Collapse Computing

If we think about the context of the collapse, we should come up not with goals for the OS or the hardware in general, but start by asking what tasks are even useful to perform. There will probably be limits on batteries and power, but let's assume that for the immediate term we are still able to source batteries and power. This would be the first generation post-collapse, I suppose. I think some useful tasks would be:

• reading and writing books, documentation, &c.
• taking scientific notes and observations, e.g. reading from some sensor data.
• basic bulletin board systems.
• simple text message communications.
• simplified maintenance of hardware and software.

Something like the end goal of meshtastic would make sense, though maybe it's a heavy protocol (with its reliance on protobufs).

CollapseOS is an OS with a single purpose: preserve the ability to program microcontrollers through civilizational collapse.

I wrote some thoughts about this on the devlogs.

While I obviously love this idea (it squares nicely with some of the ideas behind the KZ80), I think there's a significant gap that it's missing, though it's entirely possible I'm missing something.

They target the RC2014, which is great (I love mine). But, the RC2014 is a serial machine. What are you going to connect to it? You basically need a computer to connect to it which many people use a Raspberry Pi (a computer) for; this is why I'm working on a standalone serial console. Durable though the Z80 is, display technology doesn't seem to be. You could probably get by with composite video, if you could scrounge up an appropriate display. There's a plethora of LCD controllers and whatnot, but not really a standard way to access them. A truly collapse-resistant OS would need a library handling a number of common displays.

Then we come to keyboards, where you need either a full matrix setup or something that translates PS/2 or USB to something the Z80 understands. Both require significant support circuitry to work with.

So it seems to me the real problem with this is the durability of interfaces. Maybe I'm just dumb, and maybe I'm overthinking it. But this problem, for me, has been the hardest part of building a Z80 laptop.

• xxiivv: collapse computing
• CollapseOS
• Post-Apocalyptic Programming — article going from CPU to Forth, not to be confused with Post Apocalyptic Computing
• Evertop: an ultra lower power, ultra long battery solar PC
• Tumble Forth — a Forth