ReactOS... any toughts=?

[evilkastel]

For those who do not know ReactOS is a *free* OS in alpha state that is *not* a clone from Win XP. I personally do not find it like something is would use (it still has a system registry and such) yet seems interesting. any toughts?

[jeffc313]

its been in alpha for years. we'll see once it hits a beta or a full release though.

[jrusso2]

Its a waste of time a ten year old Alpha. Yet it runs less then WINE and you can't even get it to install without a virtual machine.

[init1]

It was supposed to go beta in 2008. So much for that.

[laceration]

Is this an attempt to be the best of both worlds that is turning out to be the worst of both worlds?

[forcecore]

if it reaches to stable state it may be good for windows games but lot faster, lighter, no stupid wizards and dogs, no BillG pointless services, no MS slowdown, very light installation.

[azc]

I'm planning on trying it, along with FreeDOS, on a couple of ancient computers just collecting dust. Looks like fun.

[ushimitsudoki]

Meh. Their time to waste, though.

[fistfullofroses]

I have gotten it to install on old computers, though ReactOS does run fewer programs than Wine and Cedega. I think that the ReactOS project is a good idea, but if they are not getting much public support they need to spam every open source community available. Get more developers, more testers, and so on. Otherwise, they should just hope that Microsoft releases the Windows API under an open source license (LOL).

[Kernel Sanders]

ReactOS is a waste of time. They are effectivly copying what windows was 8 years ago, and they are failing. As people have said, it runs less than WINE does. So much for a windows clone.

It's an overly ambitious project that has been in perpetual alpha for years. It will never get to BETA.

Even if they do have a surge in support and manage to release 1.0 in 2010, (which is pretty much impossible) would anyone here want to use an OS that is a clone of a 10 year old Windows OS?

I really can't think of a plus side to this project. Just a waste of time all around.

[creek23]

The developers are really into it. It is a great alternative for people who tried GNU/Linux distro but tend to go back using Windows instead.

Problem is, there's little support from "developers" to improve it since we have decent GNU/Linux distro for desktop use (Debian, Ubuntu, Fedora, Mint, etc.)

Just one thing, though: most of the people supporting the project are testers who bash ROS newbies for asking questions (which to them are just silly questions).

And their community (disregarding the developers) have no sense of humor when I told them, "I'm gonna make my own ReactOS distro and name it WINDOWS: Is Not Duplicate Of Windows System" -- it was obviously a spin-off joke of GNU's Not Unix, but they took it seriously and cursed me with F words.

But still, I salute the devotion of the ROS developers of trying to provide a FOSS, "similar" Windows' environment. That's just what the GNU/Linux developers did with Unix users.

And with all respect to the developer's "alpha" flag on ROS, the first attempt to make a FOSS Unix was 1983, and it's only 1991 that the Unix community had a "completely" free (as in freedom) Unix environment. But complete doesn't mean "bug-free".

ROS still has bugs but somehow, it is a running FOSS Windows-alternative.

[cmat]

It's development is a sisyphean task. I doubt we'll ever see a stable release or a Windows alternative for that matter.

[creek23]

It's development is a sisyphean task. I doubt we'll ever see a stable release or a Windows alternative for that matter.

We're all positive that MS has nothing else more to offer with their Vista and Windows 7. This means ROS developers could start catching up with MS.

GNU/Linux on the other hand, will always remain as a Unix alternative.

Though, it's a good thing that folders like "Documents, Music, Pictures, Video, etc" are also being added into Ubuntu to make it look and feel like a Windows environment.

It's also nice to have a GNOME theme that mocks Windows (http://gnome-look.org/content/preview.php?preview=1&id=73782&file1=73782-1.jpg&file2=&file3=&name=NotXP) desktop theme.

[evilkastel]

Yeah, if i needed to get a non windows or a free OS in a productive enviroment i would choose GNU/Linux any day, but theming it a little more windows like. Windows Is Not Duplicate Of Windows System... LOL! youre brilliant.
And also you have a point. GNU took about 3 to 5 years until it were ready to be used, yet ReactOS is in a way too slow development state.

[Lowcountry]

Not bashing whatsoever, but I visited the React OS homepage and saw this in the "Developer Quotes":

"i don't know about any bug; none exist; ReactOS is prefect"
-filip2307

...just thought it was funny...

[SIXAXIS]

ReactOS doesn't run/install on any of my many computers. I have got it in a VM once, but the application support is very bad. I did some reading and apparently it is partially based on Wine, but I guess it's a very old version that doesn't support many Win32 binaries.

[I-75]

If one has time to experiment with React OS, thats great. My personal opinion it is not worth the time. Some computers it won't install on, those that you can install it on...React OS cannot connect to the internet...And attempting to install a driver for the ethernet card...guess what? I had the driver disc...React OS could not find the CD drive....

Questions about React OS appear every few months all asking the same questions about what we think of it. That shows there is interest in it. But with all due respect...it seems we are beating a dead horse... no offense to anyone.


My question for React OS users...did anyone ever get it to connect to the internet? If how? And what computer?

[doorknob60]

My question for React OS users...did anyone ever get it to connect to the internet? If how? And what computer?

I'm pretty sure internet worked out of the box in VirtualBox, kinda surprised me, but it did. It blue screened every few minutes though.

[cmay]

My question for React OS users...did anyone ever get it to connect to the internet? If how? And what computer?
i had reactOS on bare metal and on virtual machine. in different machines. one install was more stable than windows but it was in virtual box. on a amd proccesor and a asrock motherboard with a planet link netcard i think it was. i changed netcard meantime becouse it broke (after long after testing reactOS) but i could not get it working with the new netcards i have. there is a new updated version of reactOS i had on bare metal on a older computer (brand unknown) which was pretty much usable and stable other than the netcard did not work. the same kind like of netcard as the ohter one. (i broke two at the same time. dont ask how)
reactOS as i think of it is exiting as a solution for some to keep their windows software but i doubt it will ever be stable and released as such. i think if it is going to happen there will have to be some money man that buy or hire someone to get some custom software and put reactOS on the new smaller laptops which is coming more and and more with linux as alternative to windows since windows apparently is not that fast on the laptops as linux is. my brohter has been testing reactOS also since he was a windows user but after getting his laptop stolen he only use ubuntu on his old statinary computer. he had reactOS installed in a virtual machine on a acer inspire one on a virtual machine. which was working suprisingly stable and working internet. also the reason why i think it could have a future on smaller laptops if the right circumstances arises for the project.

[Sand & Mercury]

I gave it a try a few years ago, found it amusing. As has already been said in the thread, a better FOSS solution would be a Linux distro with Wine. Kudos to them for trying, as it really is a mammoth task, but too much time has passed and by the time it ever reaches stable, if it ever does, it will be obsolete.

[creek23]

but too much time has passed and by the time it ever reaches stable, if it ever does, it will be obsolete.

But GNU/Linux was "almost" obsolete but not until many joined in testing/developing/financing.

I see the great down fall of ROS is because of their arrogant testers -- it's the developers who get punished.

[-grubby]

Windows tends to run Windows programs much better than ReactOS

[SomeGuyDude]

And their community (disregarding the developers) have no sense of humor when I told them, "I'm gonna make my own ReactOS distro and name it WINDOWS: Is Not Duplicate Of Windows System" -- it was obviously a spin-off joke of GNU's Not Unix, but they took it seriously and cursed me with F words.

:lolflag:

[Thelasko]

Time would be better spent developing a Linux distribution centered around Wine. I tried ReactOS a few times, the software that comes with it doesn't even work, let alone software intended for Windows.

[Mason Whitaker]

I had the fancy to install ReactOS to one of my computers lying around that I don't use anymore. No programs would load at all, including system tools and the recycling bin wouldn't open.

They really should scratch the idea, if they ever did make a Windows alternative, Microsoft would sue them anyways.

[spoons]

Lots of linux fanboyism in this thread.

:popcorn:

[Izek]

Microsoft would sue them anyways.

For what?

Read these:
http://www.reactos.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=100
http://www.reactos.org/en/about_userfaq.html#isroswin

Time would be better spent developing a Linux distribution centered around Wine.

http://www.reactos.org/en/about_userfaq.html#whynotnix

[Thelasko]

From the FAQ Izek posted:
ReactOS works very closely with Wine
Really? because it doesn't show... at all!
ReactOS has the potential for a much higher degree of compatibility
Once again, it doesn't show. At the moment, Wine is far more compatible. Wine even supports more recent versions of Direct X (or whatever they're calling it now) while ReactOS can't even run minesweeper.

[SomeGuyDude]

Lots of linux fanboyism in this thread.

:popcorn:

Yes, that's why people are suggesting a Wine-based distro instead of ReactOS. We hate Windows so much we're suggesting a more effective way to make a Windows alternative OS. :confused:

[Izek]

Yes, that's why people are suggesting a Wine-based distro instead of ReactOS. We hate Windows so much we're suggesting a more effective way to make a Windows alternative OS. :confused:

Will Wine ever be compatible with most windows drivers?

[shadoweva00]

For those who do not know ReactOS is a *free* OS in alpha state that is *not* a clone from Win XP. I personally do not find it like something is would use (it still has a system registry and such) yet seems interesting. any toughts?

I'll give you that the registry gets slow overtime, but only if you install and remove a lot of software. It's still a huge advantage over config files. something like a program rewrote my config file for (thing x) and now (thing x) does not work, usually X, is practically impossible because of the registry. (*cough* nvidia driver config on my gentoo *cough*)

To everyone else, windows will be based on NT for at least 3 more years, if not many more decades. Remember, they striped it down for an Xbox OS?

It's alpha, you can't judge an alpha for what it can run. (And another thought, just for working on such a project these people have their foot in the door to extremely well paying jobs. So continue calling it a 10 year waste of time, chances are they aren't phased by your opinion)

Finally, A distro based on Wine will never cut it. The Wine project states that they will never support drivers, besides that would be in the kernel. Even if you did have a kernel with support for windows drivers, Wine still doesn't support windows services, which are quite essential if you're running an entire desktop of windows applications.

I would try out the betas, and I would definitely use it if someone came up with the same optimize all your packages by compiling from source that gentoo does.