Abstract
The history of hacking in the post-Soviet space started well before the proliferation of the internet and modern PCs. In the 1980s, local computer fans had to use smuggled hardware and pirated software; there was no authorized service and no software market.
In part, computer hobbyists became hackers out of necessity, to repair their hardware and build their software from shards of Western code. They also enjoyed it, creating vibrant do-it-yourself communities, whose open-minded, and often subversive, spirit contrasted with the dull reality of late Socialism.
This essay offers a peek into the Czechoslovak hobby computing scene by following the story of a young Czechoslovak computer enthusiast, with detours into the work of his peers and idols.