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ReactOS 0.4.2 Released: Supports Linux Filesystems, .NET Applications, and Doom 3 (reactos.org)

Posted by EditorDavid on from the officially-released dept.

Continuing its rapid release cycle, ReactOS has unveiled version 0.4.2 of its free "open-source binary-compatible Windows re-implementation." Slashdot reader jeditobe reports that this new version can now read and write various Linux/Unix file systems like Btrfs and ext (and can read ReiserFS and UFS), and also runs applications like Thunderbird and 7-Zip. ReactOS 0.4.2 also features Cygwin support, .NET 2.0 and 4.0 application support, among other updated packages and revised external dependencies such as Wine and UniATA. The team also worked to improve overall user experience...

ReactOS is free. You can boot your desktop or laptop from it. It looks like Windows (a 10-year-old version, anyway), so you already know how to use it. And it'll run some Windows and DOS applications, maybe including DOS games that regular 64-bit Windows can no longer touch. These videos even show ReactOS running Elder Scrolls: Skyrim and Doom 3.

2 of 145 comments (clear)

  1. The OS That Just Won't Quit by wjcofkc · · Score: 5, Insightful

    For the longest time, article after article of slow progress I did not even think the developers took this seriously beyond beyond some coding fun. Color me impressed. This might take off in a few years. Now that I think of it, I am reminded of another OS that was relegated "maybe someday".

    --
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    1. Re:The OS That Just Won't Quit by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Interesting

      For the longest time, article after article of slow progress I did not even think the developers took this seriously beyond beyond some coding fun.

      Remember they are re-creating Windows NT (and more) from the ground up. It's a big job. Looking to how long it took Linus to make his kernel isn't really a good metric. Linux wasn't the first free UNIX (the BSDs) were plus Linux got all the GNU tools. So UNIX like operating systems have been in development for a long time. Since WinNT is a different architecture it will take lots of work to get off the ground.

      Another thing to keep in mind is they are going for internal compatibility as well. So it's not just about documented APIs but undocumented APIs. The reverse engineering adds another task to their already lengthy list.

      Honestly I check out the ReactOS code base every few days and look at the progress they are making. It's pretty amazing. I contributed a few patches but they really need lots more help.

      I'm no Windows fanboy (I'm an OpenBSD fanboy actually) I do think that having a diverse OS ecosystem is really important and the work that the ReactOS guys are doing is very important. I'm glad they get press coverage here in the hopes that it may attract some developers with Win32 experience.