WABI/WINAPI - a Retraction
Byron A Jeff
Can someone in the know post the status of these two projects?
Followups to comp.os.linux.misc only.
> > > [ Someone in the ether wrote... ]
> > >Is there a WABI alike support for LINUX? If yes what it is call?
> > >And when would be available? (WABI is developed for SUN OS to run
> > >MS Windows application.)
> > [ I replied ]
> > Yes. It's pre-Alpha and doesn't do anything real yet. It can be found in
> > both the SLS 1.03 and latest Slackware distributions under winapi.tgz.
> > [ pschen deleted portion about it being pre-Alpha and currently unusable.]
> [ pschen stuck in my mailbox ]
> WA!! So good, I hope "WABI alike" can be product .
> Can it run Windows-program,OS/2,MAC?
> I hope it can !!:)
[ My reply to pschen. And retraction ]
I've confused two different development efforts. The WINAPI stuff allows
you compile windows sources and it substitutes X calls for the Windows calls.
That's what's in the SLS/Slackware distributions.
The WABI stuff will allow you to run Windows Binaries directly. Again from
what I understand there will be an equivalent to a Windows DLL that will
translate windows calls to X calls dynamically.
Now before you go off jumping for joy:
1) WINAPI is in pre-alpha.
2) The WABI folks aren't talking. I have not seen any software yet.
3) We're talking Windows only. Linux's job is not to emulate every OS on
the planet. It's just that there is such a huge body of DOS/Windows
programs - that being able to run them without leaving Linux and to be
able to run other programs while DOS/Windows programs execute is a useful
tool.
---------------------- Personal opinion time -----------------------------
I personally prefer Linux based tools and programs to DOS/Windows programs.
Unix code is generally cleaner - more readable - and has calls I know and
understand. WABI is useful because there are a few useful Windows programs
that required a tremendous amount of programming effort, only has the binary
available and doesn't have a Linux equivalent on the horizon. WABI will
execute those binaries.
So I'd advise in the meantime to just keep a partition available with all of
the DOS/Windows programs that you absolutely must have. Migrate everything
else to Linux.
Incidentally I was cleaning out my DOS partition last night. I found about
13 Meg of stuff (out of 21 Meg) that I'd either moved to Linux, or didn't need.
And now that I have DOSEMU running (Yeah! That's a program to jump for joy
about...) I can run the few DOS applications my wife uses from Linux.
Life is good.
BAJ
---
Another random extraction from the mental bit stream of...
Byron A. Jeff - PhD student operating in parallel!
Georgia Tech, Atlanta GA 30332 Internet: by...@cc.gatech.edu
Byron A Jeff
SUMMARY: It's being worked on. It's making progress. We'll be informed when
something useful is done. The developers need help. So if you have
time/energy join the WABI channel.
Here is the info I just received by Email (thanks Kurt!)
----------------- WINE INFO BY EMAIL --------------------------------
The WABI project is now using the name "Wine". I'm not involved, but
here's the README from tsx-11.mit.edu:/pub/linux/ALPHA/Wine.
----- begin included README -----
The Wine project for linux is an attempt to write something
with similar functionality to the WABI that was developed by Sun.
The basic goal is to be able to take a MS-Windows binary and
run it under Linux with X-Windows running. The finished product will
essentiaily consist of two parts:
a) A program loader, which will load the Windows binary into
the virtual memory of the linux process, provide a means for adjusting
the ldt of the processor so that the 16-bit segments that are
typically used with Windows binaries will work correctly, and provide
a means for calling the Windows binary in the first place, allowing
the Windows binary to call back to the 32-bit mode program, and
finally allow the 32-bit mode program to call back again to the
Windows binary (i.e. Windows callbacks). In each case, the arguments
being passed wil have to be pulled from the appropriate stack and
loaded on to the other stack (there will be a 16 bit and a 32 bit
stack). Finally some application specfic DLL libraries will have to
be loaded, and dynamic linking will have to be performed.
b) The second part of the finished product is an emulation
library, which takes calls to Windows functions, and somehow
translates these into calls to X11 in one fashion or another, so that
equivalent functionality is achieved.
It should be pointed out that the Windows binary will be
running directly - there will be no need for machine level emulation
of the instructions. Sun has reported better performance with their
version of WABI than is actually achieved under MS-Windows -
theoretically the same result is possible under linux.
The project got started as a result of discussions on
comp.os.linux in early June of 1993. A mail channel was set up for
discussions, and this directory was created. At the moment, all of
the files that are uploaded are in the private directory in a hidden
directory. The reason for this is that the program is really only of
use to developers right now. Once something is ready for public
consumption, it will be uploaded to a publicly visible directory.
The final product will almost certainly be under the GNU Public License
(or GPL for short).
If you are interested in getting involved in this project,
join the linux activists' WABI channel. Also, I will do my best to
answer any question mailed to me. My address is "b...@amscons.com".
***************************************************************
Status Report - August 4, 1993
The loader portion is nearing completion. Sample Windows
binaries are loaded correctly into memory, dynamicly linked and so
forth. The 16/32 bit call interface is fairly complete. There are
still a few features that remain to be added before it can be
considered "done", but it is at the point where it is actually useful.
Resource loading and software interrupt handling is still not done.
A very minimal version of the emulation library has been
merged with the loader. Windows can be created, DC's may be used,
bitmaps are partially handled, text drawing is implemented, and
a preliminary implementation of menus has been created.
-Bob
----- end included README -----
Just thought you might like to know!
-Kurt Hockenbury
Byron A Jeff
WINE - a Linux based Windows Binary loader/library.
Not Linux execute (what the hell does that mean??? ;-)
Mark A. Davis
>First of all the Linux binary execute project is called WINE.
>SUMMARY: It's being worked on. It's making progress. We'll be informed when
> something useful is done. The developers need help. So if you have
> time/energy join the WABI channel.
>Here is the info I just received by Email (thanks Kurt!)
>----------------- WINE INFO BY EMAIL --------------------------------
>----- end included README -----
>Just thought you might like to know!
Yes, thank you. I appreciate the status info and summary. I don't have
time to join all the mail channels. Perhaps it would be a good idea to
set up "formal" status reports on projects for posting to USENET. It could
eliminate lots of questions and wondering. Thanks!
--
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| Mark A. Davis | Lake Taylor Hospital | Norfolk, VA (804)-461-5001x431 |
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Rob Prior
Mark A. Davis <ma...@taylor.uucp> wrote:
>Yes, thank you. I appreciate the status info and summary. I don't have
>time to join all the mail channels. Perhaps it would be a good idea to
>set up "formal" status reports on projects for posting to USENET. It could
>eliminate lots of questions and wondering. Thanks!
Since we're on the subject of mail channels, how can someone join a mail
channel? I would like to join the WABI/WINE mail channel (not as a
contributor, I would just like to follow the progress... My programming
skills are almost nil).
Any pointers would be appreciated.
Rob Prior
ro...@unixg.ubc.ca
Bob Amstadt
>2) The WABI folks aren't talking. I have not seen any software yet.
Well, considering the fact that we only got started in June, I think
we are pretty far along. We don't have any off-the-shelf binaries
running yet, but we can run binaries that contain only implemented
API functions.
We are always looking for more help. Only four people have provided code
to the current emulator. I would gues that 80% of that code has been
written by two people. If you would like to join the effort, join the
linux-activists WABI channel.
The name of the project is now Wine, and we have a directory under
/pub/linux/ALPHA on tsx-11. Currently there is only a README file
which contains information about the status of the project.
--
Bob Amstadt
b...@amscons.com