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Ask Slashdot: Is ReactOS A Serious Alternative To Windows? (reactos.org)

Posted by EditorDavid on from the reacting-to-ReactOS dept.

dryriver writes: So I just discovered the ReactOS 0.4.4 Alpha... It seems like this is basically a free, open source Windows replacement in the making. Does anyone have serious experience with ReactOS?

Do you think that ReactOS will ever reach the point where you can basically say "bye bye" to Microsoft Windows, but keep using all your favorite Windows software under ReactOS? Will this be able to run Windows Games and DCC software that taps into the processing power of the GPU? Or will ReactOS wind up being "mildly compatible" with Windows software -- e.g. basic Office productivity type software works, but professional-grade 3D software like Maya/CATIA does not?

10 of 236 comments (clear)

  1. no by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Interesting

    simple answer, NO, long answer FUCK no, following legacy designs is a way to ensure you will never be a viable alternative.

    1. Re:no by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

      following legacy designs is a way to ensure you will never be a viable alternative

      GNU seems to be doing pretty well with that strategy.

    2. Re:no by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Interesting

      With the way Microsoft is beginning to phase out standard programs in favour of UWP applets, I'd say ReactOS has a real chance of moving in and taking over what MS is abandoning.

    3. Re: no by Hognoxious · · Score: 5, Funny

      ... but you can't have either without systemd.

      --
      Confucius say, "Find worm in apple - bad. Find half a worm - worse."
    4. Re: no by Hognoxious · · Score: 5, Funny

      Well, there's systemd egg sausage gnome3 and systemd. That's not got much systemd in it.

      --
      Confucius say, "Find worm in apple - bad. Find half a worm - worse."
  2. Nope by Artem+S.+Tashkinov · · Score: 5, Insightful

    It's unstable as hell even if you manage to run it on your real HW/VM.

    If you need to run Windows software but you cannot afford a Windows license or if you don't want to run Windows for some reasons, use Wine instead - if your application runs under it, most likely it will run well.

  3. Tech Demo by darkain · · Score: 5, Informative

    ReactOS was a promising tech demo... like 10 years ago. Considering where it has gone from then till now? It seems to be moving along quite slowly, and has an interface that isn't even comparable to Windows 98 yet in terms of usability.

    Need to keep legacy applications alive? Best bet is still VMWare with PCI Passthrough for any legacy hardware you need.

  4. DRM-free, spy-free Windows? by Misagon · · Score: 5, Interesting

    I think that most people that would be interested in ReactOS or Wine are not because they would not want to pay for a Windows license but because they have concerns about Microsoft's present and future shenanigans. There could be many reasons: from national security to just wanting to keep the machine safe and stable for what they are running.

    That begs the question, what about cracker groups? Are there no cracked versions of Windows 10 out there with telemetry and other back doors switched off, that could only receive screened updates?
    If that is an option for people, why isn't Microsoft concerned?

    --
    "We mustn't be caught by surprise by our own advancing technology" -- Aldous Huxley
  5. The long answer is maybe by DarkOx · · Score: 5, Interesting

    I have seen it used on a few machines on my companies plant floor that are used to run some very old designer software, that produces a set of instructions that is then sent to machines running 'real windows' but highly isolated. Files get copied to a 3.5" and walked over! The design software won't run on anything newer than XP. The control software is running on WFW3.11 and Win95 in some cases.

    ReactOS seems to be fine for this. The software runs and its basically the only thing the PCs are used for. Prior to this they were running WFW3.11 in DOSBox. ReactOS makes it a little easier for less than tech savy machine operators to get the file onto the floppy disk etc. They were struggling with the virtual/emulated machine concept. Ie I saved the file to the floppy drive, no you saved it to the virtual floppy drive now you need to copy it to the actual floppy. I said I saved it to the floppy. NO! So ReactOS is not without its use case, its just rare.

    As far as the OP's question though. The answer is mostly "No", ReactOS is not going to be a reasonable platform for gaming, and really any kind of media. There is simply no hardware support. It shares a lot of code with WINE but lags behind what even WINE implements. WINE on Linux on the other hand can give you a pretty darn good gaming experience if you do your homework and pick well supported hardware, and check the app database on winehq before you frustrate yourself. Its also good to install apps in their own wine bottle, for best compatibility, and flexibility around libraries and such. If you do that I have found most software will run acceptably, unless you insist on the cutting edge latest games. Stick to titles for a few years ago for best results.

    --
    Repeal the 17th Amendment TODAY! Also Please Read http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/right-to-read.html
  6. Re:Absolutely by dreamchaser · · Score: 5, Informative

    ReactOS is a project I've followed for a long time, and this alpha is not perfect, but it's brilliant, in the sense that a viable alternative to M$ Windows is under active development and maturing at a reasonable speed.

    I've been following it, and have played with it, since it's inception. It is NOT ever going to be a viable Wiindows alternative. While I applaud the effort from a geek/hobbyist standpoint, thinking it will ever be a viable option is delusional.