Ask HN: How did you write code on restricted hardware?

I remember trying to write code for a project in college from those library computers when I did not have a laptop of my own at the time.

I often used sites like Codepen and copy-pasted the progress into a github repo so I didnt lose my work.

What are some workarounds you’ve used (or tried) for writing or running code from restricted hardware, like a school computer or a mobile device? What kind of project was it for, and what hurdles did you encounter?

4 points | by diselody 18 hours ago

6 comments

  • mikewarot 3 hours ago
    When I was making gears, there was an un-networked PC that I was given access to, to develop a program to track gear hobs.

    I used git to sync it with a usb thumb drive so I could keep a copy in sync at home.

    Edit: sadly it seems I've lost the source to that program 8(

    In the long ago, we used PKzip to archive our source code on 1.44 mb floppy disks.

    Before that, we didn't have hard drives, so we made copies of our 5 1/4” floppies with tape over the write protect slot. We also had multiple "good" copies of our boot disks, write protected, just in case.

  • itsub_sa 16 hours ago
    i used to connect my phone via USB Tethering. If a network strictly blocks certain websites or port connections, plug in you phone, turn on USB tethering, and bypass the entire local network security by using your mobile data instead. Some of my friends used to set up automated bots or private channels on platforms like Discord or Telegram (or even SMS) to send small snippets of code to a server at home, which runs the code and replies back with the terminal output.
  • al_borland 18 hours ago
    Carry a bootable USB drive with an OS of your choice. Boot up and work off that live environment, if the system will allow booting from a USB drive.

    GitHub Codespaces, or any similar platform, may also be an option.

  • paretolaw 18 hours ago
    Pen and paper design and thinking, then writing it down once I am home
    [-]
    • diselody 17 hours ago
      What kind of project was it for?
      [-]
      • paretolaw 5 hours ago
        Fullstack systems, some specific custom algorithms, ERD design, almost any kind of design, where I dont need immediate feedback from implementation to make decisions.
  • crusbro 8 hours ago
    [flagged]
  • tmpsvc2695f5 9 hours ago
    [dead]