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Modder releases Unix-like operating system for the NES (www.techspot.com)

submitted 1 month ago by ktec to c/[email protected]

6 comments fedilink hide all child comments

A modder has managed to convert an operating system that resembles Linux into a function on an unmodified Nintendo Entertainment System (NES), demonstrating impressive retro-tech innovation.

Key Points:

Source code is now available on GitHub: GitHub
The conversion involved defining the memory map, writing new system initialization code, reorganizing LUnix for Famicom's RAM specs, and creating new drivers.
Challenges included developing a disc driver due to unique Famicom Disk System (FDS) sector reading mechanics and visual glitches on performance.
Though the final product has limitations, it showcases the potential of running Unix-like systems on 1980s hardware.

Could you imagine running any specific software applications using a converted OS like this on an NES? What kind of programs would benefit most from being ported to retro consoles?

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[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (1 children)

Nope, you got it right. It was very much seen as only a console, despite the naming, Family BASIC, FDS, other peripherals, etc. I've been living in Japan for years with a keen interest in retro gaming/computing, and FC is never mentioned in the same breath as PC-88/MSX/FM/etc. By the by, on the rare occasions that it's mentioned, the SC-3000 is also lumped in with the consoles rather than the home computers.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 month ago

mystery solved, thank you!