In a remarkable feat of technological wizardry, programmer Dmitry Grinberg has managed to boot Linux on Intel's first ever commercial microprocessor - the 4004 from 1971. This groundbreaking achievement pushes the boundaries of what's possible with vintage hardware, albeit at an extremely leisurely pace.
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| A vintage computer setup showcasing the Intel 4004 CPU, the first commercial microprocessor, now capable of running Linux |
A 50-Year-Old Chip Meets Modern Software
The Intel 4004, released over half a century ago, was never designed to run complex modern operating systems. With just 2,600 transistors and a clock speed of 740 kHz, this 4-bit processor was originally created for calculators. Getting it to boot Linux required some clever workarounds:
- Grinberg had to emulate a MIPS R3000 processor on the 4004
- A custom circuit board was built with period-correct components
- The Linux kernel and Debian distribution were stripped down to bare essentials
- Extensive optimizations were required to make it work within 4KB of RAM
Patience is a Virtue
The most striking aspect of this hack is the sheer amount of time required. Some key figures:
- Booting the Linux kernel takes 4.76 days
- Initial estimates suggested it would take nearly 9 days to boot
- Even a simple directory listing command takes 16 hours to complete
While obviously impractical for any real-world use, this project showcases the ingenuity and determination of hardware hackers. It also provides a stark reminder of how far computing technology has progressed in just 50 years.
What's Next?
Having conquered Linux, Grinberg may set his sights on an even more ambitious goal - getting the classic game Doom to run on this ancient hardware. Given the 4004's limitations, we might see frame rates measured in days rather than milliseconds.
This project joins other impressive retro-computing feats, like running Doom on pregnancy tests or Twitter on an old Apple II. While these hacks serve no practical purpose, they continue to captivate tech enthusiasts by pushing vintage hardware to its absolute limits.