React Os

[Kettling]

Hi everybody! (My first post, woohoo )

As I was browsing the internet, i stumbled upon React OS, which appears to be an open source Windows clone running on the NT kernel. In the information section, it is stated that:

The ReactOS operating system design is able to provide portability across families of processors, such as Intel x86 and even provide portability across different processor architectures, such as CISC and RISC.
There is only one single OS core, the kernel; porting ReactOS to other architectures only involves porting the hardware abstraction layer, the lowest part that talks directly with the platform hardware.

I am not very familiar with processor types, but if I recall correctly, ARM uses RISC, (it's in the name). This made me wonder:

Could this run on the pandora?
-and-
If it does, would it be possible to use open-source windows software on it just by compiling it to ARM? or is there more to it?

It is not my intention to start a discussion about the advantages and disadvantages of Windows, since this project tries to get the best out of Windows, and leave out the worst.

Oh, and before I forget: React OS website <- This is what i'm talking about.

Kettling

 

[Vitel]

ReactOS is partially ported to ARM. And whole project is not ready for use yet IMHO.

 

[Polossatik]

Could this run on the pandora?

yes and no, the major part of the OS will be quite ok to compile for ARM, however windows (and Reactos) uses a different "HAL" (hardware abstraction layer) for each platform, so until there is a stable HAL for ARM (and support for the ARM cpu / SOC used in pandora), the answer is no

If it does, would it be possible to use open-source windows software on it just by compiling it to ARM? or is there more to it?

That should be not an issue (assuming reactos is at a state where it implements all win32 stuff) unless the program itself contains hardware specific calls.

 

[Kettling]

@Vitel: I know it's not ready for common use, but it's a huge proof of concept. And I'd love to try it out when I receive my Panda

Since it is partially ported to ARM, does that mean that what exists of it now could theoretically be made to run on the Pandora?

@Polossatik: What exactly is HAL? (I suppose it's not the homicidal computer )
Edit: Never mind, found it, sorry

 

[Caine]

Please keep in mind that even if ReactOS would run, it still wouldn't allow running of windows applications (which are x86 only).

 

[femngi]

Please keep in mind that even if ReactOS would run, it still wouldn't allow running of windows applications (which are x86 only).

Which probably defeats the entire point. Unless there are some Win CE applications you really want to run.

 

[SomeGuy99]

Please keep in mind that even if ReactOS would run, it still wouldn't allow running of windows applications (which are x86 only).

Which probably defeats the entire point. Unless there are some Win CE applications you really want to run.

There are some open source projects which have no Linux ports - Notepad++ for example.

 

[quadomatic]

There are some open source projects which have no Linux ports - Notepad++ for example.

So much effort for so little gain...

 

[SomeGuy99]

There are some open source projects which have no Linux ports - Notepad++ for example.

So much effort for so little gain...

There is also Bonkenc?

I guess if someone is Windows developer this is also useful (no need to learn Linux apis).

 

[Letalis Sonus]

Please keep in mind that even if ReactOS would run, it still wouldn't allow running of windows applications (which are x86 only).

Actually, there were discussions about integrating user space emulation for doing exactly that, executing x86 Windows applications. However, as of January 2010 it didn't even boot on ARM, it is still too early to consider using it on ARM.

 

[Pleng]

Please keep in mind that even if ReactOS would run, it still wouldn't allow running of windows applications (which are x86 only).

Which probably defeats the entire point. Unless there are some Win CE applications you really want to run.

Can ReactOS run WinCE apps?

 

[michield]

User space emulation in combination with native arm dll's would be an awesome combo so it would be interesting to follow the project.