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Date:      Sat, 29 Dec 2001 18:17:44 +0100
From:      Julian Stacey <jhs@jhs.muc.de>
To:        9ustavo 9onzalez 9iron <gstgnzgr@libertad.univalle.edu.co>
Cc:        freebsd-hardware@FreeBSD.ORG
Subject:   Re: i286 
Message-ID:  <200112291717.fBTHHiL14120@jhs.muc.de>
In-Reply-To: Message from 9ustavo 9onzalez 9iron <gstgnzgr@libertad.univalle.edu.co>  of "Mon, 10 Dec 2001 16:58:01 EST." <Pine.BSF.4.21.0112101655570.54838-100000@libertad.univalle.edu.co> 

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Old mail found in my drafts directory, apologies if a duplicate
-----

9ustavo 9onzalez 9iron wrote:
> 
>  Exist some kind of FreeBSD's version for intel 286 processor? 
No

>  Thanks for any help.

Try minix	I think	http://www.minix.org
Minix 1.1 in 1986 aprox ran on 8086 as well as i286, no idea now what 
minimum processor is.

Minix Book:
	Title:	Operating Systems Design & Implementation
	Author: Tanenbaum
	Publisher: Prentice Hall
	-	My book is from 4.1987, maybe there's been a reprint since.

When later you migrate from i286 to i386 or better, FYI an amount
of Minix code has been ported to run on FreeBSD (as extras not as
integrated main BSD code).  References are in freebsd-small@ mail archives:
	From Cyrille Lefevre <clefevre@poboxes.com>
	Date: 12 Feb 2001 22:33:09 +0100
	Message-ID: <3ddj37u2.fsf@gits.dyndns.org>
		Load of minix stuff ported to FreeBSD:
		http://www.FreeBSD.org/cgi/query-pr.cgi?pr=31744
	---
	From: Warren Toomey <wkt@henry.cs.adfa.edu.au>
	Date: Fri, 12 Jan 2001 10:01:50 +1100 (EST)
	Message-Id: <200101112301.f0BN1o207059@henry.cs.adfa.edu.au>
		UNIX source license.
		http://minnie.cs.adfa.edu.au/TUHS/archive_access.html

1986 onward, I & a friend, with just 8086 hardware & no Unix box, wrote
some Unix style commands in C to run on DOS, if you want them:
	http://bim.bsn.com/~jhs/src/odds/c/unix4dos/


Rest of mail just for nostalgia/vintage enthusiasts :-)
--------
Re.
> > From: 9ustavo 9onzalez 9iron <gstgnzgr@libertad.univalle.edu.co>
> >  Exist some kind of FreeBSD's version for intel 286 processor? 
> 
> From: Nate Williams <nate@yogotech.com>
> Never in a million years.  There exists no 'real' unix for the 286,
> since the 286 hardware is incapable of protecting processes well enough
> to be safe.

Siemens in 1985, was manufacturing licensed Unix boxes, running on
an 80186 CPU, the model was called "MX".  It was real Unix - I was
automating source build for a 7 human language & 2 CPU architecture
`make world' equivalent.  The code also bore copyright of some
other company (can't remember, but was once well known) which had
bought rights from AT&T/Bell Labs/whoever, to resell Unix in bulk.
Siemens sold it as "Sinix".

Deep in the MX apparently, as the 86 has no System/User CPU status or pin
for MMU etc,  there was a JK bistable that was addressed via port
command, (so if a user knew where to write ... !).  I think Siemens
were a licensed second source CPU manufacturer so could get them cheap.

In 1986 Siemens made the "MX2" which was NSC 32016 based it didn't
suffer the MX's 86 limitations (such as no SUID pin, & Makefiles
that had to be less than 32K).

1988 I wanted to buy a Unix, found the Siemens boxes in Germany at
least 30% ++ over priced, so I bought a Symmetric 375 from the USA
http://bim.bsn.com/~jhs/txt/symmetric.html NSC32016 based Unix 
the PCB was designed by Symmetic Inc. president Bill Jollitz,
who later created 386BSD, fore-runner of Free+Net+Open BSD.

Julian
J.Stacey	Munich Unix (FreeBSD, Linux etc) Independent Consultant
 Reduce costs to secure jobs: Use free software: http://bim.bsn.com/~jhs/free/
 Ihr Rauchen = mein allergischer Kopfschmerz !  Schnupftabak probieren !

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