Not Another Windows Shell?

Hi. I am thinking about making a shell for windows. This is going to be a learning project for me as I am only 15 and don't know much about the Windows API. I am looking for people about the same age and in the same position who want to learn. This probably won't be easy and I may have to consult some higher powers now and again but I think it is possible. I haven't really thought about it much but here are some features i would like to include:

- A little helper guy (like the guy in Microsoft Word but more help ful). He would be the thing that alowed you to change system settings and things through him.
- Totally integrated into the Internet so that the internet no longer feels like you are accessing things on other computers and feels just liek home.
- Very user friendly

I think that about 3 programmers will be needed and an artist (I want it to be very graphic). Some beta tester will also be useful towards the end.

If you are interested please contact me on [email protected] ( or add me to your contact list in MSN Messenger - i am on most of the time ). Remember I only want people who are in it to learn!

you only want people the want to learn? that's basically how mtv got started...

I just thought i'd give you a bit of advice before you get started, though.

In my opinion, art is for games and graphics programs. If you want it to look good, you can do it withought graphics...

If you're developing for windows 2000 or windows xp, look into using gdi + for the graphics things.

Many people find bright colors appealing to the eye, but dark colors with high contrast (black bg, with a red or green foreground) look pretty cool too...

Play with the colors before adding in a bunch of graphics. Remember that the graphics take up more space than the code to create them and graphics don't generally scale well.

If you need to know which entries in the regestry (windows nt/2000/xp) or ini file (windows 3.x/95/98/me) you need to change to get the program to be a shell, let me know...

And last, but not least, in Windows 3.x, windows closes when the shell closes, but in all other versions of windows, you will need to manually shut down the computer... use ExitWindowsEx api call to do it...


Good luck on you project

I might also be of service... I am currently designing my new OS, though(Yeah, the whole thing - tasking, filesystems, memory management, etc). You can use some of my ideas, but they will require mentioning - I have different looking windows.

One question: Are you building this shell using VB? Microsoft made many of Window's core components (Explorer[DOH!], several dialogs, notepad, calc, etc...) in VB, as a result, the entire OS bogged down. Make your file explorer stuff in C - Don't be a dunce like Microsoft - That's the easy way out.

Check out the Interface for my OS - The ideas are from SGI's IRIX, Windows, some LINUX shells(A VDesk)... Contact me on MSN if needed ([email protected])

What the CTOS Desktop will look like(Not including the command interface). I find it somewhat futuristic(Just imagine a cool BMP instead of the black background ;) ):

ms didn't make those windows components with vb (though it probably could be done)

i can tell you that i am 100% sure of this because the window class names of the windows used by these windows components does not match the class names of the vb controls (which always include the word "Thunder" in them for some reason)

the class name for the top-most window in notepad is "Notepad", while a vb form (vb 6) is "ThunderFormDC".

If MS used any of there own products to write windows components, it would have most likely been Visual C++ (probably v4 for win95/nt4, v5 for win98, v6 for win me/2000 and C# for xp)

Have fun writing your os and i hope that you do the same licensing thing that Linux does...

btw, i found a good way for you to test the part of the os the boots the system (the code for the boot sector of the harddrive): there is a program out there called VMWare Workstation which sets up a virtual machine that perfectly emulates the IBM machine code. I've successfully installed sever different versions of windows on it so far (including nt4 and both xp home and pro)

you can actually minimize windows. i don't mean a program in windows, i mean windows itself.

VMWare Workstation only runs under nt/2000/xp/linux

you can download a trial version at http://www.vmware.com/ (there are cracks available for it at http://astalavista.box.sk)

The entire Win95 Source code is downloadable on the net (I don't have it) - someone told me that the code was about half and half VB and C with VERY little amounts of assembler. The shell was most likely in VB, but anyways, let's continue on...

For my OS, I will most likely not release it under GPL. The system is one that I plan to sell later on via my own business(To start-up later).

As for VMWare, I have Win98 First Edition, so I don't think it'll run. I also only have 96MByte of RAM and the VMWare needs 128MBytes. VMWare would make testing this OS quite a bit easier. Right now, I test the boot-up code by running back and forth, between rooms to my 486. The boot-up code works (Opens STARTUP.BIN in the root on a FAT volume), and then jumps to the start-up code which opens the A20 line and sets pmode, then hangs(purposely).

i don't know if i should mention this or not, so i will... you can download a copy of windows xp pro from the program Kazaa (kazaa.com). Make sure you get the ISO and burn it, not a zip file with the cd files, because the cd is bootable.

you should consider upgrading your ram as well, even if you don't plan to use vmware...

I don't have any programs that need any more than 64MBytes of RAM. So far, this 96MBytes has held out fine for almost 4 years. Instead of getting more RAM, I think it would be better for me to get a whole new PC(I have a 350MHz PII - It's bogged up sometimes, maybe Window's fault).

Hi,

I am creating a new filesharing client called Syfonic Music Community.

This client will be much larger that Napster, Kazaa etc.

It also is going to be written in the Visual Basic 6 language.
I am looking for Visual Basic programmers to help me with this client, so if you are in any way interested in helping me with this client please mailto [email protected]



-Chase
Owner of Syfonic Music Community

I was in contact with [email protected]. Are you stil going ahead with your project? If so I can help you as I can add some features that I have found very effective in my shell replacement.

i can help with the project, im 15 too, PM me if your interested