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ReactOS, a 17-year quest for an open-source Windows, has a new release candidate

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Re: ReactOS, a 17-year quest for an open-source Windows, has a new release candidate

#31

Post by SwellJoe »

I've always been strangely fascinated by this project. I don't understand it. I appreciate the technical skill involved, and the amount of effort expended. But, I can't imagine working on it.

From my perspective, Windows is an inferior system to any UNIX-based system on almost every front. It has a very strong application ecosystem, but technically it's unpleasant to work on (for me). So, given that, if there's something I want an OS to do that Linux can't do, I would be motivated to work on making Linux able to do that thing so I could do that thing on an Open Source OS I enjoy using, rather than work on replicating Windows so I could do that thing on an open source OS I don't enjoy using.

But, it seems there are people who genuinely enjoy Windows more than Linux (or BSD), and are willing to work for 17 years in pursuit of being able to run an Open Source Windows version. I admire them for it, but still can't understand it.

Re: ReactOS, a 17-year quest for an open-source Windows, has a new release candidate

#32

Post by carbocation »

eecks wrote: post #30
carbocation wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think the comment to which you were responding was both thoughtful and, yes, provocative. You took the bait, but you didn't add anything of substance. Do you think that attributing some of the shift in how computing is done to tablets/smartphones is "not in touch with reality"? Because if you can show some data or link to other arguments, that would be really interesting. If not, why post?

The parent post didn't say anything thoughtful. The same spiel about Windows going down the drain has been repeated for years. People not using computers is just mindlessly repeated these days. You're asking me to provide data or links to other arguments but the initial statement provided neither. Why did you call my comment out but not the other two similar responses to the same line? I could say that you proved my…

I replied to your post because I saw it first. Had I seen the others at the time, I might have just moved on.

Re: ReactOS, a 17-year quest for an open-source Windows, has a new release candidate

#33

Post by recursive »

suprjami wrote: post #8
ant6n wrote: post #4

At this point, I wonder whether it wouldn't be easier to bundle linux and wine together.

I've thought this as well. I agree there's value in aiming too-high, but the amount of effort which has gone into ReactOS would have served Wine really well.

The converse is true also.

Re: ReactOS, a 17-year quest for an open-source Windows, has a new release candidate

#34

Post by userbinator »

SwellJoe wrote: post #31

I've always been strangely fascinated by this project. I don't understand it. I appreciate the technical skill involved, and the amount of effort expended. But, I can't imagine working on it. From my perspective, Windows is an inferior system to any UNIX-based system on almost every front. It has a very strong application ecosystem, but technically it's unpleasant to work on (for me). So, given that, if there's somet…

IMHO the nixes have a far superior CLI, but Windows' GUI is (at least pre-Metro, i.e. Win32 desktop) superior to the many disjoint alternatives that the Linux/BSD/OS X/Solaris/etc. world has. Instead of Qt, Gtk, and all the others, Windows just has Win32 and all apps have basically identical look-and-feel (except for those that go out of their way to reinvent the standard GUI elements, but in my experience this is much rarer on Windows) and it's relatively easy for them to interact.

(I've been writing Win32 apps for over a decade, so maybe I'm biased that way, but I definitely prefer (ba)sh over command.com/cmd.exe. My ideal environment would be a pre-Metro Windows GUI with a UNIX-based filesystem and command prompt...)

Re: ReactOS, a 17-year quest for an open-source Windows, has a new release candidate

#35

Post by sho_hn »

userbinator wrote: post #34
SwellJoe wrote: post #31

I've always been strangely fascinated by this project. I don't understand it. I appreciate the technical skill involved, and the amount of effort expended. But, I can't imagine working on it. From my perspective, Windows is an inferior system to any UNIX-based system on almost every front. It has a very strong application ecosystem, but technically it's unpleasant to work on (for me). So, given that, if there's somet…

IMHO the nixes have a far superior CLI, but Windows' GUI is (at least pre-Metro, i.e. Win32 desktop) superior to the many disjoint alternatives that the Linux/BSD/OS X/Solaris/etc. world has. Instead of Qt, Gtk, and all the others, Windows just has Win32 and all apps have basically identical look-and-feel (except for those that go out of their way to reinvent the standard GUI elements, but in my experience this is mu…

> Instead of Qt, Gtk, and all the others, Windows just has Win32

No, Windows has Qt, Gtk and all the others, too. Virtually any regular user Windows install has 2-5 Qt apps on it. And Windows has been infamous for apps reinventing standard UI elements with skinned monstrosities.

Re: ReactOS, a 17-year quest for an open-source Windows, has a new release candidate

#36

Post by recursive »

SwellJoe wrote: post #31

I've always been strangely fascinated by this project. I don't understand it. I appreciate the technical skill involved, and the amount of effort expended. But, I can't imagine working on it. From my perspective, Windows is an inferior system to any UNIX-based system on almost every front. It has a very strong application ecosystem, but technically it's unpleasant to work on (for me). So, given that, if there's somet…

Some people (like me) have invested a lot of effort learning how to use Windows. Some of those aren't particularly interested in technical superiority. The just want to use a computer in the sufficiently good way that they already know. Personally, I find Linux difficult to approach, because of the overhead involved in just getting back to my current level of proficiency. If I needed to learn it for a job, I would. I might even do it independently, eventually.

It's similar to the dominance of QWERTY.

But even I would much sooner learn how to use linux, than embark on a crazy project like this.

Re: ReactOS, a 17-year quest for an open-source Windows, has a new release candidate

#37

Post by drewbug »

suprjami wrote: post #9
wolf550e wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What if you want to run vendor provided Windows-only binary drives for some weird hardware?

ReactOS attempts to implement the driver interfaces as well.

Exactly.

Re: ReactOS, a 17-year quest for an open-source Windows, has a new release candidate

#38

Post by tomcam »

yuhong wrote: post #25
giancarlostoro wrote: post #2

This is one OS I've kept my eye on forever, though it feels as though Microsoft will go open source before ReactOS can catch up if anything. I wouldn't mind if certain parts of Windows were open sourced, or replaced by open sourced alternatives at least, not all of Windows. We saw this happen to the Open Live Writer.

Windows is complex enough that I think so. I am thinking of breaking up Microsoft's OS division into a non-profit foundation, funded by hardware vendors like Dell and Intel with no per system licensing fees required anymore for example.

Generous of you. What about the effect on pension funds that hold this now worthless stock? Grants to employees? The thousands of job losses?

Re: ReactOS, a 17-year quest for an open-source Windows, has a new release candidate

#39

Post by orionblastar »

rasz_pl wrote: post #27
giancarlostoro wrote: post #2

This is one OS I've kept my eye on forever, though it feels as though Microsoft will go open source before ReactOS can catch up if anything. I wouldn't mind if certain parts of Windows were open sourced, or replaced by open sourced alternatives at least, not all of Windows. We saw this happen to the Open Live Writer.

Microsoft already kinda went open source, unintentionally :) http://www.opennt.net/ interesting thread documenting start of OpenNT project http://www.betaarchive.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=61&t=33250 from broken code base that would not compile to booting ~Windows 2003 compiled from source.

Avast gives me a Win32Evo Trojan warning when downloading NT 4.5 binary or ISO images. Is it a false positive or did they accidentally introduce a Trojan into the code?

Anyway Avast won't let me download NT 4.5 due to a Trojan warning. So I can't test it out unless I disabled my AV.

Edit: Why the downvote, scan it with Avast yourself if you don't believe me. I refuse to use it unless it is verified to not have a Trojan. Even if it might be a false positive.

Re: ReactOS, a 17-year quest for an open-source Windows, has a new release candidate

#40

Post by orionblastar »

jamesu wrote: post #3

ReactOS may be impressive from a technical standpoint, but judging from the release candidate its still got a long way to go in terms of stability. While I was able to install it after puzzling over the correct hardware options, it still hanged during installing drivers at boot.

ReactOS runs best in a virtual machine. Running it on bare iron is risky. Driver support is limited and they are still working on it. For example they just added Wifi support and printing support.

I donated to their Indiegogo campaign to get the community edition developed, that campaign allowed them to hire developers to get to the 0.40 mile stone.

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