1930 Teletype as a Linux Terminal For ASCII Code

You can’t get any nerdier than this. A teletype from the early-ish 1900s. Turn it into a Linux terminal. Create ASCII code. We’re drooling already.

But, you know, just in case you’re wondering what in the world a teletype is (don’t worry, it’s not common knowledge in this era)…

Teletype: A teleprinter (teletypewriter, teletype or TTY) is an electromechanical device that can be used to send and receive typed messages through various communications channels, in both point-to-point and point-to-multipoint configurations. (Wikipedia)

It looks like this.

It should at least look a little familiar, owing to the keyboard, which has made quite a comeback with all the retro trend.

But how can you turn this into a Linux terminal?

We sure can’t, but brilliant Marc Verdiell has shown us that it is possible. Popular Mechanics shares the work of this genius. And a genius he is, for he made “circuitry and programming that translates five-bit Baudot code into eight-bit ASCII code.”

Did you follow that? Think you can do it?

He even tweeted directly from his machine!

HELLO THERE. I USUALLY DON'T TWEET MUCH, BUT THIS IS A SPECIAL OCCASION: I AM TWITTING FROM THE TELETYPE. DID ANYONE RECEIVE THIS?

— CuriousMarc (@curious_marc) April 23, 2020

So how did he do it? Check out his video below.

Now all we’re missing is some ASCII art.