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Loss32: An idea for a Linux designed around Win32 apps (www.theregister.com)

submitted 5 days ago by cm0002@literature.cafe to c/linux@programming.dev

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What if, rather than make a Linux distro that can run Windows apps, you built the whole distro around Windows binaries instead?

Loss32 is the most gleefully deranged idea for how to put together a Linux OS that we think we have ever read about in three and a half decades… but it's not impossible. Not only could it be done, there could be real advantages to doing it this way.

The idea comes from a blogger and developer known as Hikari no Yume ("Dream of Light" in Japanese) who made it public at the 39th Chaos Communication Congress in Germany at the end of December.

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[–] LeFantome@programming.dev 16 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago) (1 children)

While I do not disagree, it is important to realize that this was named in early 90’s.

When Windows NT was released, an important aspect of the architecture was the idea that it had “sub-systems” to provide app compatibility.

The Win32 sub-system (Windows apps) was just one of them. It’s full name was the Windows sub-system for Win32.

There was also the sub-system for POSIX (UNIX compatibility to win government contracts) and the sub-system for OS/2. OS/2 was interesting as it was still expected to be the important competitor and because it was originally going to be a Microsoft OS so Microsoft had customers that had written OS/2 apps.

The Windows sub-system for POSIX was never any good. It was just good enough to check boxes and win procurement contracts. Windows NT became quite successful and UNIX compatibility was not important.

That is, until Linux became popular.

So, when Microsoft added Linux application compatibility to Windows, it was naturally to call it the Windows sub-system for Linux.

I agree that the name sucks but it makes sense in a historical context.

[–] unexposedhazard@discuss.tchncs.de 4 points 5 days ago

Interesting, thanks for the lil summary :)