Wikipedia

MachTen

This article is about the operating system. For similarly named subjects, see Mach 10 (disambiguation).

MachTen
DeveloperTenon Intersystems
OS familyUnix-like BSD
Working stateDiscontinued
Source modelClosed source
Latest release4.1.4 / February 2000; 26 years ago (2000-02)
Supported platformsMacintosh: Motorola 68000, then PowerPC
Kernel typeMicrokernel
LicenseCommercial, proprietary
Official websitetenon.com/products/machten

MachTen is a Unix-like operating system from Tenon Intersystems. It is based on the Mach kernel, 4.4BSD, GNU programming tools, and the X Window System. It runs not natively but as a classic Mac OS application program in a virtual machine.

Unlike Apple's contemporary A/UX, which boots natively from a dedicated partition, the MachTen application shares the host's Hierarchical File System (HFS).[1] Tenon released the original version for Motorola 68000 processors in 1991, followed by Power MachTen for the PowerPC architecture in 1995.[2] The product was discontinued in October 2001, citing the successor Mac OS X.[3]

History

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MachTen development started in 1989, and the first release in 1991 has Mach 2.5 and 4.3BSD-Reno.[4][1] The second release in 1992 has the X Window System. Early releases do not support System 7,[5] and later versions support System 6 with MultiFinder, and System 7.[6]

In 1993, release 2.1 introduced virtual memory, memory protection, and an improved paging model for Mac applications.[7] Since then, MachTen was published as Personal MachTen, and Professional MachTen with development tools and virtual memory.[8] Release 2.1.1 was announced in 1994, introducing virtual memory support for Motorola 68040.[9] Professional MachTen for Motorola 68000-based Macintoshes ended with release 2.3,[10] announced in 1996 for low-cost web servers.[11]

In 1995, Power MachTen was launched for Power Macintosh, with release 4.0 supporting shared libraries and memory-mapped files, and a 4.4BSD-based, POSIX-compliant distribution.[2] Release 4.1 was in March 1998,[12] and 4.1.1 in July 1998 with discounted prices.[13] Power MachTen lacks some of the features of Professional MachTen (including true virtual memory and memory protection) but is PowerPC native and is compatible with Mac OS 9 through its final version, 4.1.4, released in February 2000. Tenon discontinued MachTen in October 2001, citing the release of Mac OS X as a successor.[3]

Overview

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Unlike Apple's A/UX, which boots natively and runs System 7 as a Unix application based on a Unix port of Mac OS Toolbox, MachTen runs an entire Unix operating system as a Mac application.[6] This approach hosts the BSD Fast File System on the Hierarchical File System (HFS), imposing HFS limitations on Unix, including 31-character filenames. Other filesystems such as Network File System volumes are unaffected. However, this implementation allows Unix programs transparent access to any Mac files and without a dedicated partition.[1]

Filesystem performance in the shell is reportedly around three times slower than A/UX and six times slower than Finder equivalents, though Finder operations are only marginally slowed down. However, Finder operations were only marginally slowed alongside MachTen, in contrast with a two-fold slowdown in A/UX. MacUser described file-intensive GNU C Compiler performance on MachTen as "painful" in version 2.0.[6]

Other integration features include embedding the Internet Protocol in AppleTalk network packets, which enables the traditional Unix networking such as FTP, Telnet, remote login, and Sendmail. This effectively integrates TCP/IP with LocalTalk without disrupting AppleTalk.[1] However, this encapsulation results in lower transfer rates than A/UX and "sluggish" performance.[6]

MachTen does not require a memory management unit, broadening the audience over A/UX's hardware restrictions. In its first version, this enables Unix programs to "bring down the entire system". so later versions have memory protection and paging for Unix programs on MMU machines.[10] Early versions lack virtual memory but compared to A/UX's requirement of a "high-end Mac and a lot of disk space", MachTen has lower system requirements and greater Mac application compatibility.[1] Later versions introduce memory protection and paging for Unix, for MMU systems.[10]

Although MachTen reportedly used the Mach 3.0 microkernel since MachTen version 2.0,[5] reviewers noted that Mach 3.0 was yet to be adopted, along with usage of 4.4BSD that would be free of AT&T code[6] which is legally encumbered by the UNIX System Laboratories, Inc. v. Berkeley Software Design, Inc. lawsuit.[5] Other Mach-based systems were identified as competitors, including the AIM alliance's PowerOpen Environment for PowerPC in which OSF/1 was planned to "combine A/UX and AIX",[14] and the including 68k-based MacMach from CMU which had created Mach. However, MacMach's licensing restrictions made the product unattractive outside of enterprise.[6] IBM and Apple later proposed a Mac OS personality for the prototype Workplace OS which is based on Mach 3.0.[15]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e Rosen, Alexis (October 8, 1991). "MachTen makes many Macs Unix machines". MacWEEK. pp. 58, 60. Retrieved February 1, 2026.
  2. ^ a b "Tenon Unveils New MachTen Architecture" (Press release). Tenon Intersystems. August 8, 1995. Retrieved February 1, 2026.
  3. ^ a b Cohen, Peter (October 15, 2001). "Tenon retires MachTen, keeps Xtools". Macworld. Retrieved February 1, 2026.
  4. ^ "Tenon's Mach for the Mac Product Now Shipping". Unigram/X. July 8, 1991. p. 2. Retrieved January 31, 2026.
  5. ^ a b c "Tenon Debuts Latest Mach-on-Mac System Software". Unigram/X. July 13, 1992. p. 3. Retrieved January 31, 2026.
  6. ^ a b c d e f Bacon, Ian (November 1992). "Battling for the UNIX Crown". MacUser. pp. 221–222, 224, 226, 228, 230, 232–233. Retrieved February 1, 2026.
  7. ^ "Tenon Debuts UNIX/MACH Virtual Memory For MachTen" (Press release). Tenon Intersystems. March 17, 1993. Retrieved February 1, 2026.
  8. ^ Streeter, April (March 22, 1993). "Tenon cuts price, reconfigures MachTen line". MacWEEK. pp. 16, 18. Retrieved February 1, 2026.
  9. ^ "Professional MachTen Available for Apples AV Machines" (Press release). Tenon Intersystems. February 15, 1994. Retrieved February 1, 2026.
  10. ^ a b c "Professional MachTen 2.3". Tenon Intersystems. 2013. Retrieved February 1, 2026.
  11. ^ "Tenon Announces Dramatic Price Reduction and New Features for 68K MachTen" (Press release). Tenon Intersystems. June 14, 1996. Retrieved February 1, 2026.
  12. ^ "Tenon Unveils New UNIX For Power Macintosh" (Press release). Tenon Intersystems. March 2, 1998. Retrieved February 1, 2026.
  13. ^ "Tenon Enhances UNIX for Power Macintosh and Lowers Price" (Press release). Tenon Intersystems. July 27, 1998. Retrieved February 1, 2026.
  14. ^ Corcoran, Cate (November 4, 1991). "Apple reveals plans for updated A/UX, PowerOpen Unix development alliance". InfoWorld. pp. 1, 115. Archived from the original on July 26, 2020. Retrieved February 11, 2019.
  15. ^ Dimpfel, Lois (November 22, 1993). "Big Blue's Dimpfel has high hopes for Workplace OS". InfoWorld (Interview). Interviewed by Stuart J. Johnson. p. 106. Retrieved September 20, 2017.

See also

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