Re: Windows 3.1 Support

[Stas Sergeev <stsp@aknet.ru>]

Hello.

Julius Schwartzenberg wrote:
> The docs on setting it up would be pretty similar right?
I think so.

> Does the setup program for MS Windows also work now in Dosemu?
To my great surprise no it doesn't,
it still has the same problem as WinOS2
had...

> What versions are currently tested?
> (Both 3.1, 3.11 and Workgroups, 
> non-Workgroups?)
3.11 and "Windows for Workgroups" is
the same thing AFAIK.
Both 3.1 and 3.11 are known to work.

> Are you sure there aren't any extra advantages with this?
I don't know. People seem to not like
WinOS2, but as for me there are no
advantages in avoiding it at all.
It may even be a little faster as it
doesn't need the virtualization of LDT.

> I cannot run
> MS-DOS programs from within WinOS/2 for example. I always thought this
> was a WinOS/2 limitation.
It appears not. This is the limitation
of both FreeDOS and dosemu. FreeDOS can
be improved, but dosemu will have to
provide the whole lot of VxD code to
allow the concurrent DOS sessions. Such
a code is not in Wine, neither it is
documented. So unless someone is to
invest some *real* work into it (like
Win4Lin guys did), I'd say there are no
hopes. But hey, that's silly:) You can
just start multiple xdosemu sessions
and get much more reliable environment
that the one of Win3.1.

> Also I tried to install a game in MS Windows at some point 
> (Phantasmagoria) and it didn't work. I also couldn't play the videos 
> that came with it.
There are many things to improve in
windows support. You may start filling
up the bug reports on it, but right
now there are still many known problems
to work out, so the bugs will have to
wait (on BTS).

>> move towards win95 support, but nothing more.
> That would be really great of course :)
> Dosemu would be pretty similar to Win4Lin then I think.
Win4Lin did a great work. Dosemu is
unlikely to catch up. But running win95
with the very limited capabilities would
also be nice.
Btw, it may be possible already I think.
AFAIK some very early Chicago betas were
able to boot in 3.1 mode (by executing
win31.exe IIRC). Later the kernel was
reworked and the 3.1 mode was abandonned.
I think this may even run under dosemu.
But getting such a Windows looks problematic
these days.

> Hmm, was it also possible with WinOS/2 to play videos?
Depends on dosemu version I think. Since
1.2.2 it might be possible.