- Reactos is a free Windows-like OS built from scratch without Microsoft code
- A new version just launched after a four -year -old wait with lots of changes
- Us are targeted compatibility with server 2003 – yes, you read it right
If you want to move away from Windows there are plenty of alternative operating systems to consider – from many Linux distributions offered to macOS (if you are open to switch to Apple).
One of the more exciting options is Reactos aimed at being Windows, but without Microsoft -more specifically it is designed to be an operating system compatible with Windows applications and drivers, without using any proprietary Microsoft code. Unlike Linux, built on a UNIX foundation, the Reactos re -implement the NT architecture from the bottom up.
It is currently targeting compatibility with Windows Server 2003, yes 2003Although it can run software like LibreOffice, Firefox and some older versions of Adobe Photoshop. Reactos integrates parts of the wine project and even supports the start-up of 64-bit Linux systems via its freeloader tool.
Four years in creation
Originally launched as freewin95 in the late 1990s, it developed into Reactos with a goal of becoming a true Windows alternative.
Today it looks like Windows 2000 in appearance and functionality, although compatibility is very hit and miss – some classic games and apps run perfectly well while others go down or simply fail to launch at all.
The latter release, version 0.4.14, came out in December 2021, and since then the development remains equal, with new buildings that are automatically produced each time a change is committed, although these releases are not tested in the same way as the stable.
Now, four years after the last stable update appeared, Reactos 0.4.15 has arrived and you can download it as a boot -cd or liveCD here.
The latest release offers plugs and playback fixes, audio terms, memory control improvements, registry healing and improvements of accessories and system tools including notepad, paint, rapps, input method -editor and Shell.
As you can tell from the version number, 0.4.15, the Reactos are still in alpha and will probably remain so for a very long time.
It may never reach beta, not to say ever finish, but that doesn’t mean it’s not worth your time.
You won’t use it as your daily driver, but take it to a spin in Virtualbox and wonder what the team has managed to create here.
Reactos, though impressive to what it is, will remain a little more than a retro curiosity for many – but the team is planning some major additions in the next big release, which hopefully will not take another four years to arrive.
Planned future features include UEFI support, a new graphic installer, a new NTFS file system driver, symmetrical multiprocessing (SMP), power control and wider application compatibility.
