SDF Public Access Unix System
Encyclopedia
Super Dimension Fortress (SDF, also known as freeshell.org) is one of the oldest and largest nonprofit public access UNIX
systems on the Internet
.
It has been in continual operation since 1987 as a non-profit social club. The name derives from the Japanese anime
series The Super Dimension Fortress Macross
(the original server was originally a BBS
for anime fans. )
servers for regular use (running on DEC Alpha
-powered hardware) as well as a TWENEX
system. Besides offering free Unix shell
access to its users, SDF provides dialup access and web
and Gopher hosting. It's one of very few servers still running the latter protocol.
The system contains hundreds of programs and utilities, including a BBS, chat program, email programs, webmail, and developer tools. SDF allows schools the use of SDF's computing resources for Unix classes.
microcomputer
running "Magic City Micro-BBS" under ProDOS
. The system was run as a "Japanese Anime SIG
" known as the SDF-1. In 1989, Uhlemann and Stephen Jones operated SDF very briefly as a DragCit Citadel BBS before attempting to use a Intel x86 UNIX clone called Coherent
.
Unhappy with the restrictive menu driven structure of existing BBS systems, Uhlemann, Jones and Daniel Finster created a UNIX
System V BBS in 1990, initially running on an i386 system, which later became an AT&T 3B2/400 and 500, and joined the lonestar.org UUCP
network. Three additional phone lines were installed in late 1991.
In the fall of 1992, Uhlemann and Finster left SDF to start one of the first commercial Internet
companies in Texas, Texas Metronet.
SDF continued to grow, expanding to ten lines in 1993 along with a SLIP
connection provided by cirr.com. UUCP was still heavily relied upon for Usenet
news and email.
In 1997, SDF (then with about 15,000 users) migrated to Linux
. The migration to Linux marked a turning point, as the system started coming under attack like it never had before in its history. Jones calls the Linux period the dark age. In part due to the number of attacks undertaken by malicious users against SDF, the years 2000 and 2001 saw SDF migrate from Linux to NetBSD
and from Intel x86 to DEC Alpha
. This migration included relocation of the servers from Lewisville, TX to Seattle, WA. The Linux system was officially decommissioned on August 17, 2001. The occasion was captured in a COMMODE log preserved by one of SDF's users. (COMMODE is a DEC TOPS-20
chat system
ported by Jones to Unix
.)
Although SDF Public Access UNIX System was registered as an operating business in 1993 according to the Dallas County Records Office, it wasn't until October 1, 2001, that the SDF Public Access UNIX System was formed as a Delaware
not-for-profit corporation and subsequentially granted 501(c)(7) non-profit membership club status by the IRS. SDF had operated under the auspice of the MALR corporation between 1995 and 2001.
Unix
Unix is a multitasking, multi-user computer operating system originally developed in 1969 by a group of AT&T employees at Bell Labs, including Ken Thompson, Dennis Ritchie, Brian Kernighan, Douglas McIlroy, and Joe Ossanna...
systems on the Internet
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
.
It has been in continual operation since 1987 as a non-profit social club. The name derives from the Japanese anime
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
series The Super Dimension Fortress Macross
The Super Dimension Fortress Macross
is an anime television series. According to story creator Shoji Kawamori, it depicts "a love triangle against the backdrop of great battles" during the first Human-alien war....
(the original server was originally a BBS
Bulletin board system
A Bulletin Board System, or BBS, is a computer system running software that allows users to connect and log in to the system using a terminal program. Once logged in, a user can perform functions such as uploading and downloading software and data, reading news and bulletins, and exchanging...
for anime fans. )
Services
The system currently includes NetBSDNetBSD
NetBSD is a freely available open source version of the Berkeley Software Distribution Unix operating system. It was the second open source BSD descendant to be formally released, after 386BSD, and continues to be actively developed. The NetBSD project is primarily focused on high quality design,...
servers for regular use (running on DEC Alpha
DEC Alpha
Alpha, originally known as Alpha AXP, is a 64-bit reduced instruction set computer instruction set architecture developed by Digital Equipment Corporation , designed to replace the 32-bit VAX complex instruction set computer ISA and its implementations. Alpha was implemented in microprocessors...
-powered hardware) as well as a TWENEX
TOPS-20
The TOPS-20 operating system by Digital Equipment Corporation was the second proprietary OS for the PDP-10 mainframe computer. TOPS-20 began in 1969 as the TENEX operating system of Bolt, Beranek and Newman...
system. Besides offering free Unix shell
Unix shell
A Unix shell is a command-line interpreter or shell that provides a traditional user interface for the Unix operating system and for Unix-like systems...
access to its users, SDF provides dialup access and web
World Wide Web
The World Wide Web is a system of interlinked hypertext documents accessed via the Internet...
and Gopher hosting. It's one of very few servers still running the latter protocol.
The system contains hundreds of programs and utilities, including a BBS, chat program, email programs, webmail, and developer tools. SDF allows schools the use of SDF's computing resources for Unix classes.
History
In 1987, Ted Uhlemann started SDF on an Apple IIeApple IIe
The Apple IIe is the third model in the Apple II series of personal computers produced by Apple Computer. The e in the name stands for enhanced, referring to the fact that several popular features were now built-in that were only available as upgrades and add-ons in earlier models...
microcomputer
Microcomputer
A microcomputer is a computer with a microprocessor as its central processing unit. They are physically small compared to mainframe and minicomputers...
running "Magic City Micro-BBS" under ProDOS
ProDOS
ProDOS was the name of two similar operating systems for the Apple II series of personal computers. The original ProDOS, renamed ProDOS 8 in version 1.2, was the last official operating system usable by all Apple II series computers, and was distributed from 1983 to 1993...
. The system was run as a "Japanese Anime SIG
Special Interest Group
A Special Interest Group is a community with an interest in advancing a specific area of knowledge, learning or technology where members cooperate to effect or to produce solutions within their particular field, and may communicate, meet, and organize conferences...
" known as the SDF-1. In 1989, Uhlemann and Stephen Jones operated SDF very briefly as a DragCit Citadel BBS before attempting to use a Intel x86 UNIX clone called Coherent
Coherent (operating system)
The Coherent operating system was a Version 7 Unix clone by the now-defunct Mark Williams Company, originally produced for the PDP-11 in 1980. A port was introduced in 1983 as the first Unix-like system for IBM PC compatible computers....
.
Unhappy with the restrictive menu driven structure of existing BBS systems, Uhlemann, Jones and Daniel Finster created a UNIX
Unix
Unix is a multitasking, multi-user computer operating system originally developed in 1969 by a group of AT&T employees at Bell Labs, including Ken Thompson, Dennis Ritchie, Brian Kernighan, Douglas McIlroy, and Joe Ossanna...
System V BBS in 1990, initially running on an i386 system, which later became an AT&T 3B2/400 and 500, and joined the lonestar.org UUCP
UUCP
UUCP is an abbreviation for Unix-to-Unix Copy. The term generally refers to a suite of computer programs and protocols allowing remote execution of commands and transfer of files, email and netnews between computers. Specifically, a command named uucp is one of the programs in the suite; it...
network. Three additional phone lines were installed in late 1991.
In the fall of 1992, Uhlemann and Finster left SDF to start one of the first commercial Internet
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
companies in Texas, Texas Metronet.
SDF continued to grow, expanding to ten lines in 1993 along with a SLIP
Slip
- In science and technology :* Slip , an aqueous suspension of minerals, and frequently deflocculant.* Slip , a positional displacement in a sequence of transmitted symbols...
connection provided by cirr.com. UUCP was still heavily relied upon for Usenet
Usenet
Usenet is a worldwide distributed Internet discussion system. It developed from the general purpose UUCP architecture of the same name.Duke University graduate students Tom Truscott and Jim Ellis conceived the idea in 1979 and it was established in 1980...
news and email.
In 1997, SDF (then with about 15,000 users) migrated to Linux
Linux
Linux is a Unix-like computer operating system assembled under the model of free and open source software development and distribution. The defining component of any Linux system is the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released October 5, 1991 by Linus Torvalds...
. The migration to Linux marked a turning point, as the system started coming under attack like it never had before in its history. Jones calls the Linux period the dark age. In part due to the number of attacks undertaken by malicious users against SDF, the years 2000 and 2001 saw SDF migrate from Linux to NetBSD
NetBSD
NetBSD is a freely available open source version of the Berkeley Software Distribution Unix operating system. It was the second open source BSD descendant to be formally released, after 386BSD, and continues to be actively developed. The NetBSD project is primarily focused on high quality design,...
and from Intel x86 to DEC Alpha
DEC Alpha
Alpha, originally known as Alpha AXP, is a 64-bit reduced instruction set computer instruction set architecture developed by Digital Equipment Corporation , designed to replace the 32-bit VAX complex instruction set computer ISA and its implementations. Alpha was implemented in microprocessors...
. This migration included relocation of the servers from Lewisville, TX to Seattle, WA. The Linux system was officially decommissioned on August 17, 2001. The occasion was captured in a COMMODE log preserved by one of SDF's users. (COMMODE is a DEC TOPS-20
TOPS-20
The TOPS-20 operating system by Digital Equipment Corporation was the second proprietary OS for the PDP-10 mainframe computer. TOPS-20 began in 1969 as the TENEX operating system of Bolt, Beranek and Newman...
chat system
Online chat
Online chat may refer to any kind of communication over the Internet, that offers an instantaneous transmission of text-based messages from sender to receiver, hence the delay for visual access to the sent message shall not hamper the flow of communications in any of the directions...
ported by Jones to Unix
Unix
Unix is a multitasking, multi-user computer operating system originally developed in 1969 by a group of AT&T employees at Bell Labs, including Ken Thompson, Dennis Ritchie, Brian Kernighan, Douglas McIlroy, and Joe Ossanna...
.)
Although SDF Public Access UNIX System was registered as an operating business in 1993 according to the Dallas County Records Office, it wasn't until October 1, 2001, that the SDF Public Access UNIX System was formed as a Delaware
Delaware
Delaware is a U.S. state located on the Atlantic Coast in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It is bordered to the south and west by Maryland, and to the north by Pennsylvania...
not-for-profit corporation and subsequentially granted 501(c)(7) non-profit membership club status by the IRS. SDF had operated under the auspice of the MALR corporation between 1995 and 2001.