5 ms·

Building a Galaksija

108 points by bane 2y ago

I came across this as an interesting curiosity several years ago. Recently it showed up in a personal reference and I thought it might be of interest to the HN community. Really amazing story behind this and the community that was created around it is fascinating. Part I (linked): https://blog.vladovince.com/building-a-galaksija-the-1980s-yugoslav-8-bit-microcomputer-part-i-the-tech/ https://blog.vladovince.com/building-a-galaksija-the-1980s-y... Part II: https://blog.vladovince.com/building-a-galaksija-part-ii-the-origin-story/ https://blog.vladovince.com/building-a-galaksija-part-ii-the... Part III: https://blog.vladovince.com/building-a-galaksija-part-iii-audio-cassettes-magazine-listings-and-radio-waves/ https://blog.vladovince.com/building-a-galaksija-part-iii-au... Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galaksija_(computer) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galaksija_(computer) Internet Archive Magazine Collection: https://archive.org/search?query=galaksija https://archive.org/search?query=galaksija Emulator: https://github.com/mejs/galaksija https://github.com/mejs/galaksija Another: https://github.com/nikp123/Galaksija-Emulator https://github.com/nikp123/Galaksija-Emulator Libretro core: https://github.com/libretro/galaxy-libretro https://github.com/libretro/galaxy-libretro

deleted 2y ago
[deleted]
nknld 2y ago
[flagged]
ubavic 2y ago
This year marks 40 years of Galaksija, and the magazine PC Press with the author of the Galaksija Voja Antonic released a reprint of the original special issue which introduced Galaksija. Building kit is also available. More information is available on: https://racunari.com/ https://racunari.com/
Gys 2y ago
> … a 1980s Yugoslav 8-bit computer called the Galaksija
- input_sh 2y ago
  More precisely, the magazine that published it was titled "Galaksija" (https://www.popsci.com/science/article/2011-11/galaksija-magazine-covers-offer-awesome-views-future-past/ https://www.popsci.com/science/article/2011-11/galaksija-mag...). The computer (and the OS) were simply named after the magazine.
  - deleted 2y ago
    [deleted]
  - grujicd 2y ago
    Even more precisely, it was published in the first edition of "Računari u vašoj kući" magazine. That magazine was created as a special edition of Galaksija magazine (so name came from there, that part was right), but from that point on we had both Galaksija, for general science, and Računari for computers.
shrx 2y ago
My family lived in Yugoslavia near the Italian border within a zone where people were issued special passports allowing them to go across the border to the west. This was not generally possible, so people took advantage of it and bought (or smuggled to avoid trouble with the customs) many goods which were not available inside the country, like jeans, washing machines, vinyl records, ... My uncle brought both the ZX spectrum and the Commodore back with him on one of such trips. And then during that time our student radio station used to play whole computer programs and games live on air, and everybody could record them to a cassette and load them on their computer, for free!
- bapo 2y ago
  Thanks for your comment. Could you elaborate a bit on the “recording and loading cassette” part? I’m really wondering!
  - wjnc 2y ago
    Cassette tapes doubled as music storage and data storage for machines like ZX Spectrum and C64. You could just copy software like you would copy a music cassette. Code via radio would be as easy as playing a song. Another time long gone computer magazines would print code that you could enter yourself! Before that Sussman is reported to meditate on code, and acolytes where supposed to create machines that could run that code.
    - shrx 2y ago
      Here are some details about the ZX Spectrum tape interface: http://www.zxdesign.info/cassette.shtml http://www.zxdesign.info/cassette.shtml https://sinclair.wiki.zxnet.co.uk/wiki/Spectrum_tape_interface https://sinclair.wiki.zxnet.co.uk/wiki/Spectrum_tape_interfa...
    - dhosek 2y ago
      Pretty much all the early 8-bit computers had cassette storage. On the Apple ][ series, the interface to write to the cassette was identical to the speaker interface so you could load audio into memory from a cassette and play it back (at 1-bit resolution) on the internal speaker of the Apple ][. It sounded like crap (although a lot of cassette decks did too) but seemed like magic.
thecupisblue 2y ago
That is insanely cool! I've heard countless war stories from older ex-yu people about Galaksija and the early beginnings of the tech scenes on the territories, even about setting up the first proper internet connections and servers with war blasting around them. It's insane when you remember that was all happening not even 30 years ago. To those who can, I'd suggest donating to the mentioned museum - I've had the blessing to visit it once and it is such a cultural treasure - they don't just collect old machines, they also inspire generations by teaching them coding, electronics and everything in-between.
gssa 2y ago
[flagged]
strgtwhtmle 2y ago
Cool in general, but... what an ugly botched job. Should have tested on that spare board and THEN built the final rev.
dhosek 2y ago
And hear I was thinking I was the only one in these parts using old lit mags as monitor raisers.

108 points by bane 2y ago

deleted 2y ago

[deleted]

nknld 2y ago

[flagged]

ubavic 2y ago

This year marks 40 years of Galaksija, and the magazine PC Press with the author of the Galaksija Voja Antonic released a reprint of the original special issue which introduced Galaksija. Building kit is also available. More information is available on: https://racunari.com/ https://racunari.com/

Gys 2y ago

> … a 1980s Yugoslav 8-bit computer called the Galaksija

input_sh 2y ago
More precisely, the magazine that published it was titled "Galaksija" (https://www.popsci.com/science/article/2011-11/galaksija-magazine-covers-offer-awesome-views-future-past/ https://www.popsci.com/science/article/2011-11/galaksija-mag...). The computer (and the OS) were simply named after the magazine.
- deleted 2y ago
  [deleted]
- grujicd 2y ago
  Even more precisely, it was published in the first edition of "Računari u vašoj kući" magazine. That magazine was created as a special edition of Galaksija magazine (so name came from there, that part was right), but from that point on we had both Galaksija, for general science, and Računari for computers.

shrx 2y ago

My family lived in Yugoslavia near the Italian border within a zone where people were issued special passports allowing them to go across the border to the west. This was not generally possible, so people took advantage of it and bought (or smuggled to avoid trouble with the customs) many goods which were not available inside the country, like jeans, washing machines, vinyl records, ... My uncle brought both the ZX spectrum and the Commodore back with him on one of such trips. And then during that time our student radio station used to play whole computer programs and games live on air, and everybody could record them to a cassette and load them on their computer, for free!

bapo 2y ago
Thanks for your comment. Could you elaborate a bit on the “recording and loading cassette” part? I’m really wondering!
- wjnc 2y ago
  Cassette tapes doubled as music storage and data storage for machines like ZX Spectrum and C64. You could just copy software like you would copy a music cassette. Code via radio would be as easy as playing a song. Another time long gone computer magazines would print code that you could enter yourself! Before that Sussman is reported to meditate on code, and acolytes where supposed to create machines that could run that code.
  - shrx 2y ago
    Here are some details about the ZX Spectrum tape interface: http://www.zxdesign.info/cassette.shtml http://www.zxdesign.info/cassette.shtml https://sinclair.wiki.zxnet.co.uk/wiki/Spectrum_tape_interface https://sinclair.wiki.zxnet.co.uk/wiki/Spectrum_tape_interfa...
  - dhosek 2y ago
    Pretty much all the early 8-bit computers had cassette storage. On the Apple ][ series, the interface to write to the cassette was identical to the speaker interface so you could load audio into memory from a cassette and play it back (at 1-bit resolution) on the internal speaker of the Apple ][. It sounded like crap (although a lot of cassette decks did too) but seemed like magic.

thecupisblue 2y ago

That is insanely cool! I've heard countless war stories from older ex-yu people about Galaksija and the early beginnings of the tech scenes on the territories, even about setting up the first proper internet connections and servers with war blasting around them. It's insane when you remember that was all happening not even 30 years ago. To those who can, I'd suggest donating to the mentioned museum - I've had the blessing to visit it once and it is such a cultural treasure - they don't just collect old machines, they also inspire generations by teaching them coding, electronics and everything in-between.

gssa 2y ago

[flagged]

strgtwhtmle 2y ago

Cool in general, but... what an ugly botched job. Should have tested on that spare board and THEN built the final rev.

dhosek 2y ago

And hear I was thinking I was the only one in these parts using old lit mags as monitor raisers.