RSRE Flex: reviving an innovative, remarkably odd British operating system that almost nobody knows about (emf2026)

1980: Royal Signals and Radar Establishment researchers realise Flex, a mould-breaking, comprehensively alternative vision of computing. Features:

- All-hypertext interface (oddly never described thus)
- Allusions to ancient Egyptian orthography
- Unforgeable pointers for security
- Write-once filesystem with nameless files (which you didn't mind)
- Implementation in the (infamously) complicated language Algol 68
- First-class functions and typechecking everywhere (I'll explain what that means)
- Memorable... hardware choices

Today: Flex runs again for the first time in (probably) decades! In this spirited talk (for general audiences *and* OS geeks) I'll live-demo its unique "feel" while describing its origins, fate, and unlikely revival (hint: mouldy 8" floppies). I'll also call for help: maybe YOU know people and information needed to share it publicly. Ahead of its time, maybe ours too, or maybe outside of it: everyone should be able to try Flex. Hopefully this talk brings us one step closer!

Licensed to the public under https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/
about this event: https://www.emfcamp.org/schedule/2026/91-rsre-flex-reviving-an-innovative