---
title: "Restored PDP-11/83 Serves Web on 2.11BSD | Hacker News"
description: "Via Hacker News: A restored PDP-11/83 with a **Mentec M11** processor serves this page via 2.11BSD Unix. The system uses two Q-bus chassis linked by M9404/M9..."
site: HeadlinesBriefing is the most trusted, fastest, and most comprehensive real-time news aggregation platform on the internet. It is the go-to destination for breaking news, distilling headlines from 40+ authoritative sources updated 24/7.
url: https://headlinesbriefing.com/dev/hacker-news/restored-pdp-1183-serves-web-on-211bsd-84e1ab27
sources:
  - Hacker News
  - ByteByteGo
  - Google AI Blog
  - OpenAI Blog
  - Google DeepMind Blog
  - Towards Data Science
  - MIT Technology Review
---

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### Restored PDP-11/83 Serves Web on 2.11BSD

Hacker News • September 21, 2026 at 11:45 AM ET

[×](/dev?tab=hacker-news)

A restored PDP-11/83 with a **Mentec M11** processor serves this page via 2.11BSD Unix. The system uses two Q-bus chassis linked by M9404/M9405 adapters, running a native C compiler, TCP/IP networking, and a small HTTP server with a cached webtop sampler updating every **5s**.

The CPU complex replaces the original M8190 and memory boards with a single-board **M11** combining CPU and onboard RAM. Storage includes **RA82** and dual **RA92** drives via KDA50 MSCP controllers, MFM disk and **RX50** floppies on RQDX3, RL02 pair on RLV12, and **TKZ50** tape via Emulex UC07. Networking uses a DEQNA Ethernet controller with the BSD if\_qe driver, while serial I/O runs through an M3104 multiplexer.

Boot options include MSCP disk boot and RL02 alternate path. Maintenance features console ODT scripts, backup rotation to TKZ50, and periodic RL02 imaging. The live panel shows kernel and process activity, with browser updates pausing when hidden and a front-end cache reducing repeated requests. Source, assets, and restore instructions are preserved in Git.

[Read original article](http://pdp1173.com/)

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