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- GvG_, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3Please note that ReactOS is at version 0.2.7 at the moment. That's a long way from 1.0. Most Windows apps and drivers simply do not work yet. The drivers that do work have to be installed "by hand", you have to copy the files to the right locations and add registry entries yourself, a bit of "black magic". This will improve in the (near) future.
Why didn't we (I'm one of the ReactOS developers) write something new instead of re-implementing Windows? Well, the problem with that is that absolutely no apps would be available for this new OS. Contrast this with a Windows compatible OS, where there's an almost unlimited number of apps. Personally, I do like the Windows architecture, I feel that the implementation is not always up to par and I'm not happy with Microsoft's business practices.
Another note: the target is not to clone NT4, the target is to clone the NT family (which includes Win2k, XP, 2003 and Vista). For example, a USB stack is starting to become reality (something not in NT4), PnP is being worked on, there are actually a few Vista-only APIs already implemented (that's mostly for fun though).
We've been hearing for 5 years now that this is going to be the year of Linux on the desktop. It just doesn't seem to be happening. The reasons for not switching are usually the same: you have this one app you absolutely need but no Linux version is available, or it's to expensive to retrain the users. ReactOS could make a switch to open source easier: you can have 95% open source on your desktop, while retaining that one closed-source app that you really need. Since ReactOS works the same as Windows, there's (almost) no retraining needed.
We're not trying to convince anyone to switch from Linux to ReactOS. If you can do everything you want in Linux, great, please keep using it. We're targetting the other 90% who's still running Windows. - GvG_, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1ReactOS is not Linux based. We've got our own kernel, written from the ground up, to be compatible with the Windows architecture. This will allow us to load e.g. manufacturers video drivers (some of these already work). As for gaming, you probably want DirectX for that. We don't have it yet. The good news is that a large part of DirectX is usually implemented in the driver, so by using the manufacturers drivers we avoid having to write that...
- camintmier, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Yah, but will it give you the good ole' Blue Screen of Death?
- gbm85, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1"If you want both just duel boot, it beats the hell out of the performance hit you will take running a windows package via an emulator."
It's a good thing that neither ReactOS nor Wine is an emulator, then, eh? - Smokezz, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Fragalot is smert. He must be around 12 years old or so.
- eastshores, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1dwntwnboi,
Parts of your statement I have no problem with. There are certainly free alternatives to software that is popular on windows and you can often run that software on multiple platforms.
I really think you lose me when you talk about windows being packed with unstable, insecure, and faulty code. I have been down this road before. Which demographic should we discuss this topic for? Those that are clueless with Windows are just as likely to become a victim of a root kit or worm on Linux, or (substitute your preffered OS here).
Please don't make me point out the number of exploits and bugs that popular open source software has suffered! I like open source. IBM released what has become Eclipse, which rivals Visual Studio if you get your plugins in order. But don't buy into the dreamland that OSX, Linux, or other operating systems are some how safer or less fault tollerant. I know better. Play that game somewhere else. - FunkyWitDaSysTm, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1@eastshores
i can't speak for whizzbang, but the reason i would "prefer to stay in a single os" and run bridging app or emulator: WINDOWS SUCKS. i, and a great deal of other people who have left windows for greener pastures, have such a bad taste in our mouths from the whole experience, that we'll go to great lenghts to come up with an alternative solution to an XP install.
i would do anything to avoid using windows, because it's never worth it. there are faster, freer alternatives. sure they're not pretty or packed with extra features like windows is, but then again, they're not rediculously unstable, insecure, and packed with more faulty code than functional code-- like windows is.
personally, i prefer mac os x. it just works. why? because the software engineers who wrote it were actually paying attention. sure it's not bug-free, but what very few bus exist are usually cleared up very quickly after they're discovered. admittedly, with windows you do have limitless choices for software whereas with os x, you only have a few. but each of those few are all fully-functional and so good that you sometimes can't pick which you like best.
my solution: don't run windows-only software. usually, that's easy enough; most of the big softwares are cross-platform (office, adobe cs2, macromedia studio, firefox, wmp, itunes, et al.). if, for some stupid reason there's some emergency reason to do so, i'll boot into Virtual PC (which punishes you for using it), do my thing, and get the F*ck outta dodge before the whole damned thing comes crashing down for no reason. - fragmaster, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Last time I checked this was meant to be NT4 compatible and nothing else.
- n3tfury, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0it's ugly, but props for such and endeavor
- whizzbang, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0eastshores, I have software I own a licence for on windows but I want to stop using Windows as I don't have an XP licence. Hence this would be good for me as it would allow me to use my licences software while not stealing windows. Also there is not a open source alternative for this software.
- rm999, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0"come on "Windows" isnt that bad. the rest appended due to drunken'ess, but still it's not yhe devils creation."
I agree. Yeah, I wish windows was free and open source and not run by microsoft, but I find it to be a cheaper solution than Apple and more stable/easier to use than Linux. I know I will be flamed for this remark, but damnit it's true. I have not had a single crash in my Windows XP in several years. The blue screen is a thing of the past. - eastshores, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0whizzbang, I can understand where you come from. The fact that you own software for XP but no XP license to me is a unique situation. Granted there are other scenarios where being able to run windows software on other platforms would still be beneficial. I'm thinking more along the lines of MS Money, Turbo Tax, etc.
I would really be interested to hear the reasons why you would prefer to stay in a single OS and run windows applications through some form of bridging rather than use multiple operating systems? I have run both, I personally don't find it any more rewarding to run windows apps over Wine than I do running bash on cygwin. It just isn't worth it to me. - saggygrandma, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0An important factor is that it is continually being developed along with windows developments and most of its and wine's progress can be shared so everybody wins.
- aetherane, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Zedtech, MS's original plan with vista WAS to start from scratch. They would maintain compatibilty with old programs but have rewritten components. What is a problem for reactOS developers is all of the new api's and application libraries and things that microsoft is offering for developers for use in future programs. Creating working replacements for these would be quite a chore.
- nukage, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0won't Microsoft somehow sue this out of existence?
- gbm85, on 10/12/2007, -0/+01. This is pretty old news, but still worth a digg.
2. ReactOS will avoid a lawsuit the same way that Wine (which makes up a good portion of ReactOS) does: it doesn't use actual Microsoft code. They make up their own code that simply accomplishes the same tasks. - eastshores, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Just so I didn't throw the topic off track! The conversation should be about "Why would you run windows apps on a non windows operating system" =)
- Zedtech, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0I've seen this awhile ago and surprised it hasn't be "Dugg" earlier.
As for the compatibility and longevity of this OS, I really don't see it going anywhere - due to the fact that by the time they get NT4 compatibility another NT replacement will come along and they'll have to start the process all over again.
Not saying that Microsoft is planning to start from scratch when they develop NT5/NT6/etc but all it takes is some "new innovation" Microsoft steals (from who the hell knows where) and they're back to square one. - cyssero, on 04/18/2009, -0/+0I've so many friends who have Window XP installs of over 2 years. These are people in the I.T. industry, and who do push Windows XP to the limits. I believe Windows (XP) is incredibly stable, and usually if any instability issues occur, it is more likely hardware than anything else.
- saggygrandma, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0This is cool, use windows software guilt free!
Check out the screenshots too. - gbm85, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0^^ Big fat "word" to that.
- paintist, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0So I take it Microsoft doesn't have a patent on it's GUI? Because.. damn.. that looks exactly the same.
- kejistan, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Might I just add that I think it is great that they have screen shots of it running Deus Ex and Unreal Tournament, two of the best games ever.
- Araya213, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0I just like Linux better than windows, but I am forced to dual boot because some of the software I need doesn't work on Linux. But it's a matter of personal taste. And windows does have some hardware incompatibilities that Linux does not suffer from in my experience. I recently kicked a motherboard to the curb because I got blue screens and automatic reboots in windows XP, but absolutely no problems in SuSE. Of course Linux has its share of issues as well.
- surfing, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Tried it with Virtual PC and it's really unstable.
- capran, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Any ideas if it uses less resources than XP? I'd like to put a fully functional OS on my old Thinkpad. I've tried all sorts of Linux distros, some work better than others, some require tons of fiddling to get to work "nearly" right. But still lots of things don't work at all, like sound or sleep for instance.
Its an old TP770, 233 MHz MMX, 160 MB, Trident video. - saggygrandma, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0ouch!
- rimco, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Well I don't feel like taking the time to try this OS out... hell, I've already tried like 8 different Linux distros trying to find a decent alternative to Windows. Personally, I can't think of a good use for an OS that *only* mimics Windows. Something like Wine is a great idea because you get the awesomeness of Linux but can run a few programs. If they could somehow make Linux fully compatible with Windows software and drivers, then I'd never use Windows again, but an OS whose only goal is to be a free version of Windows... well, who honestly feels any guilt at all over stealing Windows? I suppose if MS finds a way to prevent piracy of Vista or at least make it more trouble than it's worth to most people, then something like this might make sense, but I want a Windows replacement, not a Windows mirror.
- maskd, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Part of running Windows programs is actually running them on Windows, and I think I'm probably the one only that actually likes the look of Windows - It's simple and pretty damn easy to navigate.
That GUI looks like crap. You can't work well with something unless it's easy to use and also quite enjoyable to look at. - ezkiel, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0'easy recovery pro with a external HD should help'
- moondew, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0What a complete waste of time! If I want to run the Windows apps I paid for I will run Windows which I paid for, or more likely came with my system anyway. If they wanted to create a free OS they should have done something new. Not copy of the hack we know as Windows, not copy the dirty old dusty OS from the 60s we know now as Linux. Something new and different.
- fcuk, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0bring back beOS
- FaNtAsMa, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0React OS seems to have come a long ways. I have an older live cd of it that couldn't really do anything.
"it's ugly, but props for such and endeavor"
Take a look at the older versions; they were about twice as ugly as what it is now. - RankenPhile, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0GvG, thanks for the comment. I'm excited to learn more about it when it gets closer to final release. This could be one very good and major step toward an open-source desktop being integrated across the current span of PCs. I, for one, would love to use Linux, but have far too many Win-Only apps (read: games) that I use very regularly, and don't want to deal with dual-booting.
If you can successfully create a Win-app capable Linux port, than I'm sold. - Crazyguy, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0When installing this OS I accidently overwrote my C Partition. All the programs and Files were erased.
- navaburo, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0As a Linux user, reactOS will become useful when reactOS running from within Linux runs more apps than wine. Even though it has its own kernel, it could be run under Linux using a technology similar to how coLinux runs on win w/o emulation. Very cool. AphexTwin, thanks for the post.
- aphextwin, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0it's been forever since I looked at reactOS. I used to travel by freeos.com all the time and check out things like v2OS, Plan 9, and AtheOS. I just got bored with it all..Looks like it's time to go back and find out what's happening out there again.
+digg - FRAGaLOT, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0capran
Yes the ISO is only 10megs.. it's EXTREMELY SMALL and installs in a snap. But that's simply because it's so stripped down there is nothing useful on the inintal install of it. No drivers or anything for it, and no applications.
You'd think it could come preinstalled with openoffice, or konfabulator. something.. - RankenPhile, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Very cool - anyone know how to set up a SmartDisk or USB installation of this? Would be VERY handy for me, as I often get calls to repair virus-infected computers. I could install all of my Windows apps to a USB key, or create a SmartCD to boot from, and scan an inactive drive with Windows installed on it without having to boot it.
- FRAGaLOT, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Eh. I just installed this on a spare PC.. and I can't do anything useful on this machine. It has drivers for NOTHING, I can't get on the web.. doesn't even have a web browser. Can't find any real documentation on how to install drivers for anything. no NIC drivers.
I assume I can just download hardware drivers for "windows xp" and it will work with this OS? Seems unlikely that would work. - pillfred, on 10/12/2007, -1/+0lol
- shamanking, on 10/12/2007, -1/+0Gonna get sued
- pillfred, on 10/12/2007, -1/+0come on "Windows" isnt that bad. the rest appended due to drunken'ess, but still it's not yhe devils creation.
- eastshores, on 10/12/2007, -1/+0"It's a good thing that neither ReactOS nor Wine is an emulator, then, eh?"
gbm85, sorry you caught me in a mis-wording. Let me rephrase my point..
"If you want both just dual boot, it beats the hell out of the performance hit you will take running a windows package via an API bridge/adaptor."
Yay.. I even corrected the spelling of dual. Hopefully my point stands? - FRAGaLOT, on 10/12/2007, -1/+0Seems the earlier postings on here, who refer to this OS as being compatible to NT4 didn't read the link on here. It states it's compatible as a windows XP platform.
Quite nice, but what about Active X, Direct X 9c, .net, and all the other add-on doo-dads that make windows vulnerable in the first place? I read that it uses actually XP drivers for hardware devices, so this leads me to think that I can go strait to Microsoft and install DirectX and .net into ReactOS.
Should check this out and install it on one of my PCs that I don't use much.
Free iPod nano!
http://ipodnanos.freepay.com/?r=22418758 - FRAGaLOT, on 10/12/2007, -1/+0Stupid OS dosen't even see my ***** CDrom drive after I had just installed it off of it. It sees a D: drive but can't access it at all. How ***** lame is this? It also dosen't see my floppy drive at all. So how in the ***** am I supposed to install anything on this ***** OS if I have no network or removeable media access on this thing?
what a waste of time. - eastshores, on 10/12/2007, -3/+0Jesus.. I would have thought people would get tired of stories like this. Look 10 years ago a Mac user could buy a card that essentially ran the entire windows platform on it. Granted it wasn't a free solution, and required the OS license, but are you really trying to save the cost of XP? If that is your focus then I can only guess you would steal the rest of the software licenses? Most software that runs only on windows, and doesn't have a compelling open source counterpart, is a licensed product that would legally require you to purchase it. If you want both just duel boot, it beats the hell out of the performance hit you will take running a windows package via an emulator.
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