NetBSD/mac68k

About NetBSD/mac68k

NetBSD/mac68k is the port of NetBSD to Apple Macintosh computers that utilize the Motorola 68k-series processor. It should run on most Macintoshes with a 68040 or 68030 processor, and on Macs with a 68020 processor (provided that they also have a 68851 PMMU). For Macs using the PowerPC processor, please take a look at NetBSD/macppc.

The mac68k port was originally known as MacBSD. It began as a port of the Berkeley Networking Release 2 (more commonly known as Net/2) with 386BSD-0.1 filling in the cracks. This was running in a basic form in the late spring of 1992. About that time, it became obvious that 386BSD was a dead end, and NetBSD looked like the way to go. The initial NetBSD merge was into the 0.8 released sources. The first formal release of NetBSD/mac68k was as a part of NetBSD 1.0. NetBSD/mac68k was the first free OS to run on a 680x0-based Macintosh, and currently supports more of these systems than any free OS.

Development activity on NetBSD/mac68k continues at its usual pace (in other words, when the volunteers find time). Much progress has been made, however, and most desktop systems can boot to a usable state.

NetBSD/mac68k News

Archive of NetBSD/mac68k news items

Supported system models