The yaPDP project is a web-based emulator for the PDP-11/70, designed to recreate the atmosphere of a classic machine room. The developer aimed for a 'one-click' launch experience, avoiding the complex configuration files typically required by standard emulators like SIMH.
The emulator is built using JavaScript and CSS, leveraging the pdp11-js engine by Paul Nankervis. The interface incorporates elements from Masswerk's google60 project. To create a standalone desktop application, the developer utilized the Tauri framework, which ensures cross-platform compatibility.
Development of the initial version took approximately two weeks. The emulator supports running operating systems like Unix V5 and 2.11BSD, as well as classic software such as Adventure. It is designed to function directly in a browser or as a local installation.
The project relies on a unified JavaScript stack for both the core code and build tools, utilizing npm scripts and Google's Wireit for task orchestration. To ensure build consistency and avoid dependency issues, all artifacts are generated through a CI/CD pipeline.
