Running Linux on the Atari Jaguar: A Technical Deep Dive
I successfully ported Linux to the Atari Jaguar, a 1993 console with only 2MB of RAM and no MMU. By leveraging uClinux and executing code directly from the cartridge ROM, I overcame severe memory constraints. The journey involved fixing compiler alignment issues, repurposing the Jerry DSP for serial output, and using Buildroot to compile a minimal userspace, proving that even forgotten hardware can run modern operating systems.
Well, it's easy; because we can.
- cakehonolulu
This is a deep dive on what is necessary to get Linux on the 68000-based Atari Jaguar. No specialized hardware/flash carts. All runs within the original hardware vision (2 megabytes of RAM) and gets to a Busybox shell. Linux repository with the changes: https://github.com/cakehonolulu/linux_jag
- nommuenjoyer
This is very cool. I thought literally no one else was using/interested in the 68000 support in the kernel. It was actually subtly broken for a long time. I think the fixes I did went in to 7.0 or 7.1..
I have some potential performance fixes for linuxmd like optimizing the multiplication that happens each time the kernel time infra needs to be updated. Would be cool to see if they help for you too and then get a "Tested-by" on the patch to mainline.
- rob74
> Biggest contenders are the original Macintosh (And Apple Lisa), the Commodore Amiga series of computers (With varying generations of the 68000), the Sega Genesis/Megadrive, the Neo-Geo AES, Plexus workstations... and the Jaguar.
Strange that they mention almost all well-known 68k machines, but forget the (extremely relevant in this case) Atari ST...
- bni
I think this is very impressive. I remember from eons ago people were running Linux on Amiga, but then it was the later models with 68040 processors with more RAM.
As far as I remember no one ran it on a 68000 with 2 megabytes of RAM.
Could Linux today run on an Amiga 500 with RAM expansion, in this same way?
- scrame
Wow, i recognized the 68000 before i even saw the caption. That little chip sure powered a lot of different things back then.