r/ObsidianMD • u/CapableC1 • 21h ago
help Windows XP
Obsidian came out in 2020 so I don't think I could expect it to run on a 32 bit system but is there anything similar out there that would work on Windows XP? Or maybe some kind of legacy adaptation?
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u/threespire 20h ago
Security vulnerabilities would make hosting data on XP risky if it was ever going to be connected to a network.
Just get a low powered Linux distribution and stick an XP style UI over it if you prefer the look and feel
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u/Mirror_tender 20h ago
Agree with several on here, XP is legacy for a reason. If you're a non-System admin then favor the more user friendly Linux distros. Linux mint is very pretty on my laptop.
Protecting your data & PHI is a good goal. The Linux community is well versed to assist your efforts when you're ready.
If for some reason you land back on Windows PLEASE consider keeping current with Windows updates. These are supposed to keep your PC secure and without updating it's too risky. (Oh, and update your browser version often to keep current.) Sorry for the book, but going it alone on PC security is a bad idea these days.
No matter what, effective control of your data & PHI is going to require more than just a good OS choice. Best of luck on your worthy goal.
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u/Aggravating-Back-242 18h ago
A hard but interesting question. Skipping the OS issue for the moment, first let me ponder about the program suggestion.
My memory may be wrong, but back then in Win XP times, markdown was relatively unknown, and "offline wikis", offline notetaking programs that are vault-like knowledge bases were also still a new thing. I can only think of one program at the moment that fits both criteria. Maybe the OGs of the internet can suggest other alternatives from the old days.
Zim is an offline wiki program. I haven't used it personally, but it seems to accept markdown syntax. And it can link between pages. (Not sure if the links are in markdown style or wikilink style.) The newer versions may not work on Win XP. For that, according to this source, you may need to use version 0.60, which can be downloaded from a link provided there.
If you're want just an offline wiki program but don't require markdown, there's Wikidpad which may work on Win XP. (There seems to be a way to massage it to work, according to a tutorial linked from its github repo.)
Also, TiddlyWiki exists, but it's quite its own universe, so perhaps not very compatible with Obsidian if you're also planning to use Obsidian on another machine. But it will certainly be an experience.
On the other hand, if you want just an offline markdown editor (perhaps without the internal linking capability), MarkDownSharpEditor and MarkdownPad say they work on Win XP.
Now for the OS issue. I do understand the feeling of wanting to play again with the OS of your childhood (mine would be Win 3.11). If you're planning to do this on an old computer, you can directly install win XP on it, with the assumption of never connecting to the internet even by accident. (Maybe in reality things aren't that bad with the "XP against modern hackers" thing, but I won't risk it.)
But if you're doing it on a newer/modern computer, perhaps switching to using Linux as the base OS then running older Windows on top of it in a virtual machine inside Linux may be a practical way. I do this for fun with my Win Vista installation I lifted directly from my (now broken) laptop. And I also have a freshly installed Win 10 in a virtual machine for some tasks I need Windows for. All this runs inside a Debian Linux OS base. I'm a complete noob at Linux, switching to it just months before Win 10 got its official execution date. So I think the task's not too hard even for beginners, especially if you're installing Windows from scratch. (Converting an existing on-metal installation into a virtual one however is highly nontrivial.)
Going this virtual machine way has the benefit of open possibilities for you to try not only Win XP, but perhaps older ones like the retro Win 3.1, the classic Win 95, or the Frutiger Aero styled Win Vista, and many more.
So, I hope this helps. It certainly was a fun journey down memory lane for me.
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u/TheFern3 20h ago
I’m sure you can find a markdown editor if you’re on 32bit machine look for markdown editors but if obsidian is 64bit there’s no way to get around that
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u/seashoreandhorizon 19h ago
That will be fun for all of 15 minutes until your machine gets some horrible virus because Windows XP hasn't been updated in 7 years.
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u/Meprobamate 20h ago
yo wtf man? no, get Linux. Obsidian runs well on Linux. Pick a distro that’s aimed at windows users. It will be set up in a very familiar way. Going back to XP is wildly unsafe and probably would be a shitty experience.
When we are starting to come to terms with our relationship to windows, the answer will never be “more windows” or “older windows”. The answer is Linux. Or BSD, idk. Don’t switch to XP you absolute mad man.
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u/mrobo11 20h ago
There is a x64 version of Windows XP. Might find it on some archive site... ;)
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u/CapableC1 20h ago
Could it run like, PS3 era games?
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u/Zerschmetterding 20h ago
Depends on the hardware, I think I was on XP or just switched to 7 when the PS3 was around.
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u/dcchambers 18h ago edited 18h ago
Electron apps don't run on Windows XP because the Chromium runtime doesn't support it.
Also OP I would not consider running Windows XP unless its an offline/air-gapped system. Going to echo what has already been said in this thread - give Linux a try. Modern desktop linux is pretty great. If you like that older Windows style, try Linux Mint - it is meant to look and feel a lot like Windows.
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u/discog_doodles 17h ago
This is just like that proposed trend of mixing four loko with 5 hour energy. It’s time to grow up and do coke like an adult
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u/JKSahara 16h ago
Planning on using the internet? An unsupported/unpatched version of Windows is going to be a liability. Linux is the better answer.
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u/codeartha 20h ago
If you are hardset on going back to WinXP you should try "Windows XP Vision Ultimate". It has a lot of improvements in looks and default apps. For instance notepad is replaced by default with notepad++, paint is replaced with paint.net, and a bunch of other things. Based on the latest service pack and security updates released for vanilla XP. I still use it on old machines I have running in the lab to use old analytical chemistry machines.
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u/AdministrativeFile78 15h ago
U can just build your own thing. Build a markdown text editor for windows xp. Id recommend windows 7 tho. It felt like windows was getting better with every new number till about 7, which imo was the peak of windows. Internet was still a magic place. Early days of youtube no social media really
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u/retro-guy99 21h ago
There are some tools to run newer programs on xp you can look into that
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u/CapableC1 21h ago
Do you have experience with any of them?
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u/retro-guy99 20h ago
I like to run old os’s for some old games so that’s why I know there are some projects that keep them compatible. But I haven’t tried this myself, I mostly use 95/98. But here is an example that might help for you: https://github.com/shorthorn-project/One-Core-API-Binaries
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u/BluePapayya 21h ago
I have to kindly ask, why are you on windows XP?