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Are you an XP/2003 fan?


ROCKNROLL

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If so, maybe you want check of operating system called ReactOS. ReactOS is a operating system designed to look, feel, and act like Windows. It is design to be NT compatible. Currently, it is in alpha stage, so I recommend using it on a VM or a drive you don't use. Here it is if anyone wants to check it out: https://www.reactos.org/

 

Incase anyone is wondering why it has been in development since 1998, it technically hasn't. The original development team designed the first version to be a Windows 98 clone, but after a few development switches, the project was kind of rebooted and turned into more of a Windows XP/2003 focus now. Future versions will focus on Vista/7/etc.

 

Also, no this isn't a Linux system, yes CCleaner runs just find on it (I haven't tried the other tools, but I assume they should as well), and also no there isn't anything illegal about this because they are not de-compiling NT. If anything, it is more of a guessing game.

 

I have tried it myself and it is really nice, but remember it is still alpha stage. I plan on, myself, making a permenate switch to it once it comes out of alpha.

I am a maintainer for Winapp2. I also have a open-source group on Steam.

http://steamcommunity.com/groups/opencommunity

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Thanks, ROCKNROLL.  Got it.  :)

 

Edit, 2:18 pm: 

Live CD wouldn't boot here on xp.  Just froze.  Will try later. 

The CCleaner SLIM version is always released a bit after any new version; when it is it will be HERE :-)

Pssssst: ... It isn't really a cloud. Its a bunch of big, giant servers.

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I've tried it a couple of times before when it was mentioned on here, I remember it not being able to run, and then in a later version just crashing.

 

The best non-Microsoft OS experience I've had was with the Linux distro called Slax, it ran super smooth but like most Linux distros I had no sound.

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I usually don't recommend Linux system as a replacement to Windows because there is just too much command line/tech savy stuff you have to do to get it to run the way you want it to. Most Windows users are use to just having everything the way it is. Even Zorin OS is like that.

 

Also, currently ReactOS only runs on Fat32 filesystems, because they used that to have something to write on while making this and it was the simplest approach. The next major update (0.5.0) is suppose to add NTFS and possibly ext 2.

 

Anyways, it is alpha, so bugs and crashes are expected. Maybe try one of the daily builds and see if it solves the issue.

I am a maintainer for Winapp2. I also have a open-source group on Steam.

http://steamcommunity.com/groups/opencommunity

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I've tried it a couple of times before when it was mentioned on here, I remember it not being able to run, and then in a later version just crashing.

 

The best non-Microsoft OS experience I've had was with the Linux distro called Slax, it ran super smooth but like most Linux distros I had no sound.

 

Just got ReactOS going here on this xp box, running in oracle's virtualbox. 

Works OK, is faster than some of the older versions if I remember correctly. 

I wasn't able to get it to actually do much, can't get onto the 'net, doesn't have much in the way of softwares.

But to be fair I didn't work very much at it. 

They are going in a good direction, imho, but they have some polishing yet to do, as ROCKNROLL suggests.

 

I do like some of the more recent Linux distros, Linux Lite, Zorin, and good ole Puppy.  Now that dual booting is getting easier, with rufus, YUMI, etc., It would be a good option for the more ambitious to dual boot their favorite Linux alongside windows.  That would take the urgency out of the learning curve. 

Also, some of the "alternate" office suites are getting very compatible with the microsoft office. 

 

I want an OS that will just work, and won't leak my every mouse click to somebody.  :P 

When the necessity to replace a computer arises, I intend to just build a fast one and install a couple of Linuxes (Linuces?). 

The CCleaner SLIM version is always released a bit after any new version; when it is it will be HERE :-)

Pssssst: ... It isn't really a cloud. Its a bunch of big, giant servers.

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"I wasn't able to get it to actually do much, can't get onto the 'net, doesn't have much in the way of softwares."

 

It is designed to be lightweight, so it won't have any unnecessary stuff like what you would see in Windows 8/10. I hope they also keep it lightweight as well, even when they try getting vista/7/8/10 compatibility going. Or if they do decide to copy some of it, that they offer them as separate add-ons rather then pre-installing them.

 

"Also, some of the "alternate" office suites are getting very compatible with the microsoft office."

 

I use LibreOffice since OpenOffice is dead and most of the developers have moved to LibreOffice. LibreOffice, as far as I am concerned, should have full compatibility with Microsoft Office and its extensions.

 

"I want an OS that will just work, and won't leak my every mouse click to somebody."

 

Well if you are on a Linux, make sure you have telemetry disable then, lol.

I am a maintainer for Winapp2. I also have a open-source group on Steam.

http://steamcommunity.com/groups/opencommunity

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LibreOffice will be fine for most users, but it no where nears matches the full capabilities of Office, sadly.

But hey, it's free.

I last tried about a year ago, so maybe it's gotten better, but its Excel equivalent Calc hopelessly couldn't handle most of my Excel spreadsheet formulas, shapes, macros etc.

 

I likened Calc more to Lotus 1-2-3 than Excel.

 

(I see they have v5 out now, my last attempt was with v4, so I will give it a spin.)

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I recently tried Apache Open Office. 

It worked well, was very compatible w/ microsoft office.

Actually better and faster than LibreOffice, Abiword, or  Kingsoft. 

It may be discontinued soon.

 

I never try the spreadsheet functions, but most agree they are not very compatible.

 

Se here:

https://forum.piriform.com/index.php?showtopic=39089&page=8&do=findComment&comment=276208

 

 

 

The CCleaner SLIM version is always released a bit after any new version; when it is it will be HERE :-)

Pssssst: ... It isn't really a cloud. Its a bunch of big, giant servers.

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If you are going to use OpenOffice, be careful. There are a lot of unfixed security holes/vulnerabilities in it. Read here: https://forum.openoffice.org/en/forum/viewtopic.php?f=49&t=84952 Also, a lot of other posts around their forums with similar conclusions. Too bad though, OpenOffice was always more lightweight then LibreOffice. maybe when OpenOffice is officially EOL, LibreOffice can make a lightweight version, suitable for weak/older systems.

 

Anyways, this topic is about ReactOS, so let's not get too off topic here.

I am a maintainer for Winapp2. I also have a open-source group on Steam.

http://steamcommunity.com/groups/opencommunity

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. . .

Anyways, this topic is about ReactOS, so let's not get too off topic here.

 

Yes.  Quite right. :)

This topic is about ReactOS and software that works with it.

After all, an OS is of little use if there are no softwares for it, eh?

 

If we go about a fourth of the way down this page, we see that Apache Open Office 4.1.2 is recommended over LibreOffice.for ReactOS.  Even though AOO seems to be less than optimal right now. 

https://www.reactos.org/wiki/Tests_for_0.4.2

The CCleaner SLIM version is always released a bit after any new version; when it is it will be HERE :-)

Pssssst: ... It isn't really a cloud. Its a bunch of big, giant servers.

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I wonder if any Windows malware can work on ReactOS? I don't see any AVs on that list and I am wondering what people would do if a certain piece of malware worked in ReactOS but no AVs can load on it. I assume it isn't a big issue now because of its low population use. I wonder if anyone has ever attempted it.

 

By the way, since it seems like some people are interested in this, is it OK if I post when ReactOS updates are released here? I see other topics that do this with other software, so...

I am a maintainer for Winapp2. I also have a open-source group on Steam.

http://steamcommunity.com/groups/opencommunity

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I got a Zorin live cd to boot and run smooth as silk here, but could not get the ReacoOS cd to boot. 

This is an xp system, roughly the same vintage as yours, Andavari, and also DennisD's. 

Go figure.  :huh: ??

 

I sort of like the idea of exploring alternative softwares. 

Microsoft seems to be losing interest in the individual user these days. 

ReactOS is an innovative approach and I hope it works out. Will keep watching it. 

The CCleaner SLIM version is always released a bit after any new version; when it is it will be HERE :-)

Pssssst: ... It isn't really a cloud. Its a bunch of big, giant servers.

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This is an xp system, roughly the same vintage as yours, Andavari, and also DennisD's. 

Go figure.  :huh: ??

 

I am actually on a Windows 10 Enterprise LTSB, if you were including me in that phrase. But if XP could run modern hardware and games (OpenGL 4.5, Vulkan, Direct X 12, etc) I would use that instead.

 

I notice ReactOS also depends on Wine, so I guess it is whatever games can run on Wine will be able to run on ReactOS.

I am a maintainer for Winapp2. I also have a open-source group on Steam.

http://steamcommunity.com/groups/opencommunity

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I got a Zorin live cd to boot and run smooth as silk here, but could not get the ReacoOS cd to boot. 

This is an xp system, roughly the same vintage as yours, Andavari, and also DennisD's. 

Go figure.  :huh: ??

 

Possibly hardware differences, since there are XP systems built after mine that play HD video fine, yet mine won't.

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The next major update (0.5.0) is suppose to add NTFS and possibly ext 2.

 

By the way, does anyone know if ext2 will work on my 1TB SSD? I know it's a flash friendly file system, but I also know it's quite old (1999) and I want to know if it's OK for a heavy gamer like me (like the limits and everything).

 

I checked the wiki page and it says this: Max volume size 2 - 32Tib, Max size size 16Gib - 2 Tib. I don't get what it means as usually file systems only have 1 number in their limits. I assume it means older version of ext2 have lower limits and newer versions have higher limits?

I am a maintainer for Winapp2. I also have a open-source group on Steam.

http://steamcommunity.com/groups/opencommunity

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