this post was submitted on 02 Mar 2026
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Developer's 1994 Linux desktop recreation runs in your browser as a modern web app — open-source project brings old-school CDE interface back from the dead (www.tomshardware.com)
submitted 3 days ago by cm0002@infosec.pub to c/linux@programming.dev
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If you're tired of the modern internet, then why not dial back to the 1990s? One nostalgic developer has recreated the pinnacle of early Linux operating systems with the so-called CDE Time Capsule. Posted as an open-source project on GitHub under the GPL license, but accessible via its own website, the project has faithfully recreated the appearance of a Debian Linux installation, circa 1994.

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[–] hexagonwin@lemmy.today 7 points 3 days ago (5 children)

doesn't look like CDE or any old linux desktop, seems vibecoded

[–] red_bull_of_juarez@lemmy.dbzer0.com 4 points 3 days ago (3 children)

What are you on about?

[–] hexagonwin@lemmy.today 8 points 3 days ago (2 children)

bruh i've used CDE for a very long time, though that wasn't "Linux" since CDE didn't get released as FOSS until 2010s; a 1994 linux desktop would have something like fvwm.

even the window buttons on that web thing look nothing like CDE.

[–] LeFrog@discuss.tchncs.de 2 points 2 days ago (1 child)

For my untrained eyes this looks quite similar to the screenshots provided here?

[–] hexagonwin@lemmy.today 1 point 2 days ago

sure it certainly has some elements that mimics CDE but that's it. it's not "1994 linux" or "debian" at all, doesn't really look much like CDE other than maybe the color scheme. even the window titlebar looks like m$ win95 rather than cde/motif.

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