Fake W95

This is a project I completed as a freelancer for a TV show. The production team needed a Windows 95-style device with custom software that appeared authentically period-appropriate.

Desktop

As the base operating system, I used Ubuntu with the XFCE desktop environment. I then applied an existing Windows 95 theme called Chicago95 to achieve the authentic retro appearance.

Features

Citronwire

One of the key programs required for the show was LimeWire. While old versions still exist on sites like the Internet Archive and can be run using Wine, the original LimeWire network has long since been discontinued. Although the program launches, it cannot actually function for file sharing. This challenge led me to develop a custom solution that mimics LimeWire’s appearance while simulating MP3 downloads. The result was Citronwire:

Other Programs

The production also required other period-appropriate software including Winamp, a PDF viewer, and music production tools. For most applications, I sourced original executables from the Internet Archive and successfully ran them using Wine on the modern Linux system. In cases where vintage software wasn’t available, the system’s native programs styled with the Chicago95 theme provided an authentic enough appearance.

Why not use Windows 95 directly?

The primary limitation of using genuine Windows 95 on set would be the difficulty of developing custom software when specific functionality doesn’t exist. Additionally, Windows 95’s inherent instability and slow performance pose significant risks in a production environment where every minute of downtime costs substantial money. Creating this simulated Windows 95 environment provided a much more reliable and controllable solution.