• Welcome to OS2World OLD-STATIC-BACKUP Forum.
 

News:

This is an old OS2World backup forum for reference only. IT IS READ ONLY!!!

If you need help with OS/2 - eComStation visit http://www.os2world.com/forum

Main Menu

Almost Off Topic: ReactOS and HaikuOS

Started by miturbide, 2011.01.21, 23:07:47

Previous topic - Next topic

miturbide

ReactOS is a Windows XP/2003 clone. Complete open source, based on the documentation on how Windows works. They currently have an OS that boots with GUI and basic hardware functions (networks works,etc)

HaikuOS is a BeOS open source clone. They also have a clone that boots with GUI and do some functions just like BeOS used to.

Both OSes are not ready for production but they are ahead than the OS/2 community on producing the OS clone they like.

Assuming that part of the OS/2-eCs community will like to see some work on creating an OS/2 open source clone, which are the advantages that this two software community (ReactOS and Haiku) have that we don't?

Does anybody can comment about this two projects? do they have a lot of budget? secret documentation? Is there a company funding them?

Martin
Martín Itúrbide
OS2World.com NewsMaster
Open Source Advocate

Skype - martiniturbide
Google Talk - martiniturbide@gmail.com

cytan

ReactOS has been at it for the last 10 years or so and they are still in alpha! They have an army of coders and still cannot get to beta, they are still fighting old and badly written code etc. I don't know how an OS/2 kernel can be written without a professional team working on it full time, e.g. OpenOffice or Firefox.

OSFree.org is, of course, working on an OS/2 kernel. The team is small and they are really at a pre-alpha stage. But the good news is that code is still being written.

The problem is that the OS/2 community is small and the number of programmers is even smaller. I wouldn't hold my breath that a new kernel can be brought on line anytime soon. However, if the OSFree folks think otherwise, I'd be happy to listen.

melf

For me I don't care if eCS or a future OS/2 will be open sourced or not, use is more important. I notice that there also are a development of the so called OS4 kernel. I use to try it now and then. The latest kernels have not been so good, freezes when running Thunderbird, earlier versions ran better. But I still put hope in that project, if the legal things can be solved in some way.
/Mikael

miturbide

The question was "Assuming that part of the OS/2-eCs community will like to see some work on creating an OS/2 open source clone".

The fact remains that ReactOS and HaikuOS had made more progress on cloning an OS that this community. Even if both releases are still not usable.

I want to focus the question on how did the reach this status.
Martín Itúrbide
OS2World.com NewsMaster
Open Source Advocate

Skype - martiniturbide
Google Talk - martiniturbide@gmail.com

craigm

I am not sure why an OS, like Haiku, can get their act together with less people and no real money incoming while the eCS cannot.

I think if we were able to build the core OS then we could bolt the other software to it. An idea would be something like using OpenDOS as the Dos replacement, CUPS for the printing, SNAP/Panorama for video, Uniaud for audio, etc. We would be able to move faster on the project because there is less to focus on.

I'm assuming though it is a HUGE project, that takes more time and love for an OS than I have now or anyone my age normally does. It would be great if we could get some college kids and get their teacher to make them make the core OS for a grade =)

We can talk about it all day, but we need someone who has three important values:

1. Knows how to program, with the ability to design an OS
2. Wants to take on a project like this and organize people that would help him/her
3. Have lots and lots of free time. 

Or

1. Someone with a crap load of money willing to pay for the above to happen.

Once the Core is done, I think the eCS community has all the tools to put the rest together.

I'm in sales and honestly, I think why Haiku is getting some acknowledgment is because its a pretty "sexy" OS, I think most of us can agree the visual of eCS needs some love (though I personally like the look a lot). If we can somehow figure out how to make it an interesting OS for people outside the current "sphere" of users I think we can really grow.

Also, if the OS is free like Haiku is that will bring in a ton of people, hopefully some that program, thus growing our base larger.

Just my little opinion.