Nina KalininaSep 26, 2025
What do we have here? NEC PC-9821 laptop (non-PC compatible from Japan that can run Windows and a special MS-DOS version), running a rare variety of Linux called Plamo Linux/98. Linux 2.4.22, XFree86 4.3, and some Slackware compatibility. More screenshots - but from the screencapture device - will follow 🧵
Show threadNina KalininaSep 26, 2025
Plamo Linux comes with an unusual window manager that is definitely not copied from Windows 9x, and doesn't have any icons from Windows 3.x. Geroware Qvwm is all animated, and thus fairly slow on a non-accelerated video.
Show threadNina KalininaSep 26, 2025
You need to watch the video to appreciate how restless this window manager is! I don't think it's common for Japanese computing, by the way, just feels very hacker-y. "Hey I made these icons animated for fun! Also there's Oneko!"
Show threadNina KalininaSep 26, 2025

"Netscape" button opens Wazilla - Japanese flavour of Mozilla. It can sort of open my home page, and Google.co.jp still works in it. Of course it can show Japanese characters!

The staff with kana "Mo" on the logo hints that 和ジラ might be a multi-level pun. Gecko/20030829 hints at the build date.

Of course, no modern cryptography.

Show threadFederico Damián SchonbornSep 26, 2025
@nina_kali_nina Wazilla sounds like one of those offbrands that show up from time to time in animes, which is... fitting (I guess?). Is it sponsored by WcDonalds by any chance?
Show threadNina Kalinina
@federicoschonborn pfft :D ahaha
Sep 26, 2025 at 6:52pmWeb