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ReactOS is a free and open source implementation of the Windows NT architecture, which intends to provide support for existing applications and drivers, outside of the control of Microsoft.
The release of ReactOS 0.4 brings improved file system support, including native, out-of-the-box support for ext2, ext3, and ext4, as well as read-only support for NTFS.
Additionally, the bundled version of UniATA was updated to add better support for SATA and PATA devices. Support was generally improved for third-party device drivers, making it substantially easier to install and use real hardware, as opposed to just virtual machines like VirtualBox.
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Release of ReactOS 0.4 Brings Open Source Windows Closer to Reality
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Never laugh at live dragons.
-- Bilbo Baggins [J.R.R. Tolkien, "The Hobbit"]
(Score: 1, Redundant) by Runaway1956 on Wednesday February 17 2016, @07:32PM
Back when ReactOS was announced, I had high hopes for the project. It's been so long, I've more or less forgotten about them. It would be great if they can do Windows better than Microsoft can do Windows. Maybe I need to download it, and try it. Whatever I find on the test drive, I sure wish them luck.
ICE is having a Pretti Good season.
(Score: 2, Insightful) by Dunbal on Wednesday February 17 2016, @07:33PM
Yeah, Windows without telemetry would be nice.
(Score: 2, Disagree) by bob_super on Wednesday February 17 2016, @07:43PM
I call that Linux Mint.
I rarely need Windows-specific applications, though.
(Score: -1, Flamebait) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday February 17 2016, @10:33PM
What kind of a troll would mod that post "troll"?
(Score: 3, Insightful) by mhajicek on Thursday February 18 2016, @05:43AM
No variant of Linux will run the $40000+ of proprietary software that I need to do my job. And no, there is no open software that even pretends to be comparable.
The spacelike surfaces of time foliations can have a cusp at the surface of discontinuity. - P. Hajicek
(Score: 2, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday February 18 2016, @08:23AM
Use your work PC for work and personal PC for personal stuff. That way you don't need to worry about telemetry.
Then make the company pay for your Windows license. Their software, their problem.
(Score: 4, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday February 17 2016, @08:03PM
They're really giving the HURD guys a run for their money now! And, by the way, WINE does quite a good job these days.
(Score: 2) by mhajicek on Thursday February 18 2016, @05:44AM
WINE is useless for CADCAM.
The spacelike surfaces of time foliations can have a cusp at the surface of discontinuity. - P. Hajicek
(Score: 1) by DannyB on Wednesday February 17 2016, @10:22PM
Similar story here. When I first heard of ReactOS, I thought, wow what an idea.
It's been so long that now I think: why would I want to use Windows again?
For some odd reason all scientific instruments searching for intelligent life are pointed away from Earth.
(Score: 3, Informative) by frojack on Thursday February 18 2016, @12:10AM
Its interesting to read the wiki article on it, and all the infighting and bickering that has been going on.
Almost none of the delay had anything to do with interference by Microsoft, it was all their own paranoia.
They even had Wine refusing to talk to them for a while.
No, you are mistaken. I've always had this sig.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by Daiv on Thursday February 18 2016, @07:32PM
You say interesting, I say frustrating as all hell. I've been following this project since Windows Vista released, hoping to keep my Windows 98 "Classic" interface, but the stability of XP going without depending on support from Microsoft. I believe this still has a ton of potential to gain users, especially with people learning about Windows 10 and their privacy, but if this project had made more progress 5-6 years ago, instead of bickering, it would be pulling in new users like crazy right now.
My computing is firmly stuck in a 10-ish year old routine. I don't play games newer than Civilization IV. This OS fits what I am looking for perfectly and I believe I could convert my elder family (and extended family) over to this (along with all their PITA Windows 3.1/95 games they require) with minimal fuss. A lot easier than any version of Linux/Unix or BSD. I've tried lending them various laptops with all kinds of other OS's and the longest anyone used one was 18 minutes over the 6 months I lent it to them. Apparently, they used their phone to surf when necessary and requested all their bills to revert to paper billing. The other people did all their bill paying and web surfing at work and just waited for their new computer to come to do anything.
WOW! I just went to the site, and while the old site was dated, this new site is a total turnoff. I guess if that's the price I have to pay to get some progress, I'll have to take it.
(Score: 3, Informative) by LoRdTAW on Wednesday February 17 2016, @11:58PM
Just took it for a spin. Still needs a lot of work so I donated 20€. Not much but why not? Its a lot of hard work they are doing for free. Anyways, I installed it in the latest Virtualbox on a Win 7 host. Set the OS to XP and keep the default settings for XP, maybe bump the RAM to 512+ and the video memory to 32M. In the old blue nightmare NT installer, make sure you select a higher VESA video setting. I used 1280x1024x32. Installed without a hitch and booted to desktop. The virtualbox guest additions Installed without a hitch. Then you have a delemma. You need a browser. Palemoon Atom/XP and opera installers were both corrupt. Not even going to try Firefox or Chrome. My next move was to try and install Cygwin which worked and downloaded all the packages but locked up the whole VM halfway through installing. Like I said, long, long way to go. But for someone like me who both wants and needs an XP replacement (industrial use), Ill keep my eye on it.
(Score: 2) by mhajicek on Thursday February 18 2016, @05:47AM
I need a Win7 replacement with robust OpenGL.
The spacelike surfaces of time foliations can have a cusp at the surface of discontinuity. - P. Hajicek