It turns out,I was really asking two related questions: can I use a teletype today, and can I dial-in using a modem using the teletype. And the answer to both looks like yes, but just using a teletype looks easier than trying to dial-in like in former days.
On Fri, Aug 15, 2014 at 2:07 PM, Clem Cole
<clemc@ccc.com> wrote:
The easiest thing is set up a BSD box of any flavor (I have a FreeBSD box that used to have modems on it). Then grab a USB to RS-232C cable if it does not have a serial ports on it already. Make sure there is a getty/login configured for the port and your are set. At that point you can directly attach the terminal to the cable. No need for the modem.
I have an old G5 Mac Pro that should do great for this job. My dad is also a NetBSD hacker going way back (actually he has a thing for running NetBSD on old Amigas), so I can also get some help from him with the BSD bit if I need it.
On eBay I was able to find an old Teletype Model 43, which appears to be an ASCII terminal and is supposed to have an RS232 port. Nice. This model was apparently also used by the distinguished Bill Gates back in the day. Also it has an impressively large "return" key.
It'a $174 dollars with about $40 for shipping, so hopefully I'll be able to swing that before someone else buys it. :-) Maybe I'll be able to get one of my coworkers to go in on it with me. The idea is really enticing.
The fun of trying to do something in this now novel way is really great. I was thinking I might try using it for my email. The news-ticker idea also seems great, although honestly I get most of my news from HN or Digg (which may or may not be the best place to get news from), so I would be more likely to set those up. The other thing I was thinking: I have an old phone hooked up through XMPP (which I use as my home phone) and I could use a TTY as the caller ID, with a little clever programming.
I'm really excited that this not only seems possible but nearly in reach.