{{Short description, Software distribution based on FreeMiNT SpareMiNT is a

software distribution Software distribution is the process of delivering software to the end user. A distro is a collection of software components built, assembled and configured so that it can essentially be used "as is". It is often the closest thing to turnkey form ...

based on ''FreeMiNT'', which consists of a

MiNT MiNT is Now TOS (MiNT) is a free software alternative operating system kernel for the Atari ST system and its successors. It is a multi-tasking alternative to TOS and MagiC. Together with the free system components fVDI device drivers, XaAES g ...

-like operating system (OS) and

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 ...

plus

GEM A gemstone (also called a fine gem, jewel, precious stone, or semiprecious stone) is a piece of mineral crystal which, in cut and polished form, is used to make jewelry or other adornments. However, certain rocks (such as lapis lazuli, opal, a ...

compatible ''AES'' (Application Environment Services).

Features and compatibility

The English language distribution is intended 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 ...

and derivative

m68k The Motorola 68000 series (also known as 680x0, m68000, m68k, or 68k) is a family of 32-bit complex instruction set computer (CISC) microprocessors. During the 1980s and early 1990s, they were popular in personal computers and workstations and w ...

computers, clones and emulators, such as the FireBee project or Hatari and ARAnyM. The ''MiNT'' itself, also once called MultiTOS, provided an

Atari TOS TOS (The Operating System) is the operating system of the Atari ST range of computers. This range includes the 520ST and 1040ST, their STF/M/FM and STE variants and the Mega ST/STE. Later, 32-bit machines ( TT, Falcon030) were developed using a ...

compatible OS replacement with multitasking and

multi-user Multi-user software is computer software that allows access by multiple users of a computer. Time-sharing systems are multi-user systems. Most batch processing systems for mainframe computers may also be considered "multi-user", to avoid leaving t ...

switching capabilities and

Unix Unix (; trademarked as UNIX) is a family of multitasking, multiuser computer operating systems that derive from the original AT&T Unix, whose development started in 1969 at the Bell Labs research center by Ken Thompson, Dennis Ritchie, and ot ...

-like operation, all of which the original ''TOS'' lacked. The distribution comes with

Red Hat Red Hat, Inc. is an American software company that provides open source software products to enterprises. Founded in 1993, Red Hat has its corporate headquarters in Raleigh, North Carolina, with other offices worldwide. Red Hat has become ass ...

's ''

rpm Revolutions per minute (abbreviated rpm, RPM, rev/min, r/min, or with the notation min−1) is a unit of rotational speed or rotational frequency for rotating machines. Standards ISO 80000-3:2019 defines a unit of rotation as the dimensionl ...

'' utility for managing the source- and binary packages. Unix/

Linux Linux ( or ) is a family of open-source Unix-like operating systems based on the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released on September 17, 1991, by Linus Torvalds. Linux is typically packaged as a Linux distribution, which ...

-style software can be used, if ported, GEM-programs for TOS can run concurrently. The TOS clone ''

EmuTOS EmuTOS is a replacement for TOS (the operating system of the Atari ST and its successors), released as free software. It is mainly intended to be used with Atari emulators and clones, such as Hatari or FireBee. EmuTOS provides support for more ...

'', instead of Atari's original, can be used as a base to boot a MiNT, and e.g. ''

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 ...

'', a modern AES derivate, as essential part of the GEM-GUI (

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 ...

). FreeMiNT, and therefore SpareMiNT, is basically the enhanced and greatly improved derivate, and can be used on today's computers, even on different hardware platforms via emulation or

Virtual Machine In computing, a virtual machine (VM) is the virtualization/emulation of a computer system. Virtual machines are based on computer architectures and provide functionality of a physical computer. Their implementations may involve specialized hardw ...

s, thanks to the flexibility of the original MiNT and its components that made further development possible.

Comparable Distributions

EasyMiNT

Derived from SpareMiNT is ''EasyMiNT'', using its

software repository A software repository, or repo for short, is a storage location for software packages. Often a table of contents is also stored, along with metadata. A software repository is typically managed by source control or repository managers. Package ...

and a GEM based installer, providing a folder system similar to the ''UNIX Filesystem Hierarchy Standard'' and German language translations to programs.

AFROS

'' AFROS'' (Atari FRee Operating System) comes as a set of files, creating a TOS compatible operating system; there exists a Live-CD to test. Its key components all consist of

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 ...

: :''EmuTOS'' and ''FreeMiNT''; ''fVDI'' (free Virtual Device Interface), clone of GEM's VDI; ''XaAES''; '' TeraDesk'' (Tera Desktop), clone of the original ''Desktop'' Filemanager and "shell" AFROS software is available to all Atari and/or TOS compatible platforms, but is optimized to be used with the ''ARAnyM'' (Atari Running on Any Machine) emulator.

Historical Distributions

Amongst other efforts, there also was a basic build of a ''

Debian Debian (), also known as Debian GNU/Linux, is a Linux distribution composed of free and open-source software, developed by the community-supported Debian Project, which was established by Ian Murdock on August 16, 1993. The first version of D ...

GNU/MiNT'' distribution, with a FreeMiNT ''kernel'',

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 ...

based ''userland software'' plus DEB ''package management''. It should have provided commonly used programs and was based on ''Debian Linux''. Similar, more successful projects are

Debian GNU/kFreeBSD Debian (), also known as Debian GNU/Linux, is a Linux distribution composed of free and open-source software, developed by the community-supported Debian Project, which was established by Ian Murdock on August 16, 1993. The first version of D ...

Debian GNU/Hurd Debian (), also known as Debian GNU/Linux, is a Linux distribution composed of free and open-source software, developed by the community-supported Debian Project, which was established by Ian Murdock on August 16, 1993. The first version of Deb ...

and, most important, the Linux version. SpearMiNT follows the idea to use a Unix/Linux-like package management and software repository.

External links

The SpareMiNT Homepagemassi Soft's EasyMiNTNoCrew Debian GNU/MiNT Homepage
historical, archived via

Web Archive The Web ARChive (WARC) archive format specifies a method for combining multiple digital resources into an aggregate archive file together with related information. The WARC format is a revision of the Internet Archive's ARC_IA File Format that ha ...