6 ms·

SolveSpace (open source 2D/3D CAD) working on Windows 2000 (2025)

40 points by ruevs 6mo ago

SolveSpace just became "officially" available for the Web (https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47586614 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47586614), it is also officially supported on Windows (Vista-11), Linux and macOS. However with a little effort it also compiles for and runs on Windows 2000. Here it is: https://github.com/solvespace/solvespace/issues/1036#issuecomment-3405830198 https://github.com/solvespace/solvespace/issues/1036#issueco... So it runs on all the majour platforms from the last 26 years (excluding MacOS 9).

deleted 6mo ago
[deleted]
Multicomp 6mo ago
I still tell myself if I going to vibecode a windows app, it will be native and suport 2000 and be a completely static linked executive. Petzold style programming may require memory unsafe legacy languages, but boy does the resulting small fast program with accelerafor keys and native themeable controls make me comfortable. Im still bummed the web won the UI wars.
- ruevs 6mo ago
  Someone at Microsoft thinks the same ;-) https://github.com/microsoft/edit https://github.com/microsoft/edit If you have Windows 11 it comes with this new (open source) `edit` written in Rust - open a command prompt and type `edit`. This is somewhat amusing, considering all the bloat that it comes with otherwise. Even `notepad` has become rather... feature full... it has tabs, spell checking and AI...
userbinator 6mo ago
I wonder how much more effort it would take to get working on Win9x (the first of the Win32 API).
- ghssds 6mo ago
  The first OS supporting Win32 API isn't Windows 95. Win32s for Windows 3.1x: 1993 Windows NT 3.1: 1993 Windows NT 3.5: 1994 Windows NT 3.51: 1995 (may) Windows 95: 1995 (july)
- ruevs 6mo ago
  I wondered the same and actually tried it on Windows 95 - it will be a bit more work. The bottom screen shots in this comment https://github.com/solvespace/solvespace/issues/1036#issuecomment-3405830198 https://github.com/solvespace/solvespace/issues/1036#issueco... are the missing APIs on Win95... I expect the build for Windows 2000 may work on NT 4.0, because it has OpenGL, but Windows 3.11 with Win32s will never work - because it does not have OpenGL(I think...). And Unicode will also be a problem https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unicode_in_Microsoft_Windows https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unicode_in_Microsoft_Windows
bschwindHN 6mo ago
The UI fits right in, in a good way!

40 points by ruevs 6mo ago

deleted 6mo ago

[deleted]

Multicomp 6mo ago

I still tell myself if I going to vibecode a windows app, it will be native and suport 2000 and be a completely static linked executive. Petzold style programming may require memory unsafe legacy languages, but boy does the resulting small fast program with accelerafor keys and native themeable controls make me comfortable. Im still bummed the web won the UI wars.

ruevs 6mo ago
Someone at Microsoft thinks the same ;-) https://github.com/microsoft/edit https://github.com/microsoft/edit If you have Windows 11 it comes with this new (open source) `edit` written in Rust - open a command prompt and type `edit`. This is somewhat amusing, considering all the bloat that it comes with otherwise. Even `notepad` has become rather... feature full... it has tabs, spell checking and AI...

userbinator 6mo ago

I wonder how much more effort it would take to get working on Win9x (the first of the Win32 API).

ghssds 6mo ago
The first OS supporting Win32 API isn't Windows 95. Win32s for Windows 3.1x: 1993 Windows NT 3.1: 1993 Windows NT 3.5: 1994 Windows NT 3.51: 1995 (may) Windows 95: 1995 (july)
ruevs 6mo ago
I wondered the same and actually tried it on Windows 95 - it will be a bit more work. The bottom screen shots in this comment https://github.com/solvespace/solvespace/issues/1036#issuecomment-3405830198 https://github.com/solvespace/solvespace/issues/1036#issueco... are the missing APIs on Win95... I expect the build for Windows 2000 may work on NT 4.0, because it has OpenGL, but Windows 3.11 with Win32s will never work - because it does not have OpenGL(I think...). And Unicode will also be a problem https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unicode_in_Microsoft_Windows https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unicode_in_Microsoft_Windows

bschwindHN 6mo ago

The UI fits right in, in a good way!