Running Under Windows

[Tom Hubin]

Uwe Bonnes wrote:
> 
> Tom Hubin <thubin at clark.net> wrote:
> : Hello,
> 
> : I write a commercial marine navigation and tidal current prediction
> : application for Windows 3.1 (compiled with Borland c++ 3.1). I am
> : considering releasing this or a variant of this under something like
> : Linux. My goal is to continue to develop bells and whistles but to share
> : the load with others. No particular commercial goals.
> 
> : In order to get recreational sailboat racers to use it I would like the
> : public version to run under Windows too, if that is possible. Getting
> : them to use any software while racing is a challenge. Getting them to
> : install an OS that is not Windows will be nearly impossible.
> 
> : I am an electrical engineer and optical engineer but not a professional
> : programmer. I have been programming, as necessary, since the mid 1960's.
> : So I cannot exactly claim to be new to computers. But I will say that I
> : do not keep up with the software business. I am only vaguely familiar
> : with Linux capabilities.
> 
> : In the last 2 weeks I have connected with Linux Users Groups in Columbia
> : and Laurel MD. They have given me some ideas.
> 
> : Any suggestions on how to tackle this?
> 
> Wine's purpose is a twofold:
> - supply a runtime environment on X86 machines to run windows (3.1|32S |32)
> executables
> - supply a compiletime environment on any unix like machine to build genuine
> executables from win32 sourcecode. win31|32s cross-compilation is only
> partial supported and few enhancements are to be expected.
> 
> As your program is only win31, the second possibility is a no-op. So what
> you can do is
> - try possibility one. As you have the source and a build environment,
> chasing errors in Wine's runtime implementation might be easier to find than
> in binary only programs. Making available a buildable version showing errors
> might help wine hackers to tackle problems.
> - port your application to win32 and go to possibilty two again. Again
> errors might surface and providing code showing that error might help.
> 
> PS: Unzipping cuwin.zip and running "cd win31; wine cuwin.exe" brings up a
> program showing much functionality. A course testing didn't show a crash. So
> give wine a try and look yourself for errors.
> 
> Bye
> 
> --
> Uwe Bonnes                bon at elektron.ikp.physik.tu-darmstadt.de
> 
> Institut fuer Kernphysik  Schlossgartenstrasse 9  64289 Darmstadt
> --------- Tel. 06151 162516 -------- Fax. 06151 164321 ----------

Hello Uwe Bonnes,

Thanx for taking the time to download, execute and comment on Navigation
Made Easy. 

I guess the next step is to go ahead and partition my drive and install
one of the Linux's then Wine. I have Mandrake 6.5 purchased with
documentation. I have Mandrake 8.0 Beta 2 on CDs without printed
documentation. Is there a particular brand of Linux or Wine that you
recommend? 

The reason for Windows 3.1 right now is that my laptop is an 80486 50MHz
with 350MB drive, 20MB RAM, 1.44MB diskette, no CD drive. My desktop is
a Pentium with CD and several GB of disk. But it is the laptop on the
boat. And I do want to make changes and compile while on the boat. If I
cannot compile and run on my 486 please tell me now. I will eventually
get a newer 32 bit laptop but not this month. Nothing leftover after
taxes.

Where do I find out how to bundle my stuff with the appropriate Linux
policy info?

Again, thanx for your time.

Tom Hubin
thubin at calrk.net