Why I'm giving up on ReactOS for now

[forart]

But in Wikipedia I seem to recall it said that this project started around 1996. Must be the longest Alpha in computing history!

Yes, but you have to consider that I started to promote it just in April 2005, and if you care about the "agenda setting"...

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8)

I really would like to see ReactOS become a usable system some time soon.

Well, you have to understand that we're in a bazaar, not in a cathedral (check this)... so if you need to speedup the ROS development you have just one chance: be active !

For example i'm not a developer, so my activity for ROS is to spread the voice as mutch as I can to bring more users/testers/designers/translators and, of course, developers in this website.

[FORCE]

You can use part of my plan too for promoting, i hope that some day we find funder for ReactOS like ubuntu has.

http://www.reactos.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=3135

[techpro]

GreatLord, I didn't say the developers were lazy, just that there don't seem to be enough to make meaningful progress.

Force, you're probably right that the solution is to attract funding, but that's probably a chicken / egg situation. People only started to put money into Linux once it became clear it had the potential to be a serious commercial OS. At present, ReactOS seems more like a hobbyist project, and the trouble with promotion is that it attracts the wrong kind of people (from your point of view) - people like me who expect that if you're promoting it then it must now be ready to use, albeit with a few bugs, not something that it is a challenge to get anything working on it.

Sorry to have started this thread and diverted your attention away from coding.

[oiaohm]

Don't be. We like to hear what people are feeling even it its not on the mark.

We need people around to test it and to tell the project is a idea is bad good or inferent.

So its not really good for the project to be lossing people if it was a case we were not upfront enough about what is going on.

[ROSFan]

I think it's too early to make big actions now.
Most potential user just don't see the achievement of ReactOS. They expect full functionality and fairy lights on Desktop and don't know how much hard work it is to write ReactOS. I often realize It's more important for them to have a cool Desktop look then a better OS. They want see it now and not hear about later versions and which possibilities there are. This is a problem because on the current stage unknowing people without any programming experience will not be impressed. The only thing which works well is to tell friends, programmers, computer specialists and computer freaks.
Next problem I see is the live CD which often doesn't boot. Therefore it has more deterrent effect than magnectic effect for people if you give them a live CD to try out and they see a hanging PC then.

I wait for beta stage and hope it will be better. Then I invest some money to burn Live CD's and give them away on pulbic places. Maby I'll use some promoting sheets created here.

[junior]

Hi my first time that I participate of this forum, but I follow
the development of REACTOS since many years ago.
I believe that many topics always reflact the same one criticize of
users about REACTOS.
I find that version in the site it would have to be a little better
before being placed for download.
It´s a very unhappy the common user not to obtain boot after
download and burn REACTOS cd.
This version 0.3.x is a disaster.
to have future I find that at some moment
we have that to separate the development of
common user to grow or we go to continue as one hobby.

translate by google...

[oiaohm]

Sorry junior that is not exactly how open source works.

People are expecting more from a Alpha Status OS than what that gives.

0.3.0 and 0.3.1 were turning points in development. Everyone seams to forget 0.3.2 was skipped because stability could not be achieved to reactos min standards. Yes the min standard is that it runs in Qemu and Vmware.

Boot CD and Live CD's are provided so testers can test it on real hardware. Note if 1 percent of all hardware out there works it was still a good release. Lot of hardware is failing for the same reason. Video card not supporting vbe 2.0. Yes that will have to be addressed.

Hardware compatibility will come but that required one of the goals of Reactos to be reached loading windows drivers. Its how to get peoples expectations to match what can be delivered now. Not changing the development system. The min standard will expand alot after driver compatibility.

Note the releases are forcing stablitly to be inspected every month. In time the current release line will become the experimental line. Yes Reactos has nothing to build a stable line from at moment.

[forart]

People only started to put money into Linux once it became clear it had the potential to be a serious commercial OS. At present, ReactOS seems more like a hobbyist project, and the trouble with promotion is that it attracts the wrong kind of people (from your point of view) - people like me who expect that if you're promoting it then it must now be ready to use, albeit with a few bugs, not something that it is a challenge to get anything working on it.

This is not mutch right. ReactOS IS ready to use (i mean: you can download sources to work on it, website is working, etc) but you have to understand that an open source OS is a COLLABORATIVE project, not a commercial one.
This mean that Windows-minded users have to change their approach, from passive to active: we need contributions, detailed feedback, donations, promotion, etc, etc.
This is NOT just an "install'n'run" software (like MS Windows), but a community project that need (exactly as Linux achieved in the past, check the "Revolution OS" documentary - you can easily find a torrent or here's some parts @ YouTube) volunteers to work in any way they can.
So, before ask what ROS can do for you, ask yourself what YOU can do for ROS.

BTW, as i already claimed, i belive is better to promote it between open source Win32 software developers 1st. Then it would be great to have some interesting sponsor, of course: HW manufacturers (that pays MS for Windows drivers certification, for example) could help mutch this project...

[GreatLord]

The bigest problem is most windows devloper talk badly about opensource and see it lost of money,

Most windows devloper thinking MS is GOD, and belive everthing MS says.
and they also only think of their wallet what can make them more money.

That is not true for opensource devlopers, We got diffent moral. We do not think who we can ern most money, or thinking of createing mono pool of things. We whant give people right to modify the source as they like.


That is hard getting new skill devlopers to opensource project for windows. Most skill opensource devloper getting often offers join others opensource project and pay works, Why it is hard getting windows opensource devlopers.

[junior]

guys i dont saying about opensource, windows, linux or criticizing the development of the REACTOS.
I know how much
the task is arduous and how many they dedicate the little time that surplus stops to it all the community, however my commentary is only mentioned to
versions that it did not obtain to give boot. Like 0.3.0...

translated for google translator.

[oiaohm]

0.3.0 Did give a boot junior in emulators and a select set of real world hardware(really small set). The requirement for that version numbers release.

There are many exact reasons why Reactos does not like hardware. Wrong video card is common. Next down the list is that all versions to date did not check what memory sections were in use by hardware. A bios check that is missing.

So if it works on any real world hardware its pot luck. Scary enough is that it does work on some real world hardware.

Alpha Status OS hardware has to match OS not other way over. If project was claiming Beta Status you would have grounds to say hey it does not work on my hardware. This is the problem we have getting across. People are expecting more from it than its status. The video card drivers and memory mapping is being worked on. Both will give a massive boost in real world hardware support.