HN user
Nice retro-demo/motivation for "what's the point of protocols/abstraction layers"[0].
Use case argument for an add-on programmable logic array / micro controller board as security interface / non-standard to standard protocol translation.
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Wonder if Knuth was trying to determine how much tech one could generate out of a block device and still have a consistant normal form. (vs. yak shaving) --- looks like an infinate amount, just as long as (NP != P) & (shrodinger's cat is alive[0]). aka. shrodinger's cat not alive means no more suppositions. np is now p, so !NP = P can happen. lisp users call that closure. The complete inverse of physics, maximum font size for given context of !
C type casting addresses the issue so much easier, either (&*(NP) = seg fault ? B) or (B = &*(NP) ? seg fault).
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Guess streams was a mixed analog / digital world thing[0]. Is 'curl' the higher order wave crest of LC_NETWORK (aka 'sane' http protocol reference to type bundled 0,1,2 file descriptors)
One can have curl as a bash loadable routine without the need to recompile bash. Headless or not, much more sane[4] than ctypes.sh[1] as curl binary epilog/prolog handle the non-http protocol items within the context of curl module/program. More relevant logic level related to topic beyond http protocol only curl : socat[2] and gnu netcat[3].
Ah, HN doesn't provide a way to conjure up * data tapes (comments not withstanding). Ebnf being battle tested for years & grepping the ANTLER[7] by the horns:
awk interpeting http stream via http protocol[5] via ebnf of http protocol likely to better handle the different protocal layers more gracefully than bash script. Would need to make sure awk is in bit mode and not character/byte mode to avoid line discipline issues / 'stty sane'[4]. Note:
Perl/python provide better layers of abstraction than shell coding for the different levels of protocols used in/with http protocol/ ebnf,Kleene* coding.[6] In shell, having a different command programm for every ebnf set/protocol level vs. awk, different ebnf for each Kleene* protocol level)
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[0] : Your trerminal is not a terminal: An Introduction to Streams : https://www.lucasfcosta.com/blog/streams-introduction
[1] : ctypes.sh : https://github.com/taviso/ctypes.sh
[2] : socat : https://github.com/3ndG4me/socat/releases
[3] : gnu netcat: https://netcat.sourceforge.net/
[4] : stty sane : https://real-world-systems.com/docs/stty.1.html
https://jaredgorski.org/notes/unix-tty/
Guess the 'how do I post to lobsters?' secret is out[0]. aka snarf the mail distribution list. send out to mail distribution list. If worthy enough article, sent email gets posted/archived on site.
[0] : "But yak shaving is fun" : https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48555838
Hacker news needs a 'non-standard programming language subject tag'. Perhaps ":-J" as first line in comment?
Kiisu[0], credit card sized footprint computer with modular add-ons.
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Perhaps doing the g-code text as barcoding / q-code sequences might permit more code to be included in book?
Nice light computational module for huds device. Random search engine project pick:[0]
Perhaps also basis for a table coaster 3d hologram[1]
Adding to card thickness / modularity:
pop-up hologram display.[2][3]
projected keyboard/display[4] & gain ability to respond to text messages!
[0] https://www.instructables.com/Smart-Glasses-V2/
[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xHbQRcIWxC8
[2] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vRo8m_a6F54
?? add relevant wifi/port to connect to a projector/projection glasses / laser projector[0]
3 old micro ibm hard drives combined into rgb color space / diy laser image projector[1] might be able provide a bigger picture without exceeding DIY credit card size. kinda depends on laser size.
Ummm... a smartphone internal projector module more compact than diy stack of ibm microdrives / laser.[2]
Not worrying about size: esp32 laser dac : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9YASnlB_t_U
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[0] : diy laser video projector : https://asktheman.xyz/
[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fEPicBSYeNQ
: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bl1e54QGJk4
Ah, quick read / then dissapointment on re-read -- not banking on flexing to get an idea to fly -> https://techxplore.com/news/2026-03-birdlike-robots-greater-...
So, no AI seagul training to do machine banking/swipe money transfers.
cad/stl/cnc related files for 'automated assembly' via 3d printing pcb[1] / pick-n-place machine[2][3] would be nice.
Catchy, higher order point/fundamental theory of calculus application of "Move over cassette tapes, adhesive tape has memory, too"[4]
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[1] : "Making a 3d printed circuit board that works" : https://www.instructables.com/Make-a-3D-Printed-Circuit-Boar...
[2] : pick-n-place machine : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pick-and-place_machine
[3] : No solder! : https://www.electromaker.io/blog/article/affordable-pcb-prot...
[4] : "Move over cassette tapes, adhesive tape has memory, too" " https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48161242
diy 486 schematics (around year 2000)[0]. no longer available. Discription/overview[3]. :( But, current linux doesn't support 486 cpus.
Was turned into something commerical (?2002[2])[1]. Perhaps modern version would be the old AMD cyrix chips?
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[0] http://boole.stanford.edu/cebit/
[1] https://megagames.com/news/matchbox-pc-smallest-world
[2] https://ptacts.uspto.gov/ptacts/public-informations/petition...
[3] https://www.paloaltoonline.com/morgue/monthly/1999_May_26.MI...
Food for thought:
Add a lambda fuction. Add list of condiments[0] such as let-us.
Forage/prove one can have a turing complete meal with bun? Easier than risking indigestion through bun/sheaf correspondence.[1][2][3][4]
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[0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_condiments
[1] : Applied Sheaf Theory for Multi-agent Arificial Intelligence (Reinforcement Learnig) Systems: A prospectus : https://people.cs.uchicago.edu/~ericschmid/schmid-applied-sh...
[2] : Discreate Morse theory for computing cellular sheaf cohomology : https://www2.math.upenn.edu/~ghrist/preprints/computationals...
[3] https://medium.com/@german_mag.ai/sheaf-theory-and-applicati...
[4] https://direct.mit.edu/books/oa-monograph/5460/Sheaf-Theory-...
Think that was a early computation thing -> CRT memory[0][1]
Perhaps the 'city block' heaters requiring similar sized AC condensors to provide control over Maxwell's daemon was the inspiration for the unix daemon process.
Optical computing makes fuzzy computations so much easier -> outgassing[2]
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[0] https://spectrum.ieee.org/the-birth-of-ram
[1] https://bunkerofdoom.com/lit/CRT-scopes/CRT_memory/index.htm...
[2] https://spectrum.ieee.org/adhesive-outgassing-nasa-standards
"Can it run DOOM?" : https://canitrundoom.org/
Wouldn't that be doom scrolling?
?? e-waste recycling ??
selfie thing.
... but both threads are DOOMed ...
asic computer doesn't have cpu cycles. So, a computer is still a computer between two cpu cycles.
Well, using something related/similar to turing-complete correspondence:
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If it can fetch/display files from the internet, yes, it can run doom[5]. Or make use of curl, curl-doom[18]
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stripped down doom can run in 4MB (doom on a smart toothbrush[7]). ESP32 has support for up to 4MB external PSRAM[1]. ESP32 port of doom[2]. lcd screen might provide for faster refresh / less blury images under magnifying glass.
Alternatively, adding an expansion port to be able to use 'doomchip' might make it easier hide game play while at work[8] / stay awake between screen frame refreshes. (and/or simulateously play tetris & 1d pacman; add Badgey functionality[19] )
But should one go with micropython[3], reflectionsOS[4] or not waste space and use a 2 stage 512k bootloader for dns.doom[5]?
contikiOS[6] for dns.doom[5] might be the correct fit without needing to add 4mb psram / doomchip expansion port(s).
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Misc doomchip information:
doomchip non-tech article(2020)[11].
doomchip developer comments[12]. Should be able to get at least 2fps!
doomchip better expanded upon in a 'heads up, 7up' thread -> slice[9]/doomchip[10].
Surprised there's no dns doom.wad / I.D.Software Application (IDSA) rfc "Spit.wad: A DNS string encoding using Unicode for doom.wad graphics" version of rfc3492: "Punycode: A bootstring encoding of Unicode for Internationalizaed Domain Names in Appliations" (IDNA) [13]
(IDSA) rfc might permit formally unifying things like unicode-line-stacker[14], stacked diacretics generator[15], unicodeart[16] and "awesome symbols and characters in a bash prompt"[17].
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[0] : "Can it run doom?" : https://canitrundoom.org/
[1] https://docs.espressif.com/projects/esp-idf/en/latest/esp32/...
[2] https://www.techeblog.com/doom-electronic-badge-emfcamp/
[3] https://github.com/NoosaHydro/2.4inch_ESP32-2432S024/tree/ma...
https://github.com/wojciech-graj/cydoomgeneric
[5] https://undercodetesting.com/dns-can-run-doom-how-2000-dns-r...
esp32 https://github.com/contiki-ng/contiki-ng/discussions/3022
[8] https://hackaday.com/2020/05/13/the-doom-chip/
[9] https://github.com/sylefeb/Silice
[10] https://github.com/sylefeb/Silice/blob/master/projects/READM...
[11] : doomchip article : https://www.techeblog.com/doom-chip-game/
[12] https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1258808333265514497.html
[13] https://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc3492/
[14] https://github.com/axesilo/unicode-line-stacker
[15] https://codepen.io/lingyloll/pen/ooMaYO
[16] https://www.unicodeart.com/gallery/
[17] https://unix.stackexchange.com/questions/25903/awesome-symbo...
Now just needs an x86 simulator port.[0]
Python/Go are mono-object structured.
Apples/Oranges are multi-object structured (single utf glyphs not withstanding)
?? Different base monoids, nurture [ego] / nature. But still depends on what hungry for. ??
Yeah, but sub-par code golf performance may cause negative rewards/issues. (vs. sub-par standard golf tends to generate positive rewards/issues.
Obviously general purpose programming language(s) excluded[0]. -- per 'minimal'
Does usable / minimal mean no ecosystem / integrated development environment? No ecosystem/IDE would seem to exclude command line shell & unix 'one program does one thing well'chaining/sourcing. 'Excel as a Turing-complete Functional Programming Environment' would be excluded too![8]. Do at least need the ability to abstract/store & forward to get away from 'endless tape streams'. (traditional grep vs. grep with 'state awareness')
Would seem to some what depend on the domain of discourse.
1) Esoteric Programming Languages:
"Let's Take Esoteric Programming Languages Seriously"[1][2].
Is a metaphor programming language an esoteric IDE?[3] (vs. apl/mumps)
2) Domain Specific Languages[4]:
Usable/minimal with a philosophical background : 'mov is turing complete'[5]
symbolic macro application of electrical engineering concepts of NAND[6]
APL works for some enginering backrounds.
One can assemble a checklist of doom[7]; but BNF forms[9] for syntax highlighting[10] might be a better fit under the 'usable/minimal' category.
Ummm... bnf forms aren't really usefull without higher order abstractions/usage with things such as ASTs and treesitter[11]
Kinda circles back to a higher order form of of the no ecosystem/ide noted above. Nice, higher level abstraction under the NP != P category.
Perhaps getting to the point and leaving a monad unevaluated is the simplest theoretical usable minimal programming language. Not very functional/usable though.
[0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General-purpose_programming_la...
[1] "Let's Take Esoteric Programming Languages Seriously" : https://news.ycombinator.com/edit?id=48334594
[2] "The Hacker Folk Art of Esoeric Coding" : https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45371188
[3] "Esolang, the esoteric progrmaming languages wiki": https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=16894676
"homespring" vs. apl/mumps
https://www.jetbrains.com/mps/concepts/domain-specific-languages/
[6] https://www.geeksforgeeks.org/digital-logic/what-is-nand-gat...
[7] https://healeycodes.com/doom-rendered-via-checkboxes
[8] : "Excel as a Turing-complete Functional Programming Environment' : https://arxiv.org/abs/2309.00115
[9] : typed-bnf : https://github.com/thautwarm/typed-bnf
[10] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syntax_highlighting
[11] : Aborium: Tree-sitter code highlighting with Native and WASM targets : https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=27875333
Related published research article : https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1367-2630/ae4acc
Dynamic / reusable barcodes?
Unable to locate anything noting alternatives. aka looping tape between stick lines & using arc length refaction index / distance between tape kinks to simplify read back[0]. ak tape bubble memory[1]. Don't have to worry about dimishing returns on adhesive strength. Water activated adhesive would make for simplified erase.
Modified variation on punch tape with velcro instead of tape / re-usable velcro bumps vs. punched holes. Yet another method for visualizing labmada calculus[3]
Likely beyond scope of project but would be nice to see references/background discussion(s) bridging mechanical strain/civil engeineering trusses with lambda trees / tree weights / "data encoding"/genetic encoding. [4][5][6]
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[0] : Quipu: The Ancient Computer of the Inca Civilization https://www.peruforless.com/blog/quipu
[1] : magnetic bubble memory : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DbfrsnsWmhk
[2] : magnetic bubble memory storage on a heathkit h8 : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P_miv4wYzvg&t=38s=
[3] https://github.com/prathyvsh/lambda-calculus-visualizations
[4] https://github.com/barry-jay-personal/tree-calculus/blob/mas...
[5] https://writings.stephenwolfram.com/2025/09/the-ruliology-of...
Willow + Claude[1] + Thermin[2] = ?? Cherlindrea's wand[3] 98%-98.2% of the time ??
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[1] : Claude : http://claude.ai/
[2] : The Thermin, a short introduction to a unique instrument : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-QgTF8p-284
[3] : Cherlindrea's wand : http://willowufgood.fandom.com/wiki/Cherlindrea%27s_wand
Project time/resource constraints not withstanding, wonder how this compares to other c-64 os alternatives.[0]
?? future options ?? : Unix bootable from a cassette tape drive? :-)
?? c-64 unix server with ports to hook up one or more c-64's via CaTer (Cartridge Terminal) -- perhaps best done via tcp-ip 'ports'.
?? fuse[1] for c-64 to be able to 'read' other floppies / c-64 unix swap space over tcp-ip.??
?? "modern" 5.25" for c-64 via c-64 variant of greaseweazle[2] ??
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[0] "The Many Operating Systems of the Commodore 64" : https://lunduke.substack.com/p/the-many-operating-systems-of...
[1] c64-fuse (perhaps over c-64 tcp-ip) : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Filesystem_in_Userspace
[2] greaseweazle : https://github.com/keirf/greaseweazle