0×02 ReactOS : open source clone of Windows XP

ReactOS® is an advanced free open source operating system providing a ground-up implementation of a Microsoft Windows® XP compatible operating system. ReactOS aims to achieve complete binary compatibility with both applications and device drivers meant for NT and XP operating systems, by using a similar architecture and providing a complete and equivalent public interface.

Well, developers have to do lot of reverse engineering to make it as much perfect clone of Windows as possible. This will not only help the users to get free OS but also help the developers to understand internals of Windows in much better way.

Though it is still in alpha stage, it is capable of running most of Windows XP applications without any modification. You can look at screenshots here to get a feel of ReactOS running most popular applications including some of the games as well.

Only time will answer, if ReactOS will be able to bring out the best of Linux and Windows world …!

– Nagareshwar Talekar

~ by tnagareshwar on April 6, 2007.