Browser-runnable emulator for the Plexus P/20, an ‘80s dual-68010 Unix server running System V, compiled to WebAssembly via Emscripten.
Key Takeaways
Emulates a dual Motorola 68010 mainboard running System V Unix, a rare multiprocessor architecture from the early ‘80s.
Written in C, compiled to WebAssembly with Emscripten; terminal I/O handled by xterm.js bridged via xterm-pty.
Runs in-browser with no install, making hardware that barely survives in attics accessible to anyone with a URL.
Source is MIT-licensed and on GitHub; credits Sprite_tm and contributors.
Adrian Black’s five-part YouTube series on restoring a physical P/20 provides the hardware context this emulator is built on.
Hacker News Comment Review
Community consensus frames this as a retro preservation win, not just a tech demo; the P/20 rediscovery is seen as a multi-year community effort spanning hardware restoration and now software emulation.
The connection to Adrian Black donating his restored machine to the Interim Computer Museum adds an institutional preservation angle that commenters find significant.
Notable Comments
@topspin: Notes the codebase is K&R C, a sharp detail for anyone planning to read or contribute to the source.