{"id":266,"date":"2026-11-11T10:53:59","date_gmt":"2026-11-11T10:53:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/permacomputer.solarpunk.au\/?p=266"},"modified":"2026-11-11T10:53:59","modified_gmt":"2026-11-11T10:53:59","slug":"project-update-november-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/permacomputer.solarpunk.au\/?p=266","title":{"rendered":"Project Update November 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There have been two main points of focus for the project over the last month.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">People&#8217;s Permacomputer Text Editor<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You may have <a href=\"https:\/\/permacomputer.solarpunk.au\/?p=259\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"259\">seen previously<\/a> that a brief proof-of-concept BASIC text editor was published by the project.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Work continues on the <a href=\"https:\/\/codeberg.org\/vidak\/peoples\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/codeberg.org\/vidak\/peoples\">text editor<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It is intended to suit the permacomputer hardware that the project has been developing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">People&#8217;s Permacomputer Model 1<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There has been a continuing evolution of the design of the first computer model that the project has been trying to plan out and construct.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The project figures that supplying a cheap computer to purchase would facilitate further interest in the project&#8217;s mission to promote digital literacy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The design requirements of this computer are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Must be &#8216;instant-on&#8217;&#8211;i.e. the computer boots to its environment instantaneously.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Must be some kind of an all-in-one unit.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The hope is that people interested in this project will not have to struggle with setting up their own BASIC environment if one is supplied to them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">To this end, the project proposes two models, one the bigger sibling of the other.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Model 1 will comprise of a refinement of the following project:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.hackster.io\/sl001\/arduino-rp2040-standalone-iot-computer-running-basic-433144\">https:\/\/www.hackster.io\/sl001\/arduino-rp2040-standalone-iot-computer-running-basic-433144<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"900\" height=\"675\" src=\"https:\/\/permacomputer.solarpunk.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/4I1OaUEBg4.avif\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-267\" style=\"width:386px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/permacomputer.solarpunk.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/4I1OaUEBg4.avif 900w, https:\/\/permacomputer.solarpunk.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/4I1OaUEBg4-300x225.avif 300w, https:\/\/permacomputer.solarpunk.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/4I1OaUEBg4-768x576.avif 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">From the above project link.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This design makes good on the project&#8217;s issues with video display. The RP2040 microcontroller board at the heart of this project is able to run both Stefan&#8217;s BASIC and drive a reasonably affordable LCD screen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For more information about how to get one of these screens, please see:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.aliexpress.com\/item\/33015586094.html\">https:\/\/www.aliexpress.com\/item\/33015586094.html<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"800\" src=\"https:\/\/permacomputer.solarpunk.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/H424e505b892c4199a7b9325422d32e2dD.webp\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-268\" style=\"width:326px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/permacomputer.solarpunk.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/H424e505b892c4199a7b9325422d32e2dD.webp 800w, https:\/\/permacomputer.solarpunk.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/H424e505b892c4199a7b9325422d32e2dD-300x300.webp 300w, https:\/\/permacomputer.solarpunk.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/H424e505b892c4199a7b9325422d32e2dD-150x150.webp 150w, https:\/\/permacomputer.solarpunk.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/H424e505b892c4199a7b9325422d32e2dD-768x768.webp 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Permacomputer Model 2<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Model 2 is not necessarily more powerful than Model 1, but it will have a bigger screen, and support USB keyboard more easily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.hackster.io\/sl001\/homecomputer-from-scratch-a04fb9\">https:\/\/www.hackster.io\/sl001\/homecomputer-from-scratch-a04fb9<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" src=\"https:\/\/permacomputer.solarpunk.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/img_4378_1WYsEjOlHM.avif\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-269\" srcset=\"https:\/\/permacomputer.solarpunk.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/img_4378_1WYsEjOlHM.avif 640w, https:\/\/permacomputer.solarpunk.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/img_4378_1WYsEjOlHM-300x225.avif 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">From the above project link.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Both models will support idiomatic BASIC graphics commands, such as LINE, CIRCLE, PLOT, etc.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Caveats<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The project has decided to ship an all-in-one unit, with one exception. To keep the unit inexpensive, we will be requiring the user to supply their own keyboard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Model 1 appears only to support PS\/2 keyboards. This is an issue. In order to make it easier to plug in a (more common) USB keyboard, it may become necessary to include <em>another<\/em> RP2040 to convert USB signals to the PS\/2 ones that Model 1 will accept:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/github.com\/No0ne\/ps2pico\">https:\/\/github.com\/No0ne\/ps2pico<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There is no such limitation on Model 2. It is based on the Arduino Due 32-bit board, which includes, rather luckily, 2 USB sockets.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>There have been two main points of focus for the project over the last month. People&#8217;s Permacomputer Text Editor You may have seen previously that a brief proof-of-concept BASIC text editor was published by the project. Work continues on the text editor. It is intended to suit the permacomputer hardware that the project has been [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":270,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_hide_featured_image":false,"_jetpack_featured_image_duplicate_dismissed":0,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"There have been two main points of focus for the project over the last month. The text editor, and something of a finalisation of the hardware for two models of permacomputer.\n\nFor more, please click though to this blog post.\n\n#retrocomputing #solarpunk #permacomputing #basic #arduino ","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[5],"tags":[20,6,17],"class_list":["post-266","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-housekeeping","tag-basic","tag-general","tag-retrocomputing"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/permacomputer.solarpunk.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/8spfxmswhjc61.png","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/permacomputer.solarpunk.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/266","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/permacomputer.solarpunk.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/permacomputer.solarpunk.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/permacomputer.solarpunk.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/permacomputer.solarpunk.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=266"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/permacomputer.solarpunk.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/266\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":273,"href":"https:\/\/permacomputer.solarpunk.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/266\/revisions\/273"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/permacomputer.solarpunk.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/270"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/permacomputer.solarpunk.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=266"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/permacomputer.solarpunk.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=266"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/permacomputer.solarpunk.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=266"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}