FreeMiNT Archive Guide

Welcome to the FreeMiNT installation guide. The files for specific platforms are listed below and those looking to use alternate AES should look here. For those of you wanting a change of pace or for development and testing purposes, you can get the latest kernel builds here (Note: if you are new to MiNT, they are considered Development Only, and therefore may not be stable).

System Requirements

• CPU : 68000, 68030, 68040, 68060 or ColdFire.
• RAM : 4Mb is minimum, atleast 14Mb is recommended.
• Disk space : 3Mb free on your boot partition.
• To install SpareMiNT or EasyMiNT a free partition of at least 244Mb is also required.

Emulators and Setups

• For those of you without the appropriate hardware, the emulators ARAnyM and Hatari maybe used on Windows, Mac OSX and Linux, as well as various other platforms (AmigaOS, Haiku, Darwin, etc).
  • ARAnyM is better for everyday MiNT use as it supports TT-RAM, MMU + MiNT memory protection, accelerated VDI graphics, access to the host file system, more mature IDE emulation and networking.
  • Hatari may help in debugging SW issues as Hatari has in general more accurate HW emulation and a full-featured debugger. Hatari's GEMDOS based host file system access cannot work with MiNT, so one needs to use disk images.
• For a clean pre-built and simple starting point ARAnyM AFROS can be used, like AFROS-LiveCD. Optionally you can upgrade the kernel and XaAES with more recent versions.
• If you prefer a fully installed SpareMiNT distribution with graphical installer, EasyMiNT is the place to start. EasyMiNT comes with a stable FreeMiNT version, but can be updated with more recent versions.
• PAKMiNT is a distribution that does not use SpareMiNT, where ARAnyM is set up to function like a Falcon with 040 accelerator, and provides Atari ST side OpenGL applications.
• KrippleMiNT and KrapMiNT are based on older FreeMiNT kernals, but can be updated. RPMiNT is an effort to provide completely updated (2020) RPM packages, based on (now dated) SpareMiNT packages. GentooMiNT should also work with current kernels. It may be possible to upgrade a KPMG MiNT installation, but make backups first, and post about success or failures.

Installation Overview

As of v1.16, the FreeMiNT kernel can also be installed to a default current folder, for example:

• C:\mint\1-16-3
• C:\mint\1-16-cur
• C:\mint\1-17-0
• C:\mint\1-17-cur
• C:\mint\1-18-0
• C:\mint\1-18-cur
• C:\mint\1-19-0
• C:\mint\1-19-cur

For immediate access to a working MiNT kernel, either a console or an AES must be started from within the MiNT configuration. The process of setting the configuration will depend on whether or not you are starting from scratch, updating to a newer point release of the same version, or upgrading from an older kernel version, and the type of installation you are using, be it EasyMiNT or another SpareMiNT installation, or a simpler AFROS style installation as used by ARAnyM.

• Note: some systems should supply a VDI and driver, specifically with custom graphics hardware

  This can be fVDI or NVDI with a suitable screen driver for your hardware

For more detailed information on see the FreeMiNT User Manual.

Quick Start Guide

Except for the AFROS distribution, the following outlines the most common files and folder setups required to correctly boot the FreeMiNT kernel to the desktop using XaAES:

• C:\auto\mint.prg - the chosen kernel placed last in your auto folder
• C:\mint\1-17-cur - the default path of a 1.17 kernel distribution
• C:\mint\1-17-cur\mint.cnf - the FreeMiNT configuaration file
• C:\mint\1-17-cur\xaaes - the default path of XaAES in a 1.17 kernel distribution
• C:\mint\1-17-cur\xaaes\xaloader.prg - the XaAES loader set in mint.cnf or /etc/getty
• C:\mint\1-17-cur\xaaes\xaaes.km - the kernel module loaded by xaloader.prg
• C:\mint\1-17-cur\xaaes\xaaes.cnf - the XaAES configuaration file
• C:\mint\1-17-cur\xaaes\moose.adi - the XaAES mouse driver with wheel support

Scroll down to see a list of Specific Installation Files for your supported platform.

Using other AES

The FreeMiNT kernel can be used with other AES replacements apart from XaAES, specifically the standard one contained in your platforms TOS ROM, but also the older N.AES and the newer MyAES.

Using TOS AES

Combined with changing the default mint.cnf setting init=u:/c/xaaes/xaloader.prg to gem=rom the following are all that is needed to get to the desktop.

• C:\auto\mint.prg - the chosen kernel placed last in your auto folder
• C:\mint\1-17-cur - the default path of a 1.17 kernel distribution
• C:\mint\1-17-cur\mint.cnf - the FreeMiNT configuaration file

Using INIT

The command line tool init, usually found in u:/bin/init was originally the only way to get to a usable front end for the MiNT kernel, which was a console by default. Because of its history, init can also used to initialize other parts of the system, with its final task being to run either a console command line prompt, or one of the previously mentioned AES replacments. This is the traditional way SpareMiNT has used init. However the newer EasyMint distributions moves a lot of initialization to the mint.cnf file, before init is started. AFROS does not use init.

To use init to with the FreeMiNT kernel as the EasyMiNT distribution does, the default mint.cnf setting init=u:/c/xaaes/xaloader.prg needs to be changed to init=u:/bin/init. The next task is to replace the correct setting in the correct file, and make sure the appropriate file system structure is correctly in place (as outlined above) when using an AES replacement, or that a suitable console program is available, like /bin/bash in a SpareMiNT distribution.

On BeePi v1.0, EasyARAMiNT with FreeMiNT 1.19.0, the correct file is u:/etc/ttytab. To start XaAES it should contain:

• console "u:/c/mint/1-19-cur/xaaes/xaloader.prg" tw52 on secure

In SpareMiNT with FreeMiNT 1.16.3, whatever choice you make here as to weather you want to start a console, or a desktop, in the file /etc/getty, the correct path needs to the set for that program on the line found starting with:

• tty0 =

The following settings are known to work correctly if the file structures outlined above are present in there default installation folders:

• tty0 = /bin/sh
• tty0 = /bin/bash
• tty0 = /c/mint/1-17-cur/xaaes/xaloader.prg
• tty0 = /c/gemsys/myaes/myaes.tos MYAES_PATH=C:\gemsys\
• tty0 = /c/n_aes/naes.prg

For more detailed information on using init can be found (???where???).

Naming Conventions

Because there are various platforms and CPU's on which the FreeMiNt kernel and Kernel Modules can run, and the fact that each one requires its own set of custom tweaks, most full FreeMiNT kernel packages or full XaAES packages will contain multiple files with similar names. The following outlines the naming conventions used when binaries are supplied for multiple platforms and supported CPU's.

mint.prg

The following describes the naming conventions used FreeMiNT kernel binary and the CPU or platform they apply to. They do not have to be renamed, just place one in the auto folder, or set bootloader= to the correct path in the ARAnyM configuration file:

• mintara.prg - an ARAnyM specific binary
• mintdeb.prg - a Debug version binary
• mintmil.prg - a Milan specific binary
• mintst.prg - a 68000 based Atari ST or STe binary
• mint000.prg - a generic 68000 binary
• mint020.prg - a generic 68020 binary
• mint030.prg - a generic 68030 binary
• mint040.prg - a generic 68040 binary
• mint060.prg - a generic 68060 binary

xaaes.km

The following describes the naming conventions used for the XaAES kernel modules and the CPU or platform they apply to. Which ever file is chosen, it must be named xaaes.km, so some renaming of files may be involved before you can successfully use your chosen kernel module:

• xaaes.km - a generic 68030 binary (including Falcon and TT/030)
• xaaesdeb.km - a Debug verson binary
• xaaesozk.km - a custom Milan binary as used by developer Odd Skancke
• xaaesst.km - a Atari (Mega) ST/e 68000 based binary
• xaaes000.km - a generic 68000 binary
• xaaes040.km - a generic 68040 binary (including Hades, Milan and ARAnyM)
• xaaes060.km - a generic 68060 binary (including CT60/CT62, Hades and Milan)

Driver Descriptions

Below are listed the many available driver for filesystems, network interfaces (cards), and other devices. If you are looking for drivers specific to a platform, check the Specific Installation Files listed further down this page.

.XFS filesystem drivers

• aranym.xfs - the ARAnyM specific file system driver
• ext2.xfs - a Linux partition extension 2 file system driver
• hostfs.xfs - the ARAnyM HostFS file system driver
• minix.xfs - a Minix file system driver
• nfs.xfs - a network file system driver

.XIF network interface drivers

• nfeth.xif - the Native Features ethernet networking interface

.XDD device drivers

• dsp56k.xdd - a generic 56k DSP sound driver (Falcon/AranyM)
• flop_raw.xdd - a generic floppy disk driver
• inet4.xdd - a generic IPv4 TCP/IP driver
• lp.xdd - a generic local printer port driver
• nfstderr.xdd - the Native Features Standard Error redirection driver
• xconout2.xdd - extended console output driver

Specific Installation Files

The following are a list of specific files and their descriptions considered the minimum installation for a fully working system on the specified hardware or platform.

Atari ST/STe

For a standard Atari ST/STe the following files should be used:

• mint.prg - the kernel compiled for any base 68000 processor
• xaaesst.km - the XaAES kernel module for any standard ST/e

Atari Falcon and TT/030

For a standard Atari Falcon 030, Falcon fitted with [CT2 or [BlowUp FX|Falcon/FX]] and Atari TT/030 the following files should be used:

• mint030.prg - the kernel compiled for any 68030 processor
• xaaes030.km - the XaAES kernel module for any 68030 processor

Atari Falcon CT60/CT63

For a Falcon fitted with a CT60 or CT63 the following files should be used:

• mint060.prg - the kernel compiled for any 68060 processor
• xaaes060.km - the XaAES kernel module for any 68060 processor

Atari Falcon with Afterburner

For a Falcon fitted with an Afterburner the following files must be used:

• mint040.prg - kernel compiled for any 68040 processor
• xaaes040.km - the XaAES kernel module for any 68040 processor

Milan

For a Milan - both Milan040 and Milan060 - the following files should be used:

• mintmil.prg - the kernel compiled for any Milan
• xaaes040.km - the XaAES kernel module for any 68040 processor

Hades 040

For a Hades fitted with a 68040 the following files should be used:

• mint040.prg - the kernel compiled for any 040 processor
• xaaes040.km - the XaAES kernel module for any 68040 processor

Hades 060

For a Hades fitted with a 68060 the following files should be used:

• mint060.prg - the kernel compiled for any 060 processor
• xaaes060.km - the XaAES kernel module for any 68060 processor

ColdFire v4e

When FireBee is running FireTOS, you can use the FreeMiNT kernel compiled for the Atari Falcon 030.

For native FireBee (MC5474), MC5484 & MC5485 Evlauation Boards the following files are used:

• mintv4e.prg - the kernel compiled specifically with v4e instruction set (68040 subset)
• xaaes040.km - the XaAES kernel module with ColdFire v4e safe 68040 instructions

ARAnyM

For a ARAnyM which emulates a 68040 the following files should be used.

• mintara.prg - the kernel compiled specifically for ARAnyM (includes NatFeat)
• xaaes040.km - the XaAES kernel module for any 68040 processor
• aranym.xfs - the ARAnyM specific file system driver
• hostfs.xfs - the ARAnyM HostFS file system driver
• nfeth.xif - the Native Features ethernet networking interface
• dsp56k.xdd - a generic 56k DSP sound driver
• flop_raw.xdd - a generic floppy disk driver
• inet4.xdd - a generic IPv4 TCP/IP driver
• lp.xdd - a generic local printer port driver
• nfstderr.xdd - the Native Features Standard Error redirection driver
• xconout2.xdd - extended console output driver

To use the DSP56K sound driver on ARAnyM, you also need zmagxsnd.prg to be executed in the mint.cnf. There is also a Native Features JPEG acceleration driver nfjpeg.prg.