7 ms·

EDEX-UI: science fiction terminal emulator

204 points by caiobegotti 6y ago

bloopernova 6y ago
Big plus of this software is that it runs without any configuration effort. Usually these flashy Hollywood-OS terminals require a bunch of work before they look even slightly like the example image used by the developer. I can't see myself using this for actual work, but it does look pretty. Maybe I could use it during a presentation :)
- gerdesj 6y ago
  Quite. $ yay -S edex-ui-git (wait quite a while!) click on entry on menu item. It looks amazing and will be trotted out at the next available opportunity. Luckily I have a fair bit of CPU in this laptop because that and Teams take their toll. Fan: take the strain ...
  - nobleach 6y ago
    I really wish this thing would simply check to see if I already have a node/npm installation...
- reaperducer 6y ago
  I can't see myself using this for actual work, but it does look pretty. I use Cool Retro Term (CRT) for actual work. I find the PET font soothing. I also use it for certain types of tasks, so if, out of the corner of my eye, I see lots of text scrolling along, then my mind processes it as "Something's gone pear-shaped with Task X" without having to look at the other monitors.
  - whywhywhywhy 6y ago
    Another link that might interest you, using an amber screened VT220 terminal with a modern computer. https://jstn.tumblr.com/post/8692501831 https://jstn.tumblr.com/post/8692501831
sam_lowry_ 6y ago
I stopped reading after seeing `npm install` ;-(
- bobbleheads 6y ago
  "Please don't post shallow dismissals, especially of other people's work. A good critical comment teaches us something."
foobazzy 6y ago
Ha! Had it installed just to play around with (I imagine that is what this is for). My laptops fan wouldn't stop running below 4000rpm as long as this was in the foreground. Edit: But I do agree that the configuration was pretty easy. If you wanted to move stuff around and make it look a certain other way, it was really simple to do that.
apocalyptic0n3 6y ago
This is so cool. The Tron Legacy OS interface is one of the most sci-fi looking realistic interfaces I can remember seeing. Really awesome to be able to play with it locally, even if it isn't really a practical terminal compared to iTerm.
yjftsjthsd-h 6y ago
> Useful commands for the nerds ... are there non-nerds using this? ;)
surajs 6y ago
Pretty but I can't see myself using this :/
kleer001 6y ago
Gorgeous. As a computer artist myself I can see that work and balances put into this. I'm quite excited to check it out and fiddle with it. The extensibility is especially endearing.
olivierestsage 6y ago
Here's a write-up about the Tron scene in question was produced (hilariously, it features Emacs): https://web.archive.org/web/20110726180753/http://jtnimoy.net/workviewer.php?q=178 https://web.archive.org/web/20110726180753/http://jtnimoy.ne...
- brian_herman__ 6y ago
  I cant read this webpage it hurts my eyes. The font literally hurts. It not because I am a vi user... I am old. Also the EDEX-UI is the same way.
  - dcuthbertson 6y ago
    It's horrible. I used the Inspect feature and changed the font for the "seriouscopy" class to Arial. It's much more readable. Why would anyone ever use HelveticaNeueUltraLight?!
  - olivierestsage 6y ago
    Indeed. The website doesn't seem to exist any longer, so I chose an old archive (2010). I seem to remember the formatting being better in a more recent one, but I can't find it.
scrumper 6y ago
Gosh that is very pretty, and very smooth. I'd like an audio volume option rather than on/off - it's cool, but loud as hell.
nlpthk 6y ago
I’ve always been waiting for something like this! Now I got an excuse for a new project. Ty ty:)
ecto 6y ago
Very cool! If you're a VS Code user, I ported my favorite Tron-based iTerm theme here https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=emeraldio.encom https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=emeraldi...
seertaak 6y ago
... and this is the exact reason I still love hacker news.
- tywkeene 6y ago
  I know I love a good opportunity to waste a little time with novel software. It's hard to describe, but it brings me a feeling of joy This is really neat, I was actually surprised that it "just worked". Usually, as others have pointed out, you have to sacrifice a few goats and utter the forbidden ancient incantations before novelty pieces like this will work at all.
gtm1260 6y ago
Absolutely sick! Definitely I'll say its not the most usable, but some of the features make a ton of sense! Like having an active finder window thats always in the directory of your terminal, so great! Also +1 to having no configuration to get to a sweet looking setup.
- laumars 6y ago
  This is one of the things I love about KDE’s Dolphin. It’s a file manager with a built in terminal and both stay in sync.
  - O_H_E 6y ago
    Yes, it is indeed quite friction-removing and combines the usefulness of both.
rsync 6y ago
A few tangentially related links ... First, there are a few write-ups of the fictional UI(s) used in The Martian: https://www.behance.net/gallery/30473933/The-Martian-UI-Screen-Graphics https://www.behance.net/gallery/30473933/The-Martian-UI-Scre... https://medium.com/territory-film/ui-stories-the-martian-efffa28e1a98 https://medium.com/territory-film/ui-stories-the-martian-eff... Second, I think this blog on sci-fi typography may be interesting to those reading this thread: https://typesetinthefuture.com/ https://typesetinthefuture.com/
rizky05 6y ago
This is how hn looks on tron: https://imgur.com/WRScOII https://imgur.com/WRScOII
slater 6y ago
Cool project! :) I could've sworn I'd seen a similar dashboard, but web-based. Can't find it... anyone know/remember?
- amiga-workbench 6y ago
  https://www.robscanlon.com/encom-boardroom/ https://www.robscanlon.com/encom-boardroom/
  - slater 6y ago
    That's it. Thanks!
anthk 6y ago
Cool, but impractical. With FVWM/WMaker you have usable screen state with system info and functionality. You could replicate it with FVWM and using a 10th of the resources. Inb4 Enlightenment back in the day, E16 used not as much as resources as this, even E21 is far snappier than ruling an NPM based desktop.
- Animats 6y ago
  Cool, but impractical. Someone should do a practical one for an overview of what all your containers and AWS accounts are doing. AWS monitoring provides a reason for a map of the world with lines and markers. There are AWS monitoring tools which, with better color choices, would look like something from Hollywood. Dynatrace is almost there.[1] [1] https://cdn.comparitech.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Dynatrace.jpg https://cdn.comparitech.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Dynat...
wegs 6y ago
Neat! In contrast to previous toys I've seen like this, EDEX-UI seems to have a bunch of good ideas. It's not something I'd use yet, but it's close. The idea of showing files in my current working directory is good. There's a bunch of other stuff that's good. And then there's a bunch of stuff that's a useless waste of screenspace. But I could totally see myself replacing the useless stuff with things I care about: * System status (computer thermals, connected USB devices, Bluetooth, Wifi, audio devices, etc.) * Weather and time across places I interact with Etc. Key thing would be a simple extension API, where I can add the things I care about with a 5 minute learning curve. I'd be glad to toss something like that up on one monitor. I use a tiling window manager, but it doesn't support general tiling of the type needed to make everything an appropriate size, like this thing does. Keep pushing. I think you're onto something.
oneplane 6y ago
Nice replication of the Tron theme! Perhaps this can actually do something unexpected like feed actual working experience back in to the realm of the Sci-Fi UX designers to let them know how much of it doesn't work, but let them know about the things that do. Still looks and feels great.
rodneyzeng 6y ago
Great toy for HollyWood!
bmitc 6y ago
I just last night watched the below video that covers the code that shows up on Dennis Nedry's computer screen in Jurassic Park. Turns out it's only example code they put up on screen, but this type of stuff is always interesting. The way movies get made is so intriguing! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yq2Vkgsams0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yq2Vkgsams0
bch 6y ago
Surprised it hasn’t been mentioned yet, but “FUI” (fantasy user interface) embodies a lot of the “candy” on display here. Fun to see on reddit[0] or YouTube. [0] https://www.reddit.com/r/FUI/ https://www.reddit.com/r/FUI/
severak_cz 6y ago
There is recreation of classic 80s computerised synthetiser system (which was) called Fairlight CMI. It has interesting hybrid GUI which is controlled both by the command line or mouse in the same time. Lot of retro sci-fi vibes. See http://www.synthtopia.com/content/2020/06/30/fairlight-cmi-iix-recreated-for-linux-mac-windows/ http://www.synthtopia.com/content/2020/06/30/fairlight-cmi-i...

204 points by caiobegotti 6y ago

Big plus of this software is that it runs without any configuration effort. Usually these flashy Hollywood-OS terminals require a bunch of work before they look even slightly like the example image used by the developer. I can't see myself using this for actual work, but it does look pretty. Maybe I could use it during a presentation :)

gerdesj 6y ago
Quite. $ yay -S edex-ui-git (wait quite a while!) click on entry on menu item. It looks amazing and will be trotted out at the next available opportunity. Luckily I have a fair bit of CPU in this laptop because that and Teams take their toll. Fan: take the strain ...
- nobleach 6y ago
  I really wish this thing would simply check to see if I already have a node/npm installation...
reaperducer 6y ago
I can't see myself using this for actual work, but it does look pretty. I use Cool Retro Term (CRT) for actual work. I find the PET font soothing. I also use it for certain types of tasks, so if, out of the corner of my eye, I see lots of text scrolling along, then my mind processes it as "Something's gone pear-shaped with Task X" without having to look at the other monitors.
- whywhywhywhy 6y ago
  Another link that might interest you, using an amber screened VT220 terminal with a modern computer. https://jstn.tumblr.com/post/8692501831 https://jstn.tumblr.com/post/8692501831

sam_lowry_ 6y ago

I stopped reading after seeing `npm install` ;-(

bobbleheads 6y ago
"Please don't post shallow dismissals, especially of other people's work. A good critical comment teaches us something."

foobazzy 6y ago

Ha! Had it installed just to play around with (I imagine that is what this is for). My laptops fan wouldn't stop running below 4000rpm as long as this was in the foreground. Edit: But I do agree that the configuration was pretty easy. If you wanted to move stuff around and make it look a certain other way, it was really simple to do that.

apocalyptic0n3 6y ago

This is so cool. The Tron Legacy OS interface is one of the most sci-fi looking realistic interfaces I can remember seeing. Really awesome to be able to play with it locally, even if it isn't really a practical terminal compared to iTerm.

yjftsjthsd-h 6y ago

> Useful commands for the nerds ... are there non-nerds using this? ;)

surajs 6y ago

Pretty but I can't see myself using this :/

kleer001 6y ago

Gorgeous. As a computer artist myself I can see that work and balances put into this. I'm quite excited to check it out and fiddle with it. The extensibility is especially endearing.

olivierestsage 6y ago

Here's a write-up about the Tron scene in question was produced (hilariously, it features Emacs): https://web.archive.org/web/20110726180753/http://jtnimoy.net/workviewer.php?q=178 https://web.archive.org/web/20110726180753/http://jtnimoy.ne...

brian_herman__ 6y ago
I cant read this webpage it hurts my eyes. The font literally hurts. It not because I am a vi user... I am old. Also the EDEX-UI is the same way.
- dcuthbertson 6y ago
  It's horrible. I used the Inspect feature and changed the font for the "seriouscopy" class to Arial. It's much more readable. Why would anyone ever use HelveticaNeueUltraLight?!
- olivierestsage 6y ago
  Indeed. The website doesn't seem to exist any longer, so I chose an old archive (2010). I seem to remember the formatting being better in a more recent one, but I can't find it.

scrumper 6y ago

Gosh that is very pretty, and very smooth. I'd like an audio volume option rather than on/off - it's cool, but loud as hell.

nlpthk 6y ago

I’ve always been waiting for something like this! Now I got an excuse for a new project. Ty ty:)

ecto 6y ago

Very cool! If you're a VS Code user, I ported my favorite Tron-based iTerm theme here https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=emeraldio.encom https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=emeraldi...

seertaak 6y ago

... and this is the exact reason I still love hacker news.

tywkeene 6y ago
I know I love a good opportunity to waste a little time with novel software. It's hard to describe, but it brings me a feeling of joy This is really neat, I was actually surprised that it "just worked". Usually, as others have pointed out, you have to sacrifice a few goats and utter the forbidden ancient incantations before novelty pieces like this will work at all.

gtm1260 6y ago

Absolutely sick! Definitely I'll say its not the most usable, but some of the features make a ton of sense! Like having an active finder window thats always in the directory of your terminal, so great! Also +1 to having no configuration to get to a sweet looking setup.

laumars 6y ago
This is one of the things I love about KDE’s Dolphin. It’s a file manager with a built in terminal and both stay in sync.
- O_H_E 6y ago
  Yes, it is indeed quite friction-removing and combines the usefulness of both.

rsync 6y ago

A few tangentially related links ... First, there are a few write-ups of the fictional UI(s) used in The Martian: https://www.behance.net/gallery/30473933/The-Martian-UI-Screen-Graphics https://www.behance.net/gallery/30473933/The-Martian-UI-Scre... https://medium.com/territory-film/ui-stories-the-martian-efffa28e1a98 https://medium.com/territory-film/ui-stories-the-martian-eff... Second, I think this blog on sci-fi typography may be interesting to those reading this thread: https://typesetinthefuture.com/ https://typesetinthefuture.com/

rizky05 6y ago

This is how hn looks on tron: https://imgur.com/WRScOII https://imgur.com/WRScOII

slater 6y ago

Cool project! :) I could've sworn I'd seen a similar dashboard, but web-based. Can't find it... anyone know/remember?

amiga-workbench 6y ago
https://www.robscanlon.com/encom-boardroom/ https://www.robscanlon.com/encom-boardroom/
- slater 6y ago
  That's it. Thanks!

anthk 6y ago

Cool, but impractical. With FVWM/WMaker you have usable screen state with system info and functionality. You could replicate it with FVWM and using a 10th of the resources. Inb4 Enlightenment back in the day, E16 used not as much as resources as this, even E21 is far snappier than ruling an NPM based desktop.

Animats 6y ago
Cool, but impractical. Someone should do a practical one for an overview of what all your containers and AWS accounts are doing. AWS monitoring provides a reason for a map of the world with lines and markers. There are AWS monitoring tools which, with better color choices, would look like something from Hollywood. Dynatrace is almost there.[1] [1] https://cdn.comparitech.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Dynatrace.jpg https://cdn.comparitech.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Dynat...

wegs 6y ago

Neat! In contrast to previous toys I've seen like this, EDEX-UI seems to have a bunch of good ideas. It's not something I'd use yet, but it's close. The idea of showing files in my current working directory is good. There's a bunch of other stuff that's good. And then there's a bunch of stuff that's a useless waste of screenspace. But I could totally see myself replacing the useless stuff with things I care about: * System status (computer thermals, connected USB devices, Bluetooth, Wifi, audio devices, etc.) * Weather and time across places I interact with Etc. Key thing would be a simple extension API, where I can add the things I care about with a 5 minute learning curve. I'd be glad to toss something like that up on one monitor. I use a tiling window manager, but it doesn't support general tiling of the type needed to make everything an appropriate size, like this thing does. Keep pushing. I think you're onto something.

oneplane 6y ago

Nice replication of the Tron theme! Perhaps this can actually do something unexpected like feed actual working experience back in to the realm of the Sci-Fi UX designers to let them know how much of it doesn't work, but let them know about the things that do. Still looks and feels great.

rodneyzeng 6y ago

Great toy for HollyWood!

bmitc 6y ago

I just last night watched the below video that covers the code that shows up on Dennis Nedry's computer screen in Jurassic Park. Turns out it's only example code they put up on screen, but this type of stuff is always interesting. The way movies get made is so intriguing! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yq2Vkgsams0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yq2Vkgsams0

bch 6y ago

Surprised it hasn’t been mentioned yet, but “FUI” (fantasy user interface) embodies a lot of the “candy” on display here. Fun to see on reddit[0] or YouTube. [0] https://www.reddit.com/r/FUI/ https://www.reddit.com/r/FUI/

severak_cz 6y ago

There is recreation of classic 80s computerised synthetiser system (which was) called Fairlight CMI. It has interesting hybrid GUI which is controlled both by the command line or mouse in the same time. Lot of retro sci-fi vibes. See http://www.synthtopia.com/content/2020/06/30/fairlight-cmi-iix-recreated-for-linux-mac-windows/ http://www.synthtopia.com/content/2020/06/30/fairlight-cmi-i...