What does HackerNews think of load81?

SDL based Lua programming environment for kids similar to Codea

Language: C

PicoCalc: A fully-functional clone of VisiCalc for the PICO-8 | Oct 2023
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I had quite some success applying my own LOAD81 to a few children.

https://github.com/antirez/load81
The Raspberry Pi 400 in My Bedroom | Oct 2022
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That’s such a fun idea!

Load81 might be of interest for this as well, it’s a commodore-like console interface for Lua, made by antirez: https://github.com/antirez/load81
Snakeware – Linux distro with Python userspace inspired by Commodore 64 | Sep 2022
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Cool!

Antirez built one for Lua: https://github.com/antirez/load81
Ask HN: How do you teach 9-year old to code? | Jan 2022
I've been thinking about starting with Computer Science Unplugged when our kids reach that age: https://www.csunplugged.org/en/

My idea is to keep children off screen addiction for as long as possible, whilst still teaching them the relevant mindset, patterns of reasoning, and the way computers actually work.

On another angle, my son did start throwing together maps and sprites in no time with the (Lua-based) TIC-80 and Pico-8 when I showed these to him. Load81 by antirez is a similar Lua environment without the constraints: https://github.com/antirez/load81

Or, why not put together a low-cost computer/Z80-like terminal with your son, like the RC2014 that runs BASIC: https://rc2014.co.uk/

Good luck!

Teliva – an environment for end-user programming | Nov 2021
From antirez there is load81[0] which does kind of the same and it's lovely for playing around with installing 1 thing, playing a game, breaking into the source and changing code on the fly.

[0] https://github.com/antirez/load81

30 years later, QBasic is still the best | Nov 2020
Antirez (of Redis) made Load81[0] for this reason; I can recommend it; batteries included and modern. I did a lot of prototyping on it on the OpenPandora while traveling and a few of my friends said their kids picked it up as easily as they did Basic.

[0] https://github.com/antirez/load81

30 years later, QBasic is still the best | May 2018
It's unmaintained, but load81 by Antirez tries to solve this problem with the modern tools of Lua and SDL wrapped in a simple IDE. Check it out: https://github.com/antirez/load81
World of Commodore 2016 | Nov 2016
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I like this[0] on small Linux systems; easy to set up so you get that C64 feel in a modern setting.

[0] https://github.com/antirez/load81
How computer programming languages for kids have evolved and where they're going | May 2016
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Something that kind of mimics the C64 experience is load81: https://github.com/antirez/load81
Ask HN: My 12 year old nephew wants to make a game, how do I help him? | Jun 2015
load81 by the author or Redis. It does not get any more elegant than this!

https://github.com/antirez/load81

Zuck, Bill Gates, Jack Dorsey In Short Film To Inspire Kids To Learn How To Code | Feb 2013
This no-profit IMHO should focus on creating a free, cross-platform, awesome system similar to Codea iPad app [1], that is, the BASIC of 80s. Everything not in the same line is too boring.

I've a very very positive experience with load81 [2], something I wrote almost solely for my son. In the latest months and thanks to this program my son learned to write Lua code and we are having a lot of fun.

I don't think it would be possible without a system that makes drawing a circle or checking where the mouse pointer is trivial.

[1] http://twolivesleft.com/Codea/

[2] https://github.com/antirez/load81

Teaching my 10 year old niece how to program. | Aug 2012
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typo in link, fixed: https://github.com/antirez/load81 (and thanks!)
Codakido, Lua/SDL programming environment for Kids, with C64-alike editor | Mar 2012
The project has moved here: https://github.com/antirez/load81.git