Future of React os?

[tscottw]

Hello, I just want to preface this by saying I mean no disrespect. I Genuinely think this is a neat project. I have been watching the progress since about 2013 and often wonder why it seems there is little progress towards stability. Atleast in the as a whole sense. I've seen ui overhauls, support for newer versions of windows software, but it's still buggy. I mainly want to know if there is a point where stability will become a priority? I Really want to see a beta 1.0 release come out. Even if it is only compatible up to winXP or win7. I'm worried that a buggy foundation might make it harder to fix later. I have no clue how to code or anything though so I could be completely wrong.

[tscottw]

Just wanted to sum it up to one question. Is there a point where there might be a stable branch in the near future? Even if it drops more modern program compatibility until they could also be added to a stable release.

I feel like older software support with a stable environment could get more potential developers, rather than having a mix of old and new software that may or may not work/crash at anytime. Especially if old versions of vs code could run and compile programs that are almost guaranteed to work with minimal intervention.

[EmuandCo]

The problem we are facing right now is that no one is interested in an outdated Windows OS as base at all. We have a hard standpoint in the beginning already as most Windows devs have no clue at all when things go into low level windows realms. But then for an OS from 2001 is a bit too much to hope for. Thus we started the branches with NT6 introduction and WDDM and all the neat new stuff. Ppl are attracted to a base that can not just run Doom, but Doom Eternal! And that this is not wrong was already confirmed. Just in had thew idea and in no time flocked new devs around him working on the same task. New devs, devs that never really cared about ROS before. Thus this is the way I vote for following.

[tscottw]

I understand that the new features attract more modern developers which could still work on a separate branch. I just see potential for older machines maybe 2000-2010 if there was a stable release up to windows 7 application support. In my opinion it would attract more people my age (21) for gaming. Also could be a decent replacement for older people that need security patches, but don't want a major change.

[Jedi-to-be]

The worst problem was total lack of UEFI support, which made imposible to even try to run ReactOS on any modern PC manufactured after than 2014-2017 year ^)

This problem may be solved with 0.4.15 release (AFASIK), I hope.

[MadWolf]

The worst problem was total lack of UEFI support, which made imposible to even try to run ReactOS on any modern PC manufactured after than 2014-2017 year ^)

This problem may be solved with 0.4.15 release (AFASIK), I hope.

there is more than a lack of UEFI support for modern PC hardware that is stopping ReactOS from ruining

[EmuandCo]

Depends on what you call running. If you mean Desktop is fine... nope, just UEFI

[shunesburg]

Hello, I just want to preface this by saying I mean no disrespect. I Genuinely think this is a neat project. I have been watching the progress since about 2013 and often wonder why it seems there is little progress towards stability. Atleast in the as a whole sense. I've seen ui overhauls, support for newer versions of windows software, but it's still buggy. I mainly want to know if there is a point where stability will become a priority? I Really want to see a beta 1.0 release come out. Even if it is only compatible up to winXP or win7. I'm worried that a buggy foundation might make it harder to fix later. I have no clue how to code or anything though so I could be completely wrong.

I have been following the project for a long time too, but on the contrary I saw in the last few months that the project has made great strides forward and more stability.

[emmayashri]

ReactOS has great potential, and while focusing on modern features is key, a stable version with Windows 7 compatibility could attract more users. A separate stability branch for older hardware might be a good idea.

[estermello]

Hey, I totally get where you're coming from. It's been a long road, and it does seem like stability has been a bit of an uphill battle. I've been using it since around the same time, and I've seen the ups and downs.

I think the team is working hard to improve stability, but it's a complex project with lots of moving parts. They've made significant strides, especially in recent years, but there's still a way to go.

As for a 1.0 beta, that's a tough one. They've talked about it, but it seems like they want to ensure a solid foundation before taking that step. I personally think it's a good approach, as fixing bugs later on can be more challenging.

[Popish]

Stability is indeed a key priority, but it’s a challenging goal for a project of this scope and complexity. The work you've seen, like UI overhauls and support for newer Windows software, often lays the groundwork for achieving that stability in the long term. These updates might appear superficial at times, but they’re necessary steps in modernizing the platform and addressing the needs of a wide variety of users.

That said, we fully understand the desire for a rock-solid beta release, even if it’s tailored for older compatibility like WinXP or Win7. The team is continually working to refine the foundation, ensuring that improvements made now won't make things harder to fix later. However, balancing feature development, modernization, and stability is a careful process that sometimes results in slower overall progress.

We truly value feedback like yours to help guide the direction of the project. Your point about stability being a priority resonates deeply, and it's something the team continues to emphasize in ongoing development. If you're interested, tools like ForceWind can be handy for experimenting with compatibility layers and might even help shed light on specific issues you’ve encountered. Thanks again for your support!

[middings]

...tools like ForceWind...

I've never heard of the ForceWind tool. I searched the World Wide Web for "ForceWind" and "Force Wind". My searches only returned references to 'wind force' related to weather and mechanical air blowers.

[waraqa]

I guess his reply was generated by AI

[florian]

Perhaps https://clutch.co/profile/forcewind (or directly https://forcewind.com/) - but it's not a tool; it's a company which offers "a full range of services designed to meet business's outsourcing needs".

[manuel]

Hello, I have also been following the project since more or less 2010, at that time Reactos was super unstable. It has matured a lot, but the problem is that there are few qualified developers for this task.