5 ms·

I wonder what it would take to create/put-together a minimal window manager and stripped down version of Linux wired to run Windows software as its default mode

I wonder what it would take to create/put-together a minimal window manager and stripped down version of Linux wired to run Windows software as its default mode or purpose. Would it rival ReactOS or is Wine simply too unstable to truly serve as a "whole" OS?

frozenport 11y ago
The hallmark Windows apps dont run in WINE: Office, VS, Photoshop. The only advantage of the distro would be for games.
- voltagex_ 11y ago
  Help me submit bug reports for them then - first, which versions are you targetting?
- voltagex_ 11y ago
  Visual Studio 2015 - https://appdb.winehq.org/objectManager.php?sClass=version&iId=32486 https://appdb.winehq.org/objectManager.php?sClass=version&iI..., needs more investigation Office 2013 - https://appdb.winehq.org/objectManager.php?sClass=version&iId=26323 https://appdb.winehq.org/objectManager.php?sClass=version&iI... - at least this has a backtrace in the bug report Photoshop - https://appdb.winehq.org/objectManager.php?sClass=version&iId=25607 https://appdb.winehq.org/objectManager.php?sClass=version&iI... - CS6 might work!
bananaoomarang 11y ago
This is something I have thought about before. Perhaps more useful would be a desktop shell/WM that automatically manages bottling, plugs into PlayOnLinux when it makes sense etc. Building a usability and automated layer over Wine could compete with RiskOS I think.
bkeroack 11y ago
Google "Lindows". A company tried to do exactly this circa 2001.
- icebraining 11y ago
  It came with the added fun of having Microsoft sue them, just to have the court say that "Windows" in the OS context is not a defensible trademark!
  - marrs 11y ago
    At which point MS settled out of court and kept Lindows in business for many years to come.
- nitrogen 11y ago
  I happened to work there. Their app store was a much bigger focus internally than the ability to run Windows apps. I think one of their bigger mistakes was charging for Free Software apps in their Click-n-Run app store. The company's probably long enough gone that I can mention there was an easter egg in earlier versions of the app store client, with developer credits. You had to queue apps to install such that their first letters spelled Click-n-Run, then press Ctrl-Alt-Shift-C. The easiest way to do it was using KDE2's dcop -- DBUS has nothing on DCOP's ease of use and discoverability.

frozenport 11y ago

The hallmark Windows apps dont run in WINE: Office, VS, Photoshop. The only advantage of the distro would be for games.

voltagex_ 11y ago
Help me submit bug reports for them then - first, which versions are you targetting?
voltagex_ 11y ago
Visual Studio 2015 - https://appdb.winehq.org/objectManager.php?sClass=version&iId=32486 https://appdb.winehq.org/objectManager.php?sClass=version&iI..., needs more investigation Office 2013 - https://appdb.winehq.org/objectManager.php?sClass=version&iId=26323 https://appdb.winehq.org/objectManager.php?sClass=version&iI... - at least this has a backtrace in the bug report Photoshop - https://appdb.winehq.org/objectManager.php?sClass=version&iId=25607 https://appdb.winehq.org/objectManager.php?sClass=version&iI... - CS6 might work!

bananaoomarang 11y ago

This is something I have thought about before. Perhaps more useful would be a desktop shell/WM that automatically manages bottling, plugs into PlayOnLinux when it makes sense etc. Building a usability and automated layer over Wine could compete with RiskOS I think.

bkeroack 11y ago

Google "Lindows". A company tried to do exactly this circa 2001.

icebraining 11y ago
It came with the added fun of having Microsoft sue them, just to have the court say that "Windows" in the OS context is not a defensible trademark!
- marrs 11y ago
  At which point MS settled out of court and kept Lindows in business for many years to come.
nitrogen 11y ago
I happened to work there. Their app store was a much bigger focus internally than the ability to run Windows apps. I think one of their bigger mistakes was charging for Free Software apps in their Click-n-Run app store. The company's probably long enough gone that I can mention there was an easter egg in earlier versions of the app store client, with developer credits. You had to queue apps to install such that their first letters spelled Click-n-Run, then press Ctrl-Alt-Shift-C. The easiest way to do it was using KDE2's dcop -- DBUS has nothing on DCOP's ease of use and discoverability.