[comp.os.minix] Minix for Z100

Robert_L_Armstrong@cup.portal.com (04/14/89)

  Can anyone tell me if Minix has been ported to the Zenith Z-100 (not
PC) ?

Thanks,
Bob Armstrong

jnall%FSU.BITNET@cunyvm.cuny.edu (John Nall 904-644-5241) (04/16/89)

Robert L. Armstrong@CUP.PORTAL.COM writes:
  > Can anyone tell me if Minix has been ported to the
  > Zenith Z100 (not PC).

That question has been asked before - several times - and I've never
seen anyone reply.  I think the answer must be "no".  However, searching
though my memory banks, I think the Z100 used pretty much the same chips,
so it shouldn't be too hard to port.  However, Minix boots up with BIOS
calls for the disk activity, and the Z100, if I recall correctly, did not
have the BIOS in ROM.  Instead, it loaded in from the boot disk.  So that
would have to be changed.  Since Minix does not use BIOS calls once it
gets loaded in (unless one is using bios_wini.c for the disk driver) it
should largely be OK once it gets in.

It would be interesting to see what Minix could do with another CPU - the
Z100 has two of them (an 8088 and an 8085) sharing a commom m^Emory.
Perhaps one could have "parallel processing Minix".

John Nal
(aka John Nall -- bad keyboard!)
Computer Science Department
Florida State University
Tallahassee, Florida

payne@unocss.UUCP (Matt Payne) (04/17/89)

From article <17125@cup.portal.com>, by Robert_L_Armstrong@cup.portal.com:
> 
>   Can anyone tell me if Minix has been ported to the Zenith Z-100 (not
> PC) ?
> 
> Thanks,
> Bob Armstrong

I've never seen a minix port for the Z100.  But there is another OS for the
Z100 w/ source code and, I understand is freely copyable.  BUT it is only
available through the austin code works and the author.

The author is unwilling to give out a copy, and austin code works want
$150 for it!  This is way too high for the z100 market!!!

It would be nice to have this OS for experiments but I guess the author
of OS88 doesn't want us to see it!