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?
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.
mystery solved, thank you!