Project ideas from Hacker News discussions.

An open replacement for the IBM 3174 Establishment Controller

Original Article

Hacker News Discussion

📝 Discussion Summary (Click to expand)

Key Themes

#	Theme	Supporting Quotes
1	Curiosity about emulating legacy IBM hardware	“I wonder how hard it would be to write an emulator to run the actual 3174 software?” – skissane
2	Clarifying the role of the IBM 3174	“The ibm 3174 was just a controller to then link the terminals to an AS400 mini / mainframe” – uxhacker
3	Nostalgic longing for vintage terminals	“God I would love to own one!” – dare944

These three points capture the discussion’s focus: technical interest in emulation, functional context of the 3174, and personal nostalgia for classic IBM terminals.

🚀 Project Ideas

Generating project ideas…

3174 Emulator Suite

Summary

Emulates the IBM 3174 controller and 3278 terminal for modern operating systems.
Lets developers run legacy AS400 applications locally without physical hardware.
Core value: eliminates cost and complexity of maintaining old mainframe peripherals.

Details

Key	Value
Target Audience	Retro computing enthusiasts, AS400 developers, educational institutions
Core Feature	Full 3174 protocol emulation, terminal emulation, network interface
Tech Stack	Rust for core, WebAssembly for browser, Electron wrapper for desktop
Difficulty	Medium
Monetization	Revenue‑ready: Freemium with paid license for enterprise features

Notes

HN commenters say, “I wonder how hard it would be to write an emulator to run the actual 3174 software?”
Provides a practical tool for developers needing legacy support and sparks discussion on protocol details.

3278‑Style Terminal Emulator

Summary

Desktop/web app that reproduces the look, feel, and key mapping of a 3278 terminal.
Supports VT100/3270 protocols, customizable fonts, and network connectivity.
Core value: gives the retro terminal experience without needing the original hardware.

Details

Key	Value
Target Audience	Retro‑DEC fans, hobbyists, educators
Core Feature	3278 UI, key remapping, network terminal access
Tech Stack	React + Canvas, Node.js backend, Docker for deployment
Difficulty	Low
Monetization	Hobby

Notes

Commenter “God I would love to own one!” shows clear demand for a software substitute.
Encourages community feedback on UI fidelity and feature requests.

Cloud AS400 Sandbox Service

Summary

Pay‑per‑use cloud service that spins up a virtual AS400 environment with 3270 terminal access.
Enables developers to experiment with COBOL, RPG, and legacy workflows without on‑prem hardware.
Core value: removes the hardware barrier and speeds up onboarding for legacy projects.

Details

Key	Value
Target Audience	Developers, students, enterprises needing legacy testing
Core Feature	On‑demand AS400 VM, 3270 terminal, API for automation
Tech Stack	IBM Cloud, Docker, Terraform, WebSocket terminal
Difficulty	High
Monetization	Revenue‑ready: Subscription tiers + pay‑per‑hour

Notes

Addresses frustration of not having access to AS400.
Sparks discussion on licensing, compliance, and integration with modern CI/CD pipelines.