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How
Does MiNT Work?
by Bohdan Milar
After a short
break I am back with my next article about MiNT.
You already know why I use MiNT and what it
is in general. Today we will continue with a
few words about the boot process and the ways
of using MiNT with miscellaneous user environments.
Unlike other
alternative Atari operating systems (such as
MagiC and Linux), MiNT co-operates with TOS,
so it is run by TOS during its normal boot.
MiNT is simply a program (named MINT.PRG) placed
in the AUTO folder on the boot disk.
First of all
MiNT tests whether the [Shift] key is pressed.
If so it asks whether to load or not. If [Shift]
is not pressed or the answer is "yes",
MiNT replaces parts of TOS with itself
and thus takes control over the system.
Now MiNT will
look for the place with its system files, namely
the modules, keyboard table and the configuration
file. It first tests the current directory -
in other words the folder from which it was
launched. Next it looks to the root directory
and finally "multitos" and "mint"
sub-directories of the root directory of the
current disk.
After successful
location it starts to load modules. These
are binary files which increase MiNT's capabilities.
They could be general drivers (serial ports,
mouse...) called XDD or file system drivers
(minix, ext2...) called XFS. There are also
XIF network drivers for the SOCKET.XDD module.
Unlike Linux,
MiNT is unable to remove or load kernel modules
after the boot.
Next step in
boot is the MINT.CNF file. It is a text file
containig the basic configuration of the whole
MiNT system. There is a special scripting language
used in the MINT.CNF file. It is very simple
because it is implemented directly by the kernel
so it does not know such things like wildcards.
Here one can allocate disk drives, the
main file system (see below), system paths,
run some programs and mainly tell the kernel
what to do next.
How will MiNT
look like after the boot depends heavily on
the INIT= or GEM= line of the MiNT.CNF
file. You may want a light system with
no Unix stuff and set the path
to your favourite AES after the GEM= string
in MINT.CNF. Then MiNT will simply
start this AES and you can use it like normal
TOS, but with some nice enhancements:
you can run more applications simultaneously,
you can load and unload
accessories without reboot, you have long file
names...
Another possibility
is to run a light Unix system.
You can write down a path to your favourite
shell after the INIT= string. MiNT will start
the shell and you can run Unix
and TOS programs, even simultneously. In addition
you can later start an AES
manually and continue working in its graphical
environment.
The most comfortable
way of boot is using a Unix init utility.
Init starts special unix
programs called daemons. Daemons provide additional
services to the system like
system loggers, network servers or virtual consoles.
After this, getty and
login will be launched and you can log on. You
can start a text shell, AES or even the Unix standard
graphical environment -
X Window System.
No matter what you choose, you can then run user applications
and use the system in the
way you need to reach your personal goals. You
can edit texts with editors, do some
calculations, work with graphics, listen to
music, use scientific applications,
connect to the internet... The kernel will
control all your activities
until it gets your command to shut down.
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