7. Conclusions and Future work

The following goals were achieved in our attempt to port the Minix 2.0.2 OS kernel to the Ipaq:

• A usable cross-compiler suite that generates code executable on the Ipaq was built
• Several assembler language functions from the kernel libraries were ported to run on the StrongARM. Testing confirmed their validity.
• Standard output, including formatted standard output, functions were successfully demonstrated on the Ipaq.
• C and ARM assembly language functions were successfully linked.
• A good deal was learned about The Minix Operating System and operating systems in general.

This project could be continued and completed if given additional time. A lot of the groundwork has already been done. What remains to be done is finishing the remaining assembler functions in the kernel, modifying some of the include files, and attempting a full kernel compile.

Another possibility for the continuation of this project would be switching from Minix to ucLinux. Although uCLinux is still a monolithic operating system like Linux, the small size of its kernel and embedded capabilities make it more akin to Minix. The main advantage of using uCLinux is that GCC is used as its C compiler, so there is no need to spend time modifying C code and include files when porting. The uCLinux developer community is also much more active than the Minix one, so obtaining assistance when undertaking a project of this magnitude is easier.

A Corel Netwinder would also be useful in continuing this project. A Netwinder is a StrongARM based computer system intended to serve as a web server. NetBSD and Linux have already been ported to this platform, so using this system as a development environment for the Ipaq is feasible.