I programmed a lot of real mode x86 assembly under DOS in the late 80s. I didn't have a ton of money, was a kid, and wasn't located close to any tech business (rural western Ohio). The bits and pieces I saw about Windows development on BBSs and in magazines were arcane and strange. I wondered how it all worked but, frustratingly, couldn't get my hands on the documentation or development tools.
Reading articles like this are fun glimpses into a world I dreamt about in my youth. It's a ton of fun, even if I'm probably never going to write any code related to it.
There was a lot of cleverness in the DOS-based Windows family, especially in dealing with constrained resources. I'm not sad it died out (because it lacked the overarching "real operating system" design), but I'm pleased to see it getting brought out into the open.
All in all, this was a very fun project to do, as Windows/386 was really lacking the kind of in-depth analysis that its successors got. I hope to update the project in the future, as well as maybe pivot to something like OS/2.
I read it about halfway through before the kiddos started screaming. Overall very good.
One nitpick: maybe provide just a bit more detail regarding how your/your friend came to some of the conclusions. It isn't because I don't believe anything, however I'm just an old timer (somewhat, elder millennial) who likes to know how things work/how you guys game to the conclusions you did. Not a full rundown, obviously, however I did see quite a few assumptions that were only partially explained. Seems to be a good read, however, and I'll finish it tomorrow.
Unauthorized Windows/386
(virtuallyfun.com)46 points by Bogdanp 9 September 2025 | 5 comments
Comments
Reading articles like this are fun glimpses into a world I dreamt about in my youth. It's a ton of fun, even if I'm probably never going to write any code related to it.
There was a lot of cleverness in the DOS-based Windows family, especially in dealing with constrained resources. I'm not sad it died out (because it lacked the overarching "real operating system" design), but I'm pleased to see it getting brought out into the open.
One nitpick: maybe provide just a bit more detail regarding how your/your friend came to some of the conclusions. It isn't because I don't believe anything, however I'm just an old timer (somewhat, elder millennial) who likes to know how things work/how you guys game to the conclusions you did. Not a full rundown, obviously, however I did see quite a few assumptions that were only partially explained. Seems to be a good read, however, and I'll finish it tomorrow.