Linus created the Linux kernel on an 386 PC running on Minix. Initially he borrowed some concepts/code from Minix until such time that the new kernel is free from any code from Tannenbaum (the creator of Minix). As opposed to Tannenbaum's approach of making a microkernel-based kernel, he instead made the Linux kernel of a monolithic design, similar to the structure proposed by Kerninghan and Ritchie in their paper about the design of Unix in 1974. Some considerations as to why he didn't choose Tannenbaum's idea were: to have a sure, working implementation of a multi-threaded, multi-tasking OS (multithreading is just a performance hack and not part of the Minix microkernel); to fully exploit the 80386 instruction set (this is quite impossible in native-mode Minix, as Andrew Tannenbaum designed Minix to be portable that he just made dismal use of assembly code, while as Linus incorported well assembly in the kernel code, as Linux was initially designed for 80386 machines). Well, you already know the fateful day (25 August 1991) where Linus posted about the FREAX project on comp.os.minix which started it all... and the rest as we all know is the continuing history of the heart of the OS that is making the guys at Redmond beat their pants off.
Linus would've not created the Linux kernel in the first place if Unix was free (AT&T closed the source starting with System 7), or Minix was free (Minix was primarily designed as an academic tool, and not freely distributable), or had the HURD was already available (it still is under development - I wonder how much longer would it take, but I hope I'll see it real soon...). Paolo Alexis Falcone UP Manila > --plug bert wrote: > > >Hello! > > > > On what platform/os did Linus create Linux? > > > > > >__________________________________________________ > >Do You Yahoo!? > >Listen to your Yahoo! Mail messages from any phone. > >http://phone.yahoo.com > >_ > >Philippine Linux Users Group. Web site and archives > at http://plug.linux.org.ph > >To leave: send "unsubscribe" in the body to > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > >To subscribe to the Linux Newbies' List: send > "subscribe" in the body to > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > > > _ > Philippine Linux Users Group. Web site and archives > at http://plug.linux.org.ph > To leave: send "unsubscribe" in the body to > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > To subscribe to the Linux Newbies' List: send > "subscribe" in the body to [EMAIL PROTECTED] __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? NEW from Yahoo! GeoCities - quick and easy web site hosting, just $8.95/month. http://geocities.yahoo.com/ps/info1 _ Philippine Linux Users Group. Web site and archives at http://plug.linux.org.ph To leave: send "unsubscribe" in the body to [EMAIL PROTECTED] To subscribe to the Linux Newbies' List: send "subscribe" in the body to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
