Package Manager

The Package Manager program.

The package manager is Windows 96's primary method of distribution for programs. The term "package" refers to a complex set of folders and files, which when coupled with a JSON file and structured correctly, can be decoded by the package manager program and unpacked into the Windows 96 filesystem.

Functioning

Packages are hosted on a webserver, where the root URL of the package folder is then set as a package repository in the package manager. Packages can be hosted on any static website host (i.e. Github Pages), and comprise of a set of 16x16 and 32x32 pixel icon files, as well as a "content@1.0" directories/zips and a JSON file which sets the folders and icons as variables.

The package manager file structure.

Package structure

During the creation of a package repository, the package manager must be able to decode the structure of the package to be able to successfully unpack any files or folders inside. The file sctructure can be found on the right.

Community

Packages are created by the community to share their work to other users. Packages may contain applications, programs, tools, themes, or wallpapers. Here are some repositories created by the community:

URL	Author	Note
https://packages.windows96.net/community	Windows 96 Contributors	The official community repository. Packages are picked using a high standard.
https://nandertga.ddns.net/w96-packages	NanderTGA
https://billygoat891.github.io/w96/repo	billygoat891
https://sgeo.github.io/win96-repos/apps	Sgeo
https://sgeo.github.io/win96-repos/malware		Malware repository - use at your own risk
https://packages.ctrl.wtf/main	ctrlz
https://jameisepic.github.io/thinkjame/public/main	JameIsEpic
https://w96.stilic.ynh.fr/main	Stilic
https://onofficiel.github.io/w96/v2	Onofficiel	Only for Windows 96 v2
https://onofficiel.github.io/w96/v3