A working reconstruction of the W.O.P.R. from WarGames (1983): the computer, the systems David dials into, and NORAD's war room. It runs in your browser, with nothing to install.
▶ DIAL INALL STATIONSRUN IT YOURSELF
Stuck at LOGON:? The cheat sheet has what the film gives you.
THE PHONE BOOK
Every number is a machine someone runs. It is listed while that machine is online, and an [OPEN] slot is waiting for someone to host it. Numbers under the worlds are registered but not answering right now.
| SLOT | EXCHANGE | JOSHUA | OPERATOR |
|---|---|---|---|
| DIALING TRUNK… | |||
RUN IT YOURSELF
The whole machine is a public repository. Clone it and it runs on your own computer, with nothing hosted and no account to make.
git clone https://github.com/DanielLandi/real-wopr-programs
cd real-wopr-programs
make build # every program, in its own language
make up # the three networks, one process per machineThen, from a second terminal, dial the Seattle school district. It answers in BASIC:
node emulator/cli/src/main.ts dial "(206) 555-0142" --pack .You need the compilers of the programs' languages (gfortran,
sbcl, gnucobol, cc65, bwbasic) plus Node
and Python. Licensed GPL-3.0-or-later.
Read the source ↗
WHY IT EXISTS
In WarGames, a teenager with a modem reaches a NORAD computer. This project tests whether that system, from the networked terminals and the game engine to Joshua and the NORAD link, could really have been built with early-1980s technology. Each part is checked, and the answer is not always yes.