Making a simple Desktop Environment/explorer.exe

[ThatOSDeveloper]

This would be required for a GUI, and would be required for the version 1.0.0 release.

[cb88]

Windows 3.1 winfile (which was also in later releases just not the default)

Is open source and MIT licensed https://github.com/microsoft/winfile its not a desktop per se back then it was program manager. A basic shell + the real winfile would be pretty good though.

[KapTheGuy]

Windows 3.1 winfile (which was also in later releases just not the default)

Is open source and MIT licensed https://github.com/microsoft/winfile its not a desktop per se back then it was program manager. A basic shell + the real winfile would be pretty good though.

That's pretty cool!

[realblobii]

https://github.com/schinagl/winfile is an active fork - M$ archived the repo start of this month

[cb88]

It's not like you would need the latest version if you are targeting DOS/win32 since the main reason for updates is support for newer OS. Note the MS github has a Retro branch also in addition on the master branch.

[tpimh]

Wine's explorer.exe started as a rudimentary, but a very simple program. Perhaps, this is a good place to start.

[fithisux]

There are many choices here already

https://bb4win.sourceforge.net/
https://github.com/lsdev/litestep-

and excellent file managers

Explorer++ (I use it instead of Explorer in Some Cases)
Double Commander (I use it on a daily basis)
Gnu Midnight Commander (minimal)
Far3 (ugly, but effective)
Tablacus (very very nice one)
The original one some one mentioned from M$$$ (Speedy Gonzalez)

Cubic Explorer (Delphi, unmaintained)

It is enough to have a file manager and a terminal to at least launch programs. The rest are luxuries.

[ThatOSDeveloper]

The issue is that a lot of these are not compatible with our license, thats the issue, its copyright law

[fithisux]

The issue is that a lot of these are not compatible with our license, thats the issue, its copyright law

I expect the user to put them in a usb drive and install them through a console. BTW they are all Open Source.

MC is GPLv3
Blackbox is GPL (https://github.com/xzero450/bbclean-xzero450/tree/master/BlackboxZero)

[ThatOSDeveloper]

sure, but open source does not mean instant compatibility with the OS license and expecting the user to put it in a USB drive and install instead of providing a functional OS, I would personally not do.