Loss32: Let's Build a Win32/Linux • Hacker News Board

Re: Loss32: Let's Build a Win32/Linux

#11

Post by andy_ppp » Tue, Dec 30, 2025, 2:01 PM UTC

rickcarlino wrote: post #7

Building GUI utilities based on VB6 instead of status quo web technologies might actually be more stable and productive.

Honestly, it’s probably faster and less resource intensive through emulation than your average Electron app :-/

Re: Loss32: Let's Build a Win32/Linux

#12

Post by znpy » Tue, Dec 30, 2025, 2:09 PM UTC

> What is this? A dream of a Linux distribution where the entire desktop environment is Win32 software running under WINE.

I might unironically use this. The Windows 2000 era desktop was light and practical.

I wonder how well it performs with modern high-resolution, high-dpi displays.

Re: Loss32: Let's Build a Win32/Linux

#13

Post by andrewf » Tue, Dec 30, 2025, 2:10 PM UTC

Starting with FreeBSD might be easier than starting with Debian then removing all the GNUisms. But perhaps not as much Type II fun.

Re: Loss32: Let's Build a Win32/Linux

#14

Post by foxrider » Tue, Dec 30, 2025, 2:14 PM UTC

I mean... isn't that just X11 light compositor (like IceWM) with binfmt enabled?

Re: Loss32: Let's Build a Win32/Linux

#15

Post by oybng » Tue, Dec 30, 2025, 2:17 PM UTC

It still puzzles me decades later how MS built the most functional, intuitive and optimised desktop environment possible then simply threw it away

Re: Loss32: Let's Build a Win32/Linux

#16

Post by pjmlp » Tue, Dec 30, 2025, 2:18 PM UTC

rickcarlino wrote: post #7

Building GUI utilities based on VB6 instead of status quo web technologies might actually be more stable and productive.

I would vote for Delphi/FreePascal, but share the sentiment.

Re: Loss32: Let's Build a Win32/Linux

#17

Post by pjmlp » Tue, Dec 30, 2025, 2:20 PM UTC

ezoe wrote: post #6

But would you want to run these Win32 software on Linux for daily use? I don't.

Gamers have no other option, and thanks Valve, game studios have no reasons left to bother with native Linux clients.

Just target Windows, business as usual, and let Valve do the hard work.

Re: Loss32: Let's Build a Win32/Linux

#18

Post by hypeatei » Tue, Dec 30, 2025, 2:21 PM UTC

oybng wrote: post #15

It still puzzles me decades later how MS built the most functional, intuitive and optimised desktop environment possible then simply threw it away

It still is if you're an enterprise customer. The retail users aren't Microsoft's cash cows, so they get ads and BS in their editions. The underlying APIs are still stable and MS provides the LTSC & Server editions to businesses which lack all that retail cruft.

Re: Loss32: Let's Build a Win32/Linux

#19

Post by pjmlp » Tue, Dec 30, 2025, 2:22 PM UTC

Thus reinforcing development tools that target Windows desktop even further, the OS/2 lesson repeats itself.

And failing everything else, Microsoft is in the position to put WSL center and front, and yet again, that is the laptops that normies will buy.

Re: Loss32: Let's Build a Win32/Linux

#20

Post by hxorr » Tue, Dec 30, 2025, 2:22 PM UTC

znpy wrote: post #12

> What is this? A dream of a Linux distribution where the entire desktop environment is Win32 software running under WINE. I might unironically use this. The Windows 2000 era desktop was light and practical. I wonder how well it performs with modern high-resolution, high-dpi displays.

I've also had the same thought...