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"Luis Alves’ machine used a regular 68000 at 20 MHz, and got decent performance running ucLinux."

ucLinux doesn't need an MMU - that's its reason for existing.

Missed that - very cool, I hadn't heard of that project.

μClinux[0] is still a thing, although is still a fork of 2.6.

[0] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%CE%9CClinux

MMU is not manditory. Coherent http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coherent_(operating_system) ran quite nicely both on the original IBM PC/XT and on the Atari ST (No mention in the wikipedia article--I can't remember if it ever escaped the walls of MWC). Coherent on the PC was shown at the National Computer Conference in Houston in 1983. The boot was packed 8 deep the entire show.

Interesting tidbit: Coherent was produced by Aaron Swartz' father.

Yes, I worked for his father for the better part of six years. I met Aaron when he was maybe two or three.

MWC was a seriously bright bunch of guys.