February 25, 2019 at 13:49Is there life under Windows 98, part two - about software
I tightened quite a bit with the sequel. Partly due to work, partly due to laziness, partly due to the fact that the task was somewhat more voluminous. But I will not talk about all the searches, I will give only the results.
Although first you need to determine what to mean by life :-)
Typically, retro-computers are assembled for retro-games. With them, as a rule, there are no special problems (well, except relevant for that era). Therefore, consider this "life" is not worth it. I looked at life from a more everyday point of view - to sit on the Internet, type text, listen to music, watch a movie. Although, of course, the latter depends not so much on the OS as on the hardware used. My toilet should be enough for DVD and divx, but with x264 and later codecs, it may not be able to cope.
In order not to return, let me remind you of the iron. Assembled a computer, relevant around 2001.
Celeron Tualatin 1200 @ 1600 (133 on the bus), 512 megabytes of memory (the motherboard on the 815 chipset no longer sees).
The video card has changed since the last article was published - instead of Matrox I installed the GeForce2 MX200. The choice, even for 2001, is not the best, but the GeForce3 could not be found; the existing MX440 is already a bit later. And I saw MX200 paired with pentiums4 in the 2004-2005 configs, people even tried to play them in San Andreas.
Sound Card - Still SB Live!
The rest is trifles.
As follows from the topic, OS - Windows 98SE, Russian.
In nature, there is a win98IF assembly with a bunch of drivers and software, but I don’t like it because of that very heap. Too much unnecessary, even Photoshop managed to shove. You can’t get a simple Windows even in the minimal version. Therefore, I chose to install update packages from maximus on a clean OS.
There is also in nature a 300 megabyte auto-patcher with a tail that puts everything on its own, but it is more imprisoned for the English version, and I did not want to understand what was stuck in these 300 megabytes.
Further I will give links to the software used mainly to mega.nz, where I downloaded it myself - because I'm more or less sure of their liveliness.
Well, in general, in order not to go far, let everything be in one place.
Although the first thing put IE6sp1 .
Then Maximus Decim Cumulative Update 3.05 (updates, support for large disks, support for usb storage, etc.).
Then DirectX 9c .
Then MD InternetExplorer 6.0sp1 Component Update 3.4 - updates for IE6
MD Data Access Component Update - all kinds of components for accessing data (XML, ODBC, etc.).
Next KernelEx-4.5.2.exe- "windows emulator for windows", allows you to run on Windows 9x programs that are designed for later versions of the OS, adding settings to the program properties like compatibility mode from the NT line. Not a panacea - some programs do not start using kernelex as well. But life is still somewhat easier.
Finished everything by installing .Net 1.1 and 2.0 - just to have it.
Well, purely for aesthetic reasons, he added support for prettiness with 32-bit icons ( RP9.7 ).
It turned out somehow like this (though this is already with spoilers as part of the software :)):
Yes, for my own convenience, I mainly set up experiments in the VirtualBox virtual machine. This introduces some features, for example, the same Firefox in the virtual machine I flattened much more than on real hardware.
The browser in 98SE initially stands, sorry for the expression, Internet Explorer 5. With it, wherever you go - everywhere you run into "something is wrong with this site" (because of https). But, strangely enough, Google opens normally - it switches to http for ancient browsers.
But almost any link from the search results already breaks. Although you can order a saved copy and try to read something there.
As a result, after much entertainment, I came to the conclusion that the last sensible native browser for 98 is Opera 9.64, but it is already not enough. As a result, using KernelEx, I managed to launch Opera 12.02 and Firefox 10.0.12 ESR .
Firefox opens a little more sites, the opera is easier for the system and works more stable. But all sorts of modern frameworks do not like both browsers.
Habr in opera 9.64 looks like this:
In firefox and opera 12.02 it’s something like this:
Only if the opera on the habr still moves somehow, does firefox stop responding to commands after opening the page.
Because the main browser is opera, and firefox is in the wings.
In general, the sites that I regularly use (under the names of sites - screenshots of how the site opens). Checked in opera 12.02, though under Windows 10 (again for convenience).
google.com -
gmail works - basic html version. Although this is familiar to me, even on modern browser computers I prefer it.
google maps - does not work
yandex.ru - works, although script errors get
out yandex. mail - works
maps.yandex.ru - conditionally works. Complains about the old browser, but at least it opens, unlike Google. Problems only with hardware requirements. On p3-1.6 / 512, everything happens sooooo slowly and with frequent holes of the form “no data”.
metro.yandex.ru - this is about the same as with cards. In principle, the browser is supported and everything is pretty leisurely rendered on the main computer, but on p3 the map is loading forever.
ixbt.com - in opera 12.02 sometimes eternal download, sometimes it opens. And at 9.64 it opened stably. In firefox opens.
forum.ixbt.com- it works, although sometimes you have to get the registration form through the reverse gear (do not press “Enter”, but try to answer in any topic).
booking.com - opens, but is not suitable for use. You can use the search in firefox, but nothing can be booked. In opera and search does not work.
skyscanner.com - the design almost does not flatten, but it is impossible to use. Google flights and aviasales are no better. On Google flights, the opera is generally thrown away, firefox still survives.
flibusta.is - opens, you can use
rutracker.org - opens, there are some troubles with the search, but you can use
nix.ru- conditionally works. You can see the price, but any manipulations with the filters either do not work (opera) or they hang the browser (firefox).
dns-shop.ru - with filters about the same story as in nix, drop-down menus do not drop out. But you can just watch.
ebay.com - you can watch, you can’t buy.
avito.ru - you can watch, you can not buy.
aliexpress.com - you can watch, you can not buy. Although the design is flattening the least of the trading floors.
livejournal.com - opens, but slows down. In general, it strongly depends on the style of the magazine. But the main page in the new style is better not to watch.
youtube- did not grow together. I installed flash11, but when I try to play videos, it either says “html5 only” or it just hangs.
A separate type of Internet is email . Many email services have retained a simple html interface for slow channels / older browsers. For Google and Yandex for sure, and for Google I use this interface by default. Because "modern" does not work well on my i5-7500 / 16GB. Not responsive enough. At the expense of the desktop client - Thunderbird 2.0.0.24 works without questions, with Google and Yandex mail via SSL and receives and sends letters.
Torrents . utorrent 1.8.2 started up without problems, but newer ones are not needed.
Well, an abstract office suite that has everything you need - MS Office XP. The problem is only with office 2007 (docx) files. You can somehow install the compatibility package (even if it requires windows 2000+, you can install it via kernelex - unpack it first, then run msi), but it still works.
Even in OpenOffice 3.2.1 is better. Though it’s not a fountain either. OpenOffice is installed only version 3.2, LibreOffice refuses to install already - changed the version of windows installer.
This is what the original test file looks like:
This is how OO3.2 opens it.
And this is how MSO XP is interpreted with the converter:
Moreover, Russian fonts constantly float - when you select, change the scale, change the headset, they turn from letters to squares or question marks. For a screenshot, I somehow picked up the maximum number of Russian letters, but everything opens with squares.
Office 2003 can be kicked through kernelex, but it fails to start.
Reading e-books - PDF, DJVU and other epub. There are enough options, but I chose SumatraPDF . A fairly lightweight universal watch engine that normally opens large 200-300 megabyte files.
200 megabyte PDF.
DJVU.
Here I am not in the subject and still download-listen only mp3. All kinds of flasks and other aaki are not about me.
So, remaining true to the retro theme, put Winamp . Classic deuce, triples and fives nafig.
Llama tested, mother approved.
Although it seems that some of the fives still worked under 9x.
Here I rested for a long time - in the virtual machine I only played avishki normally, and even not in all players. In the media player, for example, it was possible to force, but in vlc there was no sound.
I poked around for a long time, then decided to postpone it to launch on real hardware. Here in the same vlc 2.0.0 both video and sound appeared. So there are clearly some problems with the virtual machine. The quality of the picture, however, is normal only in ads, and MKV and MP4 are lame. MKV (h264 / mp3) splits into squares, and MP4 (h264 / aac) loses frames. But this is the second question, I achieved the reproduction, and you can select codecs and players for a long time. At least there is a solution, but fine tuning should be done on a specific hardware.
Viewing - I have been using a simple imagine viewer for a long time . The good thing is that a license without reservation allows commercial use, and the capabilities of most users are quite enough. Well, there is a version for 98 Windows .
Editing - photoshop is quite enough for a family home as well (like seven under 9x still worked). Although I have been using PixBuilder Studio for a long time as a simple, smart editor . Under 98, it started up normally, I don’t even know if kernelex helped here or not, I didn’t have to force compatibility.
File manager. It seems like Total Commander 8 works, but in those days I used FAR. Because FAR Manager 1.75 . Although maybe the deuce will work, did not check.
Archiver - 7-zip 9.20 . For the most part, it’s quite enough, except that some recent innovations in 7z and rar do not read. But they do not come across so often.
Considering that now there are already a lot of problems even with windows xp (a dozen constantly strive to disable support for smb1, etc.), to exchange files with 98 Windows, I just raised the ftp server on my home server, since the protocol has not been used since has changed. And the shared folders painfully unstable work for me - sometimes it turns out to reach out, and after a few minutes “the server is not found”, it starts asking for a password or something.
So it's easier to raise ftp and copy files through the same FAR Manager.
At the expense of printing to a network printer. At my place there is a classical network printer, with connection through Ethernet. Therefore, everything is somewhat easier with it than with a shared printer on Windows. Well, he is Hewlett Packard (HP Color LaserJet CP2025dn), which simplifies life even more in terms of drivers. There used to be a Samsung, but I got rid of it. Byak. It began to fall apart without even printing the start cartridges.
Driver for 98 I installed the standard Windows HP Color LaserJet (MS). I do not need to be beautiful, I just need to print.
And the printing itself is done using the ACITS LPR Client utility. It is set and configured without problems. Install the utility, then set the printer as local by installing the necessary driver. And then change the port to ACITS LPR Remote Printing, specify the printer IP - and that's it. Instructions with pictures are included there. Well, or you can use this one .
Print quality is worse than using the right driver, but it works fine for texts and diagrams.
On the left, the image was printed with Windows 10, on the right - with 98.
TightVNC 1.3 works normally , both client and server.
The ssh / telnet client is putty 0.61 , for example.
I could not quickly find the RDP client, but today it will be of little use. Only with old servers, and new ones to connect such old clients will have to give up security.
Messengers, social networks and other YouTube remained unreached, but do you really need it under 98?
Actual messengers will not start, except maybe some jabber-client like the old Miranda.
I practically do not use social networks, but YouTube ... Download videos on a normal computer and watch them through vlc, for example.
So answering the question "Is there life under Windows 98?" I can say that "Yes, but is this life?"
Formally, a lot can be done, something is not worse than under current OS. But with the Internet under 98 a lot of problems. And this is now the main purpose of the computer.
Therefore, you can use 98 only for highly specific tasks or if your computer does not pull newer OS.
If it pulls, then it is better to put XP, and return to 98 only for the sake of old toys.
Then I have two Voodoo 2. And a slot Pentium 3 450, with which they combine much better than with a toilet.
Therefore, at your leisure, you will need to try to build and run Voodoo2 SLI. You can attach AWE32 here to complete happiness.
There is a motherboard on Socket7 and several processors for it. True, the problem is that when I installed the cooler, I broke the mounts, so I do not touch the motherboard yet. It is necessary to find a dead mother on socket7 and transfer the socket. Well, a cooler with a normal mount so that it no longer breaks my sockets. And even there is an ATshny case, albeit a great scratch.
You could try to collect a config with woods here, but they are too long and rest against the cooler. If one accelerator somehow gets up again, then the second one will need to be finalized with a file. Therefore, I will give voodoo2 to the pentium.
There is an old Kompakovsky laptop of the mid-nineties, which is reviving slowly (I revive the left, right - spare parts, in the middle modern 11 "for scale).
But it all goes quite slowly, the main attack of nostalgia I had at the end of last year, now to the retro glands I come back in the presence of time and mood.
Although first you need to determine what to mean by life :-)
Typically, retro-computers are assembled for retro-games. With them, as a rule, there are no special problems (well, except relevant for that era). Therefore, consider this "life" is not worth it. I looked at life from a more everyday point of view - to sit on the Internet, type text, listen to music, watch a movie. Although, of course, the latter depends not so much on the OS as on the hardware used. My toilet should be enough for DVD and divx, but with x264 and later codecs, it may not be able to cope.
About iron
In order not to return, let me remind you of the iron. Assembled a computer, relevant around 2001.
Celeron Tualatin 1200 @ 1600 (133 on the bus), 512 megabytes of memory (the motherboard on the 815 chipset no longer sees).
The video card has changed since the last article was published - instead of Matrox I installed the GeForce2 MX200. The choice, even for 2001, is not the best, but the GeForce3 could not be found; the existing MX440 is already a bit later. And I saw MX200 paired with pentiums4 in the 2004-2005 configs, people even tried to play them in San Andreas.
Sound Card - Still SB Live!
The rest is trifles.
operating system
As follows from the topic, OS - Windows 98SE, Russian.
In nature, there is a win98IF assembly with a bunch of drivers and software, but I don’t like it because of that very heap. Too much unnecessary, even Photoshop managed to shove. You can’t get a simple Windows even in the minimal version. Therefore, I chose to install update packages from maximus on a clean OS.
There is also in nature a 300 megabyte auto-patcher with a tail that puts everything on its own, but it is more imprisoned for the English version, and I did not want to understand what was stuck in these 300 megabytes.
Further I will give links to the software used mainly to mega.nz, where I downloaded it myself - because I'm more or less sure of their liveliness.
Well, in general, in order not to go far, let everything be in one place.
Although the first thing put IE6sp1 .
Then Maximus Decim Cumulative Update 3.05 (updates, support for large disks, support for usb storage, etc.).
Then DirectX 9c .
Then MD InternetExplorer 6.0sp1 Component Update 3.4 - updates for IE6
MD Data Access Component Update - all kinds of components for accessing data (XML, ODBC, etc.).
Next KernelEx-4.5.2.exe- "windows emulator for windows", allows you to run on Windows 9x programs that are designed for later versions of the OS, adding settings to the program properties like compatibility mode from the NT line. Not a panacea - some programs do not start using kernelex as well. But life is still somewhat easier.
Finished everything by installing .Net 1.1 and 2.0 - just to have it.
Well, purely for aesthetic reasons, he added support for prettiness with 32-bit icons ( RP9.7 ).
It turned out somehow like this (though this is already with spoilers as part of the software :)):
Yes, for my own convenience, I mainly set up experiments in the VirtualBox virtual machine. This introduces some features, for example, the same Firefox in the virtual machine I flattened much more than on real hardware.
Internet
The browser in 98SE initially stands, sorry for the expression, Internet Explorer 5. With it, wherever you go - everywhere you run into "something is wrong with this site" (because of https). But, strangely enough, Google opens normally - it switches to http for ancient browsers.
But almost any link from the search results already breaks. Although you can order a saved copy and try to read something there.
As a result, after much entertainment, I came to the conclusion that the last sensible native browser for 98 is Opera 9.64, but it is already not enough. As a result, using KernelEx, I managed to launch Opera 12.02 and Firefox 10.0.12 ESR .
Firefox opens a little more sites, the opera is easier for the system and works more stable. But all sorts of modern frameworks do not like both browsers.
Habr in opera 9.64 looks like this:
In firefox and opera 12.02 it’s something like this:
Only if the opera on the habr still moves somehow, does firefox stop responding to commands after opening the page.
Because the main browser is opera, and firefox is in the wings.
In general, the sites that I regularly use (under the names of sites - screenshots of how the site opens). Checked in opera 12.02, though under Windows 10 (again for convenience).
google.com -
gmail works - basic html version. Although this is familiar to me, even on modern browser computers I prefer it.
google maps - does not work
yandex.ru - works, although script errors get
out yandex. mail - works
maps.yandex.ru - conditionally works. Complains about the old browser, but at least it opens, unlike Google. Problems only with hardware requirements. On p3-1.6 / 512, everything happens sooooo slowly and with frequent holes of the form “no data”.
metro.yandex.ru - this is about the same as with cards. In principle, the browser is supported and everything is pretty leisurely rendered on the main computer, but on p3 the map is loading forever.
ixbt.com - in opera 12.02 sometimes eternal download, sometimes it opens. And at 9.64 it opened stably. In firefox opens.
forum.ixbt.com- it works, although sometimes you have to get the registration form through the reverse gear (do not press “Enter”, but try to answer in any topic).
booking.com - opens, but is not suitable for use. You can use the search in firefox, but nothing can be booked. In opera and search does not work.
skyscanner.com - the design almost does not flatten, but it is impossible to use. Google flights and aviasales are no better. On Google flights, the opera is generally thrown away, firefox still survives.
flibusta.is - opens, you can use
rutracker.org - opens, there are some troubles with the search, but you can use
nix.ru- conditionally works. You can see the price, but any manipulations with the filters either do not work (opera) or they hang the browser (firefox).
dns-shop.ru - with filters about the same story as in nix, drop-down menus do not drop out. But you can just watch.
ebay.com - you can watch, you can’t buy.
avito.ru - you can watch, you can not buy.
aliexpress.com - you can watch, you can not buy. Although the design is flattening the least of the trading floors.
livejournal.com - opens, but slows down. In general, it strongly depends on the style of the magazine. But the main page in the new style is better not to watch.
youtube- did not grow together. I installed flash11, but when I try to play videos, it either says “html5 only” or it just hangs.
A separate type of Internet is email . Many email services have retained a simple html interface for slow channels / older browsers. For Google and Yandex for sure, and for Google I use this interface by default. Because "modern" does not work well on my i5-7500 / 16GB. Not responsive enough. At the expense of the desktop client - Thunderbird 2.0.0.24 works without questions, with Google and Yandex mail via SSL and receives and sends letters.
Torrents . utorrent 1.8.2 started up without problems, but newer ones are not needed.
Office
Well, an abstract office suite that has everything you need - MS Office XP. The problem is only with office 2007 (docx) files. You can somehow install the compatibility package (even if it requires windows 2000+, you can install it via kernelex - unpack it first, then run msi), but it still works.
Even in OpenOffice 3.2.1 is better. Though it’s not a fountain either. OpenOffice is installed only version 3.2, LibreOffice refuses to install already - changed the version of windows installer.
This is what the original test file looks like:
This is how OO3.2 opens it.
And this is how MSO XP is interpreted with the converter:
Moreover, Russian fonts constantly float - when you select, change the scale, change the headset, they turn from letters to squares or question marks. For a screenshot, I somehow picked up the maximum number of Russian letters, but everything opens with squares.
Office 2003 can be kicked through kernelex, but it fails to start.
Reading e-books - PDF, DJVU and other epub. There are enough options, but I chose SumatraPDF . A fairly lightweight universal watch engine that normally opens large 200-300 megabyte files.
200 megabyte PDF.
DJVU.
Music
Here I am not in the subject and still download-listen only mp3. All kinds of flasks and other aaki are not about me.
So, remaining true to the retro theme, put Winamp . Classic deuce, triples and fives nafig.
Llama tested, mother approved.
Although it seems that some of the fives still worked under 9x.
Video
Here I rested for a long time - in the virtual machine I only played avishki normally, and even not in all players. In the media player, for example, it was possible to force, but in vlc there was no sound.
I poked around for a long time, then decided to postpone it to launch on real hardware. Here in the same vlc 2.0.0 both video and sound appeared. So there are clearly some problems with the virtual machine. The quality of the picture, however, is normal only in ads, and MKV and MP4 are lame. MKV (h264 / mp3) splits into squares, and MP4 (h264 / aac) loses frames. But this is the second question, I achieved the reproduction, and you can select codecs and players for a long time. At least there is a solution, but fine tuning should be done on a specific hardware.
Graphics processing
Viewing - I have been using a simple imagine viewer for a long time . The good thing is that a license without reservation allows commercial use, and the capabilities of most users are quite enough. Well, there is a version for 98 Windows .
Editing - photoshop is quite enough for a family home as well (like seven under 9x still worked). Although I have been using PixBuilder Studio for a long time as a simple, smart editor . Under 98, it started up normally, I don’t even know if kernelex helped here or not, I didn’t have to force compatibility.
Work with files
File manager. It seems like Total Commander 8 works, but in those days I used FAR. Because FAR Manager 1.75 . Although maybe the deuce will work, did not check.
Archiver - 7-zip 9.20 . For the most part, it’s quite enough, except that some recent innovations in 7z and rar do not read. But they do not come across so often.
Data exchange
Considering that now there are already a lot of problems even with windows xp (a dozen constantly strive to disable support for smb1, etc.), to exchange files with 98 Windows, I just raised the ftp server on my home server, since the protocol has not been used since has changed. And the shared folders painfully unstable work for me - sometimes it turns out to reach out, and after a few minutes “the server is not found”, it starts asking for a password or something.
So it's easier to raise ftp and copy files through the same FAR Manager.
At the expense of printing to a network printer. At my place there is a classical network printer, with connection through Ethernet. Therefore, everything is somewhat easier with it than with a shared printer on Windows. Well, he is Hewlett Packard (HP Color LaserJet CP2025dn), which simplifies life even more in terms of drivers. There used to be a Samsung, but I got rid of it. Byak. It began to fall apart without even printing the start cartridges.
Driver for 98 I installed the standard Windows HP Color LaserJet (MS). I do not need to be beautiful, I just need to print.
And the printing itself is done using the ACITS LPR Client utility. It is set and configured without problems. Install the utility, then set the printer as local by installing the necessary driver. And then change the port to ACITS LPR Remote Printing, specify the printer IP - and that's it. Instructions with pictures are included there. Well, or you can use this one .
Print quality is worse than using the right driver, but it works fine for texts and diagrams.
On the left, the image was printed with Windows 10, on the right - with 98.
Remote control
TightVNC 1.3 works normally , both client and server.
The ssh / telnet client is putty 0.61 , for example.
I could not quickly find the RDP client, but today it will be of little use. Only with old servers, and new ones to connect such old clients will have to give up security.
Total
Messengers, social networks and other YouTube remained unreached, but do you really need it under 98?
Actual messengers will not start, except maybe some jabber-client like the old Miranda.
I practically do not use social networks, but YouTube ... Download videos on a normal computer and watch them through vlc, for example.
So answering the question "Is there life under Windows 98?" I can say that "Yes, but is this life?"
Formally, a lot can be done, something is not worse than under current OS. But with the Internet under 98 a lot of problems. And this is now the main purpose of the computer.
Therefore, you can use 98 only for highly specific tasks or if your computer does not pull newer OS.
If it pulls, then it is better to put XP, and return to 98 only for the sake of old toys.
What's next
Then I have two Voodoo 2. And a slot Pentium 3 450, with which they combine much better than with a toilet.
Therefore, at your leisure, you will need to try to build and run Voodoo2 SLI. You can attach AWE32 here to complete happiness.
There is a motherboard on Socket7 and several processors for it. True, the problem is that when I installed the cooler, I broke the mounts, so I do not touch the motherboard yet. It is necessary to find a dead mother on socket7 and transfer the socket. Well, a cooler with a normal mount so that it no longer breaks my sockets. And even there is an ATshny case, albeit a great scratch.
You could try to collect a config with woods here, but they are too long and rest against the cooler. If one accelerator somehow gets up again, then the second one will need to be finalized with a file. Therefore, I will give voodoo2 to the pentium.
There is an old Kompakovsky laptop of the mid-nineties, which is reviving slowly (I revive the left, right - spare parts, in the middle modern 11 "for scale).
But it all goes quite slowly, the main attack of nostalgia I had at the end of last year, now to the retro glands I come back in the presence of time and mood.