{"slug": "sdf-public-access-unix-system", "name": "SDF Public Access Unix System", "category": "terminal", "category_name": "Terminal and shell", "description": "", "recommenders": 4, "commenters": 4, "warners": 0, "score": 3.537, "rising": -1.31, "first": "2026-04-18", "latest": "2026-04-20", "why": "I have been a member of SDF for over 15 years now and I use it all the time.", "why_is_quote": true, "has_verdict": false, "sentiment": {"recommend": 4, "neutral": 0, "compare": 0, "warn": 0}, "spark": [0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 4, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0], "listed": true, "loved": [], "caveat": "", "short_quote": "I have been a member of SDF for over 15 years now and I use it all the time.", "kind": "", "icon": false, "domain": null, "github_repo": null, "official_url": "https://sdf.org", "pricing": "", "aliases": ["SDF Public Access Unix System", "SDF Public Access UNIX System"], "verdict": null, "praise": [{"label": "", "summary": "", "quotes": [{"id": 765431664, "item_id": 47839479, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47839479", "by": "CursedSilicon", "date": "2026-04-20", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "donations to SDF are appreciated", "excerpt": "We're actually hosting it in just under two weeks! Free event, but donations to SDF are appreciated https://vcfpnw.org/ (Disclaimer: I'm an exhibitor. So I'd love more attendees!)", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "SDF Public Access Unix System"}, {"id": 765395616, "item_id": 47837226, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47837226", "by": "NoSalt", "date": "2026-04-20", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "I have been a member of SDF for over 15 years now and I use it all the time.", "excerpt": "> \"It is pretty pointless, nobody needs or wants a unix shell account in this day and age.\" This is not true at all. I have been a member of SDF for over 15 years now and I use it all the time. Most recently, when HostPapa tried to tell me my sftp issue was on my end, and I told them that I was able to recreate the problem from the west coast and the east coast; my home on the east coast and SDF on the west coast. Fi", "context": "member of SDF for over 15 years", "use_case": "Remote Unix shell access", "switched_from": "", "story": "SDF Public Access Unix System"}, {"id": 765357152, "item_id": 47834822, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47834822", "by": "buildbot", "date": "2026-04-20", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "SDF inspired me to start setting up my own retro computing lab for fun", "excerpt": "SDF inspired me to start setting up my own retro computing lab for fun; to experiment with actual working history is very entertaining! Since SDF mostly has older systems (https://wiki.sdf.org/doku.php?id=vintage_systems:start) I tried to get the later ones - Sparc M10, M7 & Ultrasparc, HP-C9000, etc. Very cool how they tried to move and preserve many of the living computer museum\u2019s computers before Paul Allens siste", "context": "", "use_case": "Retro computing hobby", "switched_from": "", "story": "SDF Public Access Unix System"}, {"id": 765144096, "item_id": 47821506, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47821506", "by": "user3939382", "date": "2026-04-18", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "I love SDF. Super reliable and awesome community.", "excerpt": "I love SDF. Super reliable and awesome community.", "context": "", "use_case": "Public Unix shell access", "switched_from": "", "story": "SDF Public Access Unix System"}]}], "caveats": [], "who": [{"by": "NoSalt", "context": "member of SDF for over 15 years", "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47837226", "date": "2026-04-20"}], "tags": [], "use_cases": ["remote unix shell access", "retro computing hobby", "public unix shell access"], "compared": [], "makers": [], "threads": [{"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47819410", "title": "SDF Public Access Unix System", "mentions": 4}], "sentiment_by_month": {"2025-11": {}, "2025-12": {}, "2026-01": {}, "2026-02": {}, "2026-03": {}, "2026-04": {"recommend": 4}, "2026-05": {}, "2026-06": {}, "2026-07": {}, "2026-08": {}, "2026-09": {}, "2026-10": {}}, "quotes": [{"id": 765431664, "item_id": 47839479, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47839479", "by": "CursedSilicon", "date": "2026-04-20", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "donations to SDF are appreciated", "excerpt": "We're actually hosting it in just under two weeks! Free event, but donations to SDF are appreciated https://vcfpnw.org/ (Disclaimer: I'm an exhibitor. So I'd love more attendees!)", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "SDF Public Access Unix System"}, {"id": 765395616, "item_id": 47837226, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47837226", "by": "NoSalt", "date": "2026-04-20", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "I have been a member of SDF for over 15 years now and I use it all the time.", "excerpt": "> \"It is pretty pointless, nobody needs or wants a unix shell account in this day and age.\" This is not true at all. I have been a member of SDF for over 15 years now and I use it all the time. Most recently, when HostPapa tried to tell me my sftp issue was on my end, and I told them that I was able to recreate the problem from the west coast and the east coast; my home on the east coast and SDF on the west coast. Fi", "context": "member of SDF for over 15 years", "use_case": "Remote Unix shell access", "switched_from": "", "story": "SDF Public Access Unix System"}, {"id": 765357152, "item_id": 47834822, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47834822", "by": "buildbot", "date": "2026-04-20", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "SDF inspired me to start setting up my own retro computing lab for fun", "excerpt": "SDF inspired me to start setting up my own retro computing lab for fun; to experiment with actual working history is very entertaining! Since SDF mostly has older systems (https://wiki.sdf.org/doku.php?id=vintage_systems:start) I tried to get the later ones - Sparc M10, M7 & Ultrasparc, HP-C9000, etc. Very cool how they tried to move and preserve many of the living computer museum\u2019s computers before Paul Allens siste", "context": "", "use_case": "Retro computing hobby", "switched_from": "", "story": "SDF Public Access Unix System"}, {"id": 765144096, "item_id": 47821506, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47821506", "by": "user3939382", "date": "2026-04-18", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "I love SDF. Super reliable and awesome community.", "excerpt": "I love SDF. Super reliable and awesome community.", "context": "", "use_case": "Public Unix shell access", "switched_from": "", "story": "SDF Public Access Unix System"}]}