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WM 0.10 - a window manager for DOS XT/286

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First post, by theelf

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WM 0.10 - a window manager for DOS XT/286

Hi all, here are years of personal work: a window manager for DOS that I built over time for my own use. It needs a 286 and a VGA card, 640x480 in 16 colors. It works on an XT, but that is not fully tested, because my PC is a Harris 286-25.

It needs little RAM. With half a megabyte you should be able to load the shell + 4 or 5 apps with no problem. The apps usually need between 40 and 80 KB of RAM each, although some are heavier, like Cells (an Excel, basically) that can reach 200-300 KB depending on the sheet, or Paint depending on the image loaded.

It does not need XMS/EMS, everything runs in conventional memory. It was my final optimization exercise.

Supported hardware: Sound Blaster Pro/SB16, OPL2/OPL3, MT-32/General MIDI, dot matrix printers

For years I have been porting apps and making my own for personal use, so there is some variety, but take care all this software is made for my need and tastes

Some screenshots

The desktop, with the drives on the right and the Workspace icon.
wm-000-raw1.png

Workspace, the program manager. Groups on the left, icons on the right.
wm-001-raw1.png

The file manager (Folders) and the media player playing a WAV.
folders-000-raw1.png

Several windows at once: Character Map, Clock and Calculator.
wm-002-raw1.png

Task Manager, with the memory of each program.
wm-003-raw1.png

Cells, a spreadsheet with toolbar. It opens simple XLS files and Lotus 1-2-3 files.
wm-006-raw1.png

Paint, 16 colors with layers, selection and zoom grid. It also works in 392x300 with 256 colors, for video cards with 256K, and in 640x480 with 256 colors.
wm-008-raw1.png

CodePad with syntax colors, and the calculator converter (dec, hex, bin, oct).
wm-009-raw1.png

Image browser, mixer and CD player.
wm-004-raw1.png

Chip's Challenge, one of the games. There are cards, board games, puzzles, Tetris, JezzBall, Ghost Breaker, Mini Golf and more.
wm-007-raw1.png

Also included: NC, search, zip manager, hex editor, icon editor, Notepad, Wordpad, Base, Planner, Calendar, Address Book, sound recorder, tracker, a DOS window inside the WM, screen savers.. just test by yourself

It is not finished, I keep adding things. If something fails, let me know, I would like to get feedback.

Download:

The attachment distWM.zip is no longer available

Reply 1 of 13, by Grzyb

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I want to call that "Windows 2.x with Multimedia Extensions"...

In 2003, I voted in favour of joining the European Union. However, due to later developments - especially the restrictions on cash usage - I have withdrawn my support. DOWN WITH THE EU!

Reply 2 of 13, by analog_programmer

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It seems like this is the best windows-like GUI for 286 systems.

theelf wrote on Today, 10:09:

It works on an XT, but that is not fully tested, because my PC is a Harris 286-25.

But my 286 system has AMD 286-16 and you already know, that WM also works fine on 286-12 and 286-8 with just 1 MB of RAM 😉

P.S. It seems like WM already has some serious competition in the form of "ai coded" os8088 slop. I'm betting on the natural human's creativity tho.

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 13, by theelf

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Ok, i was thinking i did not made any readme or anythhing

Please decompress the zip file to c:\WM

then run setup, then WML.COM

How to start
1. Run SETUP.EXE once. It renames WM.TMP and WML.TMP to WM.EXE and WML.COM. The useful part: it takes the 32x32 .ICO files from the ICONS directory (for example, icons from Windows), converts them to 16 colors and to our own format (.ICN), and deletes the .ICO files.
2. Start with WML.COM.
3. Video, sound, mouse and printer are set inside the WM, in Settings.

Hardware

  • 286 or better (works on XT, not fully tested), VGA
  • Conventional memory only, no XMS/EMS. About 512K for the shell + 4 or 5 apps
  • Video: 640x480 16 colors. 256 colors: 392x300 and 640x480 (VESA and Trident), WM256.EXE
  • Sound: Sound Blaster Pro/SB16 (WAV), OPL2/OPL3, MPU-401 (MT-32, GM, SC-55)
  • CD audio through MSCDEX / SHSUCDX
  • Dot matrix printers through the BIOS (INT 17h): Epson FX-80 (9 pin), Epson LQ-850 (24 pin), Fujitsu DL900 (ESC/P2), IBM Proprinter, generic text
  • Network: WMNET (packet driver + mTCP), used by the web browser and future apps (the "netscape" browser in fact almost do nothing just super basic htm)

Sound formats (each one is a driver in DRV, the WM does not know the formats)

  • WAV: PCM 8/16 bit, mono/stereo
  • MID / RMI: through OPL2 or through MPU-401 (MT-32 or GM)
  • MOD: ProTracker, 4 channels
  • VGM: OPL3, OPL2, YM3526, Y8950, YM2413, FM part of YM2203
  • ADP: 4 bit IMA-ADPCM

Video formats

  • AVI: Cinepak and MS Video 1, 8 bit palette (256 colors), 8 bit mono PCM audio, support fullscreen 320x200 and 320x240 resolutions
  • DVF: own format, 8 bit palette video + 8 bit mono audio, with subtitles

Image formats

  • BMP, PCX, GIF, TGA, IFF/LBM
  • WBP: own format, simple LZ, fast on a 286
  • ICO (32x32), converted by SETUP

Documents and data

  • Cells: its own HOJ files. Opens Lotus 1-2-3 (WKS, WK1) and Excel (XLS, BIFF2 to BIFF8)
  • ZIP: list, extract (stored + deflate), add (stored)
  • Text viewer for files of any size, hex editor (files and physical disks through INT 13h)
  • Netscape: web browser, local HTM and http:// through WMNET - STILL TO DO

Programs

  • Desktop: Workspace (like win program manager), Folders, File Manager, Task Manager, Settings, Search, Clipboard Viewer
  • Office: Notepad, Wordpad, CodePad, Cells, Base (small database), Planner, Calendar, Address Book, Calculator with converter, Clock, Character Map
  • Graphics: Paint (16 colors, layers, 256 color full screen), Image Browser, Image Viewer, Icon Editor
  • Sound and video: MM Player, Mixer, CD Player, Sound Recorder, Tracker ( MOD files!! yeee), AVI Player (cinepack! msvideo1!!! yeee)
  • Tools: NC, Zip Manager, Hex Editor, DOS in a window
  • Screen savers: boxes, cat, cterm, melt, stars, term, trek, warp, worms (hey test my geiss version)
  • Games (29): FreeCell, Solitaire, Spider, Pyramid, Golf, Cruel, Hearts, Memory, Dr. Black Jack, Video Poker, Mastermind, Lights Out, Sokoban, TetraVex, Minesweeper, Fifteen, Simon, Life, Peg Solitaire, Tetris, JezzBall, Chips, Ghost Breaker, Mini Golf, Chess, Reversi, Checkers, Connect 4, Tic-Tac-Toe
Grzyb wrote on Today, 10:32:

I want to call that "Windows 2.x with Multimedia Extensions"...

Yes, you are right, the core is more like Windows 2.x / 3.0 in real mode: only conventional memory, no XMS/EMS, cooperative multitasking.
The look is more like 3.x, but the engine is 2.x/3.0 real style, and that is why it fits in <512K.

analog_programmer wrote on Today, 10:51:
It seems like this is the best windows-like GUI for 286 systems. […]
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It seems like this is the best windows-like GUI for 286 systems.

theelf wrote on Today, 10:09:

It works on an XT, but that is not fully tested, because my PC is a Harris 286-25.

But my 286 system has AMD 286-16 and you already know, that WM also works fine on 286-12 and 286-8 with just 1 MB of RAM 😉

P.S. It seems like WM already has some serious competition in the form of "ai coded" os8088 slop. I'm betting on the natural human's creativity tho.

hi! yup, i tested too in low end 286 and in my 10mhz XT, but only have the harris 100% of time active to test, well, anyways, because i work outside home a lot, sadly most of test i do in dosbox

I need to do a good readme

oh os8088 slop did not know exist, is super nice, i will try

Reply 4 of 13, by keropi

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oh this looks extremely nice! kudos!
will add it to my utils collection - always looking for a lightweight gui for older systems 😀

edit:
does NC allow to mark files/dirs?
heh it is the INSERT key, not SPACE that I was trying 🤣

Last edited by keropi on 2026-11-09, 13:34. Edited 2 times in total.

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Reply 6 of 13, by analog_programmer

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theelf wrote on Today, 11:38:

hi! yup, i tested too in low end 286 and in my 10mhz XT, but only have the harris 100% of time active to test, well, anyways, because i work outside home a lot, sadly most of test i do in dosbox

It runs fine on slower 286 too.

theelf wrote on Today, 11:38:

oh os8088 slop did not know exist, is super nice, i will try

But we are humans, so we must beat the os8088 "ai" slop 😉

Is your WM 0.10 compiled with 8086 instructions , so it could be used on faster 8086/88 CPUs like 10 MHz? Or maybe we have to have other versions: 8086 compiled for 8086/88 CPUs; 80186 compiled for NEC V20/30 CPUs, 80286 compiled for 80286 and newer CPUs?

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 7 of 13, by theelf

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keropi wrote on Today, 13:25:
oh this looks extremely nice! kudos! will add it to my utils collection - always looking for a lightweight gui for older systems […]
Show full quote

oh this looks extremely nice! kudos!
will add it to my utils collection - always looking for a lightweight gui for older systems 😀

edit:
does NC allow to mark files/dirs?
heh it is the INSERT key, not SPACE that I was trying 🤣

Hi! thanks! years of work jeje

the norton commander clone have same keys as NC4, i just redirect edit files to notepad, and view to the VW viewer

If you have interest in a NC clone, there is thhe standalone DOS version, with internal editor, hex editor, cdplayer and more. To made a norton clone for WM first i made the dos version. If you need XT version tellme, this is compiled for 286, because i use 286 functions for the non integer calc and some other stuff

I use this just for my personal use, if you find usefull, i will translate to english

Reply 8 of 13, by theelf

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vetz wrote on Today, 13:29:

This looks very nice!

Any plans for open source on this? Would love to add some applications/games and also support Olivetti EGC/DEB for my M28 system.

yes, i need to clean the code for uploading to github

My problem is that after many years of doing code, i have a mess of names, functions, etc i like to clean up a little before upload

My other problem is that i dont made comments in code... i need to do some readme of something, because there is shared libraries, most of GUI is not hardcored in apps, but shared in WM, and without any reference nobody cna make anything

as soon i have time i will do, hope this week

Reply 9 of 13, by analog_programmer

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theelf wrote on Today, 14:59:

If you have interest in a NC clone, there is thhe standalone DOS version, with internal editor, hex editor, cdplayer and more. To made a norton clone for WM first i made the dos version. If you need XT version tellme, this is compiled for 286, because i use 286 functions for the non integer calc and some other stuff

I use this just for my personal use, if you find usefull, i will translate to english

Please, translate Noname Commander (NC) and Hoja (Spreadsheet) to English, and if possible compile them for 8086. Thanks!

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 10 of 13, by Cyberdyne

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Please trybto make it "portable".

It has the "GEM" problem. It only can be in C drive in specifically named directory.

I am aroused about any X86 motherboard that has full functional ISA slot. I think i have problem. Not really into that original (Turbo) XT,286,386 and CGA/EGA stuff. So just a DOS nut.
PS. If I upload RAR, it is a 16-bit DOS RAR Version 2.50.

Reply 11 of 13, by theelf

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Cyberdyne wrote on 40 minutes ago:

Please trybto make it "portable".

It has the "GEM" problem. It only can be in C drive in specifically named directory.

yes? it fail in another drive? last time i checked you can use in any drive or directory, a floppy if you want

I did not test this lately, i made a lot of changes sincne last time i test in a floppy

analog_programmer wrote on 50 minutes ago:
theelf wrote on Today, 14:59:

If you have interest in a NC clone, there is thhe standalone DOS version, with internal editor, hex editor, cdplayer and more. To made a norton clone for WM first i made the dos version. If you need XT version tellme, this is compiled for 286, because i use 286 functions for the non integer calc and some other stuff

I use this just for my personal use, if you find usefull, i will translate to english

Please, translate Noname Commander (NC) to English, and if possible compile it for 8086. Thanks!

Ok, I will translate tonight

Reply 12 of 13, by keenmaster486

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I really like this. How do the "apps" work? Cooperative multitasking?

World's foremost 486 enjoyer.

Reply 13 of 13, by theelf

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guys i want to test, here is the original windsuft video from WFW for 286+ encodeds to cinepack

as far i know there is not any cinepack decoder for 286, i think mine is first one

The attachment CINE1.zip is no longer available
keenmaster486 wrote on 18 minutes ago:

I really like this. How do the "apps" work? Cooperative multitasking?

Yes, cooperative. No preemption

At the start I thought about the other way, preemptive (a timer interrupt switches the tasks), but on an XT /286 after some test i reaalize is slower, and my point is as fast i can

Abouts the applications, they are "real" WM apps, ca’t live alone: windows, dialogs, menus and the mouse pointer are done by the WM, and the app asks for them with the WM API. So the WM has a part of every app, they work together

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