A collegial shared UNIX box

As of 2026, I'm planning to establish a shared UNIX host, to bring together people who are interested in developing alternative technology in the same spirit as Gemini.

It will:

• operate on a collegial basis
• provide shell access
• provide Gemini hosting
• provide the traditional low tech social networking features of 1990s UNIX: internal email, ytalk, finger and IRC
• probably not provide web hosting
• maybe provide shared git hosting
• maybe provide an Antenna node
• probably provide a BBS

What is a "collegial body"?

Basically anything which is in practice under the control of a fairly equal group rather than one individual decision maker or bureaucracy.

Collegial bodies

Collegiate churches

There are various shared UNIX boxes that are known to the Gemini community or parts of it. Some are collegial, such as SDF or the SRCF; others are monocratic, such as the individual servers within the Circumlunar universe.

In practice, it would mean:

• users would have to join the body as members, providing their real name and address
• the government of the body would be both democratic, and would refer complaints between members to an independent panel of other members.

How much will this cost?

Annually, assuming no overages, the costs would look something like this:

• virtual office: £30
• hosting: £150
• bank charges: £80
• insurance: ??
• ??: ??

That is, it could be run on a shoe-string until it needed to hire staff. Check out Codeberg e.V. for an example of a comparable organisation.

Who will be paying for it?

Initially me, but as the thing is handed over, the costs would be shared out among the voting members, if anyone else showed up.

How can I join or get involved.

For the time being, email me. This thing won't be launched until it's ready. But I have launched two successful shared UNIX boxes, both of which have lasted more than a quarter of a century.

Similar organisations

Codeberg e.V.

SRCF

Roadmap

• recruit bootstrap members
• terraform a body corporate for it
• terraform a UNIX VM/machine for it / keep iterating until this works
• write the tooling
• ensure all routine processes are as automated as practicable
• describe in appropriately specific terms what *is* and is *not* going to be provided