Odin (Software)

The software Odin is a programming interface that provides the Windows libraries under the operating system OS / 2 Warp or the successor system eComStation available to use Microsoft Windows programs on these operating systems can. It is intended to simplify the porting of Windows software on OS / 2 by means of an included Odin32 API. While these programs do not OS/2-specific properties, such as the Workplace Shell (WPS ) to use, but they benefit from the stability, the preemptive multitasking, multithreading and memory management of OS / 2 as opposed to Windows 95/98/Me.

This software is licensed under open source terms and is freely available to everyone. The project is by Odin, the supreme god of Germanic and Norse mythology, named.

The project

The project objectives are:

• Every Windows program should be able to be loaded and working properly.
• A complete OS/2-Umsetzung the Win32 API.

Although these objectives have not been reached by far, many programs work correctly. For example, StarOffice is available in version 5.2, but OpenOffice.org requires an additional compatibility layer. In support special Windows interface such as Direct X has yet been waived. Just as on the support of seldom-used libraries. Odin is directed in this sense to users in the business environment, who value high availability especially in the server area, the majority of buyers of eComStation.

Odin32 is also used commercially for the OS/2-Portierung of the web browser Opera.

Technical Features

Odin achieved binary compatibility by Win32 EXE and DLL files are translated into the OS / 2 format. The conversion takes place either " on the fly" ( every time when the program is executed) or permanent. Odin is no emulation, and no pure compatibility layer because of the own developer API.

Odin is compared to Windows applications as "Windows 2000 Service Pack 2". It uses code from Wine which supports Win32 applications on Unix-like operating systems.