Why Windows 3.1 Is My Favorite Operating System for My Raspberry Pi

Raspberry Pis are often related to lightweight Linux working techniques, like Raspberry Pi OS, however they do not need to. You need to use heavy desktop variants, or, in case you’re feeling particularly daring, outdated variations of Home windows. Here is why I’ve began utilizing Home windows 3.1 on my Pi.

Significantly, Why Use Home windows 3.1?

Home windows 3.1 (or, in case you’re feeling a bit extra trendy, Home windows 95) comes with acquainted consumer interfaces, a number of apps, or “applications”, and no bloat, until you depend Notepad. Even underneath emulation, these historical variations of Home windows fly—they’re extremely responsive, and menus open immediately, most likely as a result of they don’t seem to be rendered utilizing inefficient HTML5 or making an attempt to obtain information content material and proposals to show alongside your listing of applications ( you, Home windows 11).

You additionally get to keep your privacy, as there is no telemetry, no “expertise enchancment,” promoting IDs, or any of that nonsense. Your working system is simply an working system, a handy option to handle your information and open the software program you really wish to use. 90s software program additionally predates the present development of including about 20 pixels of padding to each menu merchandise and window border (ostensibly for contact customers, even on working techniques which might be hardly ever seen on touchscreen gadgets). Info is dense, and all of the textual content is daring and crisp in its pixelated glory.

Many of those benefits are additionally shared by lightweight Linux distros for the Raspberry Pi (together with Raspberry Pi OS), however along with being form of kitsch and funky, legacy variations of Home windows have tonnes of software program and video games. Abandonware abounds (relying on the legality of it in your nation), and you’ll find early Home windows and DOS variations of virtually each standard productiveness or workplace software on-line (once more, up for grabs if it is authorized, or you will have an outdated license that fell behind your desk 35ish years in the past). There’s additionally DOOM.

Model

Raspberry Pi

Storage

8GB

CPU

Cortex A7

Reminiscence

8GB

It is solely beneficial for tech-savvy customers, however the Raspberry Pi 5 is a tinkerer’s dream. Low cost, extremely customizable, and with nice onboard specs, it is a strong base in your subsequent mini PC.

I’m Bought, How’s Do You Set up Home windows 3.1 on a Raspberry Pi?

DOSBox is an emulator that allows you to run MSDOS software program on Linux, and as Home windows 3.1 is a DOS utility, getting it working is fairly simple. Whereas there are pre-made Raspberry Pi pictures for this, like Dosbian, I am at all times cautious of simply working any code pulled from the Web and like to place issues collectively myself.

So, first issues first, I put in Raspberry Pi OS (with desktop) on my Raspberry Pi 4, related to Wi-Fi and ran sudo apt improve && sudo apt replace to get every thing prepared. Desktop auto-login must be enabled by default. If not, it may be enabled utilizing the Raspberry Pi Configuration software.

I’ve chosen as well to the desktop earlier than launching DOSBox largely for simplicity, particularly as a result of I wish to auto-mount USB sticks to allow them to be learn by DOS or Home windows. Raspberry Pi OS does this by default, however I do not need it exhibiting the auto-run popup each time a tool is related. That is disabled by opening the File Supervisor Preferences, after which underneath Quantity Administration unchecking “Present out there choices for detachable media when they’re inserted.”

Subsequent, I put in DOSBox by working sudo apt set up dosbox -y. I am utilizing the model of DosBox that is out there through the apt bundle supervisor, however if you wish to use this past it being a little bit of a novelty, you may get extra correct emulation and higher efficiency with DOSbox-X.

I created a brand new listing named win311 in my House Folder, and added the next BASH script file named launch.sh:

#!/bin/bash
# Wait 3 seconds for any related USB drives to mount
sleep 3
exec dosbox -conf /residence/pi/win311/dosbox.conf

This script waits just a few seconds for any USB drives to complete mounting after the system has booted, then launches DOSbox with the configuration file dosbox.conf, created in the identical listing (in case you’re following alongside, you may have to replace the trail to mirror your individual username somewhat than the default “pi”).

[sdl]
fullscreen=true
fullresolution=desktop
windowresolution=unique
output=texture
[dosbox]
machine=svga_s3
memsize=16
[cpu]
core=auto
cputype=auto
cycles=auto
cycleup=10
cycledown=20
[render]
side=true
scaler=none
[mixer]
charge=44100
blocksize=1024
prebumer=20
[sblaster]
sbtype=sb16
irq=5
dma=1
hdma=5
oplmode=auto
oplrate=44100
[autoexec]
@echo om
REM --- Map USB mother or father listing as U: so all plugged-in USB drives seem as sub-folders.
mount U "/media/pi" -t dir
path Z:;C:DOS;C:WINDOWS
REM --- Count on a Home windows 3.11 set up current in WINDOWS inside c_drive
mount C "/residence/pi/win311/c_drive"
C:
noshare /set up
win

Most of these items is simply DOSBox configuration you possibly can ignore, aside from the bit underneath the [autoexec] line. Right here, the paths must be up to date along with your username as an alternative of “pi”. The noshare /set up command fixes a bit DOSBox downside mentioned later, and win is the command that may launch Home windows when it has been put in.

Whilst you’re within the win311 listing, create a brand new listing named c_drive. This would be the exhausting drive in your emulated Home windows field.

To robotically launch DOSBox after your desktop has loaded, create the file ~/.config/autostart/win311.desktop and add the next to it:

[Desktop Entry]
Kind=Software
Title=Home windows 3.11
Exec=/residence/pi/win311/launch.sh
Terminal=false
X-GNOME-Autostart-enabled=true

Putting in Home windows on a Raspberry Pi

Now, when your Pi has completed booting to the Desktop, the launch.sh script will run, and the DOSBox configuration will robotically launch Home windows. All that is wanted now’s Home windows! You possibly can both use your individual Home windows 3.11 set up media, or discover it on-line from someplace that’s legally offering it. I am utilizing Home windows 3.11 for Workgroups, equipped on 8 separate 3.44MB floppy disk pictures. It is also attainable to only copy the information from an current Home windows set up, however I wished a clear slate.

The simplest option to carry out the set up is to create a listing named WINSETUP within the c_drive listing and extract all of the set up pictures to it utilizing the command 7z x-y -0″/residence/pi/win311/c_drive/WINSETUP” ~/win311/setup_disks/Disk01.img and re-running the command for every disk picture till they’re all extracted.

Then, run the launch script from the terminal with the command sh launch.sh. As soon as DOSBox has launched, set up Home windows by navigating to the WINSETUP listing with the instructions C:adopted by CD WINSETUP, after which working the SETUP command.

Then it is only a matter of following the bouncing ball and coming into the required data when prompted.

As soon as Home windows has efficiently put in, it is best to be capable of reboot your Raspberry Pi and be taken straight to the Home windows 3.11 desktop. Neat!

In the event you open the File Supervisor in Home windows, you may even see your USB sticks underneath the U: drive (per the config above), so you possibly can conveniently switch applications and information out of your different gadgets.

There may be one little hitch with this methodology: DOSBox would not embrace the share command that some software program requires. In the event you resolve that you just really wish to use your retro Home windows setup for extra than simply tinkering, you possibly can both swap to DOSBox-X, use an actual model of MSDOS in DOSBox. I selected to make use of noshare, a program that mocks the share command, as a workaround as a result of I am lazy. You will discover noshare out there for download on the Vogons forum, however notice that I am unable to vouch for it, although any injury it might do can be fairly restricted in DOSBox working on a Raspberry Pi that is not related to your community.

I’ve downloaded and extracted the NOSHARE.COM file to the c_drive listing in order that it may be referred to as by the noshare /set up that was identified within the dosbox.conf file earlier. Notice that whereas this lets applications that require the share command run, it would not really carry out its function (locking information). This is not going to essentially current an issue for single-user techniques, however should trigger some software program to misbehave.

And that is it! There’s a number of out of date Home windows software program archived on-line, and keep in mind you even have the entire DOS library to discover as nicely (together with DOOM!). All of this software program works simply in addition to it did when it was launched, and infrequently nonetheless holds up for gentle duties and a little bit of enjoyable.

There’s additionally DOOM (pictured working on my dirty Pi check bench).

Raspberry Pis Are Nonetheless a Tinkerer’s Dream

On the lookout for extra Raspberry Pi tasks for wet weekends? Here’s 7 of them. If these do not swimsuit you, here’s another 7 that you can finish in under an hour.

That ought to preserve you busy!