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Multi-boot Windows 9x with current GNU/Linux


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14 hours ago, Wunderbar98 said:

Personally i think developers should be given older hardware so they focus on site performance. What takes just a couple seconds longer on latest hardware can take minutes on an older system.

Yup, we might even had ended up with higher quality software in that case. They also say striving for cross-platform compatibility improves code quality.

Regarding performance, they say horse power is cheap while the effort to optimize for older hardware is not.

14 hours ago, Wunderbar98 said:

It's a minor hassle, BIOS clock needs to be manually adjusted twice a year for daylight savings time and periodically if time drifts.

So there are motherboards out there with relatively decent quartz crystals? Mine accmulates about 1 second per day lag. It was a cheaper model though. I wouldn't be surprised if they don't focus as much on those even on high end motherboards since who doesn't regularly sync time over NTP anyway. Windows 10 even does it daily out-of-the-box.

I've set my car's clock about a minute forward from then current time about 2 years ago, I wasn't targetting exact minute, so not sure how much forward it was, just in case, and the clock forward is still better in the sense you can't be late if you orient from such clock (excluding the possibilities of extraordinary events).

It's still about 50 seconds forward. Of course, my car does not and cannot go online to sync clock.

Edited by UCyborg
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  • 5 months later...

Hi @UCyborg, here my 20 year old systems keep better time than my 12 year old vehicle. No big, bump the time up a minute or so per month. The clock needs to be adjusted twice a year anyway.

*****

Firefox continues to be built and packaged for non-SSE2 capable 32-bit systems. My Devuan multi-boots were just bumped from Firefox 78 ESR to Firefox 102 ESR.

Not too shabby, since Mozilla officially dropped non-SSE2 support at Firefox 52. Pretty amazing for my 23 year old hardware. Special thanks to all contributors who keep old hardware relevant.
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On 9/29/2022 at 6:02 AM, Wunderbar98 said:

Hi @UCyborg, here my 20 year old systems keep better time than my 12 year old vehicle. No big, bump the time up a minute or so per month. The clock needs to be adjusted twice a year anyway.

The time came to replace my old vehicle. New one's clock is a bit better than the one in my computer, if you leave it on manual, it takes about two weeks instead of one for time to get behind by the same amount, but it's also aware of time zones and DST (compared to the clock in the old car) and the option to automatically sync over GPS seems to be working as expected.

Edited by UCyborg
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Hi @UCyborg, congratulations on your new(er) vehicle. The chip and parts shortage has me holding back, oh well mine's only about 13 years old, low mileage, runs well. Thankfully doesn't 'connect' to anything outside. Call me old fashioned.

This Firefox 102 ESR on non-SSE2 gives occasional tab crashes just like Firefox 78 ESR. Much wasted time trying to find a solution, sucks. I am seeking a newer used system that has SSE2 or 64-bit. Ideally something that can run Windows 98 but will be happy just having my old Windows 98 systems on the side.

Unfortunately even used computers seem harder to find now at a fair price. Hindsight is 20/20, should have transitioned to RaspberryPi a couple years ago before mass shortages.
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  • 3 weeks later...
A switch to slower 3G USB tethered cellphone internet caused some issues. Network performance was good direct tethered to GNU/Linux system but not through Asus router. Biggest problem was outdated firmware on the router, now updated and fixed using a variation of 'plug and pray'.

MTU tuning for packet fragmentation was completed. Windows 98 SE was boss for networking, seamlessly working with dial-up and ethernet, easy to set up, GUI assistance, lots of free helper software. Unfortunately a direct USB tether during a Windows 98 boot didn't work and, admittedly, not much time was spent trying.

Packet fragmentation occured at a lower byte size when direct tethered to the computer (running GNU/Linux) vs the Asus router. To keep a consistent data pipe the lower MTU setting (of the cellphone) was configured throughout the network. Don't matter to others, the best MTU value for this 3G network is 1440.

In Windows 98 free sofware like TCP Optimizer v3.0.8 can be used to test for best MTU. Old school command line also works to check for packet fragmentation. Start at 1500 and work down, example:
ping yahoo.com -f -l 1492

GNU/Linux uses a similar command for fragmentation checks, example:
ping -M do -c 2 -s 1492 yahoo.com

Lots of MTU guides available, remember to adjust maximum non-fragmented packet size with headers (generally add 28) to get the MTU:
https://www.geeksforgeeks.org/how-to-find-the-proper-mtu-size-for-a-network/

In Windows 98 SE, TCP Optimizer was used to set the MTU. Query whether it can also be manually set through this registry entry:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\Class\NetTrans\0000\MaxMTU

The Asus router has an MTU setting for a USB tethered connection.

In GNU/Linux custom .bashrc alias' are used here to manually connect/disconnect and check network status from command line, adjust for your network's preferred MTU:
alias netstart='sudo ifdown eth0 && sudo ifup eth0 && sudo ifconfig eth0 mtu 1440 && sudo ifconfig'
alias netstop='sudo ifdown eth0 && sudo ifconfig'
alias tetheron='sudo ifconfig usb0 up && sudo dhclient usb0 && sudo ifconfig usb0 mtu 1440 && sudo ifconfig'
alias tetheroff='sudo ifconfig usb0 up && sudo dhclient -r usb0 && sudo ifconfig'
alias ping2g='sudo ping -c 2 8.8.8.8'
alias ping2y='sudo ping -c 2 yahoo.com'
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