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ReactOS Updates

reactos.org

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Re: ReactOS Updates

#21

Post by wiz21c »

DaiPlusPlus wrote: post #19
watersb wrote: post #4

NTFS? Impressive.

I gather ReactOS builds upon the work for WINE and other open-source Windows-compatibility libraries - nothing wrong with that, but it isn't as impressive as it sounds - not that ReactOS as-a-whole isn't impressive as it is. ----- Dirty rumour + speculation time: I understand that, to an extent, ReactOS is supported by the Russian government to ensure they have options for running their IT systems in the event of US…

Given current US direction, I hope ReactOS is getting suitably security audited...

To be clear, I don't know what Biden is up to but any country big enough sure have secret services making sure their country stays in the game. That's just part of history.

Now, as an individual, I'd be very happy to have a clean OS. But, considering the difficulty/practical impossibility to make my own audit, well, in the end, I have to trust someone...

Re: ReactOS Updates

#22

Post by p_l »

gostsamo wrote: post #17

There was some Quora answer according to which ReactOS is derived from an proprietary MS research code. Doesn't it mean it would have legal issues if ever they decide to use it in anything close to real scenario? Edit: reference to the question https://www.quora.com/What-do-you-think-about-ReactOS?share=...

Sounds like FUD - There are things like NT4.5 which is NT built from university source copy of (as the name suggests) NT as it was somewhere between 4.x and 5.0.

But ReactOS is clean room, and like Wine, AFAIK actively bars from contributing people who had contact with MS source code - IIRC it also cooperates heavily with Wine on implementing things.

Re: ReactOS Updates

#23

Post by vbezhenar »

gostsamo wrote: post #17

There was some Quora answer according to which ReactOS is derived from an proprietary MS research code. Doesn't it mean it would have legal issues if ever they decide to use it in anything close to real scenario? Edit: reference to the question https://www.quora.com/What-do-you-think-about-ReactOS?share=...

ReactOS denies those accusations. If it's true and proved, probably users should stop using it, but until it's proved, I don't think that it's an issue. Like you've got some software, you checked its license, it's open source reimplementation of Windows, sounds good. For example Valve uses wine to run games on Linux, it's pretty legit.

Re: ReactOS Updates

#24

Post by chungy »

johnchristopher wrote: post #5

ReacOS is a testament to how solid were Windows 2000/XP's UI for everyday tasks. I wouldn't mind being back in a Windows env/shop with ReactOS.

It's a real shame that Microsoft has seen fit to try to hide the ability to use the classic theme in Windows 8/10. There are ways to enable it again, but they tend to break on every update...

The classic Windows 2000 theme has just the perfect balance of looking good, being totally usable, and not being overtly flashy.

Re: ReactOS Updates

#25

Post by Nursie »

gostsamo wrote: post #17

There was some Quora answer according to which ReactOS is derived from an proprietary MS research code. Doesn't it mean it would have legal issues if ever they decide to use it in anything close to real scenario? Edit: reference to the question https://www.quora.com/What-do-you-think-about-ReactOS?share=...

This is false.

There was an issue when there was a leak of windows source code to the internet, and ReactOS effectively had to shut down development for months while all code was audited to make sure no helpful folks had used any of it to 'help' the project.

That's the only MS IP controversy they've been involved in (and I've been watching the project for waaaay too many years now)

(That issue answer reads like someone angry, and with an agenda. It also reads somewhat like the SCO/Linux thing a few years ago - there's no way anyone could write an OS like linux from scratch! It has to be stolen! Also the aforementioned shutdown/cleanup period kinda points to them taking this issue very seriously)

Re: ReactOS Updates

#26

Post by vbezhenar »

DaiPlusPlus wrote: post #19
watersb wrote: post #4

NTFS? Impressive.

I gather ReactOS builds upon the work for WINE and other open-source Windows-compatibility libraries - nothing wrong with that, but it isn't as impressive as it sounds - not that ReactOS as-a-whole isn't impressive as it is. ----- Dirty rumour + speculation time: I understand that, to an extent, ReactOS is supported by the Russian government to ensure they have options for running their IT systems in the event of US…

Russia's plan is to use Linux whenever possible. I never heard about ReactOS used anywhere.

Security audit won't hurt, for sure.

Re: ReactOS Updates

#27

Post by estsauver »

DaiPlusPlus wrote: post #14
pcthrowaway wrote: post #8

When I followed this link via Chrome, a tool tip popped out of my address bar ("Did you mean reactjs.org?" with some warning about attackers using deceptive URLs). I wonder if there's a way to whitelist URLs with Google to prevent users from seeing this message. Especially since I believe ReactOS has been around long before ReactJS

Chrome user here - I didn't get any notifications or popups like that. Do you have a third-party Chrome extension installed? I know a lot of AV vendors love to auto-install their own cyber-security browser extensions that report stuff like that, so it could be that?

It may be a g suite setting/configuration as well.

Re: ReactOS Updates

#28

Post by sradman »

From Wikipedia [1]:

> ReactOS is a free and open-source operating system for amd64/i686 personal computers intended to be binary-compatible with computer programs and device drivers made for Windows Server 2003 and later versions of Windows. ReactOS has been noted as a potential open-source drop-in replacement for Windows and for its information on undocumented Windows APIs.

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ReactOS

Re: ReactOS Updates

#29

Post by MikusR »

gostsamo wrote: post #17

There was some Quora answer according to which ReactOS is derived from an proprietary MS research code. Doesn't it mean it would have legal issues if ever they decide to use it in anything close to real scenario? Edit: reference to the question https://www.quora.com/What-do-you-think-about-ReactOS?share=...

It was by one "I am very smart. Nobody can be as smart as me" Microsoft programmer. Who completely dismissed this explanation https://youtu.be/2D9ExVc0G10

Re: ReactOS Updates

#30

Post by Hamcha »

rbanffy wrote: post #12
crb wrote: post #10

The way Microsoft is moving, it's feasible to think that Windows 2000/XP will be open sourced before ReactOS is finished.

There probably is a huge amount of code inside Windows that Microsoft has a license to use, but no right to open.

If they cared they'd try something like what OpenSolaris did (file-based GPL alternative so they could have copyleft on code but still ship binaries). I'm not advocating for another viral license but there are definitely ways around that problem. MS itself already did it in part once (WRK) so they clearly have looked into it at least once before.
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