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To pull oneself up by one’s bootstraps–

Historical 4-bit microprocessor from 1971 can carry out Linux commands over days or weeks.

Benj Edwards
– Sep 23, 2024 6:48 pm UTC

Hardware hacker Dmitry Grinberg just recently attained what may sound difficult: booting Linux on the Intel 4004, the world’s very first industrial microprocessor. With simply 2,300 transistors and an initial clock speed of 740 kHz, the 1971 CPU is exceptionally primitive by modern-day requirements. And it’s sluggish– it takes about 4.76 days for the Linux kernel to boot.

Developed for a Japanese calculator called the Busicom 141-PF, the 4-bit 4004 discovered minimal usage in industrial items of the 1970s before being superseded by more effective Intel chips, such as the 8008 and 8080 that powered early individual computer systems– and then the 8086 and 8088 that introduced the IBM PC period.

If you’re doubtful that this task is possible with a raw 4004, you’re best: The 4004 itself is far too restricted to run Linux straight. Rather, Grinberg produced an option that is similarly excellent: an emulator that operates on the 4004 and replicates a MIPS R3000 processor– the architecture utilized in the DECstation 2100 workstation that Linux was initially ported to. This emulator, together with very little hardware emulation, permits a stripped-down Debian Linux to boot to a command timely.

Grinberg is no complete stranger to accomplishments of running Linux in not likely locations. As he discusses on his site, “In 2012, I ran real Linux on an 8-bit microcontroller (AVR), setting a new world record for lowest-end-machine to ever run Linux.” After others enhanced on that record in the last few years, he chose to exceed himself and others by targeting the extremely first microprocessor.

The long, sluggish boot

To make Linux on the 4004 work, Grinberg needed to conquer various difficulties. The 4004 has exceptionally minimal ROM and RAM, no disrupts, and does not have even fundamental sensible operations like AND and OR. Grinberg’s emulator makes smart usage of lookup tables and other techniques to squeeze optimal efficiency out of the primitive CPU.

The last hardware utilizes the 4004 (overclocked to 790 kHz) in addition to a number of other period-correct assistance chips from Intel’s MCS-4 chipset. It consists of a VFD screen to reveal Linux output and can accept input over a serial connection. The entire setup draws about 6 W of power.

To pull everything together, Grinberg developed a customized circuit board without any vias (courses from one side of the circuit board to the other) and just right-angle traces for a retro visual. It’s implied to be wall-mountable as an art piece, gradually carrying out Linux commands throughout days or weeks.

While it has no useful function, the Linux/4004 task shows the versatility of Linux and presses emulation to its limitations. Grinberg is thinking about the possibility of providing packages or totally put together boards for others who wish to experience Linux at its slowest, though this is not yet guaranteed.

The complete information of the job, consisting of schematics and source code, are readily available on Grinberg’s site. For those thinking about classic computing or severe Linux executions, it’s a remarkable take a look at what’s possible with 1970s innovation and a great deal of creative engineering.

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