I find it a bit funny that above the post I see this reference: Because IRC, in many ways, functions very much in the same way terminal emulation does with a lot of similar quirks once you factor...
I find it a bit funny that above the post I see this reference:
IRC: #arcan @ irc.libera.chat
Because IRC, in many ways, functions very much in the same way terminal emulation does with a lot of similar quirks once you factor in the various IRC services flavors, custom modes, etc.
A lot of these older protocols and standards are fascinating in how little they sometimes expected or had documented as well. FTP is a prime example, something I found out the hard way years ago. The way to request a directory content from servers is documented, how the response payload looks like was left entirely up to the server. So when had to automate file retrieval from an openVMS server a few years ago (tail end of a migration project) that had me puzzled for a little while. Because all FTP clients have been around long enough to just have support for all different flavors. But the FTP library I was using was much newer and only shipped Linux and Windows support out of the box.
Anyway FTP has been replaced by SFTP anyway which actually does have this sort of thing specified. IRC while still around is largely replaced by other protocols as well. So I suppose the old trusty terminal emulator should also be retired and no longer be required to pretend to be a VT220. Having also dealt with implementing basic terminal emulation in the same migration project I can attest to the many quirks and hacks hidden underneath that “simple” text interface.
Though I am honestly not sure if this project will succeed, the challenge at this point is simply the wide adoption. So making any meaningful change is going to be difficult.
I've been watching Arcan development for a few years now, and every time a new post comes out it feels like I'm reading about technology from a parallel universe. I really hope it catches on...
I've been watching Arcan development for a few years now, and every time a new post comes out it feels like I'm reading about technology from a parallel universe.
I really hope it catches on somehow, but I feel like there needs to be a polished distro with the full Arcan shell/userland to make it easier to show off to people.
Thanks for posting this, I had no idea! I'm mostly in the same boat as the previous commenters – improving our "standards" in tooling would be super super cool. Imagine the possibilities! But...
Thanks for posting this, I had no idea! I'm mostly in the same boat as the previous commenters – improving our "standards" in tooling would be super super cool. Imagine the possibilities!
But then, in order to become feasible, you kinda need to achieve a critical adoption. How do you get to that point? Well, by reaching a critical mass in adoption…
Tangentially related Mastodon rant consisting of multiple long-ish posts, and is worth the read if you’ve ever had to fiddle with $TERM and its related issues, which I just came across while...
Tangentially related Mastodon rant consisting of multiple long-ish posts, and is worth the read if you’ve ever had to fiddle with $TERM and its related issues, which I just came across while browsing: link
It’s definitely overdue time for new, acceptable-to-use standards.
I find it a bit funny that above the post I see this reference:
Because IRC, in many ways, functions very much in the same way terminal emulation does with a lot of similar quirks once you factor in the various IRC services flavors, custom modes, etc.
A lot of these older protocols and standards are fascinating in how little they sometimes expected or had documented as well. FTP is a prime example, something I found out the hard way years ago. The way to request a directory content from servers is documented, how the response payload looks like was left entirely up to the server. So when had to automate file retrieval from an openVMS server a few years ago (tail end of a migration project) that had me puzzled for a little while. Because all FTP clients have been around long enough to just have support for all different flavors. But the FTP library I was using was much newer and only shipped Linux and Windows support out of the box.
Anyway FTP has been replaced by SFTP anyway which actually does have this sort of thing specified. IRC while still around is largely replaced by other protocols as well. So I suppose the old trusty terminal emulator should also be retired and no longer be required to pretend to be a VT220. Having also dealt with implementing basic terminal emulation in the same migration project I can attest to the many quirks and hacks hidden underneath that “simple” text interface.
Though I am honestly not sure if this project will succeed, the challenge at this point is simply the wide adoption. So making any meaningful change is going to be difficult.
I've been watching Arcan development for a few years now, and every time a new post comes out it feels like I'm reading about technology from a parallel universe.
I really hope it catches on somehow, but I feel like there needs to be a polished distro with the full Arcan shell/userland to make it easier to show off to people.
Thanks for posting this, I had no idea! I'm mostly in the same boat as the previous commenters – improving our "standards" in tooling would be super super cool. Imagine the possibilities!
But then, in order to become feasible, you kinda need to achieve a critical adoption. How do you get to that point? Well, by reaching a critical mass in adoption…
Tangentially related Mastodon rant consisting of multiple long-ish posts, and is worth the read if you’ve ever had to fiddle with $TERM and its related issues, which I just came across while browsing: link
It’s definitely overdue time for new, acceptable-to-use standards.