Anybody ever used ReactOS (a non-GNU/Linux-libre system)
ReactOS is an Free Software and open-source operating system that is trying to be compatible with Windows applications. And it does just that.
Of course it is its own OS of its own, and runs very well. It's better than Windows, if course as it follows my love of Freedom.
ReactOS is designed to use existing proprietary drivers made for Windows, so I don't know if it's possible to use it as a completely libre system. Besides, most Windows applications are built with proprietary software (e.g. Visual C++), so even if you do get libre drivers for your hardware, you would have to compile most of the software you use by yourself; not convenient at all.
Oh okay.
Down with ReactOS then.
name at domain wrote:
> ReactOS is designed to use proprietary drivers made for Windows, so I
> don't know if it's possible to use it as a completely libre system in
> practice. Besides, most Windows applications are built with proprietary
> software (e.g. Visual C++), so even if you do get libre drivers for your
> hardware, you would have to compile most of the software you use by
> yourself; not convenient at all.
As long as the OS is Free Software that OS is worthy of consideration
for development, use, and recommendation to others.
It's unfortunate that GNU/Linux systems allow proprietary drivers too,
but I wouldn't rule out using a GNU/Linux system on the basis that the
system's design allows the use of proprietary software such as drivers
(and I don't think the FSF does either in their Free System Distribution
Guidelines[1]). I also don't recall anything about software freedom that
would favor convenience, or favor one set of APIs over another set of
APIs (as might affect building programs with a Free C++ compiler versus
some non-free C++ compiler) without some clear adverse effect on a
user's freedoms to run, study, share, and modify the software. Those
concerns all strike me to be developmental details.
Could one build software with Free Software compilers such as MinGW
using https://www.reactos.org/wiki/Building_MINGW-w64 as build instructions?
[1] But that's not to say ReactOS would qualify to be listed among the
Free Systems that meet the guidelines listed on
https://www.gnu.org/distros/free-system-distribution-guidelines.html.
Assessing ReactOS's qualifications for listing will require more
investigation.
It's not that it allows this use, it's that it's designed for it. I don't know if there are any libre Windows drivers for anything, but in general, they're proprietary, and the ReactOS project doesn't aim to correct this. That being the case, ReactOS used as a completely libre system is pretty much guaranteed to be useless, if it even runs at all, on a real computer (as opposed to a virtual machine).
I'm not saying ReactOS should be boycotted, or anything like that. I'm saying it's pointless to consider it as an option for a completely libre system.
name at domain wrote:
> It's not that it allows this use, it's that it's designed for it.
What does that mean, specifically?
> I don't know if there are any libre Windows drivers for anything, but
> in general, they're proprietary, and the ReactOS project doesn't aim
> to correct this.
Do they have the resources to do this job?
> That being the case, ReactOS used as a completely libre system is
> pretty much guaranteed to be useless, if it even runs at all, on a
> real computer (as opposed to a virtual machine).
This seems too discouraging to me. I wouldn't want to discourage any
Free Software development because the Free program only runs on a VM (so
long as that VM is Free Software; non-free dependencies ought to be
replaced, of course). I haven't written an operating system but I
imagine it's very difficult to do without depending on some Free
Software to build upon, like GNU did. And I imagine the OS will require
a lot of time before the system can run on modern hardware. Perhaps
ReactOS isn't mature enough to use in daily use now, but the last time I
saw GNU/HURD it wasn't mature enough for me to use daily either. However
I still think it's fantastic that people are working on GNU/HURD.
> What does that mean, specifically?
This is from the front page of the ReactOS website:
"The main goal of the ReactOS® project is to provide an operating system which is binary compatible with Windows. This will allow your Windows® applications and drivers to run as they would on your Windows system."
They say right there that they intend for ReactOS to be used with the same drivers Windows uses. These drivers are proprietary.
> This seems too discouraging to me. I wouldn't want to discourage any
> Free Software development because the Free program only runs on a VM (so
> long as that VM is Free Software; non-free dependencies ought to be
> replaced, of course).
I'm not generally opposed to the ReactOS project, and if you want to use ReactOS in a virtual machine because you really want the Windows 2000 experience, that's fine by me. But it makes absolutely no sense to promote ReactOS as an alternative completely libre OS.
> Perhaps
> ReactOS isn't mature enough to use in daily use now, but the last time I
> saw GNU/HURD it wasn't mature enough for me to use daily either. However
> I still think it's fantastic that people are working on GNU/HURD.
The GNU Hurd can be used on real hardware without proprietary software. I don't think proprietary drivers even exist for the Hurd at the moment.
> I also don't recall anything about software freedom that would favor convenience, or favor one set of APIs over another set of APIs (as might affect building programs with a Free C++ compiler versus some non-free C++ compiler) without some clear adverse effect on a user's freedoms to run, study, share, and modify the software. Those concerns all strike me to be developmental details.
If a non-free compiler is required, then it's not a matter of convenience or preference but instead you're unable to use the package in freedom. (Use in the widest sense possible, definitely includes compiling.) In Trisquel such a package would be considered non-free.
I am a translator!
I always React badly to that OS!
Lol. That made my day. Thank. My day has been quite miserable. Exam studying...
Windows has libre programs but not many.
True DAT.
ReactOS doesn't work all that well yet, but when it does, you'll have an OS that can run less libre programs than GNU/Linux, and probably worse than GNU/Linux.
Just stick with Trisquel, or some other such FSDG distro.
Trisquel is awesome.
The only thing worse than its compatibility with Windows programmes in comparison with Windows itself (which sadly is what actually matters, no?) is its compatibility with non-virtualised hardware.