ReactOS not spreading as fast it should (start campaign)

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Ali Imran
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Joined: Fri Jun 03, 2005 9:55 pm

ReactOS not spreading as fast it should (start campaign)

Post by Ali Imran »

ReactOS not spreading as fast it should

Hello all

As far I see, React OS is the very first effort of saving people from monster MS. Extensions like Wine, David Project, etc have been developed but no one accepted challenge before ReactOS. I salute the guys who thought this must be done. This project is purely like a life-saving drug. Now when LognHorn has become a buzzword, all big software companies and we (developers) were afraid that may be a big percentage of MS window users shift to that, but after finding this site I feel secure, when there is no concept of existing winapi in LongHorn Os coming in 2006-7 (don’t know), then first I thought all existing hardcore developers going to hell, what are they going to do who live on programming, but thanks to GOD I found this site, and thanks to GOD I was wrong. Now think how many people will shift to LongHorn? Here in Pakistan there are many companies still running win95 and they do not want to shift to new, why? because it is meeting their requirement, and about 50% desktop users still using win98. For them I think ReactOS is the big big support. and I am sure if we (ReactOS lovers) take it serious and try spreading it just like FireFox Browser, we can get that Monster Down, and we (webmasters) start a big campaign upto and after arrival of so called LongHorn, that we try telling everyone about ReactOS, not forcing them to use but letting them know that they can save a huge amount of money as well as use the same environment in more faster way.

BUT
Huge Monsters always stay in path of Heros

1. Are the ReactOS developers aware of issue of software patents spreading like wildfire? As in Europe (I heard of that but not 100% sure), which will eat up opensource.

2. Are the ReactOS developers willing to update it as long as window users wish to shift and still want to use it?

3. Will more and more compatibly issues be taken into consideration and taken serious so that future ver of ROS runs Adobe PhotoShop and Flash MX?

4. Will ReactOS aims towards provision of support for GTK+ applications that already run on windows 98, XP etc?

5. Will a default development environment be provided for c/c++ developers?

As I read in some other topic, ROS requires plain C code to be included as part of project (any useful application), if you force developers to code in C instead of C++ will that be good for existing c++ winapi developers? would they like to shift back to huge huge source files? As far I, NO, because programs that must be available to the users who are willing to work with ROS only, only need application running perfectly and meeting their requirements. YES, as far backend architecture of ROS I am in favor of using C instead of C++, or may be pure Assembly code will make it robust, but finding pure platform specific ASM developers today is like searching for needle in dark.

Think of getting 50% or atleast 10% of windows users shifting to ROS permanently. This happens if campaign is healthy. Some people will laugh on above comment and say how the hell that big number of window users can shift to ROS, but I say, things do happen. Do you (reader) want to have an OS that is not allowing you to copy a file to floppy and/or letting you save data as plain file? Or, are you willing to pay some more $s just to get exhausted? OFCOURSE NOT. So in my view, best is, support and spread ROS. This can only and only be implemented if the readers, webmasters, opensource users, people surf on clan sites/forums, people who develop software for windows platform, people on IRC servers, etc write up a simple page telling people how can they get rid of paying $$$$$s to MS just for nothing but tension, alongwith highlighting core features, speed, flexibility, most importantly, more and more screenshots, and they but a link back to ROS site.

As far me, I am going to start it rightaway, and put the link to ROS on all of my ReactOS, alongwith, I will also tell the people through my newsletters that I send for my community sites. (I will not mention my sites so that it is not taken as Spam, they will automatically come in google when you search for ReactOS).
EVEN If, nobody is willing to help me spreading this idea and helping me to boost this campaign. I know ROS since a month and am fully confident it will save lives.


But before starting the said campaign in full fledged mode, ROS must contain atleast number of default utilities and applications that are in win98, so that regular users do not find ReactOS lacking default things. More and more support for hardware especially for modems so that people can keep in touch with ROS updates though ROS.

http://reactos.com/wiki/index.php/ReactOS_Applications
Page is the key to attract user
I am creating a page about info on ROS and will refer everyone towards it I meet in daily life. Atleast from my buddies I will bring 95% people to ROS.

Being Straight Forward: I am not willing to pay to Microsoft anymore, and will not let people fall in it as much as possible. And it is quite possible that I open an office for 100% ROS support right in front of Microsoft product shop in my city.

I have ordered a brand new Laptop to run ReactOS. Lets see if I can compile all the pure winapi based application on ROS and run them perfectly.

LONG LIVE ROS

I Again Thank and Salute the people who started this project.

Let us help each other spreading ROS before the wildfire takes all of us.

Ali Imran
CEO SWISH-DB Network
Dr. Fred
Developer
Posts: 607
Joined: Wed Dec 22, 2004 10:09 pm
Location: Amsterdam

Re: ReactOS not spreading as fast it should (start campaign)

Post by Dr. Fred »

I could not read everything, sorry, but here are a few answers:
Ali Imran wrote:2. Are the ReactOS developers willing to update it as long as window users wish to shift and still want to use it?
ReactOs is open source, that means everyone who wants can improve it, that's the principle behind it. And the best is that it works.
3. Will more and more compatibly issues be taken into consideration and taken serious so that future ver of ROS runs Adobe PhotoShop and Flash MX?

4. Will ReactOS aims towards provision of support for GTK+ applications that already run on windows 98, XP etc?
Of cource. The aim is run every windows app one day.
5. Will a default development environment be provided for c/c++ developers?
You will be able to use every development envirement that runs under windows. And there are free once like DevCpp, SharpDevelop ...
As I read in some other topic, ROS requires plain C code to be included as part of project
That's not true. Our explorer is C++, but c would be nicer because the c++ compiler that we use is not the best, but it's the only free one for windos.
Where do you want ReactOS to go today ?
Ali Imran
Posts: 10
Joined: Fri Jun 03, 2005 9:55 pm

Post by Ali Imran »

Thanks for the kind Answer Sir,
it is highly appreciated.

>> And there are free once like DevCpp, SharpDevelop ...

I myself, I never use IDEs I do almos everythign on commandline, and write files in notepad or anyother simple text editor. I am writing my own, with the capabilities of vb, but integration with back-end ocmpiler is mingw.



>> Our explorer is C++, but c would be nicer because the c++ compiler that we use is not the best, but it's the only free one for windos.

I am sure your are talking about mingw-g++ ?

Again Thanks for reply.

regards
Dr. Fred
Developer
Posts: 607
Joined: Wed Dec 22, 2004 10:09 pm
Location: Amsterdam

Post by Dr. Fred »

Ali Imran wrote:I myself, I never use IDEs I do almos everythign on commandline, and write files in notepad or anyother simple text editor. I am writing my own, with the capabilities of vb, but integration with back-end ocmpiler is mingw.
I also prefer command-line but I need an editor with sysnatx higliting.
I am sure your are talking about mingw-g++ ?
Correct.
Where do you want ReactOS to go today ?
Linuxhippy
Posts: 39
Joined: Fri Dec 03, 2004 2:24 pm

Hmm..

Post by Linuxhippy »

g++ does a rather well job since ages
Dr. Fred
Developer
Posts: 607
Joined: Wed Dec 22, 2004 10:09 pm
Location: Amsterdam

Post by Dr. Fred »

Form your nick i follow that you mean the Linux one.
Where do you want ReactOS to go today ?
Ali Imran
Posts: 10
Joined: Fri Jun 03, 2005 9:55 pm

Post by Ali Imran »

Dr. Fred wrote: I also prefer command-line but I need an editor with sysnatx higliting.
Hi Fred,


What I am trying to provide is a free software IDE for c++ developers with brand new fast wrapper classes (NOT MFC), purely based on winapi, where developers will have a huge ease with built-in dialog and control editting options. I used to use vc++ for some time but I was not satisfied by it, since it's classes are too powerful but lacking reasonable names of methods and properties + developers get confused with too many files created with it, if not other but I get confused all the time. So I preffered why not write a liteweight IDE with default wrapper classes.

Some samples of classes in use

Dialog
Form1.show();
Form1.moveTo(100,100);
Form1.refresh();
Form1.openFile();
Form1.selectFolder();

Button
Button1.setIcon(icon1);
Button1.setCaption("Changed");
Button1.disable();
Button1.enable();
Button1.focus();


Toolbar
Toolbar1.newButton(icon1,NEW_ID);
Toolbar.disableButton(2); //button2

Menus/submenu
Menu1.hide();

SubMenu1.disable();

PopUp1.addItem(char *caption, int NEW_ID); //

Applciation level
Application.setSystemTrayIcon(icon2);

etc, etc

Almost all usual controls are made available.
Where resources will automatically be maintained by the IDE. User will enver be shown the resource files and internal IDs generated for controls. But user will be able to export project to VC, or DEV C++.

Now, I will dedicate this project to ROS only and test it on ROS. Since windows will go to blackhole after some time (I am sure).

I am also working built-in syntax highlighter.

btw the final applciation will be independant of any dll dependencies.
so will it work perfectly in ROS ?


regards
inocentPC
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Joined: Thu Apr 21, 2005 9:32 pm
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Post by inocentPC »

about spreading this project, i started a topic at a romanian computer magazine forum, and some started to make comments about it.

http://www.chip.ro/forum/viewtopic.php?t=60010

now, i would like for a programmer to write on that forum, something like "Hi, i'm a programmer, and if you have questions i can clarify. Also we need talented people to help this project."

use ENglish. they are good at understanding and writing.

Too inocent for programing,
InocentPC
GvG
Posts: 499
Joined: Mon Nov 22, 2004 10:50 pm
Location: The Netherlands

Post by GvG »

Done.
inocentPC
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Post by inocentPC »

GvG, thanks for your input in the Romanian forum. i received a private message from Azrael that he would be interested in your project, and i sugested to get in touch with Jason Filby, since it sounds that he would be the brain manager in your developer team.

I think that it would be a good idea for you to get in touch with Azrael either by personal PM or email.

i want to appologize for the fact that i'm not good at programming. maybe one day i will study this, since it's required for me to take some classes of C++. All i can do now is to beg others to participate to this project.

the really inocent,
InocentPC
Dr. Fred
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Post by Dr. Fred »

Yes, Jeason is the founder of the project, but that does not mean anything. Actually we are not really organized at all. Everyone does anything that he wants to work on. But you can tell him to go to our IRC Channel #reactos on irc.freenode.net.
Where do you want ReactOS to go today ?
inocentPC
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Post by inocentPC »

oh no!....

the fact that you are not organized is VERY BAD! you need to have either a permanent or by rotation (see UE) president who would coordonate the project. that would give speed. in any job where there is no manager there not much speed and responsability is low.

you got to get organized! i don't know which method you pick, but you got to get organized, and this for the sake of the project, for the sake of me, the inocent in programming, by adding speed... you got to get organized!...

the Inocent
Elledan
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Post by Elledan »

inocentPC wrote:oh no!....

the fact that you are not organized is VERY BAD! you need to have either a permanent or by rotation (see UE) president who would coordonate the project. that would give speed. in any job where there is no manager there not much speed and responsability is low.

you got to get organized! i don't know which method you pick, but you got to get organized, and this for the sake of the project, for the sake of me, the inocent in programming, by adding speed... you got to get organized!...

the Inocent
While a 'president' might go a bit far, it would not hurt to have at the very least one or more individuals who determine the direction of the project.

As long as there's some democracy left in decision taking, it should benefit everyone :)
GvG
Posts: 499
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Location: The Netherlands

Post by GvG »

If you're going to make it look like it's work, please start paying me. If you don't pay me, I'd like to retain the freedom of deciding myself what to spend my time on.
Elledan
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Contact:

Post by Elledan »

GvG wrote:If you're going to make it look like it's work, please start paying me. If you don't pay me, I'd like to retain the freedom of deciding myself what to spend my time on.
If you look at the most popular example of a big OSS project, namely Linux, then it's clear that Linus, together with a select number of other people have determined the direction in which the Linux kernel has developed. Their policies, their rules.

This is not about turning a hobby project into work, but about ensuring the success of the project by establishing a clear direction and rules.
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