MiNT
| Developer | Eric Smith |
|---|---|
| Written in | C |
| Working state | Current |
| Source model | Open source |
| Initial release | June 1993 |
| Latest release | 1.18.0 / 18 March 2013 |
| Marketing target | Personal computers |
| Platforms | Atari ST, Firebee |
| Kernel type | Monolithic |
| Default user interface | GEM |
| License | Open Source |
MiNT (MiNT is Now TOS) is a free software alternative operating system kernel for the Atari ST system and its successors. Together with the free system components fVDI (device drivers), XaAES (GUI widgets), and TeraDesk (a file manager), MiNT provides a free TOS compatible replacement OS that is capable of multitasking.
History
Work on Mint started in 1989, as the developer Eric Smith was trying to port the GNU Library and related utilities on the Atari ST TOS. It turned quickly that it was much easier to add to add a unix-like layer to the TOS, than to patch all of the GNU software, and Mint started as a Tos extension to help the porting task.
MiNT was originally released by Eric Smith as "MiNT is Not TOS" (a play on "GNU's Not Unix") in May 1990. Quickly the new Kernel got traction, with people contributing a port of the Minix Filesystem and a port to the Atari TT.
At the same time Atari was looking to enhance the TOS with multi-tasking capabilities, found out Mint could fulfill the job and hired Eric Smith. Mint was adopted as as an official alternative kernel with the release of the Atari Falcon, slightly altering the MiNT acronym into "MiNT is Now TOS". Atari bundled MiNT with a multitasking version of the GEM under the name MultiTOS, as a floppy 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 classical opensource approach, with the source code hosted on a public cvs repository and development discussed in a public mailing list.
Hardware Requirements
A minimal install of MINT will run on an Atari ST with its stock 8MHz 68000 CPU, with 4MB RAM and a harddrive. It is highly recommended that an Atari computer with a 16MHz 68030 CPU and 8MB of RAM be used.
Mint software ecosystem
As Freemint itself just provides a kernel, there are several distributions, most notably the RPM-based SpareMiNT as well as the Debian GNU/MiNT porting effort.
Although Freemint can use the graphical user interface of the TOS (the AES), it is better served with an enhanced AES who can use its multitasking abilities.
Of those the most popular is currently XaAES, which is developed as a Freemint kernel module.