Jonathan Pallant
@thejpster.org.uk
Rust Trainer and Developer, retrocomputing enthusiast
I have Debian 3.0 (Woody) booting on a ln Acorn RiscPC 700 with ARM710 CPU.
It was a nightmare to install. Blog soon.
It was a nightmare to install. Blog soon.
December 1, 2025 at 8:26 AM
I have Debian 3.0 (Woody) booting on a ln Acorn RiscPC 700 with ARM710 CPU.
It was a nightmare to install. Blog soon.
It was a nightmare to install. Blog soon.
Does anyone have a RiscPC? If so, could you download archive.debian.org/debian/dists... onto a RiscPC, unpack it, and use it to boot Linux? On my machine it hangs starting init and I don't know if it's a hardware issue or a software issue.
archive.debian.org
November 30, 2025 at 2:16 PM
Does anyone have a RiscPC? If so, could you download archive.debian.org/debian/dists... onto a RiscPC, unpack it, and use it to boot Linux? On my machine it hangs starting init and I don't know if it's a hardware issue or a software issue.
Reposted by Jonathan Pallant
Celebrating the Xbox 360's 20th anniversary on LGR!
youtu.be/hlnbsRz6E2Y
Opening a boxed and unused Xbox 360! They released it two decades ago now, so this was the perfect time to unbox a 60GB Pro model, set it up, enjoy the Blades, and play some games. While HOPEFULLY avoiding red rings. Jump in!
youtu.be/hlnbsRz6E2Y
Opening a boxed and unused Xbox 360! They released it two decades ago now, so this was the perfect time to unbox a 60GB Pro model, set it up, enjoy the Blades, and play some games. While HOPEFULLY avoiding red rings. Jump in!
Unboxing an Xbox 360 Console 20 Years Later!
YouTube video by LGR
youtu.be
November 27, 2025 at 1:03 PM
Celebrating the Xbox 360's 20th anniversary on LGR!
youtu.be/hlnbsRz6E2Y
Opening a boxed and unused Xbox 360! They released it two decades ago now, so this was the perfect time to unbox a 60GB Pro model, set it up, enjoy the Blades, and play some games. While HOPEFULLY avoiding red rings. Jump in!
youtu.be/hlnbsRz6E2Y
Opening a boxed and unused Xbox 360! They released it two decades ago now, so this was the perfect time to unbox a 60GB Pro model, set it up, enjoy the Blades, and play some games. While HOPEFULLY avoiding red rings. Jump in!
Reposted by Jonathan Pallant
Incredibly disappointed (shocked even) that the plan is to make the default Rust mutex not poisonable in the 2027 edition. Poisoning is one of the best examples of Rust focusing on rigor, and removing it from the default mutex would be a massive step backwards.
November 27, 2025 at 7:36 PM
Incredibly disappointed (shocked even) that the plan is to make the default Rust mutex not poisonable in the 2027 edition. Poisoning is one of the best examples of Rust focusing on rigor, and removing it from the default mutex would be a massive step backwards.
It’s not a bubble.
It’s not a bubble but has some elements of irrationality
It is a bubble, but only that subset, not this bit that we work on.
Been a hell of a week, huh?
It’s not a bubble but has some elements of irrationality
It is a bubble, but only that subset, not this bit that we work on.
Been a hell of a week, huh?
November 25, 2025 at 1:11 PM
It’s not a bubble.
It’s not a bubble but has some elements of irrationality
It is a bubble, but only that subset, not this bit that we work on.
Been a hell of a week, huh?
It’s not a bubble but has some elements of irrationality
It is a bubble, but only that subset, not this bit that we work on.
Been a hell of a week, huh?
Android’s Rust code has 0.2 memory safety bugs per million lines of code.
Their C and C++ had 1000 per million lines of code.
security.googleblog.com/2025/11/rust...
Their C and C++ had 1000 per million lines of code.
security.googleblog.com/2025/11/rust...
Rust in Android: move fast and fix things
Posted by Jeff Vander Stoep, Android Last year, we wrote about why a memory safety strategy that focuses on vulnerability prevention in ...
security.googleblog.com
November 22, 2025 at 10:46 AM
Android’s Rust code has 0.2 memory safety bugs per million lines of code.
Their C and C++ had 1000 per million lines of code.
security.googleblog.com/2025/11/rust...
Their C and C++ had 1000 per million lines of code.
security.googleblog.com/2025/11/rust...
I need some more RAM for my RiscPC. The Woody initrd hangs on boot and I want to rule out RAM issues before I make a new one.
The Potato initrd works but once Potato is installed, it crashes all over the place.
I have a disk I half upgraded from Potato to Woody which sort of works but it’s a mess.
The Potato initrd works but once Potato is installed, it crashes all over the place.
I have a disk I half upgraded from Potato to Woody which sort of works but it’s a mess.
November 22, 2025 at 12:03 AM
I need some more RAM for my RiscPC. The Woody initrd hangs on boot and I want to rule out RAM issues before I make a new one.
The Potato initrd works but once Potato is installed, it crashes all over the place.
I have a disk I half upgraded from Potato to Woody which sort of works but it’s a mess.
The Potato initrd works but once Potato is installed, it crashes all over the place.
I have a disk I half upgraded from Potato to Woody which sort of works but it’s a mess.
Given that it's an e-mail client, Outlook is suprisingly bad at letting me type in the names and e-mail addresses of people I want to send my e-mail to.
November 20, 2025 at 10:58 AM
Given that it's an e-mail client, Outlook is suprisingly bad at letting me type in the names and e-mail addresses of people I want to send my e-mail to.
I think my internet radio got stuck and just looped the same section over and over again, and honestly, it was great.
November 19, 2025 at 4:12 PM
I think my internet radio got stuck and just looped the same section over and over again, and honestly, it was great.
Reposted by Jonathan Pallant
It's official! #PicoIDE, the open source IDE/ATAPI drive emulator I've been working on for the better part of this year, will be launching at Crowd Supply! Go there to sign up for updates and to be notified when the campaign is live: www.crowdsupply.com/polpotronics...
PicoIDE
An open source IDE/ATAPI drive emulator for vintage computers
www.crowdsupply.com
November 19, 2025 at 1:59 AM
It's official! #PicoIDE, the open source IDE/ATAPI drive emulator I've been working on for the better part of this year, will be launching at Crowd Supply! Go there to sign up for updates and to be notified when the campaign is live: www.crowdsupply.com/polpotronics...
Reposted by Jonathan Pallant
We're going to do it all over again! Very excited to announce RetroFest 2026 to be held at Swindon's STEAM museum on the 30th/31st May. If you'd like to exhibit, just full in the form - and if you'd like to come, why not buy a ticket! They also make wonderful Christmas presents :) - retrofest.uk
November 18, 2025 at 4:41 PM
We're going to do it all over again! Very excited to announce RetroFest 2026 to be held at Swindon's STEAM museum on the 30th/31st May. If you'd like to exhibit, just full in the form - and if you'd like to come, why not buy a ticket! They also make wonderful Christmas presents :) - retrofest.uk
My blog is still up at Mythic Beasts, in case you need something to read.
Here's a piece about HP-UX and the DUX cluster filesystem.
thejpster.org.uk/blog/blog-20...
Here's a piece about HP-UX and the DUX cluster filesystem.
thejpster.org.uk/blog/blog-20...
JP's Website
thejpster.org.uk
November 18, 2025 at 12:36 PM
My blog is still up at Mythic Beasts, in case you need something to read.
Here's a piece about HP-UX and the DUX cluster filesystem.
thejpster.org.uk/blog/blog-20...
Here's a piece about HP-UX and the DUX cluster filesystem.
thejpster.org.uk/blog/blog-20...
My @raspberrypi.com 500+ Ethernet port has massive packet loss running at 10baseT. Switched to a USB Ethernet device and it’s OK. Cost me 90 minutes in debugging DNS for my #retrocomputerfestival exhibit :/
November 15, 2025 at 10:00 AM
My @raspberrypi.com 500+ Ethernet port has massive packet loss running at 10baseT. Switched to a USB Ethernet device and it’s OK. Cost me 90 minutes in debugging DNS for my #retrocomputerfestival exhibit :/
Reposted by Jonathan Pallant
🦀 I've improved the implementation behind all the string formatting macros in Rust: println, panic, format, write, log::info, etc. (Everything using format_args!().) They will compile a bit faster, use a bit less memory while compiling, result in smaller binaries, and produce more efficient code! 🎉
November 13, 2025 at 1:31 PM
🦀 I've improved the implementation behind all the string formatting macros in Rust: println, panic, format, write, log::info, etc. (Everything using format_args!().) They will compile a bit faster, use a bit less memory while compiling, result in smaller binaries, and produce more efficient code! 🎉
PowerPC fans get really upset if you’re rude about the favourite chip. Also, if you post a video on Reddit no one watches it and they just kick off based on what they imagined it said based on the title.
November 11, 2025 at 5:01 PM
PowerPC fans get really upset if you’re rude about the favourite chip. Also, if you post a video on Reddit no one watches it and they just kick off based on what they imagined it said based on the title.
Was PowerPC ultimately a failure?
Asianometry makes a compelling argument for Yes.
youtu.be/Tld91M_bcEI
Asianometry makes a compelling argument for Yes.
youtu.be/Tld91M_bcEI
Why the Original Apple Silicon Failed
YouTube video by Asianometry
youtu.be
November 11, 2025 at 8:12 AM
Was PowerPC ultimately a failure?
Asianometry makes a compelling argument for Yes.
youtu.be/Tld91M_bcEI
Asianometry makes a compelling argument for Yes.
youtu.be/Tld91M_bcEI
Did you know that before Sega bought the rights, Columns was a demo bundled with HP's UNIX?
I have it running on a 68030 based HP 9000. But it's doing it by booting over the network from a PA-RISC machine, and they share the same root filesystem. How?! Well.
thejpster.org.uk/blog/blog-20...
I have it running on a 68030 based HP 9000. But it's doing it by booting over the network from a PA-RISC machine, and they share the same root filesystem. How?! Well.
thejpster.org.uk/blog/blog-20...
JP's Website
thejpster.org.uk
November 9, 2025 at 9:41 PM
Did you know that before Sega bought the rights, Columns was a demo bundled with HP's UNIX?
I have it running on a 68030 based HP 9000. But it's doing it by booting over the network from a PA-RISC machine, and they share the same root filesystem. How?! Well.
thejpster.org.uk/blog/blog-20...
I have it running on a 68030 based HP 9000. But it's doing it by booting over the network from a PA-RISC machine, and they share the same root filesystem. How?! Well.
thejpster.org.uk/blog/blog-20...
I will be there, with a collection of incredibly expensive 90's UNIX workstations that you were absolutely not supposed to be gaming on ... but we're going to anyway.
Oh wow, this time next we'll be in full swing! Tickets for the Saturday are close to selling out - www.computinghistory.org.uk/det/74558/Re... - alternatively, Sunday will be quieter, but still the same wonderful exhibitors - www.computinghistory.org.uk/det/74909/re... - see you all next weekend!
November 9, 2025 at 4:46 PM
I will be there, with a collection of incredibly expensive 90's UNIX workstations that you were absolutely not supposed to be gaming on ... but we're going to anyway.
Reposted by Jonathan Pallant
Next week many of us will all be at CFCH in Cambridge, looking forwards to seeing lots of you there. Apparently however they are almost out of tickets, so if you don't have one yet and you fancy going it might be a good to buy one.
Oh wow, this time next we'll be in full swing! Tickets for the Saturday are close to selling out - www.computinghistory.org.uk/det/74558/Re... - alternatively, Sunday will be quieter, but still the same wonderful exhibitors - www.computinghistory.org.uk/det/74909/re... - see you all next weekend!
November 9, 2025 at 4:28 PM
Next week many of us will all be at CFCH in Cambridge, looking forwards to seeing lots of you there. Apparently however they are almost out of tickets, so if you don't have one yet and you fancy going it might be a good to buy one.
November 8, 2025 at 3:42 PM
eBay isn't always bad. I won a 24-port 10baseT hub (with BNC and AUI ports!!) from user dominio11 and for £6 in shipping costs I got the hub's original box, wrapped in many square metres of bubble wrap, wrapped in a tough outer corrugated cardboard box, and then an awful lot of parcel tape.
November 6, 2025 at 7:56 PM
eBay isn't always bad. I won a 24-port 10baseT hub (with BNC and AUI ports!!) from user dominio11 and for £6 in shipping costs I got the hub's original box, wrapped in many square metres of bubble wrap, wrapped in a tough outer corrugated cardboard box, and then an awful lot of parcel tape.
Watched Fantastic 4: First Steps yesterday. I did not like it.
November 6, 2025 at 8:14 AM
Watched Fantastic 4: First Steps yesterday. I did not like it.