Calmira (originally released as Calmira II) is an alternative shell for Windows 3.1x that replaces its shell with one resembling that of Windows 95. The original version of Calmira was developed by Li-Hsin Huang. Released under the GNU GPL, it has received a number of forks over the years by other developers seeking to update its functionality.

The shell is more than a simple cosmetic upgrade, however. Much of the functionality of later 32-bit shells has been incorporated into the Calmira software. The shell has a Start menu, a taskbar and a desktop that all function like those found in the Explorer-based desktop environments of later 32-bit Windows operating systems, including support for shortcuts and the Recycle Bin. He wrote the software in Borland Delphi 1.0, an Object Pascal–based programming environment by Borland Software. Because the Windows 3.1x environment is virtually extinct , additions of new features and addons to Calmira are few and far between.

Forks

Being open source, some people developed their own forks of Calmira, adding other features and customizations. Here is a list of the most popular ones:

  • Calmira LFN: Fork developed by Alexandre Rodrigues de Sousa
  • Calmira Reborn: Fork of Calmira LFN developed by Hunter "Lilia" Turcin that addresses a number of bugs present in version 3.32. Version 4.0 Beta added support for long filenames and a login screen, among other features. Development ceased in November 2006.

Other versions, as well as the original version of Calmira, can be found at Calmira Online!.

References

  • Calmira Online!