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Python for Windows 3.1

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First post, by doshea

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Replying to a post from another thread here before I get in trouble for going way off topic in that thread 😁

Aqua wrote on 2023-08-01, 02:30:
About Python for Windows 3.x: I've only found this Version on the Python Server.. https://www.python.org/ftp/python/pc/ […]
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About Python for Windows 3.x:
I've only found this Version on the
Python Server..
https://www.python.org/ftp/python/pc/

If you have a Link with a Higher Version from
Python, please let ne know..

See this text at the top of that page:

Notice: this stuff is old. More recent binaries for
DOS and Windows are found in ../wpy/ and ../pythonwin/.

../wpy/ seems to be a symlink to https://www.python.org/ftp/python/binaries-1.4/wpy/ (both directories have the same contents), see below for more information. I don't know what is in that pythonwin directory.

Python 1.5 for Windows 3.x 16-bit with WPY

I downloaded files from https://www.python.org/ftp/python/binaries-1.4/wpy/ some time ago and have these notes:

wpypcsrc.tgz "WPY" portable GUI library for Python source
wpyset31.exe WPY Python 1.5 for Windows 3.1
wpysetup.exe WPY Python 1.5 for Windows 95/NT

And yes, they are version 1.5 binaries in a directory with "1.4" in its name. From readme.txt in wpypcsrc.tgz, this is what "WPY" is:

This is the "WPY" portable GUI library for Python. It is a class library system based on the Microsoft Foundation Classes used […]
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This is the "WPY" portable GUI library for Python. It is a class library
system based on the Microsoft Foundation Classes used for writing GUI code
easily in Python. It is designed for simplicity and portability. It is
under active development, but is useful for real projects now.

This version runs on Microsoft Windows and Unix/X using Tk. Python programs
written using this "WPY" GUI library will run under Windows NT and 95,
Windows 3.1, and under Unix/X without changes and with native look and feel.

I can't remember how well it worked - it worked at least a bit - but I was surprised that it existed at all! Also from my notes:

wpyset31.exe ... lacks libraries; pylib.zip in the same directory is 1.4 libraries for DOS/Windows 3.1. It requires WINSOCK but not Win32s.

Oops, I think I said in the other thread that Python requires Win32s! Some of the builds do but this one doesn't. I can't recall whether the Python 1.4 libraries worked with the Python 1.5 binaries. I found lib1.5.tar.gz somewhere on the site and I think I had to use that.

Other builds

https://www.python.org/ftp/python/binaries-1.3/ has a pythonwin.zip, its readme.txt says it requires Win32s.

There are Windows installers for 1.5.2 and 1.6.1 at the following URLs, but I don't know if they support Windows 3.x. The 1.6.1 binary is a PE32 but then maybe it still works with Win32s?
https://www.python.org/download/releases/1.5/
https://www.python.org/download/releases/1.6.1/

Reply 1 of 6, by gerry

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so python does work for win 3.1? or rather did and hence still could 😀

Reply 2 of 6, by analog_programmer

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Is this topic a search for the newest Python version installer, that runs on Win3.xx? What's the main idea?

The word Idiot refers to a person with many ideas, especially stupid and harmful ideas.
This world goes south since everything's run by financiers and economists.
This isn't voice chat, yet some people overusing online communications talk and hear voices.

Reply 3 of 6, by Aqua

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@doshea:

Thanks for Sharing !

Now the Date 2001 from the Files in the 1.4 Link are many newer than the
1994 Version 1.01.. 😁
@the Win32 1.5, 1.6 Versions:
Now, i'm testing the Win32s Compatiblity and Report later, if runs well or not.

Regards

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Dell Vostro 1000 AMD64 X2 LD-52.

Reply 4 of 6, by doshea

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gerry wrote on 2023-08-01, 15:31:

so python does work for win 3.1? or rather did and hence still could 😀

Yeah, I'm pretty sure I ran some of these versions a year or two ago!

analog_programmer wrote on 2023-08-01, 17:35:

Is this topic a search for the newest Python version installer, that runs on Win3.xx? What's the main idea?

I just wanted to share some information, but it would be interesting to know about all the available versions. When I was researching, I wasn't interested in the most recent version, but in what the capabilities and dependencies were, because I was hoping for something that didn't actually require installation, and didn't require Win32s or winsock.dll. I might also one day like to know what versions might be usable for drawing test patterns on the screen.

Aqua wrote on 2023-08-02, 00:05:

@the Win32 1.5, 1.6 Versions:
Now, i'm testing the Win32s Compatiblity and Report later, if runs well or not.

Thanks!

Reply 5 of 6, by Crispin

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doshea wrote on 2023-08-03, 09:35:
Aqua wrote on 2023-08-02, 00:05:

@the Win32 1.5, 1.6 Versions:
Now, i'm testing the Win32s Compatiblity and Report later, if runs well or not.

Thanks!

Srry for bumping this out from the grave, but I had a good reason:
1) It was hanging unanswered - it seems I found a proper one (and more);
2) There is a revival of interest in Win 3.x, mostly because of recent PluMGMK's brilliant SVGA, HD audio, SATA etc DOS/Win16 drivers (e.g. see rel. recent Tom's Hw article - April 4, 2026)
...and due to WinBoat (seamless Win2Lin apps integration and massive switch from Win11), rising electron or appimage-alike solutions (== portable; app_with_mini-emu_embedded), and so on.
So, according to this
Last supported Python version by platform list, it is:

  • 1.6: Windows 3.x, DOS (official).
    and even more interesting:
  • 2.4: DOS (unofficial/DJGPP).

This list corresponds to official Status of Python versions pretty much.
Now I'm wondering about that backported unofficial/DJGPP Python 2.4 DOS version(s)...

Nothing is as it appears.

Reply 6 of 6, by Crispin

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I didn't know for this one, it's very interesting imo:
(ripped from official "Download Python for Other Platforms")

Python for MS-DOS
Python 2.4.2 for DOS/DPMI, built on the DJGPP platform, is also available.

PythonD is a 32-bit, multi-threaded, networking- and OpenGL-enabled Python interpreter for DOS and Windows.
PythonD 2.4.2 Release 1.0 provides many powerful features for DOS, Windows and DJGPP users that make it an attractive platform for migration of old MS-DOS batch files, Perl, Tcl and Shell scripts. It provides a complete library of file- and system-management routines. With Numeric, OpenGL and other available 'add-ons', you can enhance PythonD to meet even greater needs.

(^ https://www.caddit.net/pythond/)
It needs LFN & extender, of course, but this rabbit hole becomes endless:
"Note that updated PythonD executable is part of uDOS."
"uDOS is a free operating system built on the FreeDOS kernel with DJGPP. uDOS provides an integrated suite of features inluding Perl, Python, etc., as well as a Watt-32 based networking environment and ELF library support. Can be run live from CD image."
OK, but can it run Crysis?

Nothing is as it appears.

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