compiler for 486+win98 machine \ VOGONS

compiler for 486+win98 machine

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First post, by noshutdown

Posted on 2019-03-06, 07:44

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i want it to be fully compatible with c++98 standard, so the ever popular msvc6 doesn't qualify. support for c++03 is optional but not essential. also i want it to generate fast executables.
so there aren't many options to choose from, and i wonder if any of them would run on 486:
msvc7/vc.net2003: shall do if it runs.
intel(oldest i can find is 8.0): my favorite, but the manual demands a pentium. and if its intel who says so, its quite likely to fail on 486.
borland c++ builder 5/6/X: never came to love it.
mingw: unlikely to get its downloader working in win98, and its hard to find an old version aswell.

Reply 1 of 9, by dr_st

Posted on 2019-03-06, 08:06

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I don't think you'll find any compiler that's fully compatible with any C++ standard. That language is insanely cryptic and full of internal contradictions. But, you might find something that's mostly compatible with some version of the standard for most practical purposes.

Why you want one that also runs on a 486 is beyond me, but so is your desire to run Win98 on that 486.

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Reply 2 of 9, by Jo22

Posted on 2019-03-06, 19:58

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noshutdown wrote:

but the manual demands a pentium. and if its intel who says so, its quite likely to fail on 486.

Hi, you could use one of these Pentium Overdrive or Am586 chips for the 486 platform.
That way, you could keep you beloved 486 hardware and as a bonus, gain some performance, too. 😀

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In what to one race is no time at all, another race can rise and fall..." - The Minstrel

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Reply 3 of 9, by keenmaster486

Posted on 2019-03-06, 20:44

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Why are you wanting to run Windows 98 on a 486?

World's foremost 486 enjoyer.

Reply 4 of 9, by noshutdown

Posted on 2019-03-07, 00:51

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keenmaster486 wrote:
Why are you wanting to run Windows 98 on a 486?

why not? the memory management of win95 is a waste on machines with 64mb of ram or more, and i stuffed in 128mb to get 3dsmax running.
also win98 is more game compatible.

Last edited by noshutdown on 2019-03-07, 00:55. Edited 1 time in total.

Reply 5 of 9, by noshutdown

Posted on 2019-03-07, 00:54

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Jo22 wrote:

Hi, you could use one of these Pentium Overdrive or Am586 chips for the 486 platform.
That way, you could keep you beloved 486 hardware and as a bonus, gain some performance, too. 😀

i do use an amd5x86, but its just a clock boosted pure 486 kernel without pentium instructions. the pod is likely to work but thats not what i call a 486 machine.

Reply 6 of 9, by keenmaster486

Posted on 2019-03-07, 01:02

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noshutdown wrote:

why not? the memory management of win95 is a waste on machines with 64mb of ram or more, and i stuffed in 128mb to get 3dsmax running.
also win98 is more game compatible.

I dunno if I would agree with either of these statements.

World's foremost 486 enjoyer.

Reply 7 of 9, by dr_st

Posted on 2019-03-07, 06:18

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Yeah, you'll have a blast going to the nearest McD to have lunch while your 486 finishes loading that Win98... 😉

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Reply 8 of 9, by realnc

Posted on 2019-03-19, 08:05

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Have you tried Open Watcom V2? It's a continuation of the original Open Watcom and still an active project. It can also target DOS, not just Windows 9x:

https://open-watcom.github.io/open-watcom

Reply 9 of 9, by retardware

Posted on 2019-03-19, 09:35

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I do not understand all of you.
Back in 1990 I worked with MSVC 1.0 (i.e. MSC8) and Watcom on a 386.
Well it was named MSVC but you did not need to use Windows for it (except if you wrote Windows apps).
The advantage of Watcom over MSC was that it supported DOS4GW, no need for overlays and such crutches.

Of course compiling took some time, but that was normal back then, when the new 486 was the high end.

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