chore: initialize Python Win9x port workspace

.gitignore

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+# External/vendor source trees
+/cpython/
+/MSVC600/
+
+# Local compatibility build output
+/build/
+/out/
+/compat-build/
+
+# Wine and temporary artifacts
+*.obj
+*.pdb
+*.ilk
+*.dll
+*.exe
+*.lib
+*.exp
+*.pyc
+__pycache__/

PORT_STATUS.md

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+# Port Status — CPython 3.11.16 to Windows 98 SE
+
+Date: 2026-08-17
+Baseline: CPython `v3.11.16`
+Compiler: MSVC 6.0 (`cl.exe` 12.00.8804), from external `MSVC600`
+Host test environment: Linux + Wine
+
+## Verified
+
+- CPython source checkout is at the requested `v3.11.16` baseline.
+- The MSVC600 tool bundle is present locally and its `VC98/bin/VCVARS32.BAT`
+  environment script runs under Wine.
+- MSVC6 reports:
+
+  ```text
+  Microsoft (R) 32-bit C/C++ Optimizing Compiler Version 12.00.8804 for 80x86
+  ```
+
+- A direct compile probe reaches CPython 3.11 headers. The first unmodified
+  probe fails before linking, proving the compiler is being invoked against the
+  intended baseline.
+- A project-local compatibility `inttypes.h` has been added under
+  `compat/msvc600/` as the first isolated shim. It is not yet wired into
+  CPython source or declared sufficient for the port.
+
+## Current first-blocker evidence
+
+The probe command was equivalent to:
+
+```text
+cl /nologo /I compat/msvc600 /I cpython/Include /I cpython/PC \
+   /c cpython/Programs/python.c
+```
+
+The next errors include:
+
+- `Py_uintptr_t` / `Py_intptr_t` configuration failures in `Include/pyport.h`
+- unsupported C `inline` syntax in `Include/object.h` and other public headers
+- unsupported `__declspec(deprecated)` annotations
+- additional C99/C99-era declarations and compatibility assumptions
+
+Before the compatibility header was supplied, VC6 stopped immediately on the
+missing `inttypes.h` include. The isolated header resolved only that first
+missing-header error; it is intentionally not presented as a complete fix.
+
+## Larger blockers to plan for
+
+1. **Build-system mismatch:** CPython 3.11's Windows build expects Visual Studio
+   2017-era MSBuild/vcxproj tooling. VC6 cannot consume the build as-is. A
+   dedicated minimal VC6 makefile/project set is required.
+2. **Compiler language gap:** CPython 3.11 source and headers use C99-era and
+   later MSVC features that VC6 does not implement. Compatibility macros and
+   carefully scoped source backports are required.
+3. **Win9x API gap:** CPython 3.11's Windows layer assumes NT-family Unicode,
+   synchronization, process, filesystem, and networking APIs. Windows 98 has
+   no wide-character file APIs and lacks multiple newer kernel APIs.
+4. **Runtime/library gap:** SSL, SQLite, ctypes, multiprocessing, asyncio,
+   Unicode filesystem behavior, and parts of subprocess will need explicit
+   feature gates or Win9x-specific implementations.
+5. **Validation gap:** final success requires booting the built executable on
+   Windows 98 SE; Wine compilation alone is not proof of Win9x runtime
+   compatibility.
+
+## Recommended next implementation slice
+
+Do not attempt the complete CPython solution yet. First create a minimal VC6
+build target for `pythoncore` plus `Programs/python.c`, then make the public
+headers compile under VC6 through a clearly isolated compatibility layer. Keep
+all changes small and testable. After the core links, address the Win9x API
+surface one subsystem at a time.
+
+## Scope boundary
+
+This project does not vendor the 223 MB MSVC600 bundle into a distributable
+repository. It records the external tool as a local build prerequisite. No
+Microsoft compiler binaries or runtime files should be committed or published.

README.md

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+# Python Win9x
+
+A clean-room effort to build a useful Python 3 runtime for Windows 98 SE and
+other Windows 9x systems, using CPython **v3.11.16** as the language/runtime
+baseline and Microsoft Visual C++ 6.0 as the initial 32-bit toolchain.
+
+## Current state
+
+This is an experimental porting workspace, not a completed Windows 98 build.
+The CPython baseline is kept in `cpython/` at tag `v3.11.16`. The MSVC600
+bundle is kept in `MSVC600/` as a local external prerequisite and is not part of
+the distributable project source.
+
+The first VC6 compiler probe succeeds under Wine. A direct compile of
+`cpython/Programs/python.c` currently fails in CPython headers because VC6
+lacks or does not understand several facilities used by CPython 3.11:
+
+- C99 `inttypes.h` and related integer-format definitions
+- C99 `inline` syntax in C mode
+- newer `__declspec(deprecated)` annotations
+- modern pointer-width/type configuration expected by `pyport.h`
+- the CPython 3.11 Visual Studio/MSBuild project model
+
+These are expected porting blockers and are recorded in `PORT_STATUS.md`.
+
+## Toolchain policy
+
+- Do not commit Microsoft compiler binaries or proprietary runtime files.
+- Keep MSVC600 outside the source distribution or obtain it separately under
+  the user's own license/rights.
+- The project is intended for private Gitea only.
+- Do not copy proprietary Windows implementation code into the compatibility
+  layer.
+
+## Intended milestones
+
+1. Build a minimal CPython core with VC6 using a project-local compatibility
+   header layer.
+2. Replace NT-only Windows APIs with ANSI/Win9x-compatible implementations or
+   explicit feature gates.
+3. Produce a bootable 32-bit Python executable and test it on Windows 98 SE,
+   first with the core interpreter and basic file I/O.
+4. Add sockets and a carefully scoped standard-library subset.
+5. Backport selected newer Python language/library features only after the
+   runtime is stable on Win9x.
+
+## Local prerequisites
+
+- CPython v3.11.16 source in `cpython/`
+- MSVC600 tools in `MSVC600/` (external/local-only)
+- Wine for exercising the Windows compiler from Linux
+- A Windows 98 SE VM or physical test machine for final compatibility checks
+
+No full build is claimed yet.

compat/msvc600/inttypes.h

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+#ifndef PYTHON_WIN9X_MSVC600_INTTYPES_H
+#define PYTHON_WIN9X_MSVC600_INTTYPES_H
+
+/* Minimal C99 integer-format compatibility for MSVC 6.0. */
+typedef signed char int8_t;
+typedef unsigned char uint8_t;
+typedef short int16_t;
+typedef unsigned short uint16_t;
+typedef long int32_t;
+typedef unsigned long uint32_t;
+typedef __int64 int64_t;
+typedef unsigned __int64 uint64_t;
+typedef long intptr_t;
+typedef unsigned long uintptr_t;
+
+typedef signed char int_least8_t;
+typedef unsigned char uint_least8_t;
+typedef short int_least16_t;
+typedef unsigned short uint_least16_t;
+typedef long int_least32_t;
+typedef unsigned long uint_least32_t;
+typedef __int64 int_least64_t;
+typedef unsigned __int64 uint_least64_t;
+
+#define PRId32 "ld"
+#define PRIu32 "lu"
+#define PRIx32 "lx"
+#define PRIX32 "lX"
+#define PRId64 "I64d"
+#define PRIu64 "I64u"
+#define PRIx64 "I64x"
+#define PRIX64 "I64X"
+
+#endif