Live retro programming session in Menton

October 1st, 2006 was my first working day. This Saturday I will be programming in public, just to prove myself that it is still just as fun twenty years later. I will be using a 19-years-old laptop running period-correct software, including Windows XP and Visual Studio 2005.

I’m pushing my changes to a GitHub repository every 15 minutes or so.

What I plan to do

I will try to implement a simple game using 2006 tech, namely C99 and SDL2 library. I will have about four hours until my UPS discharges or until I’m kicked out of the beach.

The game I have in mind is something like Pac Man, where your opponents use a genetic algorithm to evolve their strategy. They’ll be stupid at first, and (hopefully) get smarter as you progress.

I was thinking about it for the last few days, but didn’t have time to rehearse, so there’ll be plenty of trial and error. The likelihood of success is marginal:

• I won’t have Internet on my “workstation” (I preinstalled what I need),
• Last time I programmed in C was more than 20 years ago,
• I’ve never used SDL2,
• I installed Windows and Visual Studio on this computer yesterday,
• I bought this UPS today,
• I’ve never done a live stream before, and I don’t think I’ve ever watched one either.

Most of my action will be based on assumptions rather than experience. Yet, I still want to try it. I don’t care if I fail. In my 20ies I could hack something cool in half a day… let’s see how much worse it becomes after you turn 40.

My setup

• I program on my 2007 ThinkPad X61s which runs Windows XP Professional SP3 from SSD. I use Visual Studio 2005 as my IDE and GCC 4.0.2 (2005) as a compiler. This computer has no Internet connectivity.
  • Yes, I know that IBM ThinkPad T43 would have been a better choice, but I didn’t want to break the bank with this ridiculous project. All I have is this overspecced X61s, sorry.
• The ThinkPad streams its screen to a Dell XPS 13 9345 through a TightVNC server (which still supports Windows XP!) over Wi-Fi. That XPS runs the latest Fedora KDE Workstation and OBS software encoder. I also use it to push code changes to Git and as a webcam.
• A 27-inch Dell Ultrasharp U2725qe monitor is connected to the XPS via USB-C.
• The ThinkPad and the monitor are both plugged to an Infosec E2 LCD 1000 UPS with a couple of 7.2Ah batteries, which should be enough for about 4 hours of work.
• An iPhone 17 tethers 4G connection at around 100 Mps.
• Webcam
• Headset

Location

Menton is a lovely coastal town in the southeast of France, right on the border with Italy. It has a unique mix of French and Italian culture. Its history, architecture and cuisine are worth checking out .

I chose Quai Gordon Bennet for this session, because it is relatively calm in the evening even in the high season. The old town creates a natural sun shade, which is a big plus in the current weather.