The Embeddable Linux Kernel Subset (ELKS) is a Unix-like

Unix-like

A Unix-like operating system is one that behaves in a manner similar to a Unix system, while not necessarily conforming to or being certified to any version of the Single UNIX Specification....

 operating system kernel that can run on Intel 8086

Intel 8086

The 8086 is a 16-bit microprocessor chip designed by Intel between early 1976 and mid-1978, when it was released. The 8086 gave rise to the x86 architecture of Intel's future processors...

-compatible microprocessor

Microprocessor

A microprocessor incorporates the functions of a computer's central processing unit on a single integrated circuit, or at most a few integrated circuits. It is a multipurpose, programmable device that accepts digital data as input, processes it according to instructions stored in its memory, and...

s. ELKS, formerly known as Linux-8086, is a small subset of Linux and can run on machines with limited processor and memory resources, including machines with 16-bit

16-bit

-16-bit architecture:The HP BPC, introduced in 1975, was the world's first 16-bit microprocessor. Prominent 16-bit processors include the PDP-11, Intel 8086, Intel 80286 and the WDC 65C816. The Intel 8088 was program-compatible with the Intel 8086, and was 16-bit in that its registers were 16...

 microprocessors that are not supported by Linux.

ELKS is free software

Free software

Free software, software libre or libre software is software that can be used, studied, and modified without restriction, and which can be copied and redistributed in modified or unmodified form either without restriction, or with restrictions that only ensure that further recipients can also do...

 and is available under the GNU General Public License

GNU General Public License

The GNU General Public License is the most widely used free software license, originally written by Richard Stallman for the GNU Project....

 (GPL).

History

• 1995 - Development of Linux-8086 by Linux kernel developers Alan Cox
  Alan Cox
  Alan Cox is a British computer programmer who formerly maintained the 2.2 branch of the Linux kernel and continues to be heavily involved in the development of the Linux kernel, an association that dates back to 1991...
  
   and Chad Page starts as a fork
  Fork (software development)
  In software engineering, a project fork happens when developers take a legal copy of source code from one software package and start independent development on it, creating a distinct piece of software...
  
   of the standard Linux.
• Early 1996 - The project is renamed ELKS, Embeddable Linux Kernel Subset.
• 1997 - The first website http://www.elks.ecs.soton.ac.uk/ (now offline, archived version) is created.
• August 8, 1997 - ELKS 0.0.63 is released.
• June 22, 1999 - ELKS 0.0.77 is released. This version is the first that is able to run a graphical user interface
  Graphical user interface
  In computing, a graphical user interface is a type of user interface that allows users to interact with electronic devices with images rather than text commands. GUIs can be used in computers, hand-held devices such as MP3 players, portable media players or gaming devices, household appliances and...
  
   (the Nano-X Window System).
• July 21, 1999 - ELKS boots on a Psion 3a PDA
  Personal digital assistant
  A personal digital assistant , also known as a palmtop computer, or personal data assistant, is a mobile device that functions as a personal information manager. Current PDAs often have the ability to connect to the Internet...
  
   (SIBO architecture).
• January 10, 2000 - ELKS 0.0.82 is released, the first official version which includes the SIBO port
  Porting
  In computer science, porting is the process of adapting software so that an executable program can be created for a computing environment that is different from the one for which it was originally designed...
  
  .
• March 3, 2000 - The ELKS project is registered on SourceForge
  SourceForge
  SourceForge Enterprise Edition is a collaborative revision control and software development management system. It provides a front-end to a range of software development lifecycle services and integrates with a number of free software / open source software applications .While originally itself...
  
  , the new website is http://elks.sourceforge.net/.
• January 6, 2001 - Alan Cox declares the project "basically dead".
• June 17, 2001 - ELKS 0.0.84 is released.
• June 24, 2001 - Charilaos Kalogirou adds TCP/IP networking support.
• November 17, 2001 - ELKS 0.0.90 is released
• April 20, 2002 - Charilaos Kalogirou adds virtual memory support with disk swapping capability.
• April 29, 2002 - ELKS 0.1.0 is released, this is the first beta version.
• December 18, 2002 - EDE (the Elks Distribution Edition, a distribution based on the ELKS kernel) version 0.0.5 is released.
• January 6, 2003 - ELKS 0.1.2 is released.
• May 3, 2006 - ELKS 0.1.3 is released, the first official release after a long hiatus in development.

More than 30 developers have contributed to this project since the Linux fork.

Current status and usage

The development, as of 2006, has restarted. The latest released version is 0.1.3(Gzip file of 0.1.3 is corrupted, but 0.1.1 is still working and available) and the latest EDE version is 0.0.5b.

ELKS runs on IBM PC compatible

IBM PC compatible

IBM PC compatible computers are those generally similar to the original IBM PC, XT, and AT. Such computers used to be referred to as PC clones, or IBM clones since they almost exactly duplicated all the significant features of the PC architecture, facilitated by various manufacturers' ability to...

 systems and on Psion

Psion PLC

Psion is a designer and manufacturer of rugged mobile handheld computers for commercial and industrial applications. The company is headquartered in London, England with major operations in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada and additional company offices in Europe, the United States, Asia, Latin...

 SIBO PDAs. It has been used as the base for the FlightLinux real-time

Real-time computing

In computer science, real-time computing , or reactive computing, is the study of hardware and software systems that are subject to a "real-time constraint"— e.g. operational deadlines from event to system response. Real-time programs must guarantee response within strict time constraints...

 operating system for spacecraft

Spacecraft

A spacecraft or spaceship is a craft or machine designed for spaceflight. Spacecraft are used for a variety of purposes, including communications, earth observation, meteorology, navigation, planetary exploration and transportation of humans and cargo....

s.

External links

• Official ELKS website
• ELKS development tools
• [ftp://ftp.ecs.soton.ac.uk/pub/elks/ FTP site with old ELKS source files]