The Telnet version.

84-24 is a web project launched in 2024 that chronicles the repair and restoration of a 1984 Macintosh.

Back in '84, the web and browsers didn't exist yet: computers connected mainly through terminals and text-based protocols. The Internet was restricted to academic circles, while "regular" users connected via modem by dialing a service's phone number directly.

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The primary services available were BBSs, often hobbyist systems, that combined publishing, messaging, and file sharing. These platforms were effectively the cradle of the first true online communities.

As the Internet went mainstream, many of these services were adapted for IP access. Telnet protocol became the go-to solution, as it simulated a modem connection without requiring major changes to the legacy software.

The popularity of these services faded quickly with the rise of the World Wide Web. Although Telnet is now considered an obsolete and insecure protocol, several BBSs and services are still kept alive today by retro-computing enthusiasts and digital preservationists.

Now in 2026, two years after the debut of 84-24, it became clear that the project wasn't truly complete without a Telnet-accessible counterpart.

This is a "lo-fi", stripped-back version of what you'll find on 84-24.org: no animations, no 3D models, no video. Just pure 7-bit ASCII text on an 80 columns x 24 lines monochrome terminal, honoring the same hardware and software constraints as an original 1984 Macintosh.

The easiest way is directly through your browser, from the very page you're reading right now.

The main window (Terminal) simulates the experience of a real terminal and a Telnet connection, even recreating the typical connection speeds of early 80s modems.

Once you hit enter and establish the connection, simply follow the on-screen prompts: to select a chapter, you'll be asked to type a number or press a key to continue reading.

From any computer equipped with a network card or Wi-Fi (or anything already online), you just need to install a Telnet client.

Depending on your operating system, there are various options available, ranging from graphical terminal emulators to command-line (CLI) tools.

Once installed, simply type telnet followed by the address of this page into your terminal.

The client will automatically route you to port 23 (the Telnet standard) instead of the standard port 80 or 443 used for web browsing.

The vast majority of pre-internet era computers feature a serial port designed for communication with other computers, modems, or peripherals.

In 2026, the simplest method is to use that port to connect a WiFi Serial Modem. These are devices that link to your home Wi-Fi and perfectly simulate the behavior of an old analog modem.

Most of these devices are based on the ESP8266 chip and the open-source Zimodem software. You can easily build one yourself or buy a ready-made one, which then just needs to be adapted to your computer's specific serial connector.

Once connected, you'll need terminal software to send commands to the modem. Here are the most common options for their respective vintage platforms:

• Macintosh: MacTerminal, Zterm
• Apple II: ProTERM
• Commodore64: CCGMS, Novaterm
• MS-DOS: Telix, Procomm Plus, Qmodem
• Amiga: NComm, JR-Comm
• Atari ST: STalker

To connect to the "site", instead of a phone number, you'll type the dial command (ATDT) followed by the server address:

To keep the amateur and romantic spirit of BBSs intact (while avoiding putting a 40-year-old computer through 24/7 stress), this service is hosted on a Raspberry Pi Zero, connected to a home Wi-Fi network in Rimini.

The Telnet server runs a simple bash script that reads text files containing the various sections of the story based on user input. The same server also handles the web interface (this page) and acts as a tunnel (via WebSocket) between the browser and port 23, allowing the Telnet service to be accessed via the web.

The repository containing the full code for the entire project will be publicly released under the MIT license as soon as possible.

I'm sorry! If you can't access it from this page or the connection drops immediately, there's likely an issue with my setup and the service is temporarily offline.

Since this is a hobbyist project, it could be a Wi-Fi glitch, a power outage at my house, or the limit of 10 simultaneous connections being reached... it was just like this in 1984, too :)

If the web access works but you can't connect directly via Telnet, you might need to check your terminal configuration or Telnet client, as there could be an incompatibility with the system or modem you're using.

Unfortunately, I haven't been able to test the connection on many devices other than my own Macintosh, but I'm happy to look into any issues. If you'd like, you can write to me at hi at giorgi io.

Like any modern software, the entire project relies on a series of third-party dependencies and libraries. The server is built on Raspberry PI OS Lite 32bit, a port of Debian 13.

For the web version, I "reverse-engineered" the work of Francesco Sblendorio, creator and sysop of the Retrocampus BBS: the most important Italian BBS still active today.

The web version uses xterm.js with a custom interface, shamelessly inspired by System 1.0: the first version of what is now macOS. Some UI components are based on the excellent system.css library. The icons used in the interface and terminal pay homage to the immense work of Susan Kare.