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[–] 8 points 3 days ago (2 children)

Linux requires at least 32 bit machine words, and it always has. Linux was originally written for Intel 80386.

Linux requires a hardware MMU to support virtual memory. There are patches that can make a no-MMU kernel, but it drastically changes the experience to do so.

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  • [–] 10 points 3 days ago*

    Well it is kinda cheating but Linux does "run" on a intel 4004 running a MIPS emulator

    I think you could cook something like a 4-bit turing complete computer with around 100 transistors or so. And i guess turing completeness basically means "it will run with enough elbow grease" in this case

    (if we exclude memory from the transistor count...)

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