Submitted 1 day ago by effzehkoelle@feddit.org to technology@lemmy.world
https://www.theregister.com/2025/04/26/dos_distraction_free_writing/
I tried this setup for a bit. I liked Word Perfect for Dos but converting files to my linux desktop was a pain and I never found a workflow I liked.
For undisturbed writing, I use a laptop running a minimal cli only linux install with Word Grinder. Its a modern text mode writer app that stores files in text or markdown.
I liked Word Perfect for Dos but converting files to my linux desktop was a pain and I never found a workflow I liked.
I wouldn’t do it myself, but if that floats your boat:
theregister.com/…/wordperfect_for_unix_for_linux/
Tavis Ormandy ports WordPerfect for UNIX to Linux
Liam Proven Wed 20 Jul 2022 // 15:15 UTC
Thanks for that. Unfortunately, unless I’m missing something, it doesn’t solve the work flow issue as my goal is to get my written text into a modern format that works with everything else I use, such as ascii or markdown.
Word Grinder hits all the marks.
Why would be such a setup antisocial? And if so, why should I get one? I see so much antisocial behavior in the streets, online or other media that I don’t see the benefit in adding to this.
It’s The Register!
I really don’t understand why people think they need to use outdated technology and inconvenient transfer methods to be undisturbed instead of just disabling programs that generate or display notifications (e.g. on Linux the notification daemon).
Do people really have so little self-control that they can’t just not use a network connection if it exists?
Do people really have so little self-control that they can’t just not use a network connection if it exists?
Have you ever met any people?
Not OP, but yes, yes I have met some people.
We get it you’re so much better than others. Let’s ignore all the people with diagnosable disorders such as attention deficits, etc
You are not helping people with ADD by devising some sort of convoluted “solution” which requires them to get and then keep 30 year old technology working and transfer over the result of their work with technologies that themselves require a lot of patience too.
I keep a Windows 2000 machine with Office 97 for writing, but I might try this. WordPerfect for DOS was always a pretty relaxing way to write.
‘97 was peak MS Office!
1997 was peak for lots of things
Yep, for some of us Clippy never went anywhere.
Emacs continues to support MS-DOS in 2025, so I guess it’d be tolerable.
The seriousness of some of the comments here is way out of sync with the tongue-in-cheek writing style of The Register.
Doubt I’ll ever get around to it, but would love to find a cheap laptop with good mechanical keys and set this up on it.
dzso@lemmy.world 12 hours ago
Has anyone tried a pencil and paper?
masterofn001@lemmy.ca 8 hours ago
The zine needs a renaissance.