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== Future ==
The ReactOScurrent roadmapstable indicatesversion, release (0.3.0), will includeincludes full [[TCP/IP]] networking support. The ReactOS Developers are also currently working on support for USB. For this, the [[Cromwell (computing)|Cromwell]] version of the Linux implementation is ported. Another thing that is currently being worked on is the [http://wwwported.reactos.org www.reactos.org] homepage.
ReactOS developers are also working on improving the [[GUI]] system, adding [[Computer network|networking]], [[multimedia]], and [[plug-and-play]] hardware support and improving the [[GUI]] system. [[Java platform|Java]] and [[Microsoft .NET|.NET]] support (through [[Mono development platform(software)|Mono]]) has also been stubbed. After multia multi-user environment is developed, Terminal Service and Remote desktop will be developed,; for this [[XRDP]], [[VNCVirtual Network Computing]] (VNC), and [[rdesktop]] will be used. Provisions for [[DOS]], [[OS/2]], and [[POSIX]] subsystems have also been made, in a similar fashion to the [[Windows NT]] subsystems.
In [[October]] 2004, the goal for version 1.0 was articulated as a stable implementation of a subset of [[Microsoft Windows|Windows]] Workstation ("ReactOS Workstation"), including [[TCP/IP]] networking, [[client-side]] and [[server-side]] support of [[CIFS]], [[OpenGL]], [[DirectX]] and support for Windows [[device driver]]s via [[Windows Driver Model|WDM]].
== Current branches ==
The ReactOS Developers are currently working on a number of branches[[porting|ports]] forof ReactOS:
*[[Xen]] (status unknown)
*[[PowerPC]] Port(initial booting)▼*[[x64]] (working in 32-bit compatibility mode)
*[[MIPS]] (status unknown)
Also a number of rewrites are in progress (not related to audit):
*[[Xen]] Port
* [[Cache Manager Rewrite]](expected for 0.3.2)▼*Configuration Manager (expected for unknown)
*Win32k (ongoing work)
*[[OS/2]] Support
*[[POSIX]] Support
*[[Ext2]] Support
▲*[[Cache Manager Rewrite]]
Other branch projects include:
These changes are not present in the main ReactOS Trunk.
*Lean Explorer
*Usermode ReactOS
*Improved networking
== Challenges and opportunities ==
One of the challenges for the project has been lack of developers. The coordinators hope that the rate of development will increase as more people are drawn to volunteer their time. They note that ReactOS provides a unique and fulfilling opportunity to be involved in the early stages of OS development, as [[Linux]] did in the [[1990s]]. ▼
▲One of the challenges for the project has been lack of developers. The coordinators hope that the rate of development will increase as more people are drawn to volunteer their time. They note that ReactOS provides a unique and fulfilling opportunity to be involved in the early stages of OS development, as [[Linux]] did in the [[1990s]].
==Criticisms==
Some critics of the ReactOS project have set forth reasons why they believe ReactOS not to be a worthwhile project. Among these, some have stated that several well-developed open source operating systems already exist. (Currently all based on or modeled after Unix: [[Linux]] and the various variants of [[BSD]].) They feel that rather than building a new operating system, it would be better to concentrate on improving these and work on [[WINE]] so that they can better run existing Windows applications. However, ReactOS developers argue that an OS which is more like Windows at a lower level (that is, designed to be similar to Windows rather than running an application that tries to turn an OS into Windows) is more likely to achieve broader compatibility with the existing base of Windows applications.
Aside from the functionality of Windows applications, ReactOS developers and other advocates argue that a Unix-style OS is not the only or necessarily the best type of OS and that the design of NT contains many ideas which are an improvement on the Unix way of doing things. They also strongly feel that choice is an essential principle of the [[Open Source]] and Free Software movements, and assert that someone who wants to use an open-source modern graphical operating system should not be forced to use one that's Unix-like. They argue that the movements will ultimately have the greatest success when everyone has the freedom to choose a free-software OS which functions in a way that best suits their preferences, and/or is similar to the OS they're accustomed to.
Additionally, there is the issue of virtualisation technologies now becoming prevalent, such as [[VMware]] which is a proprietary project and more recently, [[Xen]] which is Free Software. Xen is a light-weight virtualisation technology: it does not fully emulate virtual x86 hardware (unlike VMware, which does). Consequently, cooperation between Xen and the guest operating systems it hosts are required. The tantalising possibility exists of developing such cooperation inside ReactOS whereas the prospect of the Free Software community writing such drivers as are required for the Windows NT operating system are much more daunting.
== Hardware requirements ==
*[[IA32IA-32]]-capable [[central processing unit|processor]] ([[Intel 80486|i486]] or more recent implementations)
*32MB [[random access memory|RAM]] to Run.run
*[[Advanced Technology Attachment|IDE]] [[hard disk]]
*[[File Allocation Table|FAT16]]/[[File Allocation Table|FAT32]] boot [[partition]]
*[[Video Graphics Array|VGA]]-compatible [[video card]]
*Standard keyboard
*[[PS/2]] compatible [[computer mouse|mouse]] or [[Microsoft]] Mouse-compatible serial mouse
As noted, ReactOS can also be run on software which [[emulator|emulates]] the above hardware, such as [[Virtual PC]], [[VMWareVMware]], [[QEMU]], or [[Bochs]].
As [[Windows NT 4.0]] additionally ran on [[MIPS_architectureMIPS architecture|MIPS]], [[DEC Alpha|Alpha AXP]], and [[PowerPC]] architectures in addition to the [[IA32|i386]] architecture, and NT-derived operating systems such as [[Windows XP]] and [[Windows Server 2003]] have been ported to several architectures (''i.e.'', [[AMD64]], [[IA32]]IA-32, and [[IA64IA-64]]), ReactOS developers have also taken initial steps in view of portability. For example, support for a variant [[IA32]]IA-32 architecture, the [[Xbox]] platform, was added to the 0.2.5 release, and efforts toward a ReactOS port on the [[PowerPC]] and the [[Xen]] architecture are also underway as of 2005.
== See also ==
*[[Freedows OS]] &and [[Alliance OS]], other attempts to clone Windows, but which are now defunct
*[[TinyKRNL]], whose development team's main efforts concentrate on providing compatibility and documentation of the XP (NT 5.1) and 2003 (NT 5.2) kernel and low-level functionality of these two NT versions.
*[[Windows NT]]
*[[Emulation]] and [[Compatibility layer]]
*[[Wine (software)|Wine]]
*[[Emulation]]
*[[E/OS]], goal to make it possible to run any program designed for any operating system without the need to actually install any other operating system.
*[[RosASM]]
== External links ==
*[http://www.reactos.org/ ReactOSOfficial home pagewebsite]
*[http://neosmart.net/blog/archives/220 Detailed review of ReactOS]
*[http://www.reactos.org/wiki ReactOS Wiki]
*[http://sourceforge.net/projects/reactos/ ReactOS project page] at [[SourceForge]]
*[http://frik85.reactos.at ReactOS Fansite]
*[http://svn.reactos.org/iso Official ReactOS Nightly Builds] (and [http://meklort.isa-geek.com/ an unofficial one])
*[http://www.winehq.com/?interview=14 Interview with Steven Edwards of ReactOS and Wine] (WineHQ)
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