#yggdrasil-linux — Public Fediverse posts

Yggdrasil Linux/GNU/X (Alpha Test Release, 1992/12) has been tested with 86Box, i486 [1992], and X386.

#YggdrasilLinux #Linux #Retrocomputing #TechNews #TechUpdates #Computers

https://officialaptivi.wordpress.com/2026/02/28/yggdrasil-linux-gnu-x-alpha-1992-on-86box-with-i486-1992/

Yggdrasil Linux/GNU/X (Alpha 1992) on 86Box with i486 [1992]

Yggdrasil Linux/GNU/X is the first Linux distribution that came up with the concept of the live distribution that came in a single CD-ROM disk. It was named “Plug and Play Linx”, which means that this distro automatically configures itself for hardware.

In this article, we will be testing the alpha release of Yggdrasil Linux/GNU/X that was released on December 1992 with the pre-installed Bochs virtual machine ZIP file while integrating its disk image with 86Box. You can find this archive file here.

First, we have configured 86Box as follows:

The virtual machine has been configured as follows:

• Machine type: [1992] i486 (Miscellaneous)
• Machine: [STPC Client] ITOX STAR
• CPU: ST STPC DX @ 66 MHz
• Memory: 32 MB
• Video: [ISA] Tseng Labs ET4000AX
• Keyboard: AT Keyboard
• Mouse: Mouse Systems Serial Mouse
• Sound card: [ISA16] Sound Blaster 16
• Floppy disk controller: Internal device
• Hard disk controller 1: Internal device
• New hard disk: ygg-c.img (needs resize)
  • C/H/S: 914/16/63
  • Size: 449 MB
  • Bus: IDE
  • Channel: 0:0
• Floppy drive 1: 3.5″ 1.44M

We have taken the ygg-c.img file from the Bochs virtual machine dump that was apparently made in 2004. Since Bochs 3.0 didn’t work with this virtual machine according to our tests due to deprecated entries and other errors, we have adapted it to 86Box.

We’ve started the virtual machine, and let the BIOS automatically detect the drive from the BIOS setup. Afterwards, we’ve let the Yggdrasil Linux distribution start up.

This version of Yggdrasil was using Linux version 0.98. Since the initial snapshot of the disk image was made, we’ve configured the X386 server to use our configured virtual machine’s graphics card and the mouse.

We’ve launched the vi /usr/lib/X11/Xconfig command to edit the X server configuration file, which showed us the full settings that was generated for the Bochs virtual machine. We need to adapt it to the current configuration of the virtual machine.

First, we’ve removed the comment sign, #, from the MouseSystems property, which means that the X server assumes that the Mouse Systems serial mouse has been installed under /dev/ttys1.

After that, we went to the vga256 section that specified no configuration for the graphics chipset, which explained why the X server refused to start. We’ve removed the comment sign from the Chipset property that had a value of et4000, which is the chipset for the Tseng Labs ET4000AX that we’ve selected.

Afterwards, we’ve started the X server with startx, and we’re greeted with TWM with three terminals and one xclock window. The third xterm and the xclock window were both off-screen due to the virtual resolution of 1024×1024 as “Virtual 1024 1024” specifies.

The keyboard works fine, but the mouse cursor moves sluggishly. We’ve examined what X11 applications are currently installed by running ls /usr/X11/bin, and we got the below list.

For example, we ran the maze program, and it showed us the randomly generated maze with the X logo being placed.

That is one exciting thing to have seen what the oldest Linux distribution in its oldest version looks like. Stay tuned and feel free to follow us for more old operating systems being run on 86Box.

We will open the "Retrocomputing" section soon in our blog!

#Retrocomputing #Computers #computer #TechNews #TechUpdates #Linux #OldLinux #Windows #Mac #ClassicMac #YggdrasilLinux

https://officialaptivi.wordpress.com/2025/07/07/old-operating-systems-to-be-tested-soon/