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ReactOS Now Runs Abiword
martijn-s writes "Reactos will now run, amongst other programs, AbiWord, IrfanView and its own Explorer clone. Screenshot here. I keep getting amazed by the quality of the code that is coming out of this project..."
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I think the point is to make a free Windows. The idea is having a free way to run Windows applications perfectly, the copycat interface is probably just a way to attract those farmiliar with Windows who do not wish to pay for it. Aso, Wine Is Not an Emulator...
In particular the version of Windows they are working on is old, and has been EOL'ed. So you can no longer get support for it. It'd be novel to have a version that was fully compatible, and you could have the source to keep up to date with bug fixes.
Second, they aren't trying to be like Wine. The Wine project is orders of magnitude harder then ReactOS (in some ways). Wine is attempting to make a translation layer from Win32 calls into a Posix/UNIX/Linux environment. That's a whole heck of a lot harder in a number of ways. Things are set absolutely in stone, and can't be changed. On top of all that, at points they get stuck because they are attempting to emulate kernel space functionality in a userspace application a lot of the time.
ReactOS, can make map kernel space things to kernel space things. They can map user space things to user space things. They already have the entire design, and a known model to follow. That's a lot easier then Wine in terms of implementation. Wine is attempting to live withing a much harder set of constraints then ReactOS. However, ReactOS does have to actually implement an entire OS (so it might be a wash). I know I'd rather try and make ReactOS go, then attempt to make Wine work the way it does.
Finally, part of the reason Wine has so many problems, is it started out as a Win3.1 or 3.11 tool, doing 16-bit applications. Now it's moved on to covering a half dozen versions of Windows (at least that many). They also support multiple platforms, and are attempting to be reasonable portable.
The other thing I'll be interested to see is if the ReactOS guys can manage to make it run on MIPS, Sparc, x86, x86-64, Alpha, and any other random platform you can think of. It'd be interesting to see what all they can come up with.
Kirby
I have mixed feelings about this... it's nice to see somebody working on a replacement for Windows that your average L-user will want to use (Because it will run all their L-user software) and look like their L-user operating system.
But, at the same time their efforts could be better used to improve the Wine project. I still can't get Wine to run IrFanView.
I'd like to see ReactOS and Wine get together and share their code and ideas. It could really help to improve both systems. It can't be that hard to emulate Windows (I'm not saying it's easy though). Just clone all the Windows system calls by starting with the common ones, work up to the less common. If you had a good clone of the system calls you could use the DLLs straight out of your cloned version of Windows and then replace them at your leisure.
There was talk of a Microsoft SDK detailing most of the Windows system calls except the "obsolete" ones that their own applications happen to call (and probably get preferential treatment from the OS because of it). Could start there, but I dont' recall where I heard the talk about the SDK.
At the end of the day I don't care how it's done, as long as I can play the same Windows games at LANs that all my friends want to play...
Just my $AU0.02 + gst.
I drink to make other people interesting!
"Seriously, I don't get it, if you make something new, you might as well try to do it different, or improve on what already exist, not simply clone something."
I think you fail to see the potential of this particular project.
If a project like ReactOS results in a viable drop-in replacement of Windows (NT, 2k, XP), while adding many of the benefits of OSS (e.g. Linux), it may ultimately end up destroying (a good part of) MSFT's market share of desktop OSs, as few companies and individuals will see the need to pay for 'Windows' (the OS). Imagine Walmart selling those cheap PCs again, but this time with ReactOS installed.
Certainly, Windows is a bad OS in too many ways (security-wise, as well as because of the messy API), but that doesn't mean that through a project like ReactOS we can't end up improving 'Windows'. And do what Linux has failed to do so far: take over the desktop OS market.
Site & blog: http://www.mayaposch.com
Here's the URL of my answer (a comment), (the comment)... from an article preceeding slashdot's posting by several days... I'll even paste it (my reply) for you if you're adverse or too lazy bother to visiting signalnine.com...
I still think the POTENTIAL for having a 'free' platform to EASILY port your code to is a good thing. We have no idea what might become of Windows (as we know it) once Longenhurden manifests. This project, I think, offers a small amount of comfort to businesses (think enterprise and small biz, too) who have invested exorbitant amounts of programmer-time and dollars on in-house, 'vertical applications'. They may not need the lastest whiz-bang Microsoft 'features' (that MS says we can't do without). Even if they can't implement all of say, DirectX for gamers; or .Nyet, (I say this because of the potential of land-mine-infested patents...c'mon you KNOW MS isn't benign, ADMIT IT!), running a 'cheap' Delphi application that does your check processing/imaging on NT 4 or Win2k is a VALID REASON for this effort ('what we have right NOW works just FINE, thank you').
There might yet be good cause to dread at what's coming up on the horizon.
Just my 2 cents.
Was that rambling? I tried to write something lucid and coherent. Sorry if I failed. I'm very tired as I write this.
spam, spam, spam, spam, e-mail, news and spam.
as few companies and individuals will see the need to pay for 'Windows' (the OS).
Don't forget that one of the things that puts those very people off FOSS is the fact that it is free: free means no support, nobody to sue when something goes wrong, no way to show your shareholders that you're spending money wisely.
ReactOS will only be a sucess as a "drop in Windows replacement" in industry if it manages to do everything in the same way as windows, look the same as windows and have a company sat there offering support and a target for blame.
Yeah, but it wasn't a "free" Windows. It both upped the cost of your PC, and you have few, if any, rights regarding it. Your ability to deal with bugs and security holes is limited by what Microsoft decides to do, including (as with the 9X series), having to buy an entirely new operating system. You can't either modify it yourself (if you're technically competent) or have someone do it for you (either a hired professional, or rely on the resources of a third party support group.)
You are not alone. This is not normal. None of this is normal.
We can argue the benefits of having a free and open Win32. We can argue the benefits of having a choice of implementations. But "Grotmaster Inc. will sell less Grotmaster 2000(tm)s" isn't really a great argument for the end user.
And yes, I'm aware Microsoft has engaged in various immoral business practices over the years, and would like them to get more than a slap on the wrist for it, but Microsoft losing market share is not an advantage unless end users actually benefit - ie what they lose market share too is ultimately superior. It's the improved choice that's the advantage, not the loss in market share for the incumbent.
You are not alone. This is not normal. None of this is normal.