ReactOS is an open source operating system designed to be compatible with apps for Windows 2000 (and later). It has been in development for almost two decades (it is actually pre-Windows 2000 and is the result of a project named FreeWin95), and is still in constant development.
See also : Microsoft goes open source .NET and Visual Studio offers free
But, as reported Phoronix, developers have unveiled two interesting milestones last week. First of all, ReactOS can now read NTFS volumes of files on a hard drive. Second, ReactOS 0.3.17 was released with a first build NTVDM, a tool that adds support for 16-bit Windows applications for people who want to manage existing software.
ReactOS should be familiar to anyone who has used previous versions of Microsoft Windows. It has an office, start menu and task bar and a Windows-like file browser. It even comes with Solitaire and Minesweeper, two pre-installed applications.
But unlike Windows, ReactOS is an open source project that uses Wine and other tools to enable support for Windows applications.
Despite decades of development, ReactOS is still considered an alpha release, and it is recommended for testing and evaluation. In other words, no need to consider ReactOS as your primary desktop operating system .
With the launch of Windows 10 close, the idea of a project designed to be compatible with Windows NT and Windows 2000 will seem a little strange. However, fans of open source software, and not to mention fans of the classic Windows experience were less excited about the direction Microsoft has taken in recent years, will certainly want to keep an eye on it project.
See also : Microsoft goes open source .NET and Visual Studio offers free
But, as reported Phoronix, developers have unveiled two interesting milestones last week. First of all, ReactOS can now read NTFS volumes of files on a hard drive. Second, ReactOS 0.3.17 was released with a first build NTVDM, a tool that adds support for 16-bit Windows applications for people who want to manage existing software.
ReactOS should be familiar to anyone who has used previous versions of Microsoft Windows. It has an office, start menu and task bar and a Windows-like file browser. It even comes with Solitaire and Minesweeper, two pre-installed applications.
Despite decades of development, ReactOS is still considered an alpha release, and it is recommended for testing and evaluation. In other words, no need to consider ReactOS as your primary desktop operating system .
With the launch of Windows 10 close, the idea of a project designed to be compatible with Windows NT and Windows 2000 will seem a little strange. However, fans of open source software, and not to mention fans of the classic Windows experience were less excited about the direction Microsoft has taken in recent years, will certainly want to keep an eye on it project.