MiNT ("MiNT is Not TOS") is an operating system that enables you to run more programs at the same time on your Atari computer. It replaces the original TOS ("The Operating System") shipped with your Atari, but it does need TOS to start up. More accurately, it replaces only a part of the TOS, namely the so called GEMDOS ("Graphical Environment Manager Disk Operating System"), which offers file and process management. TOS is only able to let you work with a limited amount of small programs (Desk Accessoiries) at the same time. Those accessoiries could only be loaded at bootup and could not be removed from memory without a reboot.
MiNT was developed for Atari by Eric R. Smith, but due to Atari's bankrupt MiNT development halted for a moment. Luckily, a few Atari users gifted with some talent in programming saw the potential of MiNT and developed it further in their free time! Visit their site here.
TOS consists of the following main parts: GEMDOS, AES, VDI. Since MiNT only replaces GEMDOS, you still need a VDI and an AES. One can use the VDI of TOS with MiNT , but a replacement AES is needed to enable multitasking.
You also need a multitasking capable desktop replacement, like Teradesk or the commercial Thing or Jinnee, since the wonderful GEM desktop built in into the ROM is unfortunately not suitable for multitasking. The Atari MultiTOS AES (often called AES 4.1) comes with a multitasking capable, colourful GEM desktop built in, but you can also use this AES with other desktops if you like.
In order to benifit from all the Unix-like features MiNT offers, it is possible to install a basic Unix filesystem somewhere on a free partition on your harddisk. Installers such as EasyMiNT have automated this process!
For a new installation of MiNT I would recommend the EasyMiNT installer: it installs the FreeMiNT kernel and drivers together with a basic Unix system. Later, you can update this basic Unix installation in a very convenient way, using the command 'rpm' which installs or updates readily made application packages from the SpareMiNT distribution. Look on the SpareMiNT Packages overview page for an impressive list of programs that you can already install this way. For documentation on RPM (RedHat Package Management system), on which the SpareMiNT distribution is based, look here.
Updating the MiNT kernel and drivers can be done by getting the latest version from FreeMiNT kernel & tool download, packed as a .tar.gz or .zip archive. Below you can find a short description of the different versions of MiNT kernel that are contained in the archive and a step-by-step description for updating MiNT1.16.
| mint000.prg |
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this one is for your Atari ST or MegaST, which have that fantastic MC68000 processor. Also for the STe with an MC68000/MC68010 inside. |
| mint030.prg |
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this one is optimised for your Atari Falcon, TT or Atari clone with a Motorola MC68030 or MC68020 processor on board. |
| mint040.prg |
| for your clone with MC68040 or MC68060 processor. |
| mintmil.prg |
| for Milan Atari clone. |
| mintara.prg |
| kernel for ARAnyM generic Atari emulator. |
Since version 1.16.x, where 'x' is the minor release number, updating MiNT is not so difficult anymore:
Once you're satisfied with the update, you can delete your old kernel [x-1] from c:/auto/ and the corresponding drivers/settings by deleting old folder c:/mint/1-16-[x-1]/.
Once placed at the end of your AUTO-folder (this place is not necessary anymore from version 1.15.10 and up), you should rename it to mintnp.prg to turn off memory protection. This memory protection is a nice feature to improve robustness but still expirimental, though. Note that since version 1.16.x, the name of the kernel has no effect anymore - use the MiNT-menu [press SHIFT-key during startup] to arrange memory protection.
If you want to use MiNT on your ST (more than 2MB memory is recommended if you still want to do something useful), you should choose MiNT versions earlier than 1.15.6, from that version on the MiNT uses a substantially more memory (to make room for some very nice extra features). With a 4MB Atari ST, FreeMINT 1.15.12+XaAES0.970+TeraDesk Desktop still leaves about 1.5MB of memory, enough to do something useful. Kernel 1.16.x also runs on the ST, but uses too much memory if you want to use GEM instead of MiNT terminal.
Configuring MiNT can be done from the file mint.cnf that MiNT searches in your multitos/ or mint/ folder on your boot partition. So most of the times it's place will be c:/multitos/mint.cnf. In that same directory device drivers (*.xdd) and file system drivers (*.xfs) can be placed, adding support for specific hardware or filesystems (like ext2fs or minix) to MiNT. The replacement AES and desktop are started from the configuration file too. Take a look at this example configuration file for FreeMiNT 1.15.x .
Something that might be useful to know about MiNT 1.15.x, is that you can stop MiNT from loading by pressing both [SHIFT]-keys as soon as you see the the first lines of MiNT popping up on your screen. You are then able to boot TOS from ROM and e.g. correct your configuration files (or play some classic games :-) ). MiNT 1.16.x has a delay of 4 seconds during which a press on the left [SHIFT]-key gives you access to a configuration-menu.
