Instead, a MIPS R3000 processor emulator was created to make it easier to run Linux. The problem was compounded by the lack of C language compilers for the Intel 4004, which forced developers to write an emulator in assembly language.
The hardware included a base board containing an Intel 4004 to simulate persistent memory, a clock generator, memory chips, and an ATmega48 microcontroller. A more advanced board was later developed to run in a Linux environment and support simulation of SD card memory.
Despite the low processing power of the Intel 4004 (every virtual second in the emulator required almost four hours of real-time computation), the developers achieved significant success. The optimization allowed Linux to boot in more than eight days.
The technical specifications, designs and software to repeat this experiment have been made public.
Source: Ferra
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