Windows 9x Subsystem for Linux

Article

TL;DR

Modern Linux kernel running cooperatively inside DOS-derived Windows 9x, no hardware virtualization required.

Key Takeaways

• Windows 9x is DOS-derived — making Linux emulation fundamentally harder than NT-based WSL
• Uses virtual 8086 mode despite the ‘no hardware virtualization’ claim in the README
• Window chrome doesn’t render correctly yet — impressive proof-of-concept, not production-ready

Discussion

Top comments:

• [ryanshrott]: NT was designed for POSIX from day one; 9x was pure DOS — completely different problem

  Windows 9x, by contrast, was DOS-derived. Running Linux inside it would require fundamentally d

• [fouc]: One-line summary of the feat: Linux kernel running cooperatively inside Windows 9x kernel
• [pwdisswordfishq]: Catches the contradiction: ‘no hardware virtualisation’ but virtual 8086 mode is inside
• [defrost]: Plans to run it inside Windows 95 on a Sun PC card under Solaris 7 — layers all the way down

  I am going to run this in Windows 95 on a Sun PC card under Solaris 7.

Discuss on HN