Modder releases Unix-like operating system for the NES
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A recent video from modder "decrazyo" documents how he converted an operating system resembling Linux to run on an unmodified NES. The source code is available on...

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?

  • Redkey@programming.devEnglish
    2·
    5 days ago

    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.