Background Information

MkLinux, a project initiated by the Open Software Foundation Research Institute and Apple Computer, aimed to port Linux to various Power Mac and PowerBook platforms. Initially, the project was led by Apple and OSF Research Institute and was announced during the 1996 World Wide Devlopers Conference, but in the summer of 1998, it transitioned to a community-driven effort.

MkLinux marks Apple’s first official endeavor to support a free and open-source software project. The work done with the Mach 3.0 kernel in MkLinux is credited with significantly aiding the initial porting of NeXTSTEP to the Macintosh hardware platform, which later evolved into macOS.

Technical Specifications

General Information

  • Developer:
    • OSF Research Institute
    • Apple Inc.
    • MkLinux Developers Association
    • Volunteer community
  • Licensing: GNU General Public License
  • OS Family:
    • Linux (Unix-like)
    • MacOS
  • Initial Release Date: Febuary 1996
  • Latest Release Date: August 5, 2002

Availability Information

  • Languages: English
  • Platforms: PowerPC

System Information

  • Working State: Discontinued
  • Source Model: Open Source
  • Update Method: Manual Update
  • Userland: Red Hat Linux
  • Package manager: RPM
  • Default User Interface: Console, X11

Additional Information