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From: rbowman <bowman@montana.com>
Newsgroups: comp.os.linux.misc
Subject: Re: Linux 32 bit support days are numbered
Date: 12 Sep 2025 20:59:51 GMT
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On Fri, 12 Sep 2025 17:30:32 +0100, Andy Burns wrote:

> Steve Hayes wrote:
> 
>> The 32-bit version of Windows can run 16-bit and 8-bit programs
> 
> 16bit yes, but there's no such thing as an 8bit windows executable
> 
>> the 64-bit version cannot. But why can it not?
> 
> DOSbox, or 86box will run 16bit .EXEs under 64bit windows.

We used DOSbox to run a database manager for an elderly version of 
db_Vista. The app used curses. If forget which version of Windows dropped 
ANSI.sys but the escape sequences use for positioning the cursor no longer 
worked. DOSbox was a little funky after I looked at the pain involved in 
rewriting the app I decided we could live with a little funk. Updating the 
codebase to use a version of db_Vista from this century wasn't going to 
happen either.