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Samuel Johnson SRM University

ReactOS is an open source operating system that is binary compatible with Windows applications and drivers. It began development in 1996 as a clone of Windows 95 called FreeWin95 but later changed its target to Windows NT and was renamed ReactOS. ReactOS development involves coding the kernel section by section to match Windows, which poses challenges as functionality is limited until all sections are complete. The ReactOS interface mimics Windows 2000, with the same start menu, context menus, and overall layout. However, some minor changes have been made, indicating ReactOS may become more than just a Windows clone over time.

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81 views0 pages

Samuel Johnson SRM University

ReactOS is an open source operating system that is binary compatible with Windows applications and drivers. It began development in 1996 as a clone of Windows 95 called FreeWin95 but later changed its target to Windows NT and was renamed ReactOS. ReactOS development involves coding the kernel section by section to match Windows, which poses challenges as functionality is limited until all sections are complete. The ReactOS interface mimics Windows 2000, with the same start menu, context menus, and overall layout. However, some minor changes have been made, indicating ReactOS may become more than just a Windows clone over time.

Uploaded by

esamueljohnson
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Samuel Johnson

SRM University

What is React OS?

The idea is simple: Linux isnt always the best non-Windows operating
system. Windows is excellent and unbeatable for quite a few people
and tasks. ut neither is perfect. !lmost exactly "# years ago$ a team
began to search for a fix. %n "&&'$ Linux was unusable for anyone but
the most technologically (gifted and Windows &) wasnt anywhere
near as complex as Windows today.

*eact+, -*eact +perating ,ystem. is an open source computer


operating system intended to be binary compatible with application
software and de/ice dri/ers made for 0icrosoft Windows 1T /ersions
).x and up -Windows 2### and its successors.. ! spin-off of a pre/ious
attempt to clone Windows &)$ de/elopment started in early "&&3$ and
has continued with the incremental addition of features already found
in Windows.

Development
From FreeWin95 to ReactOS
!round "&&' a group of free and open source software de/elopers
started a pro4ect called 5reeWin&)$ to implement a clone of Windows &).
The pro4ect stalled in discussions of the design of the system.
!t the end of "&&6 the pro4ect had yet to release any software. The
pro4ect members$ led by coordinator 7ason 5ilby$ got together to re/i/e
the pro4ect. The pro4ect8s target was changed to Windows 1T and the
pro4ect8s name was changed to *eact+,. The *eact+, pro4ect began in
5ebruary "&&3$ started by de/eloping the kernel and basic dri/ers.

The Kernel

!t heart$ any operating system is no more powerful or useful than its


kernel allows it to be. The *eact+, kernel is the most integral part of
the entire pro4ect$ and it is a testimony to years of dedicated clean
room design$ with years of re/erse engineering and code-from-
scratch going to work.

The (goal for *eact+, final kernel is to be the Windows kernel$ but
with new source. This at once poses a great challenge and with it
though a rather large inhibition. When a kernel for any +, is designed$
generally the entire thing is completed to a limited extent$ then one
bit at a time$ the code is perfected and the features are finished. ut
when you set off with a goal to mimic the features of an existing
kernel and pro/ide complete cross-compatibility$ you ha/e a problem.

*eact+, biggest goal$ the ability to run any nati/e Windows


application on a *eact+, kernel without any loss of functionality or
experience$ is solely dependant on 4ust how much of the respecti/e
kernel code has been completed. !s such$ *eact+, isnt designed
according to traditional means.

The Kernel (Continued...)

!t the moment$ *eact+, de/elopment seems to in/ol/e coding the


kernel section-by-section$ one stack at a time. 9ntil a (section of the
kernel is practically feature-complete : fully compatible$ the rest of
the kernel will$ in a word$ suffer. +b/iously there are different teams
focus on the /arious components of the *+, kernel$ but ne/ertheless$
it poses a serious problem for the +, as a whole until all sections are
complete. What this means for users is that a program that uses 4ust
the supported sections of code -hea/ily or lightly. may work great$
but the rest of the +perating ,ystem will lack quite a lot of
functionality$ and often crashes when trying to do something that
hasnt been fully coded.

5ollowing the Windows model$ *eact+, uses a monolithic kernel


-technically its a (hybrid kernel but thats marketing ,. ! hybrid
kernel is either a microkernel or monolithic kernel under a different
name.. There is no need to get into yet another ;kernel /s. monolithic
kernel debate here$ it will suffice to say that e/en with its monolithic
kernel$ the *+, core is the fastest we ha/e seen to date$ compared
to Linux$ Windows$ and far out-performs 0acintoshs -<hybrid=.
microkernel architecture.

Interface

*eact+, looks a lot like Windows 2###. %t has -more or less. the same
theme$ but with better looking icons and cursors taken from Linux. ut
ob/iously thats not all what goes into a user interface. !s far as the
core 9% model goes$ *eact+, attempts to mimic all the finer points of
the Windows 9%$ doing a fairly good 4ob for the most part.

!s already mentioned$ it looks reminiscent of Windows 2###$ but it


beha/es a lot like it too. +n boot it starts up with *+, desktop which
shares the exact same functionality. %t has a start menu and context
menus exactly the same way Windows does > no surprises there.

We hinted earlier that *eact+, wouldnt be graded according to our


normal +perating ,ystem re/iew scale$ instead *eact+, is being
scored based on the rubric it pro/ided. %n particular$ *eact+, goal is
to look and act 4ust like Windows$ and as far as that is concerned it
has done a good 4ob. *eact+, has context menus exactly where you
would expect them to be$ with the same exact options as those on
Windows > 4ust not all of them ha/e anything on them yet.

Interface (Continued...)

!t most$ the *eact+, scheme : layout is a hea/ily simplified and


skinned /ersion of Windows 2###s superb layout -which was unduly
bloated in Windows ?@$ then mutilated and buried with Aista.. %t
pro/ides a familiar ha/en for Windows users$ and perfectly copies
both the layout and design of Windows.

The *eact+, interface does ha/e some differences from the standard
Windows 2### look > and theyre good signs that ha/e implications
that run quite deep. %n se/eral places the *eact+, de/elopers ha/e
elected to make minor changes to the 9%$ such as changing the
default font from a serif to sans-serif font$ adding a button to do a
function here and there$ and o/er-all cleaning up the display.

What this means is that the *+, de/elopers refuse to be entirely


limited by whats already there in Windows$ and are willing to -e/en if
to a /ery minor extent. impro/ise and inno/ate on their own. %t
means that *eact+, could /ery possibly be more than 4ust a
Windows-clone > it could actually be a "##B Windows-Compatible
operating system with quite a bit more on the side to offer. %ts to
early to tell now$ but the user interface does seem to be heading in
the right direction.

System Requirements

x3'-compatible processor$ @entium or later

2D 0 *!0 -optimal "230.

%EF hard dri/e of at least ")# 0

5!T"'G5!TH2 oot partition

2 0 AI! graphics adapter

CE-*+0 dri/e

,tandard keyboard

@,G2 Compatible mouse or 0icrosoft 0ouse-compatible serial


mouse

The Desktop

Explorer

Start Menu

Command Prompt

Desktop Properties

Software Downloader

Software Installation (Firefox)

Application (Firefox)

Task Manager

Conclusion

%n a sense$ *eact+, isnt an alternate operating system$ its Windows


under another name and brand new source code to match$ but at
the end of the day$ *eact+, is big proof that Linux and Windows
arent the only choices for desktop @Cs$ and that there is always
room for more inno/ation. !ll it takes is a bit of effort.

!t the moment$ *eact+, is not to be considered an operating system


in its own right. !s explained$ the de/elopment cycle of *eact+,
doesnt allow for it to be used properly until all de/elopment is more-
or-less complete. !s such$ its hard for anyone to use it as a real
alternati/e operating system 4ust yet$ making it e/en difficult to re/iew
it under the same circumstances and conditions as any other
operating system would be re/iewedJ but where de/elopment is
strong *eact+, is doing great.

Windows ?@ may not ha/e been that operating system$ but *eact+, is
poised to steal that light if it can get its compatibility layer fixed and
its de/elopment times cut down enough so that it isnt released along
with Euke 1ukem 5ore/er. We wish the *eact+, team would look
forward to new features and greater compatibility in releases to
come.

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