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We have software that doesn't work on Windows 10, works great in Windows 7, and as I just discovered works on ReactOS. Anyone else in this situation may want to take a look at https://www.reactos.org/

" If you want to maximize profit based on customer lock-in to a complex integrated monolithic system, it is good practice."

That is long-term abuse. Eventually markets find ways to navigate around abuse. Maybe ReactOS?

Run Windows programs under Linux? How to run Windows software in Linux: Everything you need to know. (March 23, 2015)

A later story: How to Run Windows Programs on Linux? (August 10, 2018)

There is https://www.reactos.org/.

Microsoft is getting ready to replace Windows 10 with the Microsoft Managed Desktop. This will be a "desktop-as-a-service" (DaaS) offering. Instead of owning Windows, you'll "rent" it by the month.

It seems to me that Microsoft managers don't have a reasonable vision of the eventual results of their recent ideas for the future.

If Microsoft tries to charge a monthly fee for an operating system, eventually 1) Nations will all gather together and try to buy Windows from Microsoft. That would be cheaper than paying monthly. Or, 2) Nations will gather together and contribute to ReactOS, a free operating system that runs Windows programs.

Windows 10 is possibly the worst spyware ever made. "Buried in the service agreement is permission to poke through everything on your PC." (August 4, 2015)

We no longer have a usable Windows operating system. We can't go to customers and tell them their computers are not secure from outside access.

Because of the Windows 10 spyware, customers have been delaying buying new equipment.

If you think the security holes/backdoors/tracking in Windows are bad, wait until you see the ones the FSB puts into their own version of Windows.

MS recently rewrote Skype to run on ReactXP.

https://microsoft.github.io/re...

ReactXP? That sounds cool. Maybe that's a variant of ReactOS that targets Windows XP.

What's that? It's MS's fork of React Native.

https://microsoft.github.io/re...

Rats. Well, it was a good thought.

Windows95 is an operating system. They never said it would be a replacement for Windows95. They said it would run windows software, and they've always closely followed the latest Windows version. You must be thinking of ReactOS? That is to be a drop-in replacement for Windows, initially targeting W95.

Every tried ReactOS ?

The irony of a java application requiring an OS is pretty painful.

ReactOS's user environment is Wine. As I understand it, the most significant theoretical advantage of ReactOS over Wine on X11/Linux is ability to run apps that depend on bespoke drivers, such as the client for updating a GPS device, fitness tracker, or iProduct. If Linux supports your hardware, you're probably better off sticking with the more mature operating environment.

"ReactOS is superior to the latest version of Windows because it doesn't come with spyware, malware, adware or crippleware."

In my opinion, Windows 10 is NOT USABLE! Can you deliver a computer to a customer when you know what you are delivering is spyware?

Windows 10 is possibly the worst spyware ever made. Quote from that story: "Buried in the service agreement is permission to poke through everything on your PC."

To me it seems very likely that some low-level employee at Microsoft, or at one of the secret agencies that Microsoft supports, or a contractor, will steal information from companies that allow Windows 10 computers to have an internet connection.

Companies that supply computer systems to businesses could be the target of legal action if information is stolen, it seems to me.

ReactOS needs world-wide support and much faster development. Every country and the U.N. should support ReactOS so that the Windows OS can be eliminated.

Paying for top-level development of ReactOS would save governments money. A fully compatible ReactOS would also save citizens HUGE amounts of money.

No one should think that secret government agencies are always well-managed, or that their actions are always in the interest of all citizens.

We live in a world in which top-level managers have been introduced to computers in their 30s or 40s, when the managers were always busy. At present, most top-level managers are not fully computer literate. Many are very ignorant. Many managers are not prepared to understand the technical issues they face every day.

Besides, ReactOS aims to be a drop-in replacement for Windows (circa Windows 2000/XP), so all that spyware, malware, adware and crippleware? Yup it's going to run on ReactOS just fine. It won't even have to worry about UAP, ASLR or all the rest either. For that matter, ReactOS might pose threats of its own.

There's ReactOS targetting Windows NT, though. But it's been proceeding incredibly slowly.

What would I pay to see open sourced? Microsoft Windows OS.

All nations of the world need to get together and tell Microsoft they want to save huge amounts of money by buying Windows from Microsoft and making it open source.

Microsoft could decide against selling. Then all nations could support ReactOS.

There is an underlying problem with an open source Windows OS. That project would need FAR better leadership than the parts of Linux outside the kernel are getting now. Who would be the leaders? Is good software development leadership not possible considering the present development of human civilization?

The top 5 problems with Linux. Quote: "... the community is vastly divided by tribal identity."

Another quote, very scary. Strap yourself into your chair so that you don't get hurt if you faint: "Linus Torvalds is mortal."

I think this is what you're looking for, sure it's not Linux, but it does exactly what you're asking for: https://reactos.org/

On the point of macOS, many users like it because it's UNIX-like, without the maintenance issues seen in Linux. However, i would like to see a project, like WINE, for /any/ version of Mac OS, and given the open-source nature of Darwin and OpenStep, i'm suprised no-ones tried to do it.

Format drive and install one of the following operating systems:

• BeOS
• Syllable
• AROS
• Plan 9
• Minix
• FreeDOS
• DR-DOS
• OpenVMS x86 port is coming!
• Visopsys
• SqueakNOS
• Haiku
• Kolibri
• ReactOS
• Tizen
• SkyOS
• MorphOS
• MenuetOS
• CP/M 86
• Multics, also see Multicians
• Erlang as an Operating System

There have been a large number of more or less obscure operating systems and not all have been ported to x86. Unfortunately the architecture has become a de facto standard even though it's not the best architecture or the most efficient but instead a patchwork of solutions to retain backwards compatibility. We have lost many interesting architectures over the years that would have deserved a better fate to the Intel bandwagon.

The ReactOS guys work with the WINE folks. So it's possible that as the OS gets further along being an OS, that the binary compatibility from WINE will be as caught-up as WINE is.

I hope ReactOS becomes a viable alternative, I'm not liking this walled-garden trend that vendors seem to like these days.

LOL! Oooh, if I hadn't already posted, a mod-funny point to you :)

But if you seriously want to see what presently works on ReactOS, here's a forum thread; the most interesting stuff is recent, so starting at the end:

https://www.reactos.org/forum/...

Is ReactOS A Serious Alternative To Windows? YES!
Of course, YES!
But it is possible only with your support! The good beginning is to test programs and report bugs!

P.S. Have you seen this video?

https://www.reactos.org/wiki/T...

"So the proper response is to join the NRA and come out with all guns blazing?"

Why say something extremely negative and worthless, while ignoring suggested solutions? That's one of the ways Slashdot commenters don't handle abuse well.

Here are 2 solutions I mentioned in my grandparent comment:

1) One possible solution: All countries could support ReactOS so that the Windows OS can be eliminated.

2) No company should be allowed to have a virtual monopoly! Companies that are routinely abusive should be re-organized or eliminated.

See my comment below, Gov. leaders unsually have no technical knowledge, for initial ideas about how to cause the writing and adoption of new laws.

SOON: The Windows OS will be rented, not sold, apparently. That would be one more abuse, of many.

This is being accepted: Windows 10 is possibly the worst spyware ever made. Quote: "Buried in the service agreement is permission to poke through everything on your PC."

So, I'm guessing Microsoft managers think, "That worked. We will try another abuse."

One thing I've learned over the years is that Slashdot commenters are generally not good at reacting to abuse. Slashdot commenters make excuses, or react to abuse weakly. Also, for many Slashdot commenters there is a conflict of interest: They make more money if Windows is more difficult to administer and use.

Slowly increasing the number and severity of abuses causes many people to make multiple excuses, effectively accepting Microsoft's abusiveness.

However, Microsoft managers seem to lack social ability. The abusiveness of many of the features of Windows 10 are like a multi-billion-dollar advertising campaign that very effectively says, "Dislike Microsoft products". One of the many examples: Trying to imitate Google and sell "Apps", but to business users that don't want employees distracted.

One possible solution: All countries could support ReactOS so that the Windows OS can be eliminated.

No company should be allowed to have a virtual monopoly! Companies that are routinely abusive should be re-organized or eliminated.

Quote from the parent comment: "I've been using a combination of Google Apps and LibreOffice for years, never looked back and don't miss MS at all. Several of the businesses I consult for have switched entirely to Google Apps..."

Several years ago, I spent several hours writing something in Microsoft Word. Later I discovered that Microsoft Word was not able to open its own file! Luckily, I could open the file in Libre Office.

The parent comment is correct. Let's find other methods of doing our work. Don't rely on a habitual abuser.

Let's have a multi-national effort to improve Libre Office, especially the somewhat sloppy and limited user interface.

Why should all the countries in the world pay the Microsoft tax? The United States was founded because of refusing to pay an abusive tax.

"This indicates that they don't really have a clue..." ["They" are Microsoft top managers.]

That's the underlying problem. Apparently Microsoft top managers are socially and mentally extremely limited.

If you were a top manager of a software development company, would you do things that caused stories like this article to be written? Network World, Aug. 4, 2015: Windows 10 is possibly the worst spyware ever made. Quote from that story: "Buried in the service agreement is permission to poke through everything on your PC."

The abusiveness of many of the features of Windows 10 are like a multi-billion-dollar advertising campaign that very effectively says, "Dislike Microsoft products".

The answer? Replace ALL the Microsoft top managers, in my opinion. Does anyone else have an idea that would fix the problems at Microsoft?

Another solution: All countries and the U.S. could support ReactOS so that the Windows OS can be eliminated. No company should be allowed to have a virtual monopoly!

Companies that are routinely abusive should be re-organized or eliminated.

When ReactOS (or equivalent) can do most anything Windows can do.

People & businesses want a drop-in replacement for Windows, and all their software that runs on it. Rewriting (or buying) software for another OS just isn't going to happen. And WINE isn't up to the challenge for graphic intensive games or device drivers.

ReactOS from Wikipedia. More information on http://ReactOS.org

"ReactOS is a free and open-source operating system for x86/x64 personal computers intended to be binary-compatible with computer programs and device drivers made for Windows Server 2003."

Development began in 1996, as a Windows 95 clone project, and was continued as ReactOS in 1998, with the incremental addition of features of later Windows versions. ReactOS has been noted as a potential open-source drop-in replacement for Windows and for its information on undocumented Windows APIs. As stated on the official website, "The main goal of the ReactOS project is to provide an operating system which is binary compatible with Windows ... such that people accustomed to the familiar user interface of Windows would find using ReactOS straightforward. The ultimate goal of ReactOS is to allow you to remove Windows and install ReactOS without the end user noticing the change.

We need an open-source operating system that can run all Windows software.

Enjoy: ReactOS Don't forget to donate money or your time. You shouldn't expect others to do things for you for free.

I take it you've never managed multiple versions of software before. What tax would you like to propose so software companies can manage thousands of different versions of their software. And don't forget you blindly accept all website patches... At least Microsoft tells you when there's a change.

Install VirtualBox and remember what Meat Loaf sang, "Two out of three ain't bad."

ReactOS offers a LiveCD and a regular Windows bootable install disk version,; either way it won't take you longer than 5 minutes to get to a usable desktop.

What other Windows 10 disappointments are on the horizon?

They'll probably remove more group policies from the Professional version so they can gouge people into paying for the Enterprise edition. I fully expect Windows 10 Pro to slowly devolve into the equivalent of a "Home Premium." A more optimistic outlook though is that ReactOS has made major progress the past couple years.

Wow! Many of the comments above have somewhat justified or accepted Microsoft's abuse.

1) Can we have a court case to force Microsoft to sell everyone the Enterprise version of Windows 10?

2) On Windows 7 and 8, turn off automatic updates and use Autopatcher. Unfortunately, Autopatcher has not begun supporting Windows 10. We need independent control over Windows operating system updates. How can we achieve that?

3) Don't let Windows connect to the internet. Use 2 separate networks. There would need to be some way for the separate networks to communicate. Internet access could be done using separate computers running Linux.

Microsoft has a long, long history of releasing defective code and fixing it later. After fixing 2,722 vulnerabilities and other defects, Microsoft declared Microsoft Windows XP "end of life". After fixing almost 3,000 defects, Microsoft declared Windows XP was too vulnerable to use.

We still have 17 computers running Windows XP with a software firewall. We've had no problems. Everyone is a limited rights user.

4) We need international support for a Windows-compatible operating system, like ReactOS.

5) Maybe the U.S. government now only helps the rich gets richer. The European government could bring a huge court case against Microsoft.

It amazes me that people have been so accepting of Microsoft's abuse. 3 ideas: 1) Autopatcher has not begun supporting Windows 10. We need independent control over Windows operating system updates. How can we achieve that? 2) Don't let Windows connect to the internet. Microsoft has a long, long history of releasing very buggy code and fixing it later. After fixing 2,722 vulnerabilities and bugs, Microsoft declared Microsoft Windows XP "end of life". 3) We need international support for a Windows-compatible operating system, like ReactOS.

1. Don't automatically install Recommended updates. Only security updates. 2. If you're a business then run an internal WSUS server. It doesn't take much power at all. Or run it off your domain controller. 3. Every product has buggy code. There's a big difference between stop/break fixes and minor inconveniences.

It amazes me that people have been so accepting of Microsoft's abuse.

3 ideas:

1) Autopatcher has not begun supporting Windows 10. We need independent control over Windows operating system updates. How can we achieve that?

2) Don't let Windows connect to the internet. Microsoft has a long, long history of releasing very buggy code and fixing it later. After fixing 2,722 vulnerabilities and bugs, Microsoft declared Microsoft Windows XP "end of life".

3) We need international support for a Windows-compatible operating system, like ReactOS.

You make some interesting points.

You said: "[For Microsoft,] Screwing over their customers is a sound strategy, because their customers will not abandon them no matter how much abuse they dish out."

And: "[Microsoft's] customers will not abandon [Windows], no matter how badly they're treated."

Over a long time, the extreme abuse will cause people to move away from Windows, however. It would be sensible for the United Nations to support ReactOS.

"... they need to get more recurring revenue from existing customers. Ads are a good way to do that."

If I see an ad delivered by an operating system, I would have 2 reactions: 1) I would remember never to buy anything from the company that advertised. 2) If I am very offended, I would write to the board of directors and suggest that the CEO be replaced.

Independent control: Autopatcher has been wonderful for us. After extensive studies are done, only the useful patches are accepted. Of course, Microsoft has been making that far more difficult.

Basically, it seems sensible to develop a system in which Windows is NEVER allowed to connect to the internet. Then Microsoft's patches with sometimes hidden purposes would not be needed.

Windows 10 is okay, all things told. The problem is when they sneak this shit in, but people who know what they are doing will consult the appropriate guide to turn it all off. Just like we did with all the other junk Windows tried to get in under the radar.

It would be better if End Task actually fucking worked! I'm honestly looking at Reactos https://www.reactos.org/ for my next OS

Alas, the TechRepublic article is rather inaccurate. Please read the official news on our website about ReactOS 0.4.

Please read the official announce at reactos.org
https://www.reactos.org/projec... - release notes
https://www.reactos.org/wiki/C... - change log

Please read the official announce at reactos.org
https://www.reactos.org/projec... - release notes
https://www.reactos.org/wiki/C... - change log

Why did Red Hat adopt SystemD? Red Hat makes money supporting Red Hat Linux. SystemD requires a lot of support. Adopting SystemD causes Red Hat to make more money.

Since Red Hat is the dominant provider of Linux, other distributions were forced to adopt SystemD, also.

There is some conflict of interest. A long time ago, Red Hat gave Linus Torvalds Red Hat stock.

Red Hat's decision gives short-term gain. Over the long term, adopting software that is not finished is destructive toward the entire Linux community, and the entire world.

Microsoft Windows will die. Microsoft Windows has a universal back door through which any change whatsoever can be imposed on the users. Windows is spyware.

The world needs a standard operating system. Maybe ReactOS will be the future?

Nothing as far as a distro (or desktop environment) with 3D VR or AI comes to mind but there is innovation in OS going on. Not many have attempted to answer the OP, so here's my list. Others mentioned Qubes, Urbit, and Mirage.io, which reminded me of Nix OS and HaLVM.

Both innovative and seems daily-driver ready:
1. Qubes OS - https://www.qubes-os.org/ - Linux distro that runs a Xen hypervisor to contain every app (including Windows ones) away from the desktop environment
2. Haiku OS - https://www.haiku-os.org/ - Tiny (under 200MB installed), Non-Linux that is binary-compatible with BeOS, nice understated GUI that is bland but usable
3. ReactOS - http://reactos.org/ - Win32 compatible open source OS, very active development scene working toward full NT kernel ABI compatibility. Seems stable enough to be a daily driver but hardware support is lacking
4. PC-BSD & freeBSD 10 - http://www.pcbsd.org/ http://www.freebsd.org/ - PC-BSD is a desktop distro of freeBSD 10 built for user-friendliness with automatic ZFS snapshoting and a nice graphical package manager, freeBSD 10 has a completely new package manager (pkg-ng replaces the 'pkg' binary)
5. Nix OS - https://nixos.org/ - Linux distro with innovative package manager promising atomic upgrades & rollback.

Innovative server-exclusive (ie no GUI):
5. SmartOS - https://smartos.org/ - Solaris + KVM + Docker w/ full Dtrace support. Claims ZFS as an innovation? Joyent is running a cloud of it
6. CoreOS - https://coreos.com/ - Linux distro exclusively for large Docker deployments. developing a suite of Go tools for datacenter management.

Innovative, but not ready for desktop use:
7. Redox OS - http://www.redox-os.org/ - OS written in Rust (rust-lang), which guarantees a lot of memory-safety, screenshots of desktop in 'News' section
8. Contiki OS - http://www.contiki-os.org/ - Linux distro for IoT embedded devices that claims an innovative network stack
9. Urbit - http://urbit.org/docs/user/int... - *nix distro with exclusively web-based userland, invite-only at the moment, doesn't seem like it will have a UI but that each user is the dev of their own interface
10. Mirage.io - http://mirage.io/ - Develop each app and compile into a single-purpose kernel to be run on some hypervisor
11. HaLVM - https://github.com/GaloisInc/H... - The Haskell Ligthweight Virtual Machine - which runs just the GHC on Xen, another 'build uni-purpose VMs' system

A while back, ReactOS had to audit their code due to the possibility that some of it may have been sourced in violation of reverse engineering laws. I doubt they would be so eager to take code in any form directly from Microsoft, even if MS tried to give it to them. I also doubt the "open source" license MS is known to author would grant the ReactOS team the kind of freedom they'd want.

Great work Microsoft. I'm downloading ReactOS as I'm typing this.

I'm quite prepared to test and help support Linux and open source projects.

That's great! You can help test ReactOS so we can have a free open source replacement for Windows XP.

We need a free desktop OS. Linux is the only contender.

Is that so?

http://www.reactos.org/

Oh ya, that. Maybe when it's 20 years old, it might be out of alpha...

http://www.reactos.org/

The death of WinXP support should be a huge boon to the ReactOS project. It's an open source Windows clone. It's not a layer on top of the Linux kernel designed to run just applications. It's a (soon to be) full implementation of the NT kernel (which is a terrific kernel, IMHO) on up. Like it or hate it -- this means that every layer of the Microsoft stack is there providing compatibility with drivers, ActiveX crapola (eventually), and all the other tons of Windows specific software that, like it or not, people use on a daily basis.

While the upper layers of Windows have a somewhat questionable design the kernel layer and base are quite well designed thanks to David Cutler. If you're looking for a great open source project to invest some time in try ReactOS.

"Written completely from scratch, ReactOS is not a Linux based system, and shares none of the UNIX architecture. The main goal of the ReactOS® project is to provide an operating system which is binary compatible with Windows. This will allow your Windows® applications and drivers to run as they would on your Windows system."

Indeed, and it's a real shame since with this money they could have paid some developers full-time to bring ReactOS to speed and make it a viable replacement for XP.

Perhaps ReactOS could be an alternative?

to React OS

Which Linux/FOSS distro is fully compliant with the .NET 4 spec?

ReactOS

Because otherwise you're a hypocrite