Roughman.net

| Feature | Roughman.net | Internet Archive | GitHub | Pirate Bay | | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | | | Niche, raw files | Cultural preservation | Open source code | Torrents | | UI/UX | Minimal/Dated | Excellent | Modern | Cluttered/Spammy | | Uptime | Unpredictable (may go offline for weeks) | Almost 100% | 99.9% | Varies | | Legal Risk | Moderate | None | None | High | | Malware Risk | Moderate (user reports) | Low (curated) | Low (code review) | Very High |

Treat like a back-alley bookshop: you will find rare treasures, but do not leave your wallet on the counter, and always check the pages before buying. roughman.net

The admin is reportedly working on a Tor hidden service mirror to ensure censorship-resistance. Until then, the clearnet site remains standing—ugly, unyielding, and unexpectedly useful. Yes, but with your eyes open. | Feature | Roughman

However, based on file timestamps and community testimony, it is widely believed that started as a personal FTP server run by a European hardware engineer (cryptically referred to as "Roughman" in early IRC logs). Initially, the site was a private stash for firmware updates for industrial controllers. Over time, as search engine crawlers indexed the directory structure, the public began flooding in. Yes, but with your eyes open