Windows 96 v2
Windows 96 v2 is the current version of Windows 96 and was completely rewritten from scratch.
You can visit the main site at https://windows96.net.
Why the rewrite?
- The code was not well optimized and it was impossible to due so due to the inefficient source code structure.
- It became spaghetti code due to all the OS logic being fitted into one file.
- Because all code was fitted into one file, it was near impossible to make the code modular and the effort would be better spent rewriting the OS from scratch.
- Windows 96 v1 had a synchronous design all round, which meant that any async operations would not fit in well and make the spaghetti code situation even worse.
- WebFS's mixed asynchronous model still imposed annoying file limits often reached by regular users, and also generally made the experience feel much slower.
- Cross browser support was not 1:1 due to the lack of CSS normalization/use of browser specific functionality. This meant that Windows 96 would not have a consistent look across browsers.
- A more efficient OS architecture was proposed, where the pros of rewriting the OS eventually outweighed the cons of not rewriting it.
- To allow more than 1 developer to work on the source code without losing their mind.
Version Highlights
- Everything in the wiki is basically relevant.
Trivia
- The rewrite took around 6 months to be somewhat useable. During this time, the original Windows 96 community died out completely and many fans left without a trace.
- The COVID-19 pandemic also made it a pain to stay motivated to keep developing Windows 96.
- The project reached an extent were more than 1 developer was needed.