Maybe this is something to consider too...
Looks like some OS folks were not too happy about M$ acquirement of GitHub:
https://sfconservancy.org/GiveUpGitHub/

The vogons forums would definitely be a more neutral ground from this perspective.

doshea wrote on 2022-11-04, 23:22:

Maybe there's some Twitter hashtag that is useful for asking retro software programming questions? Maybe Meta's metaverse has some kind of virtual environment that would be useful, like a virtual computer you can use to dial into a virtual BBS and post questions on a virtual FidoNet? I still like forums though! 😀

Let me think.
"retro software programming questions" is RSPQ abbrev.
As I'm a little biased, that reminds me of PSQR, which is a very common combination in x86 executables, because it means:

1push ax
2push bx
3push cx
4push dx

#PSQR
Programming
Software
Questions
Retro

In what human language does this make sense to anyone? Maybe French?

+1 from me too. I've been doing a bunch of retro programming this year targeting windows and some of this stuff is pretty poorly documented today. Would be good to have somewhere to ask questions, discuss potential solutions to problems, etc.

Like it turns out Windows NT 3.x lacks the WM_SIZING and WM_EXITSIZEMOVE events - how do you emulate them with the window messages that NT 3.x does provide? IIRC there is basically a single forum post from 15 years ago visible to google that discusses this subject at all and it points to some sample application from Microsoft that supposedly demonstrates how to do it. Where is this sample application today? It wasn't shipped with any version of Visual C++ and wasn't on any of the MSDN CDs in my collection. Perhaps it was on the msdn website but the internet archive didn't crawl it well enough to know, let alone download it if it was there. After hours of searching I eventually gave up. Several days later I stumbled upon it while looking for something else on ftp.microsoft.com.

And right now I'm dealing with something built with the Zinc Application Framework (think early 90s UI toolkit that lets you in theory build GUI apps for DOS, OS/2, UNIX, Windows 3.x, NT and Classic MacOS with a single codebase). Aside from its open-sourcing a decade or so back there isn't much out there about it beyond the PDF manuals which leave a lot to be desired. Where are my right-click events going? After a few days investigating... I have absolutely no idea. It worked in the past, it doesn't work now.

davidrg wrote on 2022-11-05, 23:05:

Like it turns out Windows NT 3.x lacks the WM_SIZING and WM_EXITSIZEMOVE events - how do you emulate them with the window messages that NT 3.x does provide? IIRC there is basically a single forum post from 15 years ago visible to google that discusses this subject at all and it points to some sample application from Microsoft that supposedly demonstrates how to do it. Where is this sample application today? It wasn't shipped with any version of Visual C++ and wasn't on any of the MSDN CDs in my collection. Perhaps it was on the msdn website but the internet archive didn't crawl it well enough to know, let alone download it if it was there. After hours of searching I eventually gave up. Several days later I stumbled upon it while looking for something else on ftp.microsoft.com.

That file is in the big (71GB) .zip file at https://archive.org/download/ftp.microsoft.com so hopefully http://discmaster.textfiles.com/ indexes it eventually! I find myself wanting stuff from ftp.microsoft.com so often that it was worth downloading that.

davidrg wrote on 2022-11-05, 23:05:

And right now I'm dealing with something built with the Zinc Application Framework (think early 90s UI toolkit that lets you in theory build GUI apps for DOS, OS/2, UNIX, Windows 3.x, NT and Classic MacOS with a single codebase). Aside from its open-sourcing a decade or so back there isn't much out there about it beyond the PDF manuals which leave a lot to be desired. Where are my right-click events going? After a few days investigating... I have absolutely no idea. It worked in the past, it doesn't work now.

I wish I could help you there!

If you all could post the links to all the development threads sprinkled around for both software and hardware with a description then I can create a thread with those links.
For projects where the users have been banned from vogons please refrain from posting those projects. There might be a better way of handling that but I don't have the energy to deal with the complications that arise.

Once done we can see if the amount justifies another forum and if not at least there will be a thread (index) for tracking and routing.

Here is an uncategorized example:

List of open-source PC hardware projects
List of open-source PC hardware projects

Eye of the Beholder 3 / Dungeon Hack
AESOP/16 to AESOP/32
*New* AESOP_16, AESOP_32 engine thread (Eye of Beholder 3, Dungeon Hack)

dxfpscap
limits 3D Games with QueryPerformanceCounter() API to arbrtary frame rates
https://github.com/slartibardfast/dxfpscap/re … elease.20200719

Installshield Wrapper
InstallShield Wrapper
https://www.old-games.ru/forum/threads/instal … -wrapper.61789/

Neko's x86 Virtual Machine, a portable x86 PC emulator with debugger
https://github.com/cshaxu/nxvm

Runfirst
Utility to automate Single Core CPU usage for games
Utility to automate Single Core CPU usage for games - RunFirst

The Wrapper Collection Project
The Wrapper Collection Project

Windows, Doom, Apogee OPL3 Synthesizer
Windows, Doom, Apogee OPL3 Synthesizer.

WineVDM
Winevdm

BoxedWine
Boxedwine (Wine on multiple platforms)

PCEm
PCEm. Another PC emulator.

UniPCEmu
Testing and fixing UniPCemu's CPU and UniPCemu progress

DFendX
DFendX: A crude combination of an updated D-FendX source base, and DOSBOX-X

Patch for Windows 95/98/98 SE/Me to run on newest CPUs
Patch for Windows 95/98/98 SE/Me to run on newest CPUs

Peixoto's patches for a few old games
Peixoto's patches for a few old games

RUDE
RUDE: new Doom sourceport

FastDoom
FastDoom. A new Doom port for DOS, optimized to be as fast as possible for 386/486 personal computers!

RLoader
RLoader: a native 16-bit MS-DOS programs and games launcher with search

Open Source PC104 Soundcard
Open Source PC104 Soundcard

MIDIto r12
(Midi and FM redirection, Mixer locking, Sound Blaster fixes)
MIDIto r12 (Midi and FM redirection, Mixer locking, Sound Blaster fixes)

S3VBEFIX
PC\MS-DOS TSR fix for S3 VESA 2.0 video BIOS
S3VBEFIX - PC\MS-DOS TSR fix for S3 VESA 2.0 video BIOS

wbcbz7's MS-DOS VGA TSR goodies
wbcbz7's MS-DOS VGA TSR goodies

SBVGM (DOS) VGM Player
SBVGM (DOS) VGM Player

FLAC2WAV and WAV2FLAC; MP3 decoder [XT][8088][286]
FLAC2WAV and WAV2FLAC; MP3 decoder [XT][8088][286]

RetroNAS
open source server software for your retro machines
RetroNAS - open source server software for your retro machines

GameMinder
DOS games launcher
GameMinder - DOS games launcher

RetroArduInput
Use USB devices on your vintage computers
RetroArduInput - Use USB devices on your vintage computrs

New DOS mouse driver for VirtualBox/VMware/ PS/2 mice
New DOS mouse driver for VirtualBox/VMware/ PS/2 mice

Falcosoft Soundfont Midi Player + Munt VSTi + BassMidi VSTi
Falcosoft Soundfont Midi Player + Munt VSTi + BassMidi VSTi

WebOne
proxy for old browsers to make them Web 2.0-capable
WebOne - proxy for old browsers to make them Web 2.0-capable

HIDman
USB to PS/2 converter (Open Source)
HIDman - USB to PS/2 converter (Open Source)

You Be At Orbit
New (2022) DOS space shooter - VGA Mode X / Sound Blaster / Mouse
You Be At Orbit - New (2022) DOS space shooter - VGA Mode X / Sound Blaster / Mouse

INN is Back
INN is Back

SIV
SIV support for 386/486/586 class + Alpha CPUs and 3dfx + S3 + SiS + Matrox + XGI + old ATI + NVidia GPUs - Testing Help

HWiNFO
HWiNFO support of vintage hardware

NuXT
MicroATX Turbo XT Motherboard - 9.55MHz, UMBs, XT-CF, SVGA, HD Floppy, Serial
NuXT - MicroATX Turbo XT Motherboard - 9.55MHz, UMBs, XT-CF, SVGA, HD Floppy, Serial

USB to Serial Mouse using the Pi Pico
USB to Serial Mouse using the Pi Pico!

DOS driver for RetroWave OPL3
DOS driver for RetroWave OPL3

Sound Canvas (and related) comparison project
Sound Canvas (and related) comparison project (UPDATED: 22nd March)

AWE64 Legacy
AWE64 Legacy

Orpheus Soundcard
a new DOS soundcard with SPDIF/OPL3/MPUsupport
Orpheus Soundcard: a new DOS soundcard with SPDIF/OPL3/MPU support

VIASBCFG
VIA SBPro configuration tool for VIA VT8231 & VT82C686/A/B chipsets (v0.12d)
VIASBCFG - VIA SBPro configuration tool for VIA VT8231 & VT82C686/A/B chipsets (v0.12d)

HDD Clicker
HDD Sound Simulator
HDD Clicker - HDD Sound Simulator

DB15MIDI : DB15 (Joystick) to 2x MIDI OUT converter
DB15MIDI : DB15 (Joystick) to 2x MIDI OUT converter

3D Accelerated Games List (Proprietary APIs - No 3DFX/Direct3D)
3D Accelerated Games List (Proprietary APIs - No 3DFX/Direct3D)

Table Fog & 8-bit Paletted Textures
Table Fog & 8-bit Paletted Textures

UOC Patch
An attempt at optimizing Mozilla based browsers for old machines
The UOC and QUOC Patch - An attempt at optimizing Mozilla based browsers for old machines

Somehow this example list is all about products, mostly completed or aimed to alter/adjust already existing, mixing hardware production and software announcements. It's not the retro software development talks.

What if I want to develop a new game, or game engine for DOS, but looking from the perspective of my current view on the tech?
Or rather, I don't want to ask questions or tutor someone, I'd like to socialize around retro software development topics in general, without the actual plans on starting a project that would require github/tracking/announcements/whatever. It would not be a single thread, there's need in many different discussion threads, relating to each other in a single point - it's talks about ideas on implementing certain stuff from the programmer's point of view (not necessarily gamedev related). Where would be the place for such threads currently?

Yeah, I was hoping for a forum for not just release announcements but also discussion of development topics, something which would include threads like the following (which are mostly recent I think, I didn't go back very far to find them and only checked a few forums):

C-Kermit for Windows v10 beta (okay this is a release announcement)
Question to INSIGHT DOS Debugger
Programming on DOS/Windows 95/98
Does anyone have any information on the ProBas Programming Library?
JWASM: Error A2189: Constant or relocatable label expected

I have to admit to being fairly confused as there's been a couple people now in this thread who seem to think most of the people here are asking for a place to *only* talk about releases or something (e.g. someone I think previously referenced the "Releases" forum as being suitable for talks about retro software development ... with all due respect, no, it's not). Almost everyone has has been very clearly asking for a place to talk about general questions, tips, solutions for problems etc regarding retro software development.

That is, they're asking for an equivalent to VCFed's "Vintage Computer Programming" forum, not another equivalent to Vogon's "Release Announcements" forum (why would they do that anyway, the "Release Announcements" forum already exists).

If all people want to do is ask questions for their own projects then currently milliways works.

Release announcements is for announcing releases not for a discussion on contributing to the development of the software although for lack of a better place some threads might turn into that.

As you can all see there are or were sections for vdmsound, dgvoodoo,glides, dosbox, etc. As you can see from the above list Its not possible to create forum sections for each project, so a forum for all other could be set up. That forum could contain a general discussion area as well.

If no one cares about corraling these project discussions somewhere and leaves them sprinkled around then it makes things much simpler, milliways or a forum just for questions on development which likely won't have much usage but we'd need more examples to be sure.

Gered wrote on 2022-11-08, 13:03:

I have to admit to being fairly confused as there's been a couple people now in this thread who seem to think most of the people here are asking for a place to *only* talk about releases or something (e.g. someone I think previously referenced the "Releases" forum as being suitable for talks about retro software development ... with all due respect, no, it's not). Almost everyone has has been very clearly asking for a place to talk about general questions, tips, solutions for problems etc regarding retro software development.

That is, they're asking for an equivalent to VCFed's "Vintage Computer Programming" forum, not another equivalent to Vogon's "Release Announcements" forum (why would they do that anyway, the "Release Announcements" forum already exists).

You nailed it.

DosFreak wrote on 2022-11-08, 14:24:

If all people want to do is ask questions for their own projects then currently milliways works.

It doesn't really work for me, because there's so much else going on in that forum I rarely ever look at it - I can't keep up with all of the new posts. If there was a forum related to software development I'd probably check it very frequently. If anyone asks a question in milliways that I could answer, it's not likely I'll ever see it.

doshea wrote on 2022-11-08, 22:23:

DosFreak wrote on 2022-11-08, 14:24:

If all people want to do is ask questions for their own projects then currently milliways works.

It doesn't really work for me, because there's so much else going on in that forum I rarely ever look at it - I can't keep up with all of the new posts. If there was a forum related to software development I'd probably check it very frequently. If anyone asks a question in milliways that I could answer, it's not likely I'll ever see it.

Same for me, I'm only interested on dev ideas/questions, so rarely look at milliways. I want to make some EGA programming questions but none of the subforums really fits. Basically we need this:

bttr wrote on 2022-11-08, 21:22:

That is, they're asking for an equivalent to VCFed's "Vintage Computer Programming" forum, not another equivalent to Vogon's "Release Announcements" forum (why would they do that anyway, the "Release Announcements" forum already exists).

doshea wrote on 2022-11-08, 22:23:

DosFreak wrote on 2022-11-08, 14:24:

If all people want to do is ask questions for their own projects then currently milliways works.

It doesn't really work for me, because there's so much else going on in that forum I rarely ever look at it - I can't keep up with all of the new posts. If there was a forum related to software development I'd probably check it very frequently. If anyone asks a question in milliways that I could answer, it's not likely I'll ever see it.

yes - milliways is great for all the 'other stuff', but a forum under marvin focussed on 'retro development' or 'vintage programming' or some such is what's being asked for i believe