Mastodon will run on an ancient Apple IIe, if you try hard enough

AppleInsider

If you have a working Apple IIc or ][e, before you try auctioning it off for cash, use it to read social media platform Mastodon. Here's how.

Apple IIc running Mastodon (Source: Colin Leroy-Mira)

It's 35 years since the Apple IIc was discontinued, so now even though the Apple II range is what made the company, you only ever see this model in auctions. Some owners, though, are even now finding new uses for the stalwart antique.

Such as Colin Leroy-Mira from Toulouse, France, who has made a Mastodon client.

"If you're interested in retro computing, you may be happy to read that I've made a binary release of my Mastodon client for the Apple II," writes Leroy-Mira in a blog post. "It's been tested on an Apple //c, hence its name, and I suppose it will work on a ][e with a language card."

However much work Leroy-Mira had to put in to create this, though, it seems like the biggest problem now is physically getting his code onto an Apple II.

Even he doesn't give full instructions, directing people to other guides for an app called ADTPro, which sends his floppy disk image to the Apple II. You also need an Raspberry Pi, and a couple of serial cable adapters.

"After this, everything should work," he writes, before quoting some of the reactions he's had.

"I will never use this and yet I love that it exists", says one. "Absolutely pointless, beautiful work here," is another.

Separately, if making this work isn't challenge enough, though, you could also go further and download the whole Apple II source code.

Read on AppleInsider

maltz

Um... that's a //c

mike wuerthele

maltz said:

Um... that's a //c

We're aware, and this is addressed in the lede. We chose IIe for the head because it was more populous.

sbdude

How to tell your friends you have way too much time on your hands.

strangedays

maltz said:

Um... that's a //c

Blogger’s post says it works for either 

filemakerfeller

Nice to see the source code is available as well.

[... he says, knowing full well he doesn't have the time to play with this]

mikethemartian

When is the VIC-20 version being released?

mattinoz

Mike Wuerthele said:

maltz said:

Um... that's a //c

We're aware, and this is addressed in the lede. We chose IIe for the head because it was more populous.

But unproven given no one has actually tested and you need the add language card and I'm assuming the upgraded CPU (remember when Apple swapped CPU's) to match the more advanced //c. So by the time you knock out that many Apple][e was it really more popular? 

Would also run on a ][gs in theory maybe even in turbo. 

colinmcmillen

mattinoz said:

But unproven given no one has actually tested and you need the add language card and I'm assuming the upgraded CPU (remember when Apple swapped CPU's) to match the more advanced //c. So by the time you knock out that many Apple][e was it really more popular? 

Would also run on a ][gs in theory maybe even in turbo. 

Hi! author here

It will indeed only work with IIe enhanced or platinum.

Not on IIgs as its serial chip is different, and there's no driver for it in cc65 which I use to develop this app.

If someone gifts me a IIgs I'll make it work on it  

mattinoz

ColinMcMillen said:

mattinoz said:

But unproven given no one has actually tested and you need the add language card and I'm assuming the upgraded CPU (remember when Apple swapped CPU's) to match the more advanced //c. So by the time you knock out that many Apple][e was it really more popular? 

Would also run on a ][gs in theory maybe even in turbo. 

Hi! author here

It will indeed only work with IIe enhanced or platinum.

Not on IIgs as its serial chip is different, and there's no driver for it in cc65 which I use to develop this app.

If someone gifts me a IIgs I'll make it work on it  

I would if I had my old ][gs