Different distros of ReactOS?

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texting
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Different distros of ReactOS?

Post by texting »

Hi. I was wondering if ReactOS will have many different distros. Mainly because I like the idea of a free OS besides Linux, that can run under a different partition like NTFS.

I was thinking about a light weight version of ReactOS so it would have just the basic needs to just get an OS up and running, with the basic tools needed(3d acceleration, internet, audio), without any extra stuff bloated to it. So it could be used for every day use.

Because I don't know what will be bundled with the actual ReactOS.
Z98
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Re: Different distros of ReactOS?

Post by Z98 »

The version released by the team will be lightweight, though a version that includes a collection of drivers is also possible. It's more likely that "distros" made by other people will be the bloated ones.
Lone_Rifle
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Re: Different distros of ReactOS?

Post by Lone_Rifle »

Z98 wrote: It's more likely that "distros" made by other people will be the bloated ones.
Or to look at it in a more positive light, the comprehensive ones that you can install and use right off the bat.
Because I don't know what will be bundled with the actual ReactOS.
The ReactOS team is the equivalent of the team that develops the Linux kernel. The latter releases the kernel and doesn't care what other people do with it. Similarly with the former. It's only unfortunate that the ROS devs are responsible for developing the GUI and other subsystems as well so as to maintain compatibility with Windows GUI apps.
vicmarcal
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Re: Different distros of ReactOS?

Post by vicmarcal »

Maybe we should include a HowTO include apps in the Official ISO, so people can begin spreading them?
Ged
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Re: Different distros of ReactOS?

Post by Ged »

I'm very much against distros.

unfortunatley, there's very little I can do about this....
greenie
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Re: Different distros of ReactOS?

Post by greenie »

Honestly a light version of windows is exactly what I want. Then I can choose my own bloat :P
Distros on reactos will probably fail more than on linux. Because windows sound, gfx and gui are already strictly defined. Where as on linux someone has to assemble it into a working os(possibly not compatible with other distros). Some interesting distro's may come though.
Like a replacement shell that makes it more suitable for a mediabox(tv, movies and sound). Or something along those lines. mmm I have dibs on mediabox if already not taken :P.
**M**
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Re: Different distros of ReactOS?

Post by **M** »

For linux distro's are great, but for ReactOS, which is trying to look and feel like windows, distros will break up followers and progress into parts, and cause confusion when X version of ROS has something broken/working/feature Y doesn't.
I don't think choice is a bad thing, but I believe even linux would be a much more mature OS if all that work went into one or a few versions rather than many.
Sof_T
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Re: Different distros of ReactOS?

Post by Sof_T »

Since ReactOS is trying to look and feel like Windows then Distro will undoubtedly spring up, look how many versions of Vista or XP there are. It would only be following in Microsoft's footsteps.
Lone_Rifle
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Re: Different distros of ReactOS?

Post by Lone_Rifle »

Lone_Rifle wrote: the ROS devs are responsible for developing the GUI and other subsystems as well
Actually, it's interesting. Windows, and hence ReactOS, is modular; in fact, the ROS devs are already organised into separate teams. Perhaps making ROS available in neatly-packaged separate bits and pieces as well (the kernel, the HAL, the GUI, the shell, etc) could encourage people to tinker.
vicmarcal
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Re: Different distros of ReactOS?

Post by vicmarcal »

Well..I think some of the popularity of Linux came thanks to Distros.In the same way Nokia became popular thanks to be the first of applying themes.That made a huge community around Nokia.
when X version of ROS has something broken/working/feature Y doesn't.
When talking about distros im not saying forks(different ROS kernel versions).Im saying same Kernel but different APPs,or different GUI.
There are General Linux Distros, as Ubuntu.Or specific cracking distros as Wifislax.Also they have different GUIS. And the User chooses the one which is near to his interest.

The main point in ReactOS is that nowadays Users can download just the OS with the basics, so if the interest of some users is just the OS naked they can get it.


Windows XP has also its own "Illegal Distros", which are XP versions with some of the services,modules,etc...removed.Some of these "Illegal Distros" also has its own GUI(some are easy themes to add,others have changed the all GUI). So seems people are demanding "Windows" Distros.
Ged
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Re: Different distros of ReactOS?

Post by Ged »

vicmarcal wrote:Well..I think some of the popularity of Linux came thanks to Distros.
One of the reasons for the failure of Linux on the desktop is due to distros.
ros distros should be discouraged at all costs, we don't want the same mess that the linux community has.
Haos
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Re: Different distros of ReactOS?

Post by Haos »

Fortunately ROS is way more compact and not as modular as Linux, thus changes would rather be limited to UI changes and stuff bundled with it. I suppose there wont be any compatibility issues by such. There wont be many ROS distros as our learning curve is very steep.
**M**
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Re: Different distros of ReactOS?

Post by **M** »

I think a better way to do it perhaps is when ROS is more mature, downloader can be modified to use something like "profiles" that auto-download a group of applications/skin/etc. That way Ros will have only one Distro then people can download a profile that will transform their Ros desktop
doomonyou
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Re: Different distros of ReactOS?

Post by doomonyou »

Ged wrote:
vicmarcal wrote:Well..I think some of the popularity of Linux came thanks to Distros.
One of the reasons for the failure of Linux on the desktop is due to distros.
ros distros should be discouraged at all costs, we don't want the same mess that the linux community has.
Not that ros distros are a good idea but distros and their packages are one of the main reasons I choose to use linux.
hto
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Post by hto »

Ged wrote: unfortunatley, there's very little I can do about this....
That's good. :) Some people have other opinions.
One of the reasons for the failure of Linux on the desktop is due to distros.
But it is not due to distros as such, but because of incompatibility between them. So there is a lot of duplicate work, dissipation of people's energies.
Haos wrote: There wont be many ROS distros as our learning curve is very steep.
Quite the contrary, because ROS looks easy for many users, there become no very much reason to change it. Difficulties encourage people to make changes. Linux was difficult, so there we have many distros. But when something is easy, it is already not interesting. :)
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