HN
Today

Macsurf, "modern" web browser for macOS 9

MacSurf is a new web browser breathing modern life into 25-year-old Classic Mac OS 9 PowerPC machines, delivering features like CSS3, ES5 JavaScript, and native HTTPS. This project uniquely blends nostalgia with a deep technical challenge, showcasing what's possible when retro computing meets contemporary web standards. It appeals to Hacker News's appreciation for technical prowess and the resurrection of legacy systems for a functional, albeit limited, modern web experience.

21
Score
1
Comments
#18
Highest Rank
5h
on Front Page
First Seen
May 30, 1:00 PM
Last Seen
May 30, 5:00 PM
Rank Over Time
1918182024

The Lowdown

MacSurf is an ambitious project that aims to bring a 'modern' web browsing experience to vintage Classic Mac OS 9 PowerPC computers. Developed by Patrick, this browser is designed to enable G3 and G4 Macs, which have been largely cut off from the contemporary internet due to advancements in web standards and security, to access a significant portion of today's web content directly.

  • Core Capabilities: MacSurf supports real CSS3 features, including CSS Grid, custom properties, animations, gradients, and transforms. It also incorporates ES5 JavaScript, leveraging Duktape 2.7.0, and handles PNGs with alpha transparency.
  • Native HTTPS: A key achievement is its native HTTPS implementation through macTLS, which supports TLS 1.2 and the first-ever native TLS 1.3 on Classic Mac OS. This allows direct, secure connections to modern websites without requiring external proxies.
  • Technical Foundation: Built with CodeWarrior on the Carbon API, MacSurf is a fork of the NetSurf browser, adapted with a macos9 frontend. It utilizes QuickDraw for rendering and Open Transport for networking.
  • Current Status: The project is in an early alpha stage (v1.3.1), demonstrating functionality on a 233 MHz G3. While it renders basic modern sites and executes JavaScript, it's not yet ready for daily driving, with limitations on heavy SPAs, advanced CSS, and performance on complex modern websites.
  • Community Engagement: The developer actively encourages Power Mac G3/G4 owners to test the browser, report bugs, and contribute to its ongoing development, particularly in expanding CSS, DOM, and JavaScript support, with the code written in plain C89.

MacSurf represents a remarkable feat of engineering, bridging a significant gap between vintage hardware and the modern internet. It offers a tangible way for Classic Mac enthusiasts to interact with the web, demonstrating that with enough ingenuity, even 25-year-old machines can partake in the modern digital landscape, albeit selectively.