ReactOS 0.3.14 Released With Improved Networking Stack

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ReactOS 0.3.14 Released With Improved Networking Stack

Posted by Unknown on Wednesday February 8, 2012 @03:40AM from the alternative-os-for-the-alternative-hacker dept.

An anonymous reader wrote in with news of the latest release of ReactOS, a project to create a complete reimplementation of Windows. The highlights of this release are the integration of a new network stack based upon lwIP, the ability to build using Microsoft's C compiler, and Wifi support. There are a few options for trying it out (emulator image and a livecd amongst others) and source code over at Sourceforge.

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Windows 98, finally! by Anonymous Coward · 2012-02-08 03:42 · Score: 5, Funny

Ah, FOSS Windows 98 for the masses! How we've missed you...
1. Re:Windows 98, finally! by Anonymous Coward · 2012-02-08 03:52 · Score: 0
  
  I thought their target was an NT-based system. XP, perhaps?
2. Re:Windows 98, finally! by MagicM · 2012-02-08 03:56 · Score: 4, Informative
  
  From reactos.org:
  
  ReactOS is a free, modern operating system based on the design of Windows XP/2003. Written completely from scratch, it aims to follow the Windows-NT architecture designed by Microsoft from the hardware level right through to the application level.
3. Re:Windows 98, finally! by Anonymous Coward · 2012-02-08 03:58 · Score: 0, Redundant
  
  Yeah, only a moron would remake a 14 year old OS. Now a 9 year old OS, that makes perfect sense. I hope they finish soon and get started on a FOSS version of Mac OS 8.
4. Re:Windows 98, finally! by TheRealMindChild · 2012-02-08 04:08 · Score: 2
  
  That is a pretty declarative statement. Something has to power those masses of Pentium4/256MB machines, and something has to play those ancient games your mom buys in the clearance aisle of the discount supermarket.
  
  --
  
  "When life gives you lemons, don't make lemonade. Make life take the lemons back!" -- Cave Johnson
5. Re:Windows 98, finally! by Anonymous Coward · 2012-02-08 04:13 · Score: 0
  
  Maybe they're just doing it for fun? What's wrong with that?
6. Re:Windows 98, finally! by Tim4444 · 2012-02-08 04:19 · Score: 1
  
  Didn't you read the headline? "improved networking stack" -- That was XP!
  At least the project is in the spirit of things: http://www.reactos.org/about.html
7. Re:Windows 98, finally! by Anonymous Coward · 2012-02-08 04:22 · Score: 0
  
  Yeah, only a moron would remake a 14 year old OS. Now a 9 year old OS, that makes perfect sense.
  So what design is Windows Vista based on?
  And Windows 7?
8. Re:Windows 98, finally! by robthebloke · 2012-02-08 04:22 · Score: 3, Insightful
  
  They were reacting to microsofts monopoly on the OS market in the mid 90's, and aimed to produce a free version. IIRC, a number of academics got involved because it was very useful to help teach the kernel differences between WinNT and linux (obviously you can't look at the actual WinNT source!).
9. Re:Windows 98, finally! by gl4ss · 2012-02-08 04:26 · Score: 1
  
  and aren't win7 and win8 still more or less continuations of that "branch" over at MS anyways?
  anyhow, reactos seems like a very well done oss project actually. they have working stuff and ms driver compatibility is actually pretty cool(though they don't seem to support modern 3rd party gfx card drivers too well, if they had that and sound.. well, fuck, then it would be a fun os to run more seriously, but even now it's a pretty cool hobby project, certainly cooler than yet another bsd anyways).
  
  --
  world was created 5 seconds before this post as it is.
10. Re:Windows 98, finally! by Anonymous Coward · 2012-02-08 04:32 · Score: 5, Informative
  
  Yes you can. Microsoft created the Windows Academic Program for teaching the kernel internals in an academic setting. You get access to the Windows Research Kernel with source code.
11. Re:Windows 98, finally! by h4rr4r · 2012-02-08 04:42 · Score: 3, Insightful
  
  Then you too can forever be polluted in a way that makes you unable to work on any other OS, WINE, or dozens of other commercial and free software projects!
  Who in the hell would want to hire someone exposed to that to work on their software? You would be living in fear of the MS lawsuit.
12. Re:Windows 98, finally! by spongman · 2012-02-08 05:19 · Score: 2
  
  wow, you would have had to have been really moronic to have remade a 20-year-old OS back in 1991...
13. Re:Windows 98, finally! by edmicman · 2012-02-08 06:09 · Score: 2
  
  Funny you mention this because the last few family machines I've had to mess with (and all of the computers that haven't been replaced yet at my wife's workplace) have been Pentium4/256MB Dell or Dell-knockoffs. What was with all the WinXP P4s with only 256MB of RAM? They don't run half-bad with 512 minimum or especially if you max out the RAM. But it's downright painful to run XP with a piddling 256MB....I can't believe they ever sold them.
14. Re:Windows 98, finally! by hobarrera · 2012-02-08 06:14 · Score: 1
  
  Since so many businesses still rely on software that itself rely on Windows XP, they're doing great work.
  Supose a big business relies on X, and X only works in XP. That business is stuck with XP, specially if they software vendor for X is unwilling to upgrade, or the cost it too high, etc.
  It's true, shame on them for using X in the first place, but since ReactOS aims to be binary-compatible with XP, it's a good alternative in future, since I'm sure it'll have a better ecosystem for a more "gradual" migration from Windows to another real OS.
  Also, wine use to lag about 4 or 5 versions of DirectX behind. Now they're almost catching up. You need to start with an older target and then catch up if you want a binary-compatible replacement for windows.
15. Re:Windows 98, finally! by Anonymous Coward · 2012-02-08 06:39 · Score: 0, Troll
  
  I don't know, does looking at the Linux source make it impossible for you to ever write non-GPL-compatible OS's ever again?
16. Re:Windows 98, finally! by Anonymous Coward · 2012-02-08 06:49 · Score: 0
  
  WinXP works fine for the few Win-specific apps I still use. I look forward to the day when ReactOS is functional enough to use them, so I no longer have to concern myself with "being allowed" to use my Windows install disc on some old hardware/virtual install. Also,a lot of the work ReactOS does, goes into Wine.
  Economically, when ReactOS becomes fully usable, it'll probably cause Microsoft to lower the price of their latest release, in order to entice people to upgrade to MS's DRM-encumbered, industry-surveilled, backwards-incompatable OS.
  You'd like a better price on that, wouldn't you?
17. Re:Windows 98, finally! by Anonymous Coward · 2012-02-08 08:54 · Score: 0
  
  The GPL doesn't have a non-disclosure agreement, restrictive or otherwise. The NT kernel does, and it's not uncommon for such contracts to make demands like that.
18. Re:Windows 98, finally! by gman003 · 2012-02-08 08:57 · Score: 1
  
  Who in the hell would want to hire someone exposed to that to work on their software? You would be living in fear of the MS lawsuit.
  People who will never have to write an OS, or anything similar to an OS, as part of their job.
19. Re:Windows 98, finally! by unixisc · 2012-02-08 09:11 · Score: 2
  
  By the time ReactOS is ready, that opportunity would have closed. Had ReactOS even version 1 been ready now, it would have been a good alternative for XP customers. It's nowhere near that, so people currently on XP will either have to junk their systems for Windows 7 or Windows 8, or look @ more established alternatives, like Linux or BSD.
  Also, I don't see Microsoft reacting, in a manner of speaking, to ReactOS. They are doing what they can to move the market to Windows 8, and their lowering their price will just be for the sake of selling their latest OS, instead of an old one which would maybe have an FOSS competitor. Windows 7 took a while to pass XP, and I expect Windows 8 to be a fiasco, unless they drop the idea of forcing the Metro UI on the general public.
20. Re:Windows 98, finally! by unixisc · 2012-02-08 09:25 · Score: 1
  
  So will ReactOS have a Teredo or Miredo like support for IPv6? That's one major area where XP is lacking.
21. Re:Windows 98, finally! by Anonymous Coward · 2012-02-08 10:03 · Score: 0
  
  "Who in the hell would want to hire someone exposed to that to work on their software?"
  Microsoft. If their career goal is to work on OS level code that's probably where they want to work anyway.
  But also I doubt that "pollutes" a person from being able to work at Apple etc.
22. Re:Windows 98, finally! by Gadget_Guy · 2012-02-08 10:09 · Score: 1
  
  Who in the hell would want to hire someone exposed to that to work on their software? You would be living in fear of the MS lawsuit.
  And yet the program has been in existence for years without a single lawsuit of this nature. It appears that your fears are completely unfounded.
23. Re:Windows 98, finally! by mister_playboy · 2012-02-08 10:53 · Score: 3, Insightful
  
  256MB of RAM was quite usable on early versions of XP. SP2 bumped the performance requirements up quite a bit, and you'll probably want at least 768MB to run a up-to-date SP3 install.
  
  --
  Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law ::: Love is the law, love under will
24. Re:Windows 98, finally! by h4rr4r · 2012-02-08 11:38 · Score: 1
  
  I bet the program is not that big, and not many people who get into it end up working on this sort of code.
  Sure you can look at NT kernel code and then go dev accounting software, that is not the fear I have.
25. Re:Windows 98, finally! by mug+funky · 2012-02-08 13:57 · Score: 1
  
  mods have no sense of humour.
26. Re:Windows 98, finally! by RulerOf · 2012-02-08 23:49 · Score: 1
  
  But it's downright painful to run XP with a piddling 256MB....I can't believe they ever sold them.
  It's a damn shame too, but it illustrates the greediness of computer manufacturers.
  
  In turn I ask, "What about all of the Vista machines sold with 1 or 2GB of RAM?"
  
  It's worth mentioning that Apple seems to think that Lion can run on 2GB as well.
  
  My boss (sometimes working for the individual I work for can be maddening, but it pays well :P) called Apple, inevitably about his iPhone, and was recommended to upgrade to Lion. While it solved his problem, his computer became nearly unusably slow. Apple tells him that he doesn't have enough RAM. In a Mac Mini. He buys a new computer. Problem solved.
  
  "Minimum" requirements are bullshit, but they're in place so that everyone except the consumer can maximize profits and accomodate a larger customer base. The fact that plentiful RAM amounts are affordable now has reduced this problem in the mid-range market, especially for new machines, but it's my opinion that the age-old practice of a company knowingly advising a consumer to buy a product that isn't good enough for themselves is still alive and well. And even from a company like Apple.... just not from the top down, I suppose.
  
  --
  Boot Windows, Linux, and ESX over the network for free.
27. Re:Windows 98, finally! by Anonymous Coward · 2012-02-09 01:14 · Score: 0
  
  Jesus Christ.
  One person: "You can't see the Windows source to teach classes! Fuck Microsoft!"
  Second person: "Yes, you can, they released an academic version specifically to teach classes."
  Third person: "OH MY GOD! FUCKING MICROSOFT! NOW PEOPLE WILL COME OUT POLLUTED FROM THE WINDOWS KERNEL!!!!111!11!"
  Grow up; the world is not designed around you, Microsoft is a company and not the Devil incarnate, lecturers will generally teach kernel design from two or three kernel models, and students exposed to more than one design are normally smart enough to at least recognise when they've been fed too much from one and too little from another. That goes for the immature idiots who modded you "Insightful", too.
ReactOS by Anonymous Coward · 2012-02-08 03:45 · Score: 0

I remember testing this out a few years ago, hopefully it's more stable than previously as well.. looking forward to trying it when I get home.
1. Re:ReactOS by Truekaiser · 2012-02-08 04:32 · Score: 1
  
  it's still the same mess of code with a fraction of the hardware support that linux or even bsd has.
2. Re:ReactOS by Anonymous Coward · 2012-02-08 04:48 · Score: 0
  
  Given that one of its pluses is that it explicitly supports Windows device drivers, isn't it likely to end up with rather better hardware support?
3. Re:ReactOS by Anonymous Coward · 2012-02-08 05:36 · Score: 0
  
  Given that one of its pluses is that it explicitly supports Windows device drivers, isn't it likely to end up with rather better hardware support?
  Nah, it's been my experience that Linux has far better overall hardware support than Windows. It's only with the newest hardware that it has trouble.
  It's frequently the difference between an in-mainline, actively maintained driver shipped with the Linux kernel, and an old, unmaintained binary blob from five years ago that you have to download from an unreliable FTP server in Singapore, and which randomly locks up the hardware and/or the computer it's attached to.
4. Re:ReactOS by windcask · 2012-02-08 06:07 · Score: 1
  
  Nah, it's been my experience that Linux has far better overall hardware support than Windows....
  It's frequently the difference between an in-mainline, actively maintained driver shipped with the Linux kernel, and an old, unmaintained binary blob from five years ago that you have to download from an unreliable FTP server in Singapore, and which randomly locks up the hardware and/or the computer it's attached to.
  Usually "better" denotes quality.
5. Re:ReactOS by Anonymous Coward · 2012-02-08 06:16 · Score: 0
  
  Nah, it's been my experience that Linux has far better overall hardware support than Windows....
  It's frequently the difference between an in-mainline, actively maintained driver shipped with the Linux kernel, and an old, unmaintained binary blob from five years ago that you have to download from an unreliable FTP server in Singapore, and which randomly locks up the hardware and/or the computer it's attached to.
  Usually "better" denotes quality.
  So when the old, buggy Windows driver "randomly locks up the hardware and/or the computer," it's not an indicator of poor quality on your planet? What color is the sky there? Is it orange? I bet that's cool.
6. Re:ReactOS by squiggleslash · 2012-02-08 07:10 · Score: 1
  
  Have you used Windows lately? 10:1 if you pick out a random PC that was bundled with any operating systems other than Vista or 7, it's more likely to run Ubuntu without problems than Windows 7.
  
  --
  You are not alone. This is not normal. None of this is normal.
7. Re:ReactOS by Truekaiser · 2012-02-08 12:09 · Score: 1
  
  it claims to have binary comparability with normal windows drivers. but give you a list of 'supported' drivers that it actually works on. that list is a fraction of what both linux or bsd support.
  not saying they should drop it, just saying it has more attention then it deserves as it is just a hobby os. it's never going to be in a usable state.
8. Re:ReactOS by rev0lt · 2012-02-08 14:58 · Score: 1
  
  So, when a broken linux kernel driver for something as standard as a Intel network chipset, that actually implements a regression, is distributed as a stable kernel upgrade for a linux distribution, you'd call it what? It's funny how those people I've seen praising the linux drivers quickly forget the subpar print quality of their almost-a-decade-old print drivers (in some cases), the missing wireless funcionality (AP, promiscuous modes, etc) or plain old consistency (the USB stack mess).
Time to switch operating systems by Anonymous Coward · 2012-02-08 03:45 · Score: 5, Funny

At this point I think it's time for me to upgrade from FreeDOS to ReactOS.
1. Re:Time to switch operating systems by protohacker · 2012-02-08 03:48 · Score: 0
  
  Why would you use FreeDOS over any flavor of Linux?
2. Re:Time to switch operating systems by Alex+Belits · 2012-02-08 03:50 · Score: 3, Informative
  
  At this point I think it's time for me to upgrade from FreeDOS to ReactOS.
  FreeDOS has legitimate uses -- I have found it on manufacturers' BIOS updater images.
  I, of course, do my updates under Linux with flashrom utility, but I have some taste and sanity, things that most people lose after being exposed to BIOS source code.
  
  --
  Contrary to the popular belief, there indeed is no God.
3. Re:Time to switch operating systems by Anonymous Coward · 2012-02-08 03:51 · Score: 0
  
  Cuuuz It's NOT Linux? :D
4. Re:Time to switch operating systems by tepples · 2012-02-08 03:54 · Score: 1
  
  I guess one might use FreeDOS to run classic games and other legacy applications designed for MS-DOS in a virtual machine. Is DOSEMU (paravirtualized DOS for Linux) still maintained?
5. Re:Time to switch operating systems by Anonymous Coward · 2012-02-08 03:55 · Score: 0
  
  Because FreeDOS has more games and commercial software that it can run?
6. Re:Time to switch operating systems by jampola · 2012-02-08 03:56 · Score: 1
  
  I've got an old 19in CRT, p2 450 and an old game cabinet that I want to put to good use. Using an FOSS version of Windows instead of messing with WINE is quite attractive to me, especially for the games that won't run in FreeDOS!
7. Re:Time to switch operating systems by Anonymous Coward · 2012-02-08 04:00 · Score: 0
  
  For that I would recommend DOSBox [dosbox.com], which is specifically optimized for running classic MS-DOS games.
8. Re:Time to switch operating systems by Anonymous Coward · 2012-02-08 04:01 · Score: 1
  
  Why would you use FreeDOS over any flavor of Linux?
  Because it's DOS compatible.
9. Re:Time to switch operating systems by sg_oneill · 2012-02-08 04:04 · Score: 2
  
  Its all about DosBOX these days. it runs very well and still actively maintained.
  
  --
  Excuse the Unicode crap in my posts. That's an apostrophe, and slashdot is busted.
10. Re:Time to switch operating systems by TheRaven64 · 2012-02-08 04:09 · Score: 4, Informative
  
  It's also used in quite a few embedded systems running low-end x86 chips. The advantage of something like DOS in this respect is that it's almost like not having an OS, but it still gives you a basic filesystem and program launcher, then gets out of your way.
  
  --
  I am TheRaven on Soylent News
11. Re:Time to switch operating systems by TheRealMindChild · 2012-02-08 04:16 · Score: 5, Informative
  
  As a matter of fact, DOSBox is superior to DOS in a virtual machine. Try running a multimedia CD-Rom game of the era, like Burn:Cycle, 11th Hour, Phantasmagoria in DOS virtual machine and you get terrible frame rates, popping and cracking audio, goofy mouse problems, etc. DOSBox seems to "Just work".
  
  Also, DOSBox is not only still being poked at, a lot of games on Steam use DOSBox to run.
  
  --
  
  "When life gives you lemons, don't make lemonade. Make life take the lemons back!" -- Cave Johnson
12. Re:Time to switch operating systems by Alex+Belits · 2012-02-08 04:18 · Score: 1
  
  It's also used in quite a few embedded systems running low-end x86 chips. The advantage of something like DOS in this respect is that it's almost like not having an OS, but it still gives you a basic filesystem and program launcher, then gets out of your way.
  Actually that would be the original GRUB (or GRUB2 if you like having a requirement for boot media that contains modules -- I don't because my embedded system that uses it, boots from a section in the same flash chip as BIOS).
  
  --
  Contrary to the popular belief, there indeed is no God.
13. Re:Time to switch operating systems by TheRealMindChild · 2012-02-08 04:19 · Score: 2
  
  Well, WINE is leagues ahead of how capable ReactOS is. At least WINE will have a stable kernel and drivers behind it
  
  --
  
  "When life gives you lemons, don't make lemonade. Make life take the lemons back!" -- Cave Johnson
14. Re:Time to switch operating systems by Pharmboy · 2012-02-08 04:19 · Score: 4, Insightful
  
  Why would you use FreeDOS over any flavor of Linux?
  1. You can boot it from a floppy (or CD or USB key) in seconds, which is perfect for basic testing of older hardware.
  2. Many situations do not require multitasking, ie: point of sale, etc. Many good but older point of sale programs exist that run in DOS. You can back up the entire system in seconds. I'm actually considering it for a system as we speak, since I already own the $3000 software.
  3. Many situations do not require internet access (see point of sale, above).
  4. Great as a standalone, or for dual booting, or virtualization for playing old games.
  5. Flashing BIOS.
  6. Linux isn't the answer to all computing needs. Many of them, but not all.
  
  --
  Tequila: It's not just for breakfast anymore!
15. Re:Time to switch operating systems by Narishma · 2012-02-08 04:21 · Score: 1
  
  I wouldn't be so sure of that. DosBox on Linux will probably run more games than FreeDOS, especially if you try to run FreeDOS on modern hardware.
  
  --
  Mada mada dane.
16. Re:Time to switch operating systems by Anonymous Coward · 2012-02-08 04:33 · Score: 0
  
  Native games. Using emulator is cheating.
17. Re:Time to switch operating systems by Hatta · 2012-02-08 04:41 · Score: 1
  
  Really? Windows games in an arcade cabinet?
  
  --
  Give me Classic Slashdot or give me death!
18. Re:Time to switch operating systems by Drinking+Bleach · 2012-02-08 05:19 · Score: 4, Informative
  
  DOSEMU is still maintained, though it doesn't get a whole lot of development these days; not a huge deal with it to fix yet. As other replies explained, DOSBox is usually better for games (especially for sound support), but DOSBox has a strict development policy of being only for games, and there's plenty of DOS applications DOSBox does not run and likely will not run in the near future. DOSEMU packages FreeDOS with it and is nearly 100% compatible with all DOS software.
  One thing I particularly like about DOSEMU over DOSBox is the filesystem handling. Everything in DOSEMU is mounted as a network share inside of DOS, even the C: drive; this allows you to change around files and whatnot on the native Linux filesystem and have the changes immediately appear in DOS (can't do that with DOSBox). Additionally, DOSEMU has long filename suppport, which is a huge godsend; DOSBox only supports 8+3 names (with its own muddling of non-DOS-compatible names behind the scenes... DOS games don't need long filename support so DOSBox is likely to never support LFNs).
  All that being said, I highly recommend avoiding the release version and go straight to the subversion trunk. There are many quite serious bugs in 1.4.0, but I'm not aware of any that exist in the trunk; the developer is rather quick to look into and fix problems when they're reported.
19. Re:Time to switch operating systems by Ed+Avis · 2012-02-08 07:56 · Score: 1
  
  There's a missing step: nobody has reimplemented classic 16-bit WinDOS like Windows 3.0 which ran on top of MS-DOS. Going from FreeDOS to ReactOS you would have to jump straight from DOS to Windows NT without going through flaky 16/32 bit mixtures in the middle.
  
  --
  -- Ed Avis ed@membled.com
20. Re:Time to switch operating systems by Khopesh · 2012-02-08 09:05 · Score: 1
  
  I haven't used it in many years, but tomsrtbt (Tom's RootBoot) used to be the go-to linux-on-a-floppy system. Boots just as fast as DOS but also (usually) supports networking.
  
  --
  Use my userscript to add story images to Slashdot. There's no going back.
21. Re:Time to switch operating systems by Anonymous Coward · 2012-02-08 13:29 · Score: 0
  
  DOSBox hasn't had a new release in ages. Besides, DOSBox has compatibility issues and runs slow because it's completely emulating old PC hardware. Running MS-DOS inside of VirtualBox offers better compatibility and speed.
22. Re:Time to switch operating systems by cheesybagel · 2012-02-08 14:06 · Score: 0
  
  Doesn't matter. It's fast enough for all VGA and SVGA games or earlier on any decent system. It is also multiplatform (people can run it in ARM platforms for example). Besides, do you really, really want to mess around with himem.sys or setting up the umb memory space so you have more base memory so the game runs and trouble like that? Its bonkers.
23. Re:Time to switch operating systems by rev0lt · 2012-02-08 15:00 · Score: 1
  
  Well, you install FreeDOS and It doesn't ask you for a hundred-megabyte size system overhaul. Or X.
24. Re:Time to switch operating systems by thegarbz · 2012-02-08 21:14 · Score: 1
  
  5. Flashing BIOS.
  How old is your computer?
  - My 5 year old motherboard can flash the BIOS from the BIOS. All that's needed is a floppy with the firmware on it.
  - My dad's 3 year old motherboard can flash the BIOS from the BIOS. All that's needed is a floppy or USB stick, or CD with the firmware on it.
  - My girlfriend's 1 year old motherboard can flash the BIOS from an app within Windows.
  I actually had a brainfart a few months ago when I needed to update the BIOS on a friend's computer. I spent all afternoon prepping a USB stick with FreeDOS and the required files to do it. When I started his computer it didn't boot from USB, so I entered the BIOS and noticed the "Press F11 to start EzBIOS flash utility" written at the bottom of the screen. My friend experienced his first dose of nerd rage that day.
25. Re:Time to switch operating systems by cheesybagel · 2012-02-18 13:16 · Score: 1
  
  Run MechWarrior 3 or MechWarrior 4 Mercenaries. They are better anyway. Many people have run DOSBox in the GP2X which is ARM powered.
What's the point??!?!?! by Anonymous Coward · 2012-02-08 03:48 · Score: 5, Interesting

There are many possible reasons why people want a functioning clone of MS Windows that can use the same drivers etc.
If nothing else, it's an interesting project.
Why not Linux? Because drivers don't always work. Why not WINE? ReactOS and WINE share a lot of code, but WINE is aiming to solve a different problem. Why not just use old MS Windows? Because the source is not there, and neither is support.
People would find a use for a Free MS Windows clone the same way that people find a use for a Free MS DOS clone (FreeDOS).
I for one am excited about ReactOS. Here's hoping they continue the good work for many years
1. Re:What's the point??!?!?! by NatasRevol · 2012-02-08 03:56 · Score: 0
  
  Duplicating decade old technology is an interesting project?
  
  --
  There are two types of people in the world: Those who crave closure
2. Re:What's the point??!?!?! by imakemusic · 2012-02-08 04:05 · Score: 1
  
  Yes.
  
  --
  Brain surgery - it's not rocket science!
3. Re:What's the point??!?!?! by NatasRevol · 2012-02-08 04:09 · Score: 2
  
  Except that your examples are not trying to be exact duplicates.
  And didn't answer why.
  
  --
  There are two types of people in the world: Those who crave closure
4. Re:What's the point??!?!?! by TheRaven64 · 2012-02-08 04:11 · Score: 4, Informative
  
  ReactOS is duplicating Windows NT, which is a design originally from 1993, although they're actually aiming for compatibility with the 2001 version. Linux and *BSD are duplicating UNIX, which is a design originally from 1969. Interesting? Maybe not. Useful? Probably.
  
  --
  I am TheRaven on Soylent News
5. Re:What's the point??!?!?! by johanwanderer · 2012-02-08 04:17 · Score: 5, Interesting
  
  With Windows XP going away, in a few years you might be looking for an old box to run your favorite program. In another few years you might be completely out of luck. Even further out, what if Microsoft went bankrupt (or bought by Apple, Google, RedHat, whoever) and their OS division is shelved?
  
  Projects like ReactOS, Wine, DOSBox, etc. allow you to have another possible path in that uncertain future. Your program might not work out-of-the-box, but you have the source to tinker with and try to get it to work.
  
  That is probably the same reason for running Wine on Windows, which is probably better than running an old program within a virtual machine.
  
  Soon enough, you will probably run all of your programs in a browser anyway. But I digress :)
6. Re:What's the point??!?!?! by Desler · 2012-02-08 04:37 · Score: 1
  
  You do realize you can still run XP all you like even after it's been EOLed, right? Why not just keep running XP instead of an alpha-quality clone?
7. Re:What's the point??!?!?! by MightyYar · 2012-02-08 04:52 · Score: 2
  
  So long as you are happy never receiving another update, security or otherwise.
  Don't get me wrong - I seriously doubt that ReactOS will be up to XP-standards in 2 years, but such a thing certainly WOULD be useful.
  
  --
  W..w..W - Willy Waterloo washes Warren Wiggins who is washing Waldo Woo.
8. Re:What's the point??!?!?! by fnj · 2012-02-08 04:52 · Score: 4, Insightful
  
  Um, because hardware evolves. Before too long nobody will have XP drivers for any hardware that is being manufactured. Compatible hardware will gradually cease to be available. Ever try to find a working MFM hard drive to put in that original IBM PC with MS-DOS? How about a Soundblaster card which is the only sound hardware that a lot of DOS games supported?
9. Re:What's the point??!?!?! by SuiteSisterMary · 2012-02-08 04:57 · Score: 0
  
  Quick! Travel back in time and tell Linus Torvalds not to reimplement decades-old UNIX!
  
  --
  Vintage computer games and RPG books available. Email me if you're interested.
10. Re:What's the point??!?!?! by ChunderDownunder · 2012-02-08 05:13 · Score: 1
  
  Alpha quality doesn't mean unsuitable for a certain purpose, if it supports a minimal subset.
  One particular use is in software support where an external client may have a certain configuration of XP/Vista/7 that is unable to be deployed on the company's network for licensing, availability reasons.
  Having a free clone is another implementation of 'Windows' that may demonstrate a particular fault not detectable on a developer's machine. On more than one occasion my bacon has been saved by running wine on linux in a VM for a flaw that didn't show up in a particular service pack of XP or as the client had migrated to Win7.
  Having ReactOS deployable without licensing or activation concerns would be another option and closer to the XP experience that wine in an X11 context.
11. Re:What's the point??!?!?! by TheRaven64 · 2012-02-08 05:39 · Score: 3, Informative
  
  ReactOS is not just duplicating the design. It is also extending it. It is, however, aiming to keep the same ABI. This is hardly an original goal - it is one shared by several modern UNIX and UNIX-like systems. If you think ReactOS is just copying the Windows NT design and not adding improvements, then you've obviously not paid any attention to it in the last ten years.
  
  --
  I am TheRaven on Soylent News
12. Re:What's the point??!?!?! by NatasRevol · 2012-02-08 06:04 · Score: 2
  
  Not according to ReactOS's home page.
  http://www.reactos.org/en/index.html
  "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. Additionally, the look and feel of the Windows operating system is used, 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."
  I don't see anything about adding improvements there.
  
  --
  There are two types of people in the world: Those who crave closure
13. Re:What's the point??!?!?! by TheRaven64 · 2012-02-08 06:11 · Score: 1
  
  And the design goal of Linux was to provide a POSIX-compliant kernel for running UNIX programs. There was nothing about adding improvements there either. So, ummm, what's your point?
  
  --
  I am TheRaven on Soylent News
14. Re:What's the point??!?!?! by NatasRevol · 2012-02-08 06:13 · Score: 1
  
  Cite any improvements that ReactOS has made or is going to make. Otherwise, your claim is baseless.
  
  --
  There are two types of people in the world: Those who crave closure
15. Re:What's the point??!?!?! by Anonymous Coward · 2012-02-08 06:14 · Score: 0
  
  Why do you keep trying to twist this?
  Comparing the goals of these 2 different efforts is apples and oranges and effectively dishonest.
  Answer me this: Why would someone want to use ReactOS?
  My answer: Because someone would like a windows system without the MS logo on it.
  Your answer:?
  Answer me this: Why would someone want to use a *nix(Linux,BSD,blah) system?
  My answer: Because someone would like a *modern* OS, that just *happens* to be *based* on an old design/platform.
  Your answer:?
  Do you see now why I think you are trying to twist this?
  Sorry that I don't have an account.
  Anonymous Coward
16. Re:What's the point??!?!?! by Anonymous Coward · 2012-02-08 06:25 · Score: 0
  
  Virtual machine.
17. Re:What's the point??!?!?! by TheRaven64 · 2012-02-08 06:29 · Score: 1
  
  I don't really follow ReactOS development actively, but one thing that they've done is improve the OS personality layer so that it's possible for userspace programs to use libraries that depend on different personalities, unlike Windows where you have to pick between Win32 and POSIX.
  
  --
  I am TheRaven on Soylent News
18. Re:What's the point??!?!?! by Anonymous Coward · 2012-02-08 06:38 · Score: 0
  
  If you think ReactOS is just copying the Windows NT design and not adding improvements, then you've obviously not paid any attention to it in the last ten years.
  That is your statement a moment ago!
  Now read again what you just answered :
  
  I don't really follow ReactOS development actively
  Do they award eponymous trolls with medals in slashdot? o_0
19. Re:What's the point??!?!?! by TangoMargarine · 2012-02-08 08:53 · Score: 1
  
  Why do you keep trying to twist this?
  Hanlon's Razor: Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity.
  Tango's Corollary: Don't call people dishonest/retarded/insane just for not agreeing with you.
  
  --
  Unity? Screw that: XFCE. Slashdot Beta? Screw that: SoylentNews. Australis? Screw that: Pale Moon. UX developers DIAF
20. Re:What's the point??!?!?! by TangoMargarine · 2012-02-08 08:54 · Score: 1
  
  To be fair, it's the 14th revision of the 3rd major alpha release...
  
  --
  Unity? Screw that: XFCE. Slashdot Beta? Screw that: SoylentNews. Australis? Screw that: Pale Moon. UX developers DIAF
21. Re:What's the point??!?!?! by Flaming+Troll+Shill · 2012-02-08 08:56 · Score: 1
  
  Turn in your geek card.
22. Re:What's the point??!?!?! by NatasRevol · 2012-02-08 09:12 · Score: 1
  
  Gladly, if enjoying duplicating Windows XP is required.
  
  --
  There are two types of people in the world: Those who crave closure
23. Re:What's the point??!?!?! by unixisc · 2012-02-08 09:31 · Score: 1
  
  Only improvement I see in the above story, not on their website mission statement, is the improved networking stack. I'm not sure what exactly they mean, but if they've added complete IPv6 support either similar to Windows 7 (Teredo) or just taken FreeBSD's IPv6 networking stack, I'd call it a big improvement over XP. Otherwise, I'd agree w/ you - nothing to see here, just move along
24. Re:What's the point??!?!?! by unixisc · 2012-02-08 09:39 · Score: 1
  
  You seem to be describing OSFree, which is an project that takes the L4 micro-kernel, has several personalities including OS/2's Presentation Manager personality, and ports that to it. That project also has long term goals for win32 and win64 personalities.
25. Re:What's the point??!?!?! by TheRaven64 · 2012-02-08 10:55 · Score: 1
  
  That's my point. I don't actively follow ReactOS - I occasionally help them out with compiler support and read their announcements every six months or so - yet I know that the grandparent's assertion that they're not extending the Windows NT design is nonsense. He has obviously not read anything that the project has published in the last 10 years, yet still feels qualified to make claims about it.
  
  --
  I am TheRaven on Soylent News
26. Re:What's the point??!?!?! by Hadlock · 2012-02-08 10:59 · Score: 1
  
  In my case, I am looking at using React OS when my developer version of Win8 expires. I run a steam chat bot in a windows VM that connects through steam. If I could get steam working on this thing (Tried - can't - yet) I could avoid paying the microsoft tax to run my otherwise free software steam bot. I haven't tried installing the .net 3.5 redistributable package on this yet either, which could be another hurdle.
  
  That said, it's a pretty impressive chunk of code so far - I'm posting this from inside a React OS VirtualBox image right now. Other than some issues with screen redraws and window focus, it seems to be doing remarkably well. Hopefully in another six months this will be a formidable system. If I could get Chrome working on this, I might even consider giving it a go on my netbook for a few months.
  
  --
  moox. for a new generation.
27. Re:What's the point??!?!?! by Anonymous Coward · 2012-02-08 11:59 · Score: 0
  
  Awww, is it past somebody's bedtime?
28. Re:What's the point??!?!?! by Anonymous Coward · 2012-02-08 14:57 · Score: 1
  
  It's not that enjoying that is required, it's that being an arrogant asshole is disallowed.
in the words of foghorn leghorn by Anonymous Coward · 2012-02-08 03:49 · Score: 3, Funny

it's a joke, son
1. Re:in the words of foghorn leghorn by Anonymous Coward · 2012-02-08 05:57 · Score: 0
  
  i'm not your son, pops
2. Re:in the words of foghorn leghorn by Anonymous Coward · 2012-02-08 07:26 · Score: 0
  
  i'm not your pops, bro
3. Re:in the words of foghorn leghorn by Anonymous Coward · 2012-02-08 08:23 · Score: 0
  
  i'm not your bro, dude
4. Re:in the words of foghorn leghorn by Anonymous Coward · 2012-02-08 09:20 · Score: 0
  
  i'm not a dude, dude.
5. Re:in the words of foghorn leghorn by Anonymous Coward · 2012-02-08 11:39 · Score: 0
  
  It's a joke son.
  Oh no! Infinite loop!!
6. Re:in the words of foghorn leghorn by Anonymous Coward · 2012-02-08 18:24 · Score: 0
  
  No, this is an infinte loop.
7. Re:in the words of foghorn leghorn by Anonymous Coward · 2012-02-12 11:14 · Score: 0
  
  Well I was thinking more an unrolled infinite loop
Only one minor disappointment. by Lose · 2012-02-08 03:49 · Score: 5, Interesting

They almost finished getting the new USB stack up and running in a different branch, but it isn't reliable (or stable even in most virtual environments) to sync it into the main branch prior to release. That's fine in a virtual environment, but on real hardware it would be nice for a few different reasons (ReactOS on USB may be possible soon because of this, maybe even debug output over USB, to name a few).

I'll just keep building the USB branch until then.
Gone a long way by Muramas95 · 2012-02-08 03:55 · Score: 1

ROS has fixed a lot of their issues this last release and I look forward to the upcoming years when it will be stable enough for daily use.
1. Re:Gone a long way by Alex+Belits · 2012-02-08 04:05 · Score: 3, Insightful
  
  daily use
  To do WHAT?
  
  --
  Contrary to the popular belief, there indeed is no God.
2. Re:Gone a long way by Anonymous Coward · 2012-02-08 04:11 · Score: 0
  
  I would download it if it could play games like System Shock 2. That's about it.
3. Re:Gone a long way by robthebloke · 2012-02-08 04:28 · Score: 3, Funny
  
  To do WHAT?
  Look at pron on IE6,
  Run some malware,
  You know, the usual....
4. Re:Gone a long way by Anomalyst · 2012-02-08 08:03 · Score: 1
  
  Wouldn't you prefer pr0n: Legacy in 3D?
  
  --
  There is no right to feel safe thru security vaudeville at the expense of everyone's freedom, privacy and tax money.
5. Re:Gone a long way by robthebloke · 2012-02-08 09:24 · Score: 1
  
  I've tried looking for it on AOL, but I can't figure out how to connect my 56k modem to my iPhone. I suppose I could try using a newer CD? Will that help?
6. Re:Gone a long way by Anomalyst · 2012-02-08 09:38 · Score: 1
  
  I think you need to upgrade your optical drive to pink ray. Some of the recent drive offerings bundle it.
  
  --
  There is no right to feel safe thru security vaudeville at the expense of everyone's freedom, privacy and tax money.
I'm normally all for "just because" but... by rAiNsT0rm · 2012-02-08 04:07 · Score: 0, Flamebait

I can't help but think a number of talented people have wasted quite a lot of life on a project that is pretty much without value. Sometime the bazaar just really does produce chaos.

--
http://teasphere.wordpress.com - A little spot of tea
1. Re:I'm normally all for "just because" but... by Anonymous Coward · 2012-02-08 04:35 · Score: 0
  
  I can't help but think a number of talented people have wasted quite a lot of life on a project that is pretty much without value. Sometime the bazaar just really does produce chaos.
  I'd hate to read what you think of the wine project.
  These kinds of projects take time, decades even. So its not for the "I want it now" cry baby crowd.
2. Re:I'm normally all for "just because" but... by Hatta · 2012-02-08 04:40 · Score: 5, Insightful
  
  If these talented people have enjoyed the time they spent building ReactOS, then they haven't wasted it at all.
  
  --
  Give me Classic Slashdot or give me death!
3. Re:I'm normally all for "just because" but... by Anonymous Coward · 2012-02-08 04:49 · Score: 0
  
  I can't help but think a number of talented people have wasted quite a lot of life on a project that is pretty much without value. Sometime the bazaar just really does produce chaos.
  I disagree...The value lis in the experience of new programmers getting their feet wet in an actual production environment. Teaching them how to program and debug their codes.
4. Re:I'm normally all for "just because" but... by Anonymous Coward · 2012-02-08 04:51 · Score: 1
  
  The fact that you can so quickly and easily sum up the volunteers' time as wasted betrays how narrow and constrictive your philosophical world view is. You sound very sure that your world view and methodology for assigning existential value to human activities is correct. Perhaps it's not.
5. Re:I'm normally all for "just because" but... by jdavidb · 2012-02-08 05:18 · Score: 4, Insightful
  
  They said that about Mozilla for years. Sometimes the bazaar produces something that only few people find to be of any value for many many years that suddenly becomes of value to many people. Probably most projects never make it, period, but as long as someone finds it interesting to work on, more power to them.
  If you don't find it of value, don't invest time or resources in it. :)
  
  --
  Secession is the right of all sentient beings.
6. Re:I'm normally all for "just because" but... by rAiNsT0rm · 2012-02-08 05:23 · Score: 0
  
  I get that, and I'm sure they did gain some valuable insight and learned a lot but the end result is a bit useless. Not that it could not become useful or have value in some cases, but if this really is truly all new code then it is a waste in that they could have put that effort into an OS or improving an OS instead of still being in alpha of a 14 year old OS. Different strokes and all that but lives are short and I've wasted time on failed projects that now that I'm older I wish I had not.
  
  --
  http://teasphere.wordpress.com - A little spot of tea
7. Re:I'm normally all for "just because" but... by ilikenwf · 2012-02-08 05:30 · Score: 3, Interesting
  
  Well, I guess this gives an alternative to an alternative for that old pentium 100 I have in the attic...
  In all seriousness, I guess this COULD be eventually useful if they manage to get it working with modern DirectX games and such... While I'm a Linux guy, I do enjoy gaming, natively and in WINE. ReactOS as I understand it contributes code to WINE (and vice-versa)...so IMHO it's still a win. Not necessarily epic yet, but it could be. That symbiotic relationship is worth something...I'm just not sure what.
8. Re:I'm normally all for "just because" but... by Anonymous Coward · 2012-02-08 05:45 · Score: 0
  
  What everyone else in this thread is failing to realize is that there is quite a bit of the NT API that is undocumented. So, creating a reverse-engineered clone of the OS can help learn more about the undocumented bits. This will be more important as later versions of Windows certainly implement more DRM in the OS itself (and certainly you can count on them to use more and more undocumented functions) and as Microsoft continues to put more and more layers between the OS and the programmer, hiding a lot of what is really going on from the programmers.
9. Re:I'm normally all for "just because" but... by evil_aaronm · 2012-02-08 06:06 · Score: 1
  
  I view this in terms of the number of clients of mine who come to me after hosing their Windows machines and have also managed to lose their official Windows product keys or installation media. Sure, I could charge them the cost of replacement, but if and when ROS works - well enough, of course - it would save them money and me the hassle.
  And it may be "old" Windows, but lots of my customers don't need Win 7. Heck, even at my day job - sounds like seamen's - we're still using XP Pro. This work is not "without value."
10. Re:I'm normally all for "just because" but... by Anonymous Coward · 2012-02-08 07:05 · Score: 1
  
  I get that, and I'm sure they did gain some valuable insight and learned a lot but the end result is a bit useless.
  You mean like posting on Slashdot?
  People have said the same to me about studying quantum mechanics (in my spare time). And about writing poetry, because nobody takes poetry seriously.
  But you know, why should I validate other people's opinions of me by actually taking their advice.
  Funny thing, I've been reading up on the Window's NT architecture to give myself some insight before submitting myself as a volunteer for the ReactOS project.
  People have called me an Idiot all my life, so an opinionated poster on Slashdot isn't going to change my mind. (BTW, I'm not the GP). And even though posting my opinion on Slashdot is just a waste of time, I still do it because I find it entertaining (for some reason).
11. Re:I'm normally all for "just because" but... by quax · 2012-02-08 07:40 · Score: 1
  
  There is lots of legacy software out there that has never been ported to newer versions of Windows.
  It is very myopic to declare this project has no value simply because you cannot think of a good reason.
12. Re:I'm normally all for "just because" but... by rAiNsT0rm · 2012-02-08 08:33 · Score: 1
  
  If you really try you can come up with tons, but at the end of the day this is alpha software (and has been for quite a while, and will continue to) it is not viable for much of anything and is more a proof of concept than anything and by the time it is (if) beta or even ready to be stable/released it is going to be even less so. I like hacks for hacks sake and I have been a part of many, I'm just saying that this is a lot of effort and work for essentially nothing. If you are eagerly waiting with baited breath for a FOSS Windows 98, then there aren't many seated with you.
  
  --
  http://teasphere.wordpress.com - A little spot of tea
13. Re:I'm normally all for "just because" but... by quax · 2012-02-08 08:55 · Score: 1
  
  They are not coding against a moving target but a known entity i.e. XP. So I don't see why this project shouldn't eventually grow out of Beta. Attract more developers and that'll happen all the sooner.
  I have two old educational Windows programs for my kids that no longer work on Win 7. I have an old XP machine for them but it bugs me that XP is no longer supported and vulnerabilities won't be fixed. React OS would make for a good alternative.
14. Re:I'm normally all for "just because" but... by Anonymous Coward · 2012-02-08 09:39 · Score: 0
  
  Watching a movie, playing a video game, reading a book, or playing a sport all have far more useless results. Guess what? People don't always have to be productive to enjoy their time.
  And ReactOS' code is used in WINE, so I wouldn't say it's pointless. It could end up being used in different circumstances like FreeDOS is.
15. Re:I'm normally all for "just because" but... by rAiNsT0rm · 2012-02-08 11:43 · Score: 2
  
  Again, I get that but this project began in 1998. That's 14 years. I was using Red Hat pre 1.0 at the time I checked this project out initially. I admire your optimism, but I don't see it happening.
  
  --
  http://teasphere.wordpress.com - A little spot of tea
16. Re:I'm normally all for "just because" but... by quax · 2012-02-08 15:09 · Score: 1
  
  Well, according to the screenshot you can actually run quite some useful programs (Firefox, Abiword etc.).
17. Re:I'm normally all for "just because" but... by Anonymous Coward · 2012-02-09 02:47 · Score: 0
  
  So, the same stuff you can run natively on Linux. Wow, that's surely useful!
Dooooooomed. by SuricouRaven · 2012-02-08 04:18 · Score: 2, Interesting

Best case: ReactOS remains a toy of little practical use.
Worst case: ReactOS succeeds, Microsoft sues either the devs or the users for infringing several thousand patents.
1. Re:Dooooooomed. by HBI · 2012-02-08 04:32 · Score: 2
  
  There will be a repository beyond the reach of Microsoft's software patents.
  
  --
  HBI's Law: Frequency of calling others Nazis is directly correlated with the likelihood of the accuser being Communist.
2. Re:Dooooooomed. by SuricouRaven · 2012-02-08 09:46 · Score: 1
  
  But not so many developers, or users, or corporate sponsors.
3. Re:Dooooooomed. by Anonymous Coward · 2012-02-08 10:02 · Score: 0
  
  Why just not move the project outside of the US? Then patents can't do shit to the project no? Aren't those patents only viable in USA?
  
  Fuck USA, patents and Microsoft.
4. Re:Dooooooomed. by HBI · 2012-02-08 10:36 · Score: 1
  
  It won't be a waste of time. I have heard that said too many times about too many things to believe it for a moment. I heard it about Wine in the 90s.
  
  --
  HBI's Law: Frequency of calling others Nazis is directly correlated with the likelihood of the accuser being Communist.
5. Re:Dooooooomed. by ElusiveJoe · 2012-02-08 23:16 · Score: 1
  
  It's getting harder and harder to find a "country", which is not simply a vassal of the USA. All Europe is lost already.
In 2014 when XP support ends by Anonymous Coward · 2012-02-08 04:27 · Score: 0

I really hope ReactOS is at 0.5 beta by then. It'll be a relief from having to choose between 50 linux distros, because there's no way I'm getting another Windows or Mac OS.
Then again there is PC-BSD :)
1. Re:In 2014 when XP support ends by Desler · 2012-02-08 04:43 · Score: 1, Flamebait
  
  Or you can just continue to use XP since it's not going to stop working?
2. Re:In 2014 when XP support ends by ChunderDownunder · 2012-02-08 05:26 · Score: 1
  
  Except that many cooperations continue to cling to XP as staff retraining on 7 and the cost of upgrades aren't justified in a struggling economy. Purchasing new hardware for which only Win7 drivers exist is problematic. When you have the source to the OS, writing drivers that can be possibly based on other platforms such as Linux or BSD may be a blessing. A free stable clone is a migration path.
  Further, not every platform is x86, nor does every use case require binary compatibility. e.g. Can Windows XP, not this shiny new Win8, run natively on ARM? Booting into ReactOS to run libreoffice on an 'Android' tablet such as the Asus Transformer is a possibility in the not too distant future. The OP suggested he had no desire to run a different Windows, Mac or Linux.
  This project scratches an itch for a number of people. That it might not be personally beneficial to you is no cause for skepticism.
3. Re:In 2014 when XP support ends by Desler · 2012-02-08 06:11 · Score: 1
  
  Huh? Most of your rant has nothing to do with what I was responding to. He was talking about replacing XP with ReactOS and as such my question was why not just continue using XP if that's what you want? What does ARM or companies not wanting to upgrade to Win or the rest of your rant have to do with anything?
4. Re:In 2014 when XP support ends by ChunderDownunder · 2012-02-08 07:41 · Score: 1
  
  Upgrade paths.
  Hardware fails and businesses expand to require additional desktops. New hardware (e.g. 'Designed for Windows 8') might not even be capable of booting to XP in several years time.
  So the user/sysadmin is then forced to consider a choice of different operating systems on new hardware. The choices as he said: Mac OS, the new version of Windows or some Linux variant.
  A drop-in replacement for XP on new hardware, providing a very similar user experience to existing installations may prove useful to a number of organisations. Running an XP-clone on low cost hardware is the promise ReactOS on ARM provides.
  As for continuing to use XP on existing hardware after support ends is a security risk waiting to happen.
5. Re:In 2014 when XP support ends by Anonymous Coward · 2012-02-08 07:49 · Score: 0
  
  Extended support contracts for XP are extremely pricey. By using a drop in open source replacement, you can provide your own support and still get regular updates.
6. Re:In 2014 when XP support ends by Anonymous Coward · 2012-02-08 08:31 · Score: 0
  
  They could run VirtualBox (or XEN or VMWare or Parallels or whatever) and then run Windows XP inside it.
  That generally provides the Hardware emulation one needs for stuff (stable target devices which most OSs support).
  I'm not opposed to ReactOS, but it isn't the only solution.
7. Re:In 2014 when XP support ends by Devout2 · 2012-02-08 11:41 · Score: 1
  
  XP support has already ended. It will just be receiving security updates until 2014 from Microsoft.
  But with so many third-party security software makers (like Mcafee, Norton and Sophos) that have been working on making XP secure for practically a lifetime, I think XP will continue to remain secure at the price of an Internet Security Suite for a LONG time.
Interesting project, but not a real alternative by Mithent · 2012-02-08 05:01 · Score: 1

It's an interesting project, but I fear that its progress is too slow for it to be of any practical use. It's been under development since 1998, and is still in alpha and lacking core features. As a hobbyist project I'm sure it's great, and it's hugely ambitious, so I'm hardly surprised that progress has been slow. But I have no idea when it's going to achieve its aim of being 100% compatible with Windows, if ever.
In addition by Anonymous Coward · 2012-02-08 05:02 · Score: 0

The Random Joe who pulled that creaky old "waste of time" argument out of the toilet has absolutely ZERO say on what makes a good use of the developer's time. Only the developer himself has any say in that, because quite simply, his brain is inside his head and therefore his thoughts and conclusions belong exclusively to him, not Random Joe.
So Random Joe, get off your high horse and do something useful like the developers you speak of.
1. Re:In addition by rAiNsT0rm · 2012-02-08 05:26 · Score: 1, Troll
  
  I've been involved in Linux since Red Hat was pre 1.0, I have worked on numerous projects and volunteered time for things like the OLPC project... so sorry AC, but save it. There are projects that looking back I had wasted a lot of time and effort on that were "just because" type things, as I now get older I look back and realize the folly of youth and wish I had maybe spent that time on something more productive or valuable. They are free to do what they want, but I doubt this will ever be more than Alpha/Beta stuff and really not worth the effort.
  
  --
  http://teasphere.wordpress.com - A little spot of tea
2. Re:In addition by Anonymous Coward · 2012-02-08 07:47 · Score: 0
  
  Different AC:
  So what? That's part of life and learning. Sometimes you do things that at the time seem important and sensible and in hindsight seem a waste of time.
  Given enough time everything done now will be forgotten. Shakespeare had it right in Macbeth:
  To-morrow, and to-morrow, and to-morrow,
  Creeps in this petty pace from day to day,
  To the last syllable of recorded time;
  And all our yesterdays have lighted fools
  The way to dusty death. Out, out, brief candle!
  Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player,
  That struts and frets his hour upon the stage,
  And then is heard no more. It is a tale
  Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,
  Signifying nothing.
  I say do what makes you happy. If you want to work on something only a few people end up using and no one remembers, go for it. In the end that's what everything becomes.
3. Re:In addition by Zontar+The+Mindless · 2012-02-08 12:24 · Score: 1
  
  There are projects that looking back I had wasted a lot of time and effort on that were "just because" type things, as I now get older I look back and realize the folly of youth and wish I had maybe spent that time on something more productive or valuable.
  Yes, and if I'd not dropped out of college and spent a decade in radio, I might now be a really good developer, instead of someone who's merely knowledgeable enough about programming to write convincingly about it.
  "The true scholar prizes all drafts, early and late."
  The worst waste of your lifespan is using up major portions of it to second-guess yourself. It's unnecessary to rake yourself over the coals in order to learn from your missteps.
  
  --
  Il n'y a pas de Planet B.
4. Re:In addition by Anonymous Coward · 2012-02-08 15:06 · Score: 0
  
  I sure am glad that we have some random fuckbag like you around to judge the worthiness of things to exist!
5. Re:In addition by rev0lt · 2012-02-08 15:14 · Score: 1
  
  I'm actually considering contributing to a friend's project, that envolves programming a late 80's emulator on a late 90's architecture (both dead at least for a decade). It is a console-related project, and if I'll do it, the code will be available under a BSD license. It envolves assembly programming in 2 different achitecures, and being able to implement an emulator on a resource-limited platform, better than any previous implementations. It is both challenging from the programming point of view and from an engineering perspective, why shuldn't I tried it? Because I can actually program an operating system on a less dead architecture, and have a fraction of the users reporting bugs and whatnot? People doing stuff like ReactOS do it because they use it and they enjoy buiding it, it's not that difficult do guess. I'm surprised the press coverage ReactOS gets when compared to Haiku, given the maturity/usability of Haiku, but they're both "hobby projects", driven by will and not by commercial goals.
Almost like Hurd by unixisc · 2012-02-08 05:08 · Score: 4, Interesting

I've been hearing of this OS since the time I was a member of an Alpha-NT group. They've been taking all these years, and are not even on 1.x even now. These guys are giving Hurd strong competition on who takes forever to come up w/ an OS, particularly given all the FOSS OSs out there.
On the project itself, I think that it had a window of opportunity when MS abandoned the MIPS and Alpha versions of NT years ago. At that time, there were NT users for this platform worried about where it would leave them, and this would definitely have been a godsend. However, on the x86 platform, it's pretty much irrelevant - either people have Windows, and if that's not acceptable, they can run Linux. As it is, there are some things, like NTFS file system support that ReactOS doesn't/can't support, so it's not like even close to a complete substitute. The only people I can imgaine who might have (had) an use for it would be NT/RISC users, but that assumes that they never moved from NT to Linux or RISC to x64.
1. Re:Almost like Hurd by Anonymous Coward · 2012-02-08 06:44 · Score: 0
  
  I'm sure that there will be a 3rd party NTFS driver that you can install by the time ReactOS is ready for at least geek-level general use.
2. Re:Almost like Hurd by Anonymous Coward · 2012-02-08 07:14 · Score: 1
  
  It's a truism of course, but ReactOS is closer than it ever was to usable quality now.
  And it has perhaps a larger window of opportunity now: the debacle that is Windows 8 and ARM. (Yes, ReactOS runs on ARM too.)
3. Re:Almost like Hurd by Anonymous Coward · 2012-02-08 07:41 · Score: 0
  
  Cut them some slack, compared to HURD at least these guys should be able to run Duke Nukem Forever!
4. Re:Almost like Hurd by Anonymous Coward · 2012-02-08 09:26 · Score: 1
  
  I don't think it is fair to compare ReactOS and HURD.
  When GNU announced HURD, the free software world really needed a free OS. Remember how Linus Torvalds said in his announcement of the first Linux release that Linux was just a toy, not a real OS like HURD?
  Remember how the HURD guys made all these claims that a microkernel would be much easier to develop and debug, so that they would run rings around hopelessly old-school monokernels like Linux?
  Compare with ReactOS, a hobby project being worked on by a few people in their spare time. I haven't seen the ReactOS guys making grandiose claims. The world already had Linux when they started ReactOS; they weren't going to be the free OS to free us all. And they haven't claimed that their architecture is so much better than everything else.
  tl;dr ReactOS is a small project and it is unreasonable to twit them about taking a long time to release. HURD was supposed to be this big important superior thing and the grandiose claims didn't pan out; ReactOS is a hobby thing.
5. Re:Almost like Hurd by unixisc · 2012-02-08 10:01 · Score: 1
  
  The fiasco that will be Windows 8 on ARM will be that people's shrinkwrapped Windows software, which they've sunk lots of cash in, won't run on Windows 8 on ARM, simply b'cos ARM can't run x86 binaries. Well, guess what - ReactOS/ARM won't be able to run them either. But any Windows 8 or ROS tablet maker who makes a tablet based on Fusion or Medfield won't have that problem, and in that scenario, unless the Metro UI is found out to be unsuitable as a tablet interface, Windows 8 will do just fine. Oh, and there will be no reason to run ReactOS on a tablet, when both Linux and BSD will do just fine, and there generally ain't a lot of legacy stuff to support. (However, for Windows, it's different - whenever you give someone anything saying 'It runs Windows', the perception that'll go w/ it will be that Windows apps by default will run as well. The day that perception goes away, it'll be curtains for both the Windows OS, as well as for MS.)
  'Closer' is of course relative, but if the project was @ a point where it met its goal well enough to at least be considered a version 1.0.0, I'd accept that it was an alternative, if a new one.
6. Re:Almost like Hurd by Anonymous Coward · 2012-02-08 16:04 · Score: 0
  
  However, on the x86 platform, it's pretty much irrelevant - either people have Windows, and if that's not acceptable, they can run Linux
  Oh, of course. If Microsoft broke my old software in Windows 7, I can just install Linux and run my old Windows software on Linux instead. Oh, but it doesn't work in Wine because it has kernel drivers or some other non-portable functionality, now what?
The race is on by Liambp · 2012-02-08 05:09 · Score: 3, Interesting

to see if they can they release version 1.0 of ReactOS before the X86 architecture becomes obsolete.
1. Re:The race is on by Anonymous Coward · 2012-02-08 05:48 · Score: 0
  
  There is an ARM branch in the works
Virtual Box Support? by Anonymous Coward · 2012-02-08 05:16 · Score: 0

They can't even do a release that supports the Virtual Box Additions, I tried installing them and it bluescreened me.
1. Re:Virtual Box Support? by unixisc · 2012-02-08 10:04 · Score: 1
  
  Oh, in that case, they are doing a good job supporting at least the earlier versions of Windows, like Windows 98, Windows 2000.... They at least got the blue screen working! ;)
ntfs3g, fuse, ext4 ... by GodWasAnAlien · 2012-02-08 06:21 · Score: 3, Interesting

Without support for modern file systems, It can not be taken seriously.
They should not dismiss suggestions to adopt use of fuse based filesystems such as ntfs3g, as this may likely be the most direct way to get support for popular file systems.
1. Re:ntfs3g, fuse, ext4 ... by Anonymous Coward · 2012-02-08 10:04 · Score: 0
  
  So you are saying that, instead of having a really simple and reliable file system and working to improve the networking and USB stacks, they should leave networking and USB broken and spend their time working on an advanced file system?
  I say the system cannot be taken seriously until it is stable, and the ReactOS guys aren't even claiming it is stable yet, so why are you even talking about advanced file systems?
2. Re:ntfs3g, fuse, ext4 ... by Anonymous Coward · 2012-02-09 06:53 · Score: 0
  
  they should continue on the core OS, of course. But there is no reason why all development should occur in series. There is also no reason to apparently turn away developers suggesting the use of fuse based file systems.
FAT CHANCE: Qemu will save the day. by Anonymous Coward · 2012-02-08 06:27 · Score: 0

With projects like Qemu, then ReactOS will just grab a Virtual Terminal or XDisplay, so this way DRI drivers will become obsolete in favor of drivers deployed to a safe-standard NT architecture.
Transgaming WineX and CodeWeavers Wine and ReactOS have always had the reputation among Linux gamers as stealing the light from GNU/Linux in favor of another HAL and SAL.
Actually not to bad... by Anonymous Coward · 2012-02-08 06:57 · Score: 0

I installed it on Parallels and I have to say I'm pretty impressed how far they have come sing last time I looked at it 5 years ago. I thought this was a dead project...
I liked the software download center by roguegramma · 2012-02-08 07:16 · Score: 1

It is a very useful addition.
That was when I tested their last release.
I wonder whether they have integrated the WINE code enough so one could do stupid stuff, like trying out the only DirectX 4.0 or 5.0 game that must be out there, Chaos Overlords, on it?
I'm not sure that I would go these lengths though, I'd probably have to configure the downloaded VM image I use to try ReactOS.

--
Hey don't blame me, IANAB
Why don't you ask Dave Cutler? by Medievalist · 2012-02-08 08:29 · Score: 1

So what design is Windows Vista based on?
And Windows 7?
VAX/VMS.
Sup Dawg by TangoMargarine · 2012-02-08 08:57 · Score: 2

I heard you like old things, so I put a reverse-engineered Windows clone in your VM so you can simulate while you emulate.

--
Unity? Screw that: XFCE. Slashdot Beta? Screw that: SoylentNews. Australis? Screw that: Pale Moon. UX developers DIAF
Fuck you, that's why. by Anonymous Coward · 2012-02-08 14:49 · Score: 1

It's their time, they can do what the fuck they want.
How does one do that? by RulerOf · 2012-02-09 00:02 · Score: 2

I don't because my embedded system that uses it, boots from a section in the same flash chip as BIOS
Pardon me, but I was recently fascinated with the idea that something like that might be possible---Stuffing an INT13-reading bootloader, like GRUB4DOS or SYSLINUX, into an archive in the BIOS and then strapping it like any other option ROM.

I was always fascinated with the idea of separating the initial boot program from the hard disk layout and into the board itself. Running a bootloader from the BIOS ROM would technically allow that to happen, I think, and I thought curiously about the idea of embedding a UEFI payload into it (that probably wouldn't fit, but I digress!)... essentially "converting" a board to UEFI by chainloading it from BIOS. Not practical, but I thought it would be pretty neat :P

Any links or info you could provide me on projects like yours?

--
Boot Windows, Linux, and ESX over the network for free.
1. Re:How does one do that? by Alex+Belits · 2012-02-09 22:53 · Score: 1
  
  I don't think, I can be of much help with that beyond the obvious -- unless you are lucky with Coreboot support on your hardware, BIOS development requires licensing some very proprietary, ugly and sanity-destroying code. I believe, Coreboot already can run GRUB2 from the same flash as itself, so that would be a healthier direction if it is available on your hardware platform.
  The modified utilities used in that particular project (grub and flashrom) are at http://www.meyersound.com/opensource/code/ , however they are of little use without the change in BIOS -- it copies the full bootloader (second stage) from a section of flash instead of reading the boot/MBR sector from whatever boot device it recognized. Boot device is still accessible from BIOS (because it performed all steps necessary to make it a boot device, just didn't try to read it), so GRUB finds itself in a familiar environment and can read partitions with any supported filesystems, completely ignoring MBR and boot sectors if configured to do so.
  That particular project used a small BIOS chip, so it was not practical to store anything other than BIOS and GRUB there, however someone else may end up modifying GRUB to load things from there instead of looking at the boot device (or be called if there is no boot device like ROM BASIC on the original PC). It would be also nice to make GRUB2 work with modules from flash.
  
  --
  Contrary to the popular belief, there indeed is no God.