ReactOS 0.1.0 Released

JasonFilby writes "ReactOS 0.1.0 has been released! ReactOS is an Open Source effort to develop a quality operating system that is compatible with Windows NT applications and drivers. In this release, among other new features and fixes, especially worth mentioning are the ability to boot from CD and self-hosting capabilities (ReactOS can be compiled on ReactOS)." ReactOS has been in progress for a while, often tied to other projects with the aim of seamlessly replacing Windows: you can download an image of Bochs 2.0 with ReactOS 0.1.0 preloaded from the download and changelog page.

heh

[SnAzBaZ]

In this release, among other new features and fixes, especially worth mentioning are the ability to boot from CD and self-hosting capabilities

That's not what it says on the site:

The next release, coming before the month is out, will feature: booting from CD and self-hosting

Someone didn't read the submission before posting it...

Re:heh

[no reason to be here]

looks like you didn't read the website before posting either:

11th January 2003: ReactOS now has CD Booting and Self-hosting capabilities!
The next release, coming before the month is out, will feature: booting from CD and self-hosting (ReactOS can be compiled on ReactOS). For the impatient, see the developer tutorials (under Documents) on how to check out the latest from CVS and compile the source!

todyas date: feb. 2

no gui

[io333]

It took me a while to figure out from their site (as it is being /.ed), but this OS has *no* GUI whatsoever, and I havn't seen any serious discussion of plans to implement one. While this is an interesting concept, for 99.9% of computer users ReactOS is nothing more than an interesting experiment.

Bravo! Heres some free Windows software

[Anonymous Coward]

although its a good start to replace windows in some shape or form you might want to use some OSS to go with the OS.

http://www.theopencd.org/about.php

Re:Could it be merged with wine??

[JasonFilby]

We are already trying to port low level windowing code were possible from WINE. Efforts are already underway to make sharing code for higher level DLLs easy. DirectX will be another area to cooperate.

Cheers
Jason

Uses FreeDOS

[Anonymous Coward]

FWIW, some parts of ReactOS use FreeDOS [freedos.org] components. For example, the ReactOS cmd.exe is based on the FreeDOS "FreeCOM" (the FreeDOS command.com).

Thought you'd like to know. If you're interested in the DOS parts of ReactOS, you're probably better off to download FreeDOS [freedos.org], which is more stable & mature anyway.

Re:no gui

[jx100]

yes, no gui whatsoever [reactos.com]...

Re:legal trouble ahead?

[halftrack]

React OS isn't written based on Windows NT code so a lawsuit could be hard. In addititon Microsoft isn't all that heavy on suing people that tries to make MS stuff cross platform compatible. Wine, WineX, Crossover, Dosemu, Mono, countless .doc loaders/converters have been left pretty much untouched. I guess that's because they're not really seeking to profit/performe on Microsofts R&D rather supply an alternative.

Lindows however who MS saw as a marketing threat since their sort of trying market and sell something that looks and souncs like Windows.

Possible Trademark Problems

[matastas]

The guys working ReactOS might want to be careful. Spirent Communications has a product called REACT, very popular in the systems/OSS world for testing large communications system. And it's a software product. Were this to ever be popular, they might have some problems with it, figuring the way big companies love to sue nowadays.

Do a little homework before picking those cool names, folks. Save you a lot of pain down the road.

Re:XFree86 for ReactOS

[einhverfr]

THe focus of X11 is extensibility rather than speed. Hence Atheos might have a faster UI but it is probably not as network transparent or as extensible as X.

And for the record, the idea of using Cygwin to port XF86 to ReactOS was mostly a joke....

Re:Senseless.

[Anonymous Coward]

SysInternals has FAT32 module for NT 4.0

Re:Is this a worthwhile project?

[A coward on a mouse]

Windows 2000 identifies itself to programs as "NT 5" and Windows XP as "NT 5.1", so I suspect lots of people will still be using NT for years to come.

Re:Senseless.

[soulsteal]

Windows NT 4.0 doesn't have native support for FAT32. NT 4.0 only has support for FAT12, FAT16, and NTFS (version varying on SP level.)

To have NT4 support FAT32, you need 3rd party software drivers like this [sysinternals.com].

Re:Senseless.

[KJKHyperion]

First off, this is "supposed" to be a drop in replacement for Windows NT 4.0. Why?

Because it's the most realistical goal we could choose

Even Microsoft is trying to abandon NT 4.0

They're abandoning the product. Not the architecture. Nor the codebase. It's not the dead-end you think it is

I'm sorry but, renaming FreeDos utilities to try to emulate the CMD.EXE shell is hardly a substitute for NT 4.0

It's not "supposed to be", it "aims to be"

Re:WINE / X11

[facelessnumber]

Actually the pointer's one of the things that made me (mistakenly) think it was just WINE implemented on a new kernel. It does resemble X with a very light WM, but it's obviously much more than that. The idea that ReactOS does, or that it's going to, use genuine Windows drivers is just phenomenal. It's a pity that NT4 drivers are getting much less common for new hardware, but I have to assume that 2k/XP support is on the way. About the pointer though - Fire up KaZaA Lite under WINE (isn't that the main reason many of us use WINE?=)) and hover your pointer over the window. You'll get the same pointer you see in the screenshot.

Driver Development Kit (DDK) accessability

[simonharvey]

There might be a problem with using the Windows NT v4.0 driver model since microsoft is no longer distrubuted the Windows NT4 Driver DDKs on its website (they have been depreciated).

The only thing to do is implement the Windows XP WDM that will be compatible with previous drivers
see www.microsoft.com/ddk [microsoft.com] for details

[But I do think they are building something with alot of potential]

Comment removed

[account_deleted]

Comment removed based on user account deletion

Re:no gui

[eWarz]

Work is being done on the ROS GUI, windowing is still being implemented. I personally am helping out in this area (or at least trying to) so i assure you there is in fact work being done, don't like how slow things are progressing? help out! ROS is starving for ready and able developers.

ReactOS not a bad idea -- it will serve a purpose

[Penguin Follower]

Great post man! :)

I too use both NT and Linux. As far as Windows goes, I have used "NT based" Windows since 4.0, as I quickly learned that Win95 sucked big ones...

Windows allows me to play games (woohoo! play time!). Especially after Win2000 came out. Finally, USB and newer DirectX was available. And, as long as you had good hardware with well-written drivers, NT is quite livable. However, WPA has turned me off to Windows. MS will never see a cent from me on XP. I had a chance to play with WinXP for a while (on a play-machine as I called it). I was able to trip WPA after some hardware changes. Annoying to say the least. I will stay on 2000 until it is no longer supported.

I love Linux because of it's openness. Sure, it took me awhile to learn it. (Started with RedHat 5.2 when it came out). But, here I am some years later, able to use Linux for everything I need except scanning & games (my scanner has no Linux support last I tried... it's a USB Hewlett Packard 3300C USB, and not all games available for linux. WineX doesn't count in my book).

Oh, you commented about linux taking a beating and still chugging along. One day, a fellow Linux user and I were playing with his dual celeron 400 machine (remember that cool abit mobo back when?) and he was probing around the insides trying to figure out where a noise was coming from. He accidentally unplugged an ide cable! (Yes, his hard drive was on that one) Linux didn't panic or anything. He plugged it back in... the machine didn't seem to notice the difference. (and he did have some background services running.) We had a good laugh on that one (I don't recommend hotswapping anything like that btw)