I have read numerous forum posts on getting Quake up and running and they rarely mention the windows version they are working with, tend to explain things like someone already understands Quake, or worse yet don't help the person and just say get suchandsuch engine. What I am trying to do is:

Run Quake 1 full version on win98
Use as original an engine as possible
Have soundtrack music

What I have done so far:

Extracted music from GOG cue /bin files to ogg files and placed in the appropriate /music folder under the id1, heroic and rogue subdirectories

I tried glquake which seems to run but not recognize the music under win98 SE
I tried fitzquake but it has an error
I tried an older version of quakespasm (85 I believe) which works but no music (I believe it does under win10 however)
I tried the current version of quakespasm but it says it expects a newer version of windows

A detailed step-by-step for windows 98 would be fantastic. If I have to burn the gog music images to an ISO, I can do that but need instructions. I would also prefer it to be 1 iso as I think there are separate cue/bin files for each episode.

Thanks in advance for any help!

So, did you be able to install GOG version on Win98 or you use UniExtarct2 (or similar too)?
Then you place game to X:\Games\Quake-The-Offering\ path (no spaces and many else requirements you already know).

So you try winquake and glquake exe's? What happened and what wrong? quake.exe directly (should work in DOS mode ofc without DosBox)?

Or only music is an issue? Extract it to existed MUSIC folder - it already preset to work with music (as ogg, as Track02.ogg Track03.ogg etc).
More info in pinned threads, although possible not all correct\accurate.

(if you ant split two addons music to their folders, copy winmm there too, or use 3rd party solution).

After all, for proper music play, you need nothing else but this cue files of disc images. Download DT\Alcohol for Win98\Me (should be somewhere on their support site, or googlit) and mount disc to fist letter virtual disc drive.

So shouldnt me any issue for music. As for game itself
- better extract it instead of installation
- probably some dlls should be renamed\deleted (winmm?) as they are incompatible and need another version for Win98 to play ogg music and they are make game itself corrupted - only if they really cause issues, i dont say winmm\else dlls bring that 100%
- do not use DosBox.

;I guess I was looking for here how it's done on WIn98 starting with the GOG game rather than trying to troubleshoot what I might have done wrong fumbling through the dark.

Let 's start with if I take quake.exe, quakegl.exe, the id1 directory from the GOG game and create a new C:\Quake\ on my win98 machine. Then create a music folder in id1 and place the extracted .ogg files from the GOG .cue files (track02.ogg, track03.ogg and so on) in that music folder. Should this work?

I put here another message pud it didnt appear... :(

I try again a bit shorter:
- try first without music;
- installer although do not set pre-set copatibilities (and use DISMM) most likely not compatible doe to digital sign\certificates;
- anyway even witout many pre-set cmpatibilities (no sdb file inside), better extarct it instead of install;
- MUSIC already set to play ogg just empty folder;
- game itself - exe-dll files - are same as 1.09 update for old Win9x, unlike Quake Enhanced Q1. Befoe Enchanced and after GOG looks like only one digital release compatible with Win9x with less required tweaking.

So this time GOG release should be compatible... except - maybe - music wrapper cause it is only one what is there (and preset fullscreen optimisation +adminrun on exe file if install it normally). And DosBox which one you not need.
Just start dos version by quake.exe, win by glquake\winquake (info that winquake more closer to DOS incorrect, but i cant sy which one better), not GOGlauncher or GOGDOSBOXlauncher.
For music wrapper if is cause issues - try renmae winmm.dll. If im right this one is wrapper there.

For music - mount CDs. Or try extract as ogg to already present folder. Or try alternatives from pinned topics.

For GOG games each game case is differ. There is many else GOG preset or include (GOGDXwrapper, sdb).
This time - probably - not needed anything. There is a chance to extract, put to folder - and execute (without music).

Just to make sure I understand if this should even work ...

If I am using original, unpatched quake, and I have MUSIC subfolders with .ogg music for episode 1, 2 and 3, should the music play under Win98?


Will any version of quake work or do I need to use the original winquake.exe or glquake.exe or some other patched, recompiled or wrapped version?

Thank yoiu

GOG games in general is less compatible with older systems. Tey pre-set many compatibilites.
But quake have only one build from 2015 as far as i know (redownload uptodate installer and look to digital sign there check if it is valid and date). it come with minimum that still should work on Win9x.

Quake The Offering here same as Quake 2 is maximum original games to the last one files of the html documentation. quake\glquake\winquake .exe's is original ones and should work in Win98\Me.
Music solution can work or can cause troubles. You should try. If something can cause troubles - only that ogg player implemented as one of the dll's, most likely it is winmm.dll (name not related, wrappers use dll names from DirectX to be automatically loaded with the game, winmm is one of the automatically loaded). Ignore DosBox.

Also, i guess, disc images can be used to install game as normal old discs.