OS Enhancements: You name it!

[Gabriel Vigo]

Yes... Have you ever asked why Windows does NOT offer "that" feature?
Probably, you have many times installed little programs that do little
'jobs', that Windows right now should bring in itself from 'factory'.

The most important of all: all I will suggest,
it's easy to implement and very useful...

My examples (and wishes):

A) Powerful Windows's clock.
B) Change time-stamp files.
C) More functional menu.

A) The Windows's Clock. Why it doesn't have a section to add reminders, like a virtual agenda or PIMs?. For this job I use a software called "Chameleon Clock", but for what I want it, it does more than what I need. I think is easy to add this in ReactOS...

B) Change time-stamp files. Why don't add the option to change the time of modification/creation of files, in the file's properties? For this job, I'm using "Properties Plus". Again, I think is easy to add this in ReactOS...

C) More functional menu. Why don't add: "Always on top", "Minimize to tray" and "Priority", in every windows's menu (for this job I'm currently using a software called "PowerMenu")?. So, adding this, anyone will be able to do these 'acts' easily. And again, I think is easy to add this in ReactOS...

So, why use three external programs to do
three simple tasks, if ReactOS can do it?

...and you will sure have a lot of more new functions/features
that are easy to add, and are very, very useful...
You name it, you post it here!

Contribute with this thread, and post your comments and wishes!...
(We need to build a more useful O.S. than Windows is!)

Greetings,
Gabriel Vigo.-

P.S.: I know than someone maybe says that for the moment there are more important things to do, but all I suggest can be done trouble-free and it will boost the project from the start. As I've said before, we needed to do an operating system that stand out of Windows, for its outstanding characteristics. It's only my opinion. I only try to bring fresh ideas for ReactOS.

[oiaohm]

1. Virtual desktops support
Yep and on can and this but can make system unstable if explorer crashes.

2. Multiable desktops ie able to change desktop layouts inside one user.

3. Compress directory support for rar 7z as well as zip.
Rar might be asking a little to much. 7z is smaller than zip and 7zip repacking of microsoft compress folders dos help.

4. A backup tool that can make boot reinstall disk and supports disk media third party fixs this.

5. Menu controller. Not this mess system that we have but control on programs added itself to the menu and like games in games office programs in office.

This is just a start I can most likely think of more. I left out the security ones shiping with a good firewall and antivirus and better control over security.

[mf]

7zip repacking of microsoft compress folders does help.

You mean NTFS compressed folders? You can't 7zip compress those, because decompression is done transparently by the IFS driver. You can NTFS compress a 7zip file, which would probably gain you a few KB on say, 500 7zip files. Personally, I have all my NTFS volumes set to compression for all files, and it gains me around 1 to 10GB depending on the content on the drive. Why bother with stuff like 7z or rar?

[Sarocet]

It is nice adding features to the windows clock. However it shouldn't take too many resources (specially if you are not using that features!) as it will always be running. Maybe a mixing with taskmgr?
Something I'd like on the clock is the ability of changing its timestamp. I'd like it to also give me the day (I don't often know on what day I live). So I need to double-click it (I need not to be on a limited account) or wait until the tooltip appear.

File timestamp changing can be ok. But it should be restricted to administrators.

It is Ok to have an extended menu, but we should set somewhere (on the start menu properties maybe) an option to completely disable them so new users wouldn't be annoyed with unknown menu options. When they learnt, they could enable it

[A-v-S]

7zip repacking of microsoft compress folders does help.

You mean NTFS compressed folders? You can't 7zip compress those, because decompression is done transparently by the IFS driver. You can NTFS compress a 7zip file, which would probably gain you a few KB on say, 500 7zip files. Personally, I have all my NTFS volumes set to compression for all files, and it gains me around 1 to 10GB depending on the content on the drive. Why bother with stuff like 7z or rar?

Microsoft calls a zip file a compressed folder..

click right on a file, copy to, compressed folder,
this creates a zip file

works in windows me and xp

[mf]

Oh, right.. That fancy shell extension that only works properly half the time. Try NTFS compression then, much better .

[Quigs]

for us to use NTFS compression, we would need to support NTFS.
I would just add the 7zip dll, add a good amount of code to explorer so it can open anything 7zip can open.

[TiKu]

I would just add the 7zip dll, add a good amount of code to explorer so it can open anything 7zip can open.

Please DON'T add it to explorer. Instead write a proper shell extension that also works with other shell browsers.

BTW, AlphaZip installs a shell extension that allows you to browse 7z files within explorer. Unfortunately it's not free (neither as in free beer nor as in freedom).

[BrandonTurner]

Yes... Have you ever asked why Windows does NOT offer "that" feature?
Probably, you have many times installed little programs that do little
'jobs', that Windows right now should bring in itself from 'factory'.

The most important of all: all I will suggest,
it's easy to implement and very useful...

My examples (and wishes):

A) Powerful Windows's clock.
B) Change time-stamp files.
C) More functional menu.

A) The Windows's Clock. Why it doesn't have a section to add reminders, like a virtual agenda or PIMs?. For this job I use a software called "Chameleon Clock", but for what I want it, it does more than what I need. I think is easy to add this in ReactOS...

B) Change time-stamp files. Why don't add the option to change the time of modification/creation of files, in the file's properties? For this job, I'm using "Properties Plus". Again, I think is easy to add this in ReactOS...

C) More functional menu. Why don't add: "Always on top", "Minimize to tray" and "Priority", in every windows's menu (for this job I'm currently using a software called "PowerMenu")?. So, adding this, anyone will be able to do these 'acts' easily. And again, I think is easy to add this in ReactOS...

So, why use three external programs to do
three simple tasks, if ReactOS can do it?

...and you will sure have a lot of more new functions/features
that are easy to add, and are very, very useful...
You name it, you post it here!

Contribute with this thread, and post your comments and wishes!...
(We need to build a more useful O.S. than Windows is!)

Greetings,
Gabriel Vigo.-

P.S.: I know than someone maybe says that for the moment there are more important things to do, but all I suggest can be done trouble-free and it will boost the project from the start. As I've said before, we needed to do an operating system that stand out of Windows, for its outstanding characteristics. It's only my opinion. I only try to bring fresh ideas for ReactOS.

in windows cmd.exe you can "copy /B foo.txt+,," and that will change the timestamp was the touch command would in *nix. currently ros cmd does not support this, but i plan on adding it within the next few days.

[oiaohm]

NTFS compression Have tried it hates 7z files if lucky 1% compression. Yep they are verry highly compressed files. Most of the time it will fail to compress any more.

I was refering to compressed folders that work on any filesystem including cds.

NTFS compression is not as great as it seams. 7z internal functions are very good at what they do.

7zip recompression of compressed folders gain about 10%(It kick but at compessing zip files) Note it gets even more in its own format.

Yes its a fancy shell extention yes its usefull.

Hmm what methord does NTFS compressed folders use. Just because the methords used in 7zip are highly optimised and highly effective. Ie replace the methord in IFS with 7zip methord.

[Jaix]

I would like to see ReactOS:

• Become a multuser enabled OS that can connect people from all kinds of connections and consoles, this includes Multiuser Environment and Terminal Services.
  Being able to handle insulated environments like subsystems to be able to run many computers within the OS
  Be able to log in directly to an emulated environment on subsystem level to be able to run for example MAC, Amiga, C64, MAME as subsystems.
  Support Win9x drivers to support old hardware.

[William Dojinn]

Well if they're working on having ROS be compatible with 200/xp in theory the drivers from either of those SHOULD work.

This is not win9x. This is more NT flavored windows here. Either one is good considering the project goals.

[oiaohm]

Being able to handle insulated environments like subsystems to be able to run many computers within the OS

Xen Support. Currently under development where all systems a insulated.

Or User Mode Reactos. This might be a little strange to build but not unable to be done. This is Reactos running as a win32 application or maybe a Linux application. This is close to wine really close to wine.

I think you mean User mode both achive almost the same ends.

You will be waiting for win9x driver support no tools exist in opensource to build them. Yes its really handy to be able to build test drivers. Someone want a challage.

Missed one verry Important feature zisofs. Compressed CD support. A way of fitting at least a 1g on a cdrom if you get lucky 2 or more. Commonly used under linux handy for boot cdroms.

loop back filesystem support. Ie able to mount file on drives as cdrom or any other type.

[mf]

NTFS compression is not as great as it seams.

NTFS compression is designed to be as fast and transparent as possible. It uses a modified LZ77 algorithm, which is a part of GZip compression. The only reason it actually gets compression ratios on compressed files, is because it can compress headers and other file overhead. Still, replacing the algorithm (say, in some other filesystem) with something like 7-zip's would impose too much of a performance impact. But in my opinion, in this day and age of 100+GB drives, optimal compression efficiency is unimportant. Personally, I find the convenience of transparent decompression much better than using archive formats. But then again, I also distribute files in ZIPs instead of 7z or RAR, because it is more likely the person downloading it can decompress it.

[Jaix]

Well if they're working on having ROS be compatible with 200/xp in theory the drivers from either of those SHOULD work.

This is not win9x. This is more NT flavored windows here. Either one is good considering the project goals.

I am well aware of this, but surely it would be possible to enable win9x drivers if we want to. The problems with these drivers accessing the hardware directly however must be solved in a good way though, perhaps like VMWare or some kind of layer between the driver and the ROS HAL. Anyway, this would be nice I think.