ReactOS 0.3.15 Released

Beardydog writes "From the ReactOS.org bulletin, 'The ReactOS project is proud to announce the release of version 0.3.15. A culmination of over a year of development, 0.3.15 incorporates several architectural enhancements to create a more compatible and conformant implementation of the NT architecture. Perhaps the most user visible enhancement is initial support for USB devices, both storage and input.'"

Why aren't there more contributors to this project

[JDG1980]

ReactOS is a project to build a free, open-source clone of Windows, compatible with both drivers and userspace software. Why on earth hasn't this received more support from the OSS community? It's the only realistic chance of dethroning MS from the desktop in favor of an open alternative. Linux is fine for servers, portable devices, and embedded systems, but trying to stick it on the desktop is a foolish dream that has failed for over 10 years.

Re:Why aren't there more contributors to this proj

[dargaud]

Well yes, but at the same time I only use Windows for one thing nowadays: running it in a virtual machine under Linux so I can run 3 programs that have no equivalent under Linux. If those programs work under ReactOS, I'll use that in a heartbeat. They must understand that beacuse the provide an already made VM among the downloads.

Re:Ugh

[wdef]

To be fair, yes this is a hobby OS, but to say that with disdain diminishes the value of a hobby.

Nice point. Amateur means "one who loves" (literally), it should never be disparaging to be called an amateur. Hobbyists are "amateurs" by definition. All the great Renaissance thinkers were amateurs across a wide range of fields, but often to great depth. Hence we owe much of modern thinking to amateurs.

Re:Why aren't there more contributors to this proj

[morcego]

The problem is with the cost of a context swap.

The code that managed context swapping is part of the scheduler, at least on Linux. Yes, it can be costly, which is why it needs to be implemented correctly, and why you keep getting alternative schedulers (not as often as you once did, it was crazy back in early 2.0). There is classic problem with Intel-HT and Postgresql that caused context swapping for database I/O to be extracostly, as you probably recall. And it can be done correctly, as was proven in this case, and then again for Oracle.

It is absolutely possible to have high performance userspace graphics, as was proven with some of the more up-to-date drivers. I think it was ATI that first did it, by the way. The trick is to keep as much as possible in userspace, but that requires a change in mentality for developers.

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