Browservice (Retro Browser Proxy)

Browservice — Modern Web for Retro Machines

Browservice is a web proxy that renders modern websites and serves them as simple HTML with images, allowing vintage browsers to display pages they could never handle natively.

Access

• URL: http://10.255.9.241:8088/
• Requires: Active Torus VPN connection (any tier — Basic, Plus, or Pro)
• No login required

Browservice is permitted through the Torus firewall on all hubs. A dedicated firewall rule allows Torus users to reach port 8088 on the Docker host.

How It Works

1. Open http://10.255.9.241:8088/ in your retro browser
2. You'll see a simple address bar
3. Type any URL and Browservice renders it server-side using a modern Chromium engine
4. The result is sent back as basic HTML with inline images that any browser can display

This means your IRIX Netscape Navigator, Windows 3.1 Internet Explorer, or OS/2 WebExplorer can browse modern HTTPS websites including those with JavaScript-heavy frameworks.

Supported Retro Browsers

Limitations

• No JavaScript interactivity — Forms and links work, but dynamic page updates don't
• Rendering lag — Each page load requires server-side rendering, so there's a delay
• No streaming media — Video/audio content won't play
• Session cookies — Login sessions may not persist between page loads

Use Cases

• Browse documentation sites from vintage workstations
• Check modern web services from retro machines
• Access GitHub, Stack Overflow, or other reference sites
• Show off your SGI or vintage PC at retro computing meetups

Technical Details

• Engine: Headless Chromium via CEF
• Runtime: Native AppImage process on Docker host (10.255.9.241)
• Port: 8088, accessible via Torus mesh (firewall rule on all production hubs)
• Memory: 2GB shared memory allocation for rendering