> From: torvalds@klaava.Helsinki.FI (Linus Benedict Torvalds)
> Newsgroups: comp.os.minix
> Subject: Free minix-like kernel sources for 386-AT
> Message-ID: <1991Oct5.054106.4647@klaava.Helsinki.FI>
> Date: 5 Oct 91 05:41:06 GMT
> Organization: University of Helsinki
> 
> 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.