New video: Running Minix 2.0.2, a UNIX-like OS on the HP 200LX Palmtop

Hi all,

I’ve just finished my new video on the HP Palmtop Tube channel where I try to find a UNIX-like operating system that runs on the HP 200LX Palmtop,
an after searching I managed to get Minix 2.0.2 running fine on it.
The video goes into detail about the history of Minix, it’s influence on the development of Linux,
and shows the installation, configuration and then demonstration of the OS :grinning:

And, at the end of the video, I’m using a Psion Series 3a Palmtop to compile and run a game on
Minix the 3a’s comms terminal application and a null modem cable to the 200LX running the Minix OS. :grinning:

Here’s a link: Running Minix on the HP 200LX, a UNIX-like OS. Part 1 of 2 - YouTube

It’s the first part of 2 videos. In the 2nd video, coming in a few weeks, I will continue with the setup and compile a new kernel with TCP/IP networking enabled,
and setting up a 24/7 indefinite webserver that serves a website with an archive of files for HP palmtop users.
What better way to serve up palmtop related files than to serve them from a HP 200LX itself! :grinning:

I’m still new at this, and was quite nervous, so I made a few mistakes/typos and misquotes here and there,
my channel is only 2 months old,
but I hope everyone that watches the video, and I’m sure many people here on VOGONS.ORG will already know quite a bit about it,
will be able to learn something from it, as that’s what it’s all about.

Now I just need to add the SCSI bus and hard drives from my previous video, which was about connecting SCSI devices to the 200LX,
as a UNIX system is not a proper one if it doesn’t have SCSI drives :grinning: :rofl:

Your feedback and advise is very welcome :grinning:

Enjoy!,
Terrence

4 Likes

Nice to see minix as the solution to a problem. I was amazed when I found Tanenbaum’s book - clearly written and with the source to an OS! I don’t think I’ve ever run minix but I certainly learnt from it.

Here’s a nice still from your video:

For reference, your vogons thread is here.

And bonus points for bringing a Psion 3 into the mix - one of my favourite machines. Amusing that the HP keyboard lacks backtick and the Psion lacks pipe!

2 Likes

Thanks for your reply, I appreciate it.

I had both an 200LX 2MB and a Psion 3a 1MB when I was 15 years old. :slight_smile:
I sold them in my early 20s, but a few years ago I bought a few of both machines on ebay…
That’s why I have such nostalgia for these machines :slight_smile:

I even wrote a 2D vectorial drawing program on the Psion in OPL and it, although very slow when drawing circles etc…, was quite fun and useful :slight_smile: OPL was a great language to code in, I would put it next to Turbo Pascal and above Quick/Turbo Basic on the capability scale of programming languages.

I decided to post my video announcement here too as I really need more views, comments, likes and subscribers. My channel is only a few months old and I’m only getting a few hundred views or so on the better videos at the moment…

1 Like