A native Claude AI console client for NeXTSTEP 3.3, running on a NeXTstation Turbo Color (68040 @ 33MHz).
This project brings modern AI to vintage hardware — a C client that speaks directly to the Claude API over TLS 1.2, compiled with gcc 2.5.8 from 1993.
- NeXTstation Turbo Color — Motorola 68040 @ 33MHz, running NeXTSTEP 3.3
The NeXTstation connects directly to the Claude API (api.anthropic.com) over HTTPS using Crypto Ancienne, a TLS library designed for vintage systems. No proxy or middleware needed — the 68040 handles TLS 1.2 natively.
NeXTstation (68040) ──── HTTPS/TLS 1.2 ────► api.anthropic.com
192.168.1.2 Claude API
TLS handshake takes ~10 seconds on the 33MHz 68040. A small price for direct, encrypted communication from a 1993 machine.
On the NeXTstation:
cc -O -c cryanc.c -o cryanc.o # one-time, reuse .o
cc -O -c claude.c -o claude.o
cc -o claude claude.o cryanc.o -lsys_s./claude # default mode, prompts for command approval
./claude --dangerously-skip-permissions # auto-execute commands (deny list still enforced)
./claude -y # short form of above
./claude sk-ant-... # pass API key directlyRequires a Claude API key in ~/.claude_api_key or pass at startup.
Claude can execute shell commands on the NeXTstation to answer questions about your system. When you ask "what files are in this directory?", Claude will run ls and respond with the real output.
Safety system (three-tier, evaluated in order):
- Deny — Always blocked, even with
-y. Hardcoded:rm,mv,cp,dd,mkfs,newfs,fdisk,format,chmod,chown,mknod,halt,reboot,shutdown. Custom:.claude_deny - Allow — Auto-approved without prompting. Custom:
.claude_allow - Ask — Prompts user for y/n approval (skipped with
-y)
Commands are restricted to the working directory. Path traversal (..) and absolute paths outside cwd are blocked.
At startup, Claude auto-detects the NeXTSTEP environment via hostinfo, hostname, and arch. This context is included in every request so Claude uses BSD 4.3 compatible commands.
| Command | Description |
|---|---|
/model |
List & select model |
/model <name> |
Switch to model |
/system <text> |
Set custom system prompt |
/temp <0-1> |
Set temperature |
/tokens |
Show last token usage |
/save <file> |
Save conversation to file |
/new |
Start new conversation |
/clear |
Clear conversation |
/info |
Show session info |
/key |
Reload API key |
/version |
Show version |
/exit |
Exit |
| File | Purpose |
|---|---|
.claude_api_key |
Anthropic API key |
.claude_model |
Last-used model (auto-saved) |
.claude_models |
Available models list (one per line) |
.claude_deny |
Blocked command prefixes (one per line) |
.claude_allow |
Pre-approved command prefixes (one per line) |
claude.log |
Session log (auto-created in working directory) |
claude.c — Main client source
cryanc.c — Crypto Ancienne TLS library (vendored)
cryanc.h — Crypto Ancienne header (vendored)
- ARNLTony — Project creator, hardware setup, integration
- Claude (Anthropic) — AI pair programmer, client code, architecture
- Crypto Ancienne (cryanc) by Cameron Kaiser — TLS 1.2/1.3 library for vintage systems. This project would not be possible without it. Crypto Ancienne is specifically designed for pre-C99 compilers and old hardware, with explicit support for NeXTSTEP 3.3 on 68K.
- Claude API by Anthropic — The AI backend
- Claude Code — Anthropic's CLI tool, used for all development
- NeXTSTEP 3.3 (NeXT Computer, 1993) — The operating system
- gcc 2.5.8 (cc-437.2.6) — The compiler, vintage 1993
- The NeXT community at nextcomputers.org
- Cameron Kaiser's work on retrocomputing internet access
- The broader vintage computing community pushing old hardware to do new things
MIT License. See LICENSE for details.
Crypto Ancienne is licensed under its own terms — see cryanc repo for details.