Notes for Permacomputing Club - 07.07.25

Changes to Website

• Potentially changing web host to leaflet.pub
• Ana wants to redesign site to be more grid based
• Nick suggested side notes (looking for link)

Liberating a Printer

• HP Deskjet 3055a - manual(s)
• Daniel brought in a printer and oscilloscope, so we could have a look at capturing and * modifying signals sent by the printer
• Ana talked to someone about 'inkcap mushrooms' which we could try to grow
• Nick also suggested iron gall ink, but it burns the paper
• There is an option on the webserver settings to disable cartridge protection
• We're in!
• Printers fingerprint every page you print with yellow dots, that can be used to track every page back to the printer it came from
• Yellow ink comes from 'gamboge' - a sap collected from the killing fields of Cambodia

Nick - Show and Tell - OLPC

• Nick has 4 'One Laptop per Child' laptops!
• One of them still works
• OS runs in a virtual machine
• OLPC website

Cosmic Backups

Dan demonstrated how Kiwix can be used to create offline mirrors of useful websites, books e.t.c. He is hoping to set up an e-ink tablet which can interface to self-hosted copies of torrented content. Kiwix also has all the TED Talks, and we questioned their usefullness in a disaster recovery scenario. Wikipedia is available as a single 90GB compressed archive. We discussed limitations and options for users with low power and connectivity. Dan explained that a major power waster in the internet infrastructure is the CPU overhead of NAT, something that could be removed if we fully transitioned from IPv4 to IPv6. We talked about wikipedia markdown, and thought it would be fun to write a renderer for it that runs on old hardware (such as the Minitel). Dan explained how solar flares could wipe out computer infrastructure, in a 21st-century repeat of 1859's Carrington Event. iFixit and the Whole Earth Index got some praise.

Video Processing

Margo presented us with a mysterious IP address to visit. She has built an image processor using (cables.gl), and created a tool for playing with the user's webcam. We all admired cables.gl, Ana admitted she was surpised that a 3D graphics tool could succesfully embody permacomputing practices. Margo showed us some experiments she has been making with film archives and interactions. She is going to use what she has learned to teach an introductory course.

Personal Home Page

Ana has been rebuilding london.permacomputing.net, partly because the are.na API feels too mismatched & centralised, partly to reduce reliance on javascript. She's been using kiki, which is a javascript-free site builder developed by a member of the permacomputing community. It has a relatively tiny footprint, and uses markdown and PHP.

Ent-tennae

Delfos has been using the SOMA ETHER to record radio transmissions as they are received by trees. She's curious as to why trees seem to strongly receive BBC Radio 4, but is hoping to capture signals generated by the trees themselves, around 200Hz. She thinks she might have managed to record some static from a Hawthorne, going about its day. Unlike most modern radio receivers, the ETHER does not use filters to isolate a particular frequency band - all emissions received are heard at their respective strengths. Some of us tried the device on our foreheads, and found each of us produced different sounds. We discussed perhaps attempting to isolate frequencies relevant to trees, but agreed that the lack of filtering is refreshing. "We still put labels on negative space, even when we don't know whats there".

...and my laptop died here. I missed the project about london property & APIs? ]]>Mon, 10 Nov 2025 08:00:00 GMThttps://london.permacomputing.net/posts/10-11-2025.htmlhttps://london.permacomputing.net/posts/30-06-2025.htmlTags: notes

• Decided to take minutes!
• Discussion of the content of Margo's upcoming screening: she would

• Updates on Joe's screaming computer project: running a local LLM

• (Obligatory Algorave/Algorythms chat)
• Tom explained his work with housing campaigns: aggregating data from

• (Obligatory grep jokes)
• Nick explained his capstone project as part of the UCL Public

• Updates on the printer hacking project: everyone seems keen to try

• Retro-computing chat. Mat picked up a Macintosh SE to refurbish, but

• The National Museum of Computing vs. The Centre for Computing

SET Social, 55a Nigel Rd, London SE15 4NP

Every Monday, 6:30 - 7:30 pm

Come join us at Permacomputing Club where we explore how to make tech more sustainable. This is an in-person meetup. We gather on a drop-in basis, but if you'd like to RSVP, feel free! - eventbrite link.

For the sessions, we started focusing on discussion rather than independent tinkering. We tend to go around the group and share something we have read, experienced, or a project we're working on that we want to get feedback on. This crit-based approach enables everyone to give advice a share knowledge while foregrounding reflection and critique.

SET has karaoke in the Red Bar after the meeting so feel free to stay longer for some entertainment! ]]>Thu, 01 May 2025 08:00:00 BSThttps://london.permacomputing.net/posts/about.htmlhttps://london.permacomputing.net/posts/brewing-permacomputing-collectives-self-organised-networks-against-big-tech.htmlTags: event

Friday 28 November - Saturday 29th November 2025 at Stroom Den Haag, NL

Brewing Permacomputing Collectives Friday 28 November, 17:00–18:30 at Stroom Den Haag

Stroom Den Haag is hosting an evening of short talks and discussion with members of international Permacomputing groups.

This year, London’s Permacomputing Club received funding to run roaming programming workshops across Central Europe, while permacomputing.net continues to serve as the main hub for these networks. The site recently earned the Error 406 Tech Fascism Not Acceptable award, supporting the creation of a global guide for building new permacomputing communities. During this afternoon of short presentations and a moderated discussion, participants will share recent projects, tools, reflections from their local communities and how the practice has expanded. As usual, there will be insights into ecological and communal infrastructures, and how we might reimagine our everyday relationship with technology.

Speakers include:

• Anna Andrejew (The Hague artist, Mens en Tuin, Stadsoase Spinozahof, Volkskeuken, On Solid Ground, permacomputing.net)
• Brendan Howell (Berlin Permacomputing Meetup, LURK, permacomputing.net)
• Aymeric Mansoux (WdKA Research Centre, LURK, permacomputing.net)
• Ana Meisel (London Permacomputing Club, Superkilogirls)
• Danny Tirthdas van der Kleij (Varia, permacomputing.net)
• Lua Vollaard (Stroom Den Haag, Superkilogirls)

Date: Saturday July 19th, 2025

Screening event!

Red Bar, SET Social, 55a Nigel Rd, London SE15 4NP on the Saturday 19th of July 16:00 - 18:00

Join us for Margot's screening to watch an hour of cool and fun experimental computer art films. The screening will consist of short films by pioneering computer artists (Lillian Schwartz, Michael Snow, Steina and Woody Vasulka) and films by members of the Permacomputing Club.

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This year, we are teaming up with art & tech collective Cranberry Lemonade to host London’s HTML Day

2nd of August

Newspeak House, E2 7DG

The day is lined up with workshops and open projector sessions and is free to attend. Everyone is invited, no technical skills required, just a curiosity about HTML :)

More information and RSVP link can be found here: html.leaflet.pub ]]>Thu, 24 Jul 2025 08:00:00 BSThttps://london.permacomputing.net/posts/html-day.htmlhttps://london.permacomputing.net/posts/ins-outs-2026.htmlTags: 2026, opinions

Manifesting into reality...

INS:

• pocket notebooks and mechanical pencils
• anti-manifestos
• self-hosting where possible
• copyparty
• repair and restore old hardware
• radio
• USB 2.0 flash drives
• trees
• linux on vapes
• compasses
• family & friends
• tech with wires and buttons
• open source

• the word "googling" / algorthmic search in general
• mechanical keyboards
• buying brand new if second hand is serviceable
• discord invites
• AI / Linda McMahon's A1
• online
• cloudflare
• big tech™
• open source

Author: Daniel Adams

Windows updates got you down?

Old laptop in need of new life?

Curious about penguins?

Installing Linux on Older Hardware on Monday 6th October!

Many old laptops and computers are generally completely fine, yet the mounting e-waste crisis continues as support for older platforms is dropped.

Enter Linux on the desktop.

With mountains of configuration options, efficient and powerful software, and endless customisability that puts the control of your machine firmly in your hands, it's perfect for anyone looking to rebuild their relationship with technology (plus it has a cute mascot!)

If you have a computer or laptop that you'd like to try Linux out on, bring it along to our Monday session on October 6th! Please also bring a usb flash drive if you have one available. We'll be spending the session installing and taking you through the basics of how to use Linux on the desktop, how to install applications, and how you can start making it your day-to-day computer.

Please note that the installation will overwrite all contents of your hard drive and the usb drive, so make sure all important documents have been copied off the computer you're bringing as they will not be retrievable afterwards

If you want to read up ahead of the workshop to get an idea of what Linux has to offer you and what to expect, see our explainer doc here: ]]>Thu, 02 Oct 2025 08:00:00 BSThttps://london.permacomputing.net/posts/linux-installation-workshop-monday-6th-october.htmlhttps://london.permacomputing.net/posts/mud-volts.htmlTags: update

Plants are good and electricity is fun. See what happens when we pair those together: join us for the "electric garden" workshop on Sunday 1st of March

Inspired by Sunjoo Lee's Electric Garden, this community workshop will build a collection of "mud cells" to generate power. "Using microbial fuel cells, which generate power through the metabolic processes of soil bacteria, the garden becomes an ecosystem where microbes, plants, insects, and minerals coexist while emitting small currents of electricity." Each plant pot works as a "mud cell” that can fuel a low-power device which we will decide collectively during the day. All materials are provided and participants can join for free. The activity will take place at SET Social's garden from 1 pm to 3 pm on 01/03/26. :) ]]>Mon, 23 Feb 2026 08:00:00 GMThttps://london.permacomputing.net/posts/mud-volts.htmlhttps://london.permacomputing.net/posts/multicropping-hack-day.htmlTags: cms, multicropping, event

13th of September

The University of London, Stewart House, 32 Russell Square, WC1B 5DN

Saturday 13th of September

10:00 - 15:00

Linked to: update-cms

Join us for a day of experimentation as we explore moving our email list and website content to different platforms (SilverBullet, Obsidian, Sourcehut, and more) to see what works best for our community. Taking inspiration from the multicropping technique in permaculture, we'll test various approaches to find out what will stick in our digital ecosystem.

We'll start by sketching out ideas for shared, sustainable digital infrastructures, then partake in hands-on experimentation with alternative web tools, small-scale servers, content management systems, and content renderers.

This is a low-key, hands-on gathering for artists, hackers, and the perma-curious. Come ready to swap skills and stories, play, learn, and grow something together. All welcome!

For more information, please email one of us

₊˚ʚ 🌱 ₊˚✧ ﾟ.

Meshtastic chat

Line of sight to provide the most reliable communication. Luckily many of us live on hills (feature of SE London) - note to summon all hill members!

Outreach ideas

• October will be the end of Windows 10. We should collaborate with West Central London Fixers and help out. Stephane mentioned that since our permacomputing gatherings began, a region in France has been moving all of their school computers to PrimTux - La distribution éducative. Mass OS migration is possible but we should still be looking at the issues of mass adoption.
• Not to lose sight of political or activist work - lobbying can fluidly happen between Monday evening workshops.
• Nick suggested making illustration zines for linux or other software installation.
• Ana and Stephane to chat more about making the tear off posters with Stephane's existing anti big tech manifesto/list.

• Find ways of enabling everyone to discover their own personal journeys with permacomputing and report back to the group somehow - we can use the bbs for this

Text Adventures

• Live playable game
• source code

Cameras

Printer

CMS

Chat

Author: Ana

Date: 04-05-2025

Spotted Begonia and Rhizomatic Design

There was no sign of nodes until 6 weeks after the stems were cut (which is late!).

They are growing, and their leaves look healthy.

I’m astonished to have grown three plants from one seemingly sensitive and high-maintenance Spotted Begonia.

I thought of Rowan Markson's piece "Adventitious Roots" that looks at the “adventitious and rhizomatic potential of the Tradescantia Zebrina plant.”

We published the site together and released his research in segments/leaves, and as such the website would grow.

Rowan posting discoveries in blog form was inspired by the plant's motions, challenging real-time culture by proposing the release of information via seasonal impact or creeping, intermittent and volatile progress.

Author: Margot

The very start of a plan for putting on a screening of computer art films as part of the club

I'd quite like to put on a screening of computer art films as part of the club.

I don't have too much of a plan yet, but I figure we would want it to run for about an hour, so just off the top of my head:

• 'Network Topology' (Margot McEwen, 2024, 11 mins) - this is my movie
• 'UFOs' (Lillian Schwartz, 1971, 3 mins) - all her films are very short so we could do a couple
• 'Cityscape' (Michael Snow, 2019, 8 mins)
• 'The Matter' (Woody and Steina Vasulka, 1974, 4 mins) - again these are very short so we could do a couple

Date: 05-05-2025

Advice needed 𓆸

This website currently uses Are.na as our CMS, but we're looking to transition to a more decentralised system (Mastodon API?). For more info on this, see our source code and readme github. If you have ideas, advice, or would like to help with the CMS swap, please raise this in one of our sessions or email ana@4us4others.com ❀ ]]>Mon, 05 May 2025 08:00:00 BSThttps://london.permacomputing.net/posts/update-cms.htmlhttps://london.permacomputing.net/posts/winter-closure-at-set.htmlTags: update

Cancelled permacomputing sessions: 22nd of December 2025, 29th of December 2025, 5th and 12th of January 2026

SET Social will be closing for the Christmas period on 21st of December 2025 until 14th of January 2026 to carry out some maintenance and repairs and will reopen as usual on 15th of January. ]]>Mon, 03 Nov 2025 08:00:00 GMThttps://london.permacomputing.net/posts/winter-closure-at-set.html