Linus Benedict Torvalds wrote:
> 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.