!

Thanks so much for sharing this. I was able to get the Internet Adapter running and the MAME emulator running under WINE. And got rick rolled by the DOOM channel haha.

Very awesome stuff! Looks like a ton of work went into this! I'm looking forward to playing more with this.

[DJSures]

HAHAHA, That's so great! I appropriately named that rickroll! People on YouTube kept asking when it would run doom after I got bad apple going. Well - there you go!

[tig]

This. Is. Awe. Inspiring.

Thank you for sharing!

[DJSures]

thank you so much - that is really kind of you to say!

[tig]

I'd like to interview you on your Terminal.gui experience. We're embarking on v2 and i want to make sure we're considering the right improvements. You game?

[DJSures]

I want to help however I can - it's a great tool. I'm unsure how useful I'll be, but I'm game.