Open Source Developer Brings Linux to Windows 95, Windows 98, and Windows ME
- Reference: 0182860704
- News link: https://tech.slashdot.org/story/26/04/25/179232/open-source-developer-brings-linux-to-windows-95-windows-98-and-windows-me
- Source link:
> A virtual device driver handles initialization, loads the kernel off disk and manages the event loop for page faults and syscalls. Since Win9x lacks the right interrupt table support for the standard Linux syscall interrupt, WSL9x reroutes those calls through the fault handler instead. Rounding it all out is wsl.com, a small 16-bit DOS program that pipes the terminal output from Linux back to whatever MS-DOS prompt window you ran it from.
The end result is that [2]WSL9x requires no hardware virtualization, and can run on hardware as old as the i486, the article points out. [3]On Mastodon the developer says they "really got this one in right under the wire, before they start [4]removing 486 support from Linux ."
The source code for WSL9x is released under the GPL-3 license, and was "proudly written without AI."
[1] https://itsfoss.com/news/wsl9x-overview/
[2] https://codeberg.org/hails/wsl9x
[3] https://social.hails.org/@hailey/116446826733136456
[4] https://hardware.slashdot.org/story/25/05/08/1927245/linux-drops-support-for-486-and-early-pentium-processors
Impressive (Score:2)
This is an incredible hack. And I just resurrected my father-in-law's Compaq Armada P3 laptop and it's looking for something to do...
Lack of hardware virtualization shouldn't be a problem as Windows 9x lets you do almost anything. Heck you can change addressing modes, which is verboten in WinNT+.
Proudly written without AI? (Score:3)
I'm sorry, but software isn't shaker furniture.
Just one question (Score:3)
Why? /s
Re: (Score:2)
> Why? /s
You must be new here. /s
Re: (Score:3)
Aw, WSL is actually pretty cool. At least for Windows 10, it made it feel more like macOS, with a real commandline instead of the freakish thing that is PowerShell.
Re: (Score:2)
Type in 'cmd' in the run box and the old DOS-like commandline opens up.
Re: (Score:2)
Allow me to repeat my comment.
Re: (Score:2)
Allow me to post this: [1]https://powershellfaqs.com/win... [powershellfaqs.com]
(showing the differences)
[1] https://powershellfaqs.com/windows-powershell-vs-cmd/
Re: Just one question (Score:2)
Youâ(TM)re comparing a runny turd to a floating turd. Theyâ(TM)re still both turds.
Does it work with Microsoft Bob? (Score:2)
May finally make it useful.
Interesting use case (Score:2)
This is really interesting for old-but-not-broken hardware you've got sitting around where you want to run win9x - but it isn't well supported.
Clearly you can run W9x under emulation just fine, but there are some use cases where that's not going to be enough (eg. you need explicit access to the hardware or there's weird clock-related eccentricities with the software). I'm sure the use case is quite narrow, but interesting none the less. This would've been far cooler 20 years ago when w9x was still relevant,
I'm still waiting... (Score:2)
...for someone to port Linux to my toaster.
Re: (Score:2)
[1]NO NO NO NO NO!! [youtu.be]
[1] https://youtu.be/LRq_SAuQDec?si=YHtk83BVI7cPn4tH
Absolutely heretic! (Score:1)
Purge! Purge! Purge!! Exterminatus!!!
Uninstall Windows 11 and do this right now (Score:1)
Or you're not cool. If you want to be cool, this is the only way to run Windows. And of course I mean with Windows 95, but you can use Windows Me if you want to show off that you're a huge slut, which is valid. WSL9x is the only operating system
Everyone needs a hobby (Score:2)
I'm glad they did this for the fun of it but for the vast majority, this isn't remotely practical or usable. 486 hardware? Umm, yeah not since the early 90s. Probably fine one in a museum at this point. Really, those days were terrible. Hardware was really expensive, slow and significantly more detail orientated to setup. You had to pair your ram by both size and parity, as well as setting jumpers on the motherboard. Screw this step up and you'll fry the board and possibly the CPU as well.
Zero part of me ha
Finally! (Score:5, Funny)
I can enjoy the stability and security of a Windows 9x host with the ease-of-use of the Linux userland.
Re: (Score:2)
Now, segmentation faults with a blue background.