Show HN: ANSI-Saver – A macOS Screensaver

(github.com)

50 points | by lardissone 4 hours ago ago

18 comments

  • primaryobjects 7 minutes ago

    This would be great with an option to draw each ANSI line by line with pixels drawn left to right. The same way it was experienced over dialup.

    The options could be baud rates: 56k, 14.4, 2400

  • ynac an hour ago

    You're inspiring me to attempt a rescue of my last BBS (MajorBBS system) from 1991-1993. It had some great ANSI room and section screens. It was run from a single 1GB(!!) drive that cost us $1000. We had email, a couple stores (one of the first online book stores) and store-n-forward mail systems, maybe finger and telnet(?). Unfortunately, a neighbor got stoned, had a cigarette in bed and burned up his house and ours. Nobody hurt, but the BBS wasn't backed up offsite.

    • lardissone an hour ago

      Beautiful! No backups at all of something? Sorry for your house burnt.

      • ynac an hour ago

        It was a weird time frame. My partner was living in the house, and I was moving to Seattle. The backup was pretty much inches from the system itself. Not the last time I learned that lesson. But, the original SCSI drive did survive, even if the machines and desk and couches, etc. were all ruined. With HTML coming along we didn't rebuild. It's still seems like such a huge loss not having entities like BBSs on the internet. Just like the loss of IRC and other basic systems / plumbing of the capital I Internet. Yeah, they needed upgrades, but that's what IETF, RFC, and scrappy hackers are for. <sigh> Loving on the ANSI!

  • retlehs 2 hours ago

    This is really great work, I’m installing this immediately once I’m back on my machine

    My terminal loads ANSI each time it opens, but requires downloading artpacks first: https://github.com/retlehs/ansimotd

    I also like how your README suggests specific packs to grab

  • lardissone an hour ago

    Added a demo video and an explaining post on my own site: https://leandroardissone.com/posts/ansi-saver

  • binaryturtle 3 hours ago

    Those are some intense system requirements.

    • lardissone 5 minutes ago

      Just added support to macOS Sequoia.

    • lardissone 2 hours ago

      Ah, yes, I’m not able to test in Intel Macs. Will try to make it available to lower macOS versions at least.

      • xp84 an hour ago

        You might find some volunteers here willing to make Intel builds :)

        • lardissone an hour ago

          it's open source, anyone can help with it, I'm happy to merge PRs

    • adambb 2 hours ago

      (unintentional) satire? almost a meditation on the seemingly inevitable bloat of software

  • user3939382 2 hours ago

    As someone with a flying toasters tie, I can’t wait to try this.

    • jcynix 20 minutes ago

      Ah, yes, After Dark, with the "Lunatic Fringe" module, which was fun (and was a time sink ;-0). And what I would like to see again is the "Stained Glass" module which produced phantastic visual effects when tuned a bit.

    • conception 2 hours ago

      On an aside, I’ve gotten After Dark to work on Windows 10 with some effort. Haven’t tried 11 yet.

  • superultra an hour ago

    Tahoe only? Yikes!

    • lardissone 5 minutes ago

      I just pushed a new version with support to macOS Sequoia.