ReactOS is a free and open-source project that aims to produce a Windows-like operating system that’s fully compatible with Windows software and drivers.
Imagine running your favorite Windows applications and drivers in an open-source environment you can trust. That’s the mission of ReactOS!
When ReactOS was first announced, it created a great deal of interest, including with yours truly. However, after many years of development with seemingly very little headway, that interest has waned considerably.
ReactOS was first released 27 years ago and, in all that time, has managed to reach the Alpha stage only – Alpha stage means that the software remains buggy, incomplete, and not yet fit for mass deployment.
In reply to a comment submitted in response to a recent article, I promised a regular reader I would check out ReactOS to see just where its development is at. However, try as I might, I couldn’t get ReactOS loaded.
ReactOS is available either as an installable ISO or as a Live CD. I tried everything to load the Live CD version, but to no avail:
- The first thing I did was to disable Secure Boot
- Then I created a Ventoy bootable USB flash drive, but while the drive booted fine, ReactOS would not load
- Next, I used Rufus to create a bootable flash drive in both DD (disk) mode and ISO mode. The drive created in DD mode wasn’t recognized by Windows or BIOS, and the drive created in ISO mode was not recognized by BIOS – no boot option in the boot menu
- Finally, I reverted to the oldest, well-worn method of creating a bootable CD, which also failed to be recognized by the BIOS as a boot option
After hours of messing about with it, I finally, and somewhat reluctantly, gave up. I’m pretty sure the failures were a direct consequence of an MBR-formatted drive attempting to load in a UEFI environment.
BOTTOM LINE:
One thing I am sure of, if there were a free and open-source operating system that looked like Windows and was fully compatible with Windows software, it would be a smash hit. This was (and still is) the aim of the ReactOS project, but unfortunately, after 27 long years, ReactOS remains a very long way off from being ready for prime time.
Much of the technology has changed since ReactOS’s initial release, and I guess the technology has overtaken ReactOS’s labored development.
Wishing you all a very Merry and safe Christmas.
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