16-bit Windows Program Support

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it2pivincent
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Re: 16-bit Windows Program Support

Post by it2pivincent »

Well, the WOWEXEC component is in some versions of Windows. However, I don't know the Win32 API to help work on that.

In versions of Windows that contains it says in the info box about running Win16 programs.

WOWEXEC is a component that is like a Windows on WIndows layer (in this case Win16 on Win32). This is the best way to get Win16 programs and libraries to work.
Vladimir-Suzdal
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Re: 16-bit Windows Program Support

Post by Vladimir-Suzdal »

I found an emulator to run 16-bit apps on Windows, but it seems works only on x64 matchines.

https://sourceforge.net/projects/nxvdm/
Last edited by Vladimir-Suzdal on Tue Sep 06, 2016 5:34 am, edited 1 time in total.
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EmuandCo
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Re: 16-bit Windows Program Support

Post by EmuandCo »

it2pivincent wrote:Well, the WOWEXEC component is in some versions of Windows. However, I don't know the Win32 API to help work on that.

In versions of Windows that contains it says in the info box about running Win16 programs.

WOWEXEC is a component that is like a Windows on WIndows layer (in this case Win16 on Win32). This is the best way to get Win16 programs and libraries to work.
This discussion leads to nothing. You recommend stuff you don't know anything about and we try to explain why we will not follow the ways MS did here! WOW == Windows on WIndows and the phrase is used for 32bit apps on WIn64 and for 16 bit apps on WIn32. We don't have to follow the MS ways here AT ALL and WILL NOT do so. MS' way means we can not run 16 bit stuff on a 64 bit CPU and thus it's of NO use. I hope this discussion ends now, otherwise I will have to end it sooner or later.
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it2pivincent
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Re: 16-bit Windows Program Support

Post by it2pivincent »

I meant we create something like the WOWEXEC feature, it doesn't have to be an exact copy, just something like that.
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dizt3mp3r
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Re: 16-bit Windows Program Support

Post by dizt3mp3r »

This chap has been invited to contribute his 16bit emulation code to ReactOS, let us make him welcome if and when he comes.

https://hackernoon.com/win3mu-part-1-wh ... .6qff7na4z
Skillset: VMS,DOS,Windows Sysadmin from 1985, fault-tolerance, VaxCluster, Alpha,Sparc. DCL,QB,VBDOS- VB6,.NET, PHP,NODE.JS, Graphic Design, Project Manager, CMS, Quad Electronics. classic cars & m'bikes. Artist in water & oils. Historian.
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Re: 16-bit Windows Program Support

Post by forart »

dizt3mp3r wrote:This chap has been invited to contribute his 16bit emulation code to ReactOS, let us make him welcome if and when he comes.

https://hackernoon.com/win3mu-part-1-wh ... .6qff7na4z
....and here's the website: http://www.win3mu.com/
»Forward Agency NPO
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florian
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Re: 16-bit Windows Program Support

Post by florian »

Well, but due to his Win3mu-FAQ:
Will it be free?
Not sure yet - probably not but it certainly won't be expensive. Many hours and many late nights have been put into this project so it'd be nice to get a little return on that effort.

Is it open source, can I contribute?
Thanks, but no thanks. This project was started as a personal challenge/learning exercise. To have others contribute would defeat the purpose right now.
... Don't expect too much.
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dizt3mp3r
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Re: 16-bit Windows Program Support

Post by dizt3mp3r »

That's a pity.
Skillset: VMS,DOS,Windows Sysadmin from 1985, fault-tolerance, VaxCluster, Alpha,Sparc. DCL,QB,VBDOS- VB6,.NET, PHP,NODE.JS, Graphic Design, Project Manager, CMS, Quad Electronics. classic cars & m'bikes. Artist in water & oils. Historian.
ROCKNROLLKID
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Re: 16-bit Windows Program Support

Post by ROCKNROLLKID »

Reading through the comments, he already stated he won't be joining ReactOS as he "wants this to run on top of Windows, not require another OS". I also see he wrote that entirely out of C#, so there's a language issue already.

Not to be rude or anything, but usually it is better to just wait until things like this is a sure thing before announcing stuff like this.

Though I do have to say that his "having others contribute to this would defeat the purpose of him learning from this" is not accurate. If anything, he could probably learn even more by allowing others to contribute and maybe found out some stuff he didn't know before. I also see he may end up charging for this. I wonder how many people would actually pay for something like this? I have already seen dos emulators that are free of charge and can run almost all 16-bit programs.
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EmuandCo
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Re: 16-bit Windows Program Support

Post by EmuandCo »

Nice that things get silent now. Let TheFlash do his hobby/job making our ntvdm great again (jkjkjk)
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Re: 16-bit Windows Program Support

Post by ctasan »

It would be great to get his support for WOW16 support :(
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EmuandCo
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Re: 16-bit Windows Program Support

Post by EmuandCo »

ctasan wrote:It would be great to get his support for WOW16 support :(
... which is 1:1 the same?!
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amber
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Re: 16-bit Windows Program Support

Post by amber »

For me the ability to run 16-bit applications is not so critical. I think in ROS someone has installed Win3.11 and it worked using our current NTVDM. If anyone needs Win16 apps, even install Win3.11 in ROS. But there is another problem, which is more important for ROS. Many of the old Win32 programs that use Win16 installers. These programs in theory can work in ROS, but they can't be installed. And this problem needs to be addressed much more than the ability to run any Win16 application.
ctasan
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Re: 16-bit Windows Program Support

Post by ctasan »

EmuandCo wrote:
ctasan wrote:It would be great to get his support for WOW16 support :(
... which is 1:1 the same?!
What? Didn't understand.
amber wrote:For me the ability to run 16-bit applications is not so critical. I think in ROS someone has installed Win3.11 and it worked using our current NTVDM. If anyone needs Win16 apps, even install Win3.11 in ROS. But there is another problem, which is more important for ROS. Many of the old Win32 programs that use Win16 installers. These programs in theory can work in ROS, but they can't be installed. And this problem needs to be addressed much more than the ability to run any Win16 application.
That's my main point.
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Aeneas
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Re: 16-bit Windows Program Support

Post by Aeneas »

Well... then what you TRULY need is:

1. - "support for the most common Win16-installers" - which can be badly hacked together, because you do not need to support "EVERY" Win16-Program; or:

2. - "support un-archiving". Mostly, those "installers" were nothing but a sort of "unzip". Indeed, file-roller on Linux does exactly that - it can extract the stuff out of these "installers" as if they are normal archives, it completely disregards the fact that they see themselves as "exe"-s.
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