On Sat, 2019-10-05 at 15:59 -0400, Lamar Owen wrote: > Frontpanel, 256 words (12-bit words), and paper tape. But I also never > had that straight-8 on the net, either, but, via uucp, I did have the > T6K on Usenet. My second machine was 9 bits = 8 + parity. 10 years later I was working on 36 bit words = 4 x 9 bit ACSII = 6 x 6 bit BCD. In my later computer life, the best thing I ever did, 10 years ago, was to abandon all m$ and move to C 5.3 which was truly a computer programmer's dream. Liberating and exhilarating. chunk, chunk, chunk, ding, 110 baud terminals, then along came Terminets at a faster 300 baud. Think I can still punch a 80 column card using a hand punch. Many now take for granted Centos without fully appreciating how powerful and empowering it is or the tremendous work done by those creating, maintaining and testing it and others developing extensions and repos. Life without Centos would be bleak. Regards,