Windows 9x Subsystem for Linux
Ranked 16 of 27 compatibility layers by recommenders
People admire this project for running a modern Linux kernel inside Windows 9x, a six-year effort to understand Win9x internals, and for being written without AI.
People admire this project for running a modern Linux kernel inside Windows 9x, a six-year effort to understand Win9x internals, and for being written without AI.
8 people gave an opinion
- recommend it
- 8
- criticize it
- 0
- approval share
- 100%
Recommended in 1 of 13 months
- November 2025: not recommended
- December 2025: not recommended
- January 2026: not recommended
- February 2026: not recommended
- March 2026: not recommended
- April 2026: recommended
- May 2026: not recommended
- June 2026: not recommended
- July 2026: not recommended
- August 2026: not recommended
- September 2026: not recommended
- October 2026: not recommended
- November 2026: not recommended (month in progress)
Why it doesn’t carry the badge
- 8 people recommend itNeeds 10 or more, not met.
- Nobody criticizes itNeeds 2 to 1 or better, met.
- Recommended in 1 of 13 monthsNeeds 4 or more, not met.
The same three rules apply to every product, and the badge can’t be bought. How the badge works
What people say about it
The reasons people give, with the number of comments that give each one. Open a reason to read what they said.
Why people recommend it
Each mark is one comment
Runs modern Linux kernel inside Win9x
“One person spends 6 years understanding Win9x internals to run a modern Linux kernel inside it.”
Comment from 22 Apr 2026 in “Windows 9x Subsystem for Linux” “Modern linux kernel running cooperatively inside the Windows 9x kernel, sick!”
Comment from 22 Apr 2026 in “Windows 9x Subsystem for Linux” Deep Win9x internals research
“One person spends 6 years understanding Win9x internals to run a modern Linux kernel inside it.”
Comment from 22 Apr 2026 in “Windows 9x Subsystem for Linux” Shows coLinux could have existed earlier
“What I especially like about this Windows 9x Subsystem project, is that it proves that coLinux could have been written way earlier.”
Comment from 23 Apr 2026 in “Windows 9x Subsystem for Linux” Written without AI
“Proudly written without AI.”
Comment from 22 Apr 2026 in “Windows 9x Subsystem for Linux”
Other compatibility layers people recommend
The four most recommended other compatibility layers, with the same counts for each, so you can compare like for like. The tick on each bar marks the 2 to 1 line the badge needs.
| Product | Recommend | Criticize | Approval | Months | Owned | Badge |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Proton by Valve | 451 | 189 | 70% | 13 | 2 yrs31 owners | Approved |
| Wine | 329 | 88 | 79% | 13 | 10 yrs11 owners | Approved |
| Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) | 159 | 101 | 61% | 12 | 3 yrs9 owners | — |
| WSL2 (Windows Subsystem for Linux) | 115 | 55 | 68% | 12 | — | Approved |
| Windows 9x Subsystem for LinuxThis page | 8 | 0 | 100% | 1 | — | — |
What people said
4 of the 8 comments that mention it, newest first. Each links to the original comment.
“What I especially like about this Windows 9x Subsystem project, is that it proves that coLinux could have been written way earlier.”
“One person spends 6 years understanding Win9x internals to run a modern Linux kernel inside it.”
“Proudly written without AI.”
“Modern linux kernel running cooperatively inside the Windows 9x kernel, sick!”
Counts come from 1,795,640 Hacker News comments, November 2025 to November 2026. How we count. Report a mistake.