Unidentified individual breaches Apple's network server to operate DOOM on a 1996 IBM AIX system worth $10,000.
Rewriting Apart: An 90's Throwback - Doom on the Apple Network Server
Hey there, tech fan! Ever wondered if you could get a slice of gaming nostalgia on a relic from the past? Well, here's a juicy nugget that'll tickle those retro bones. A dedicated enthusiast, Cameron Kaiser, took it upon himself to install Doom on Apple's $10,000 Network Server from 1996. And guess what? No cheating involved!
The motivation behind this retro revival was simple: a classic mid-90s issue. You see, NCommander's AIX Doom (which hungers for AIX 4.3) refused to play ball on the Apple Network Server. Thus, our hero set out to bring Doom to life on the ANS through some alternate means.
The Apple Network Server was a vintage device, developed and sold by Apple between February 1996 and April 1997. It was a pricey piece, boasting a range of models priced between $11,000 and $19,000. Interestingly, this beast ran IBM's AIX OS, its ROM unable even to boot Apple's own macOS. And yes, our man, Cameron Kaiser, owns a 500/132 model, which boasts a max RAM of 64MB, a 1MB built-in DRAM for video, and a 2GB hard drive.
Kaiser rolled with Doom Generic as the foundation for this retro adventure, delighting in its minimal hardware assumptions and Xlib support. He armed himself with AIXPDSLIB 2.91.66 as his toolchain and, after plenty of coding sorcery, cranked out a playable Doom via Apple's Remote Desktop... but only on a Mac, not the console itself. The reason? ANS video limitations! These bad boys can only handle a max resolution of 1024 x 768 and a mere 8-bit color depth. A quick fix of the executable, turning Doom Generic into an 8-bit colormap build, rectified the colors, and voila! Doom was running on the Apple Network Server.
Having conquered the color palette, the ANS displayed a fully functioning Doom. The console reportedly ran without lag, and general movement was decent, save for a pesky strafing issue. With clever planning, Cameron assigned the Command keys for this purpose, and with that, Doom was fully functional on the Apple Network Server.
For a proper display of the retro action, Cameron swapped out the ANS's clunky CRT monitor for an LCD display. He even applied the same build to an IBM RS/6000 Notebook 860, assuring us that his creation will work on any AIX 4.1 system. If you're hankering to follow in his footsteps, precompiled builds are now readily available on Github.
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Bonus Detail:
Cross your fingers and dust off your old Apple Network Server, as for those who dig deeper, you can bring Doom to life on these vintage devices. With the right setup and understanding of the ANS's technical limitations, Doom can run on this 90's artifact. The key lies in utilizing a custom port named Harpoom, designed specifically for older AIX machines. Harpoom is an open-source project available on GitHub, allowing enthusiasts to download the source code or binaries to run Doom on the ANS. However, bear in mind that the process may require adjusting the source code to suit the ANS's specific hardware and software configuration. Furthermore, since there is no AIX sound driver for ANS audio, Harpoom focuses on console or remote X sessions.
By following the proper steps, retro gaming aficionados can run Doom on their Apple Network Server using the Harpoom port. Time to relive some gaming history, folks!
In this retro gaming venture, Cameron Kaiser utilized technology such as Data-and-Cloud-Computing by downloading the source code or binaries of the Harpoom port on GitHub, which is an open-source project specifically designed for older AIX machines, allowing him to run Doom on the Apple Network Server. This example demonstrates how gadgets like the Apple Network Server can still be relevant in the modern era of data-and-cloud-computing.
The unique approach taken by Cameron Kaiser to run Doom on the Apple Network Server is a testament to the enduring legacy of gaming on vintage gadgets, bringing a slice of 90's nostalgia into the realm of data-and-cloud-computing and modern technology.
