TL;DR
A web-based emulation exposes the 1973 Fourth Edition of UNIX (UNIX v4) running on a simulated PDP-11/45. The service uses SIMH for emulation and ttyd for web terminal access, is intended for education and historical study, and notes session logging with IP address collection.
What happened
A website now offers a browser-hosted emulation of UNIX v4, presenting an interactive, authentic computing environment derived from the 1973 Fourth Edition of UNIX. The emulation targets a PDP-11/45 setup and provides a web terminal interface with multiple visual themes (labeled Phosphor Green, Amber, Paper (Dark), and Paper White) and a clearly marked control to start a terminal session. Behind the scenes the project runs the PDP-11 emulation with SIMH and serves terminal access through ttyd. The site includes help and informational pages plus a guestbook for visitors. Operators state the offering is provided for educational and historical purposes without warranty, and they warn that terminal sessions may be logged for educational and debugging reasons; they also say no personal data is collected beyond visitors' IP addresses.
Why it matters
- Makes a historical Unix environment accessible without specialized hardware or local emulation setup.
- Provides a hands-on way to study early UNIX behavior and interfaces for students and historians.
- Uses widely known emulation and web-terminal tools (SIMH and ttyd), showing a practical path for preserving software history.
- Includes explicit privacy and usage notices, clarifying data handling and liability limits for users.
Key facts
- Site hosts an emulation of UNIX v4, dated to 1973.
- Emulated hardware target is a PDP-11/45.
- PDP-11 emulation is implemented via SIMH.
- Web terminal access is provided using ttyd.
- Multiple terminal display themes are selectable: Phosphor Green, Amber, Paper (Dark), Paper White.
- Site offers Help & Info pages and a guestbook.
- Service is offered for educational and historical purposes and carries a no-warranty statement.
- Terminal sessions may be logged for educational and debugging purposes; only IP addresses are collected as personal data.
What to watch next
- Terminal sessions may be logged for educational and debugging purposes.
- Whether user file persistence or account support is available is not confirmed in the source.
- Session duration limits or concurrent-user policies are not confirmed in the source.
Quick glossary
- UNIX v4: The Fourth Edition of the UNIX operating system released in 1973; an early historical version of UNIX.
- PDP-11/45: A model of the PDP-11 family of 16-bit minicomputers produced by Digital Equipment Corporation, commonly used to run early UNIX systems.
- SIMH: An open-source emulator framework for historic computer systems, frequently used to run legacy operating systems on modern hardware.
- ttyd: A simple command-line tool that exposes a local pseudo-terminal (PTY) to the web, allowing terminal interaction through a browser.
- Terminal theme: A visual style applied to a terminal emulator interface that changes colors, contrast, and appearance to resemble different display types.
Reader FAQ
Which Unix version is running in the browser?
UNIX v4, the 1973 Fourth Edition.
What emulation and web tools power the service?
The PDP-11 emulation runs on SIMH and the web terminal is provided by ttyd.
Will my activity or personal data be recorded?
The site states terminal sessions may be logged for educational and debugging purposes and that no personal data beyond IP addresses is collected.
Can I save files or create persistent accounts on this service?
not confirmed in the source
UNIX v4 Authentic Computing Experience from 1973 Unix v4 (1973) Choose Your Terminal Theme: $ _ Phosphor Green Classic CRT $ _ Amber Vintage Terminal $ _ Paper (Dark) Inverted…
Sources
- 4th Edition Unix in the Browser
- Recovered Unix v4 tape quickly yields a usable operating …
- Only Known Copy Of UNIX V4 Recovered From Tape
- Now you can run Unix v4 from your browser
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