Feb 5, 2026
Let's compile Quake like it's 1997!
The first batches of Quake executables, quake.exe and vquake.exe were programmed on HP 712-60 running NeXT and cross-compiled with DJGPP running on a DEC Alpha server 2100A. In June of 1996, having shipped their title but concerned with NeXT stagnation, id Software switched their development stack.
We moved to Intergraph hardware running Windows NT right after shipping Quake.
- John Carmack [1]
The next versions of Quake, winquake.exe , glquake.exe , and QuakeWorld ( qwcl.exe and qwsv.exe ) were all developed and compiled on Windows NT with Visual C++ 4.X.
This article describes the steps to re-create the experience of building the win32 binaries of Quake as it happened in 1997.
The purist's corner
Depending on the level of historical accuracy you want to reach, you can follow the steps with four environments.
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