SDF Public Access Unix System

https://sdf.org/?ssh

Article

  • SDF.org is a public-access Unix system running since 1987, now on NetBSD.
  • Offers free shell accounts, web hosting, Gopher, Plan 9, and a radio station.
  • Named after the Super Dimension Fortress from the Macross anime.
  • Runs on 8 enterprise-class 64-bit servers totaling ~21 GFLOPS.

Discussion

  • Commenter runs their own OpenBSD public shell ‘social network’ — IPv6 only, closet hardware.
  • Long-time members share nostalgia: DEC Alphas, VMS access, ksh/sed/awk-generated pages.
  • Security researcher found a shell escape for unverified accounts, emailed SDF twice with no response.
  • Community warmth for SDF as a ‘stronghold of the old-school web’.

Discuss on HN


Type Link
Added Apr 21, 2026
Modified Apr 21, 2026