MiNT is Now TOS (MiNT) is a

free software Free software or libre software is computer software distributed under terms that allow users to run the software for any purpose as well as to study, change, and distribute it and any adapted versions. Free software is a matter of liberty, no ...

alternative

operating system An operating system (OS) is system software that manages computer hardware, software resources, and provides common services for computer programs. Time-sharing operating systems schedule tasks for efficient use of the system and may also in ...

kernel Kernel may refer to: Computing * Kernel (operating system), the central component of most operating systems * Kernel (image processing), a matrix used for image convolution * Compute kernel, in GPGPU programming * Kernel method, in machine learnin ...

for the

Atari ST The Atari ST is a line of personal computers from Atari Corporation and the successor to the Atari 8-bit family. The initial model, the Atari 520ST, had limited release in April–June 1985 and was widely available in July. It was the first pers ...

system and its successors. It is a multi-tasking alternative to TOS and

MagiC Magic or Magick most commonly refers to: * Magic (supernatural), beliefs and actions employed to influence supernatural beings and forces * Ceremonial magic, encompasses a wide variety of rituals of magic * Magical thinking, the belief that unrela ...

. Together with the free system components fVDI

device driver In computing, a device driver is a computer program that operates or controls a particular type of device that is attached to a computer or automaton. A driver provides a software interface to hardware devices, enabling operating systems and ot ...

XaAES XaAES is a graphical user interface for the OS kernel MiNT (now known as FreeMiNT), and is aimed at systems that are compatible with 16/32 bit (hence ST) Atari computers such as the ST, TT or Falcon. The combination of MiNT and XaAES is the natur ...

graphical user interface The GUI ( "UI" by itself is still usually pronounced . or ), graphical user interface, is a form of user interface that allows users to interact with electronic devices through graphical icons and audio indicator such as primary notation, inste ...

widgets, and TeraDesk

file manager A file manager or file browser is a computer program that provides a user interface to manage files and folders. The most common operations performed on files or groups of files include creating, opening (e.g. viewing, playing, editing or pr ...

, MiNT provides a free TOS compatible replacement OS that can multitask.

History

Work on MiNT began in 1989, as the developer Eric Smith was trying to port the

GNU GNU () is an extensive collection of free software (383 packages as of January 2022), which can be used as an operating system or can be used in parts with other operating systems. The use of the completed GNU tools led to the family of operat ...

library and related utilities on the Atari ST TOS. It turned out quickly, that it was much easier to add a

Unix-like A Unix-like (sometimes referred to as UN*X or *nix) operating system is one that behaves in a manner similar to a Unix system, although not necessarily conforming to or being certified to any version of the Single UNIX Specification. A Unix-li ...

layer to the TOS, than to patch all of the GNU software, and MiNT began as a TOS extension to help in porting. MiNT was originally released by Eric Smith as "MiNT is Not TOS" (a

recursive acronym A recursive acronym is an acronym that refers to itself, and appears most frequently in computer programming. The term was first used in print in 1979 in Douglas Hofstadter's book '' Gödel, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid'', in which Hof ...

in the style of "GNU's Not Unix") in May 1990. The new Kernel got traction, with people contributing a port of the MINIX Filesystem and a port to the

Atari TT The Atari TT030 is a member of the Atari ST family, released in 1990. It was originally intended to be a high-end Unix workstation, but Atari took two years to release a port of Unix SVR4 for the TT, which prevented the TT from ever being serious ...

. At the same time Atari was looking to enhance the TOS with multitasking abilities, they found that MiNT could fulfill the job, and hired Eric Smith. MiNT was adopted as an official alternative kernel with the release of the

Atari Falcon The Atari Falcon030 (usually shortened to Atari Falcon), released in 1992, was the final personal computer product from Atari Corporation. A high-end model of the Atari ST line, the machine is based on a Motorola 68030 CPU and a Motorola 56001 dig ...

, slightly altering the MiNT acronym into "MiNT is Now TOS". Atari bundled MiNT with a multitasking version of the

Graphics Environment Manager GEM (for Graphics Environment Manager) is an operating environment released by Digital Research (DRI) in 1985 for use with the DOS operating system on Intel 8088 and Motorola 68000 microprocessors. GEM is known primarily as the graphical user ...

(GEM) under the name ''MultiTOS'' as a

floppy disk A floppy disk or floppy diskette (casually referred to as a floppy, or a diskette) is an obsolescent type of disk storage composed of a thin and flexible disk of a magnetic storage medium in a square or nearly square plastic enclosure lined w ...

based installer. After Atari left the computer market, MiNT development continued under the name ''FreeMiNT'', and is now maintained by a team of volunteers. FreeMiNT development follows a classic open-source approach, with the source code hosted on a publicly browsabl
FreeMiNT

Git Git () is a distributed version control system: tracking changes in any set of files, usually used for coordinating work among programmers collaboratively developing source code during software development. Its goals include speed, data inte ...

repository on GitHub and development discussed in a public mailing list., which is maintained on SourceForge, after an earlier (2014) move from AtariForge, where it was maintained for almost 20 years.

Hardware requirements

A minimal install of MiNT will run on an Atari ST with its stock 8 MHz

68000 The Motorola 68000 (sometimes shortened to Motorola 68k or m68k and usually pronounced "sixty-eight-thousand") is a 16/32-bit complex instruction set computer (CISC) microprocessor, introduced in 1979 by Motorola Semiconductor Products Sector ...

CPU, with 4 MB RAM and a hard drive. It is highly recommended that an Atari computer with a 16 MHz

68030 The Motorola 68030 ("''sixty-eight-oh-thirty''") is a 32-bit microprocessor in the Motorola 68000 family. It was released in 1987. The 68030 was the successor to the Motorola 68020, and was followed by the Motorola 68040. In keeping with general ...

CPU and 8 MB of RAM be used. MiNT can also run inside the emulators Hatari an
STEem
and with networking on the

68040 The Motorola 68040 ("''sixty-eight-oh-forty''") is a 32-bit microprocessor in the Motorola 68000 series, released in 1990. It is the successor to the 68030 and is followed by the 68060, skipping the 68050. In keeping with general Motorola nami ...

virtual machin
Aranym

MiNT software ecosystem

FreeMiNT provides only a kernel, so several distributions support MiNT, like VanillaMint, EasyMint, STMint and BeeKey/BeePi. Although FreeMiNT can use the graphical user interface of the TOS (the

GEM and the

Application Environment Services GEM (for Graphics Environment Manager) is an operating environment released by Digital Research (DRI) in 1985 for use with the DOS operating system on Intel 8088 and Motorola 68000 microprocessors. GEM is known primarily as the graphical user i ...

or AES), it is better served with an enhanced AES which can use its multi-tasking abilities. The default one is currently

, which is developed as a FreeMiNT kernel module. The older N.AES also works, however the modern alternative i
MyAES
re
Minimal multitask for Hatari (MyAES & 68000)
/ref>

References

External links

FreeMiNT Project website
* , MyAeS
Unofficial XaAES website

MiNT is Now TOS—an interview with Mr Eric R. Smith, the creator of MiNT

FreeMiNT mailing list

FreeMiNT wiki

XaAES source

FreeMiNT support forum
{{Operating systems Atari ST software Disk operating systems Free software operating systems Atari operating systems

History

Hardware requirements

MiNT software ecosystem

See also

References

External links