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Browse the archived web the old way: 13 emulated browsers in your browser

91 points by ikreymer 11y ago

ikreymer 11y ago
oldweb.today connects to various web archives and allows users to browse old websites in old browsers, each running in a Docker container. Emulators such as Basilisk, Sheepshaver and Wine are used to run old MacOS and Windows browsers, alongside Linux versions of Mosaic and Netscape. The Memento protocol is used to talk to multiple web archives and combine results. The project is fully open-source and available at https://github.com/ikreymer/netcapsule https://github.com/ikreymer/netcapsule Suggestions and contributions for other browsers, or other web archives sources are definitely welcome! Any other feedback also appreciated. Here is a more thorough blog post from my collaborators at rhizome.org http://rhizome.org/editorial/2015/nov/30/oldweb-today/ http://rhizome.org/editorial/2015/nov/30/oldweb-today/
- jacquesm 11y ago
  Very neat, but what besides being a neat hack is the exact point of this, I have never come across an old website that I needed an old browser for, usually the old websites work better than the new ones! So is this really a problem, do you have some examples where an old browser is really required?
  - janfoeh 11y ago
    Excuse me for posting a video link, but my own reaction reminded me a bit of this: https://vimeo.com/20736616 https://vimeo.com/20736616 Maybe the itch to be scratched was not so much a technical one?
  - ikreymer 11y ago
    There are many reasons. From technology standpoint, as the web changes, old technologies may no longer work in new browsers. One case in point: Java applets. A few of the old browsers on oldweb support Java applets, which most likely won't work in a modern browser. Here's one example: http://oldweb.today/nslinux/2015/http://archive.rhizome.org/artbase/1722/eicon.html http://oldweb.today/nslinux/2015/http://archive.rhizome.org/...
- frozenport 11y ago
  Suggestion: run the x86/ppc emulator in the browser to reduce server load.
  - ikreymer 11y ago
    I don't think JS-based emulators are quite there yet in terms of performance, but I've no doubt that they will be eventually. I think this is the next best option for now.
- callahad 11y ago
  How's Docker security these days? Wouldn't there be risks of exploiting remote code execution vulnerabilities in the old browsers, then finding a way to attack the host from within the container? Especially given that, if I'm reading this right, all users within the container have complete, password-free sudo access: https://github.com/ikreymer/netcapsule/blob/2ff2f5d74fb517eedff786bfad3342710d712d0c/browsers/base-browser/Dockerfile#L41 https://github.com/ikreymer/netcapsule/blob/2ff2f5d74fb517ee... I guess an attacker would also have to get the malicious code into one of the archives somehow, but that should be possible, right?
  - ikreymer 11y ago
    Yes good point, this warrants some more research. The sudo was useful for install but I should see if it can be removed. Should also explore if there are concrete ways that the host can be attacked from the container, if a user does manage to execute code. Please comment if anyone has any other suggestions for improving security.
dang 11y ago
Blog post: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=10653578 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=10653578.
breakingcups 11y ago
This is really, really cool. I'm really impressed with the technical implementation.
ctstover 11y ago
Whoever made this is a bad ass. Bravo!
deleted 11y ago
[deleted]
thisjustinm 11y ago
Hacker News homepage on day 1: http://oldweb.today/nsmac3/19991202212008/news.ycombinator.com http://oldweb.today/nsmac3/19991202212008/news.ycombinator.c...
cbd1984 11y ago
Doesn't work on two separate browsers (Firefox and Arora).

91 points by ikreymer 11y ago

oldweb.today connects to various web archives and allows users to browse old websites in old browsers, each running in a Docker container. Emulators such as Basilisk, Sheepshaver and Wine are used to run old MacOS and Windows browsers, alongside Linux versions of Mosaic and Netscape. The Memento protocol is used to talk to multiple web archives and combine results. The project is fully open-source and available at https://github.com/ikreymer/netcapsule https://github.com/ikreymer/netcapsule Suggestions and contributions for other browsers, or other web archives sources are definitely welcome! Any other feedback also appreciated. Here is a more thorough blog post from my collaborators at rhizome.org http://rhizome.org/editorial/2015/nov/30/oldweb-today/ http://rhizome.org/editorial/2015/nov/30/oldweb-today/

jacquesm 11y ago
Very neat, but what besides being a neat hack is the exact point of this, I have never come across an old website that I needed an old browser for, usually the old websites work better than the new ones! So is this really a problem, do you have some examples where an old browser is really required?
- janfoeh 11y ago
  Excuse me for posting a video link, but my own reaction reminded me a bit of this: https://vimeo.com/20736616 https://vimeo.com/20736616 Maybe the itch to be scratched was not so much a technical one?
- ikreymer 11y ago
  There are many reasons. From technology standpoint, as the web changes, old technologies may no longer work in new browsers. One case in point: Java applets. A few of the old browsers on oldweb support Java applets, which most likely won't work in a modern browser. Here's one example: http://oldweb.today/nslinux/2015/http://archive.rhizome.org/artbase/1722/eicon.html http://oldweb.today/nslinux/2015/http://archive.rhizome.org/...
frozenport 11y ago
Suggestion: run the x86/ppc emulator in the browser to reduce server load.
- ikreymer 11y ago
  I don't think JS-based emulators are quite there yet in terms of performance, but I've no doubt that they will be eventually. I think this is the next best option for now.
callahad 11y ago
How's Docker security these days? Wouldn't there be risks of exploiting remote code execution vulnerabilities in the old browsers, then finding a way to attack the host from within the container? Especially given that, if I'm reading this right, all users within the container have complete, password-free sudo access: https://github.com/ikreymer/netcapsule/blob/2ff2f5d74fb517eedff786bfad3342710d712d0c/browsers/base-browser/Dockerfile#L41 https://github.com/ikreymer/netcapsule/blob/2ff2f5d74fb517ee... I guess an attacker would also have to get the malicious code into one of the archives somehow, but that should be possible, right?
- ikreymer 11y ago
  Yes good point, this warrants some more research. The sudo was useful for install but I should see if it can be removed. Should also explore if there are concrete ways that the host can be attacked from the container, if a user does manage to execute code. Please comment if anyone has any other suggestions for improving security.

dang 11y ago

Blog post: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=10653578 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=10653578.

breakingcups 11y ago

This is really, really cool. I'm really impressed with the technical implementation.

ctstover 11y ago

Whoever made this is a bad ass. Bravo!

deleted 11y ago

[deleted]

thisjustinm 11y ago

Hacker News homepage on day 1: http://oldweb.today/nsmac3/19991202212008/news.ycombinator.com http://oldweb.today/nsmac3/19991202212008/news.ycombinator.c...

cbd1984 11y ago

Doesn't work on two separate browsers (Firefox and Arora).