This is what you need to install and run Minix:

Hardware requirements

Minix for PC's comes in two flavours:
for 32-bit machines ( 386 processor or better )
for 16-bit machines ( 8086 and 80286 processors )

To run the 32-bit version you need a minimum of 2MB memory. To run the 16-bit version you need a minimum of 640K memory. A hard-disk of at least 30MB is also required.

Even though it is possible to install Minix on your main machine in a separate partition, I strongly recommend to get a second-hand bargain price PC to experiment with without risking loss of data. Partitioning a hard-disk can be a messy business if you are not sure of what you are doing.

Warning !! Partitioning the hard-disk can cause loss of data

You also need 10 DOS-formatted floppies which are used to create the installation disks. Go to the Minix page to download the software. Detailed installation instructions are also provided. Once Minix will be up and running, you can start experimenting with the Unix shell commands and utilities.