2.7.1 WinXP-win32 builds don't work under WinXP SP3

[rootfather]

Please read a few posts above:

However, the XP builds are most likely gone, since you'll be able to use the Win9x builds for them as well. Additionally, I'm about to switch to MSYS2 for the Windows release builds which will drop support for 32bit and outdated Windows versions in the future.

Since you can use the Win9x builds that our buildbot produces for XP as well and handling the various Windows versions is going to be increasingly difficult, you should expect that the official releases are made for Windows 7+ in 64 bit in the future.

[Nfsfan83]

Am I understand good - this 2.7.1 Windows 95+ zipfile (76.7 MiB .zip, last update: 2023-07-29, sha256) still have XP support? and will be developed in future?

But XP still is one great system for retro PC and old games...

[rootfather]

Yes, the Windows 95+ zipfile is compatible with Windows XP as well. Even though we currently don't have an official 2.8.0 for it, we still have the proper toolchain and might be able to build it. So not all hope is lost.

You can use the Windows 95+ builds for XP and Vista and the "official" ones for Windows 7 SP1 and higher.

[Nfsfan83]

Ok, guys I love all your hard work on each latest version of ScummVM and still use and love XP so don't be angry that I ask about it. XP Forever and ScummVM of course.

Only 2 problems at now are in Scummvm: Broken Sword 1 with polish translation is not detected and polish game New Teenagent is detected like czech version (polish have voice dubbing with polish subtitles)

[sev]

For those two problems, please, submit two separate bugrerports on our tracker. We will need recursive list of files for each case and detailed descriptions of those game versions, e.g. company that translated it, etc.


Eugene

[zosite]

I've just confirmed that FLAC is not supported on Win9x builds, and this is indeed a heavy concern, at least for me since several game files I ripped from original media and converted myself and I'm currently using (Loom VGA/FM-TOWNS, The 7th Guest, Gobliins 3...) depend on such an excellent lossless format. Therefore, even if Win9x builds keep being built in future releases I won't be able to use them on those old computers currently running ScummVM 2.7.0 and waiting for a new release I mentioned before. Just 2 questions:

1. Would it be possible to somehow implement FLAC support for 9x builds?
2. Is there any other nasty outcome coming from WinXP ---> Win9x change I should know about?

Mind you, some time ago with the 2.7.1 release I decided to be patient and wait for a working build for my WinXP rigs and in the end I accepted it would be a compatible 9x build, but now I'd like to know whether it makes sense to keep waiting or just make up my mind and realize those systems are over for any future ScummVM improvements and shall be kept with release 2.7.0 forever. I may consider upgrading to Win7 in one of them... time consuming, granted, but still possible. But the other 2 don't even meet Win7 requirements so it's a dead end for them, true story .

[zosite]

So... Even if it's stated to be just a bugfix release 2.8.1 is out and a Win95+ appears available for download. The demise of WinXP runs long yet Win95+ remains (?!).

Fine, I very much prefer to use that one and be able to keep using my old hardware for the classics (and I mean it; Pentium IV... 512MB RAM... Win7 does not approve). However, please let me ask again:

1. Would it be possible to somehow implement FLAC support for 9x builds? Or is it already done in this release; AFAIK it didn't support it and some music file conversions I work with were done in FLAC.
2. Is there any other nasty outcome coming from WinXP ---> Win9x change I should know about?

I would ask again whether WinXP will come back or how on earth could I build the proper toolchain to compile it myself from source but... oh, well, please feel free (if you will) to share detailed instructions on how to do that for those 32bit builds I managed to compile to date just won't work under XP no matter how I tried.

[rootfather]

There are no plans to bring back Windows XP support. FLAC is not supported in the Windows 9x builds for now.

[ccawley2011]

For the record, the Windows 9x build of v2.8.0 was skipped due to some last minute issues with ScummVM's dependencies that broke backwards compatibility. It should be mostly resolved now with v2.8.1, but in case this happens again I'd encourage testing Win9x builds from the buildbot during testing periods and reporting any issues you encounter to the issue tracker so that it can be investigated before the release - I'm not as active with Win9x support as I am with the other ports I maintain, and it's not possible to check for compatibility issues during automated builds.

Would it be possible to somehow implement FLAC support for 9x builds? Or is it already done in this release; AFAIK it didn't support it and some music file conversions I work with were done in FLAC.

FLAC is currently disabled in Win9x due to it requiring the _fstat64, _stat64, _wstat64 and _wutime64, which weren't added to MSVCRT.DLL until later versions of Windows. It might be possible to get it to build with the 32-bit time functions as a workaround, but I probably won't get around to this for some time.

Is there any other nasty outcome coming from WinXP ---> Win9x change I should know about?

The main differences that require separate Windows 95/98/ME vs. XP builds are that the Win9x build uses SDL 1.2 instead of SDL2, and that Win9x builds disable support for Unicode file names.

There are a few other features that aren't enabled in Windows 9x builds. You can check the toolchain build scripts for more details on what features are available: https://github.com/scummvm/dockerized-b ... kerfile.m4

I would ask again whether WinXP will come back or how on earth could I build the proper toolchain to compile it myself from source but... oh, well, please feel free (if you will) to share detailed instructions on how to do that for those 32bit builds I managed to compile to date just won't work under XP no matter how I tried.

The nightly builds from the Buildbot should work on Windows XP, although you'll need to replace the supplied version of Sparkle with an older one. https://buildbot.scummvm.org/#/dailybuilds

The buildbot uses Docker, so you can build ScummVM using the same toolchain using the instructions from here: https://wiki.scummvm.org/index.php?titl ... mVM/Docker

[zosite]

Outstanding!! Thank you so much, ccawley2011, for your understanding and the time you invested on trying to help. I'll be testing recommended workarounds in days ahead, and be sure that I'll post here again should I happen to find something that actually works.

In the end I think that while WinXP won't find official support anymore from the staff (I suppose we all need to move ahead at some point) it's still important to be able to compile ScummVM as long as the main code along with its tools and functions renders it utterly impossible to work under such a venerable OS.

[zosite]

And it just... WORKS! For some unspeakable reason last 2.9.x nightly build (April 9th) works with Windows XP again as long as you're pairing it with WinSparkle 0.7.0 or less (seems 0.8.0 was the first version to drop XP support).

However, I'm 200% sure that 2.8.1 does NOT work, even paired with WinSparkle 0.6.0. I assume -somebody- did -something- in the interim so it would work again and you have my eternal gratitude for that.

Tomorrow I'll be compiling current source code with Docker using windows_x86 toolchain just in case. Somebody suggested me to NOT use "--enable-updates" in order to ensure WinXP compatibility though I'm not sure it's necessary anymore since this working nightly build is supposed to be compiled using it, right?

[zosite]

Lo and behold! Current 2.9.x source code compilation using Docker within WSL v2 Debian on Windows11 host for "--host=i686-w64-mingw32.static" under "toolchains/mxe" worked flawlessly under Windows XP SP3! Both with "--enable-updates" and "--disable-sparkle" (I think those two work more or less like opposite poles).

I just hope this will still work the same for next official release...

On any case, since I'd also remove several unused engines (IMHO ScummVM gets better and better at the same rate its executable gets bigger and bigger!) I'd also like to know how do you get to have a proper installer executable for win32... Yeah, I know I can have it portable and whatnot just by compiling it myself as instructed and carefully working with a properly homed "scummvm.ini", yet I'm one of those unbearable freaks who enjoys these things being arranged to the letter. And please take note that I can figure out that asking something like this after having been able to compile everything myself might sound stupid, for I think this must be much easier... (or is it?) Nevertheless, I'd be grateful should you spend a few lines enlightening me about.

Thank you again!

[zosite]

Oooook, after finding Mr. "/dists/win32/ScummVM.iss" I managed myself through some Inno Setup fun and I think I got the picture clear now.

And now, knowing that current source code works under WinXP, for Wilmunder's and Gilbert's sakes I beg you... don't break it unless you find it absolutely necessary! And I fully realize that will be the case, eventually...