MkLinux is an open source computer operating system started by the OSF Research Institute and Apple Computer in February 1996 to port Linux to the PowerPC platform, and Macintosh computers. The effort was spearheaded by Brett Halle at Apple and development split between Michael Burg (device drivers and distribution) at Apple in Cupertino, California, and Nick Stephen (Mach porting & development) at the OSF in Grenoble, France. Other key individuals to work on the project included François Barbou (OSF), Vicki Brown (Apple) and Gilbert Coville (Apple).
MkLinux was officially announced at The 1996 World Wide Developers Conference (WWDC). A free CD containing a binary distribution of MkLinux was handed out to the attendees.
In the summer of 1998, the community-led MkLinux Developers Association took over development of the operating system. MkLinux is short for "Microkernel Linux," which refers to the project's adaptation of the Linux kernel to run as a server hosted atop the Mach microkernel. MkLinux is based on version 3.0 of Mach.