From: torvalds@klaava.Helsinki.FI (Linus Benedict Torvalds) Newsgroups: comp.os.minix Subject: Free minix-like kernel sources for 386-AT Keywords: 386, preliminary version Message-ID: <1991Oct5.054106.4647@klaava.Helsinki.FI> Date: 5 Oct 91 05:41:06 GMT Organization: University of Helsinki Lines: 55 Do you pine for the nice days of minix-1.1, when men were men and wrote their own device drivers? Are you without a nice project and just dying to cut your teeth on a OS you can try to modify for your needs? Are you finding it frustrating when everything works on minix? No more all- nighters to get a nifty program working? Then this post might be just for you :-) As I mentioned a month(?) ago, I'm working on a free version of a minix-lookalike for AT-386 computers. It has finally reached the stage where it's even usable (though may not be depending on what you want), and I am willing to put out the sources for wider distribution. It is just version 0.02 (+1 (very small) patch already), but I've successfully run bash/gcc/gnu-make/gnu-sed/compress etc under it. Sources for this pet project of mine can be found at nic.funet.fi (128.214.6.100) in the directory /pub/OS/Linux. The directory also contains some README-file and a couple of binaries to work under linux (bash, update and gcc, what more can you ask for :-). Full kernel source is provided, as no minix code has been used. Library sources are only partially free, so that cannot be distributed currently. The system is able to compile "as-is" and has been known to work. Heh. Sources to the binaries (bash and gcc) can be found at the same place in /pub/gnu. ALERT! WARNING! NOTE! These sources still need minix-386 to be compiled (and gcc-1.40, possibly 1.37.1, haven't tested), and you need minix to set it up if you want to run it, so it is not yet a standalone system for those of you without minix. I'm working on it. You also need to be something of a hacker to set it up (?), so for those hoping for an alternative to minix-386, please ignore me. It is currently meant for hackers interested in operating systems and 386's with access to minix. The system needs an AT-compatible harddisk (IDE is fine) and EGA/VGA. If you are still interested, please ftp the README/RELNOTES, and/or mail me for additional info. I can (well, almost) hear you asking yourselves "why?". Hurd will be out in a year (or two, or next month, who knows), and I've already got minix. This is a program for hackers by a hacker. I've enjouyed doing it, and somebody might enjoy looking at it and even modifying it for their own needs. It is still small enough to understand, use and modify, and I'm looking forward to any comments you might have. I'm also interested in hearing from anybody who has written any of the utilities/library functions for minix. If your efforts are freely distributable (under copyright or even public domain), I'd like to hear from you, so I can add them to the system. I'm using Earl Chews estdio right now (thanks for a nice and working system Earl), and similar works will be very wellcome. Your (C)'s will of course be left intact. Drop me a line if you are willing to let me use your code. Linus PS. to PHIL NELSON! I'm unable to get through to you, and keep getting "forward error - strawberry unknown domain" or something.
Path: gmdzi!unido!mcsun!uunet!spool.mu.edu!munnari.oz.au!metro!cluster!extro.ucc.su.OZ.AU!chrisa From: chr...@extro.ucc.su.OZ.AU (C. G. Albone) Newsgroups: comp.os.minix Subject: Re: [comp.os.minix] Free minix-like kernel sources for 386-AT Message-ID: <3255@cluster.cs.su.oz.au> Date: 28 Oct 91 10:54:57 GMT References: <68151@nigel.ee.udel.edu> Sender: n...@cluster.cs.su.oz.au Organization: Uni Computing Service, Uni of Sydney, Australia Lines: 7 Hello all.. I missed the original posting, so could someone please tell me how I may obtain the sources. Thanx chris.
Path: gmdzi!zeus.ieee.org!europa.asd.contel.com!uunet!mcsun!fuug!demos!relcom!news-server From: mo...@inzer.demos.su (Oleg Moroz) Newsgroups: comp.os.minix Subject: Re: Re: [comp.os.minix] Free minix-like kernel sources for 386-AT Message-ID: <AA7ig3fuR5@inzer.demos.su> Date: 30 Oct 91 12:52:23 GMT References: <3255@cluster.cs.su.oz.au> Sender: news-ser...@kiae.su Reply-To: mo...@inzer.demos.su Organization: Steepler Ltd. Lines: 19 chr...@extro.ucc.su.OZ.AU (C. G. Albone) writes: > >Hello all.. > I missed the original posting, so could someone please tell me >how I may obtain the sources. > And me too !!!!!!!!!!!!!! Also, are them available via e-mail (mail server or smth), as I'm in the former Soviet Union and can't do any FTP. Thanks, Oleg -- * Oleg Moroz Surface address: P.O.Box 30, 103031, Moscow, USSR * * Software Designer Internet address: mo...@inzer.demos.su * * Steepler Ltd. Phone: +007 (092) 214-81-92, 245-21-94 (voice) * * "I've looked over jordan and I've seen/Things are not what they seem" - PF *
Path: gmdzi!zeus.ieee.org!europa.asd.contel.com!darwin.sura.net!gatech!bloom-beacon!eru!hagbard!sunic!news.funet.fi!hydra!klaava!torvalds From: torva...@klaava.Helsinki.FI (Linus Benedict Torvalds) Newsgroups: comp.os.minix Subject: Re: [comp.os.minix] Free minix-like kernel sources for 386-AT Summary: Still only ftp Message-ID: <1991Oct31.101252.13981@klaava.Helsinki.FI> Date: 31 Oct 91 10:12:52 GMT References: <3255@cluster.cs.su.oz.au> <AA7ig3fuR5@inzer.demos.su> Organization: University of Helsinki Lines: 50 In article <AA7ig3f...@inzer.demos.su> mo...@inzer.demos.su writes: >chr...@extro.ucc.su.OZ.AU (C. G. Albone) writes: >>Hello all.. >> I missed the original posting, so could someone please tell me >>how I may obtain the sources. > And me too !!!!!!!!!!!!!! > Also, are them available via e-mail (mail server or smth), as I'm >in the former Soviet Union and can't do any FTP. Ok, as I've gotten quite a few questions, I guess I'd better follow up again. Linux is currently ONLY available via ftp from nic.funet.fi, directory /pub/OS/Linux. As the sources change rather rapidly (next release due out this weekend after I have tested some more), it is also currently impractical to make them available from other places. There is a mail-server possibility fron nic, but I think it's still in testing (you could try mailing "mailser...@nic.funet.fi" with "help" in the body, but I don't know if it will work). Linux is a full kernel that has so far worked on a number (5-10?) of at-386 (and one 486 as far as I know). It supports GNU cc (gcc), bash and some other free stuff. It is currently more of a hackers kernel (and minix-386 is needed, but that will change with this weeks release), and the current version number is 0.03 (next is 0.10 I think). Good things about linux: - it's free, full source, and I try to correct bugs you find. - it's a bit faster than minix, I think. - uses paging for memory management (not to disk yet) - multithreaded fs (but then you can get patches to minix that do similar stuff) - mostly full termios and vt100-console. - most things easy to port (easier than to minix). Bad points: - ONLY 386/486 - early versions: there might be lots of bugs, and you might need to port/hack things to work. - minix is recommended even for the upcoming version that doesn't absolutely need it. - currently only VGA (EGA?) support, limited keyboard drivers (US and Finnish) etc You can mail me for more info. "finger torva...@kruuna.helsinki.fi" might tell you something too. Linus (torva...@kruuna.helsinki.fi)