ReactOS needs tests and application compatibility

[ctasan]

The biggest problem in ReactOS is application compatibility.

Example, Office 2000 and XP setup failed. In 2003 Setup couldn't register a module I think it causes from Windows Installer.

In Office 2003, Setup couldn't register a module -I don't remember name of the module-. Office 2003 seems to work but when I attempted to uninstall it, I waited for a few seconds and there was a BSOD with "PAGE_FAULT_IN_NONPAGED_AREA" message.

Because of this, we must improve Windows Installer, binaries, Unicode, shell, DirectX etc. Also a lot of crash causes from kernel (ntoskrnl.exe).

Addition 1: I have Windows Research Kernel (WRK) v1.2. It's designed for Server 2003 SP1/XP Professional x64. If you want kernel, I'll give it and you can port it to ReactOS for solving kernel problems.

Addition 2:I use VirtualBox. How can I debug and get a log file during application setup, working and uninstalling for detecting errors?

Thanks, good night.
Can Taşan

[Z98]

Incorporating code from the Windows Research Kernel into ReactOS would be illegal. People need to stop thinking that there are shortcuts.

[jonaspm]

Hi! thank you for your interest in the ReactOS project!

First of all, to get debug logs easily you can create a file called KDBinit in C:\ReactOS\system32\drivers\etc and put a filter into it. Then reboot and choose "ReactOS (Log file)" in the boot menu.

SEE THIS FOR A DETAILED EXPLANATION.
http://www.reactos.org/wiki/Kdbg#KDBinit
http://www.reactos.org/wiki/Kdbg#filter

[EmuandCo]

Debug to Log wont help if your wanna make a backtrace. At that point it wont write to HDD anymore. Use VBox and link the Output to a file OR better... Install Com2Com and configure it to link the two virtual COM Ports COM1 and COM2 which you have to name EXACTLY that way by renaming the CNC1 and CNC2 or whatever name they get by default. Then use Putty to show the Output of COM2. VBOX COM port has to be linked to host's COM1

[Black_Fox]

I use VirtualBox. How can I debug and get a log file during application setup, working and uninstalling for detecting errors?

Check out my tutorial, it logs into Putty. You can set a large enough buffer for Putty and then save the buffer to file. As EmuandCo writes, logging directly to file has some disadvantages.

[ctasan]

Incorporating code from the Windows Research Kernel into ReactOS would be illegal. People need to stop thinking that there are shortcuts.

I have read Windows Research Kernel's licence. We can use it, because it's for non-commercial purposes. I just said it for stopping errors about kernel. You can show me a server or a ReactOS' server and I'll upload it.

Also others, thanks for your help.

[Z98]

No, we cannot. ReactOS does not fit the definition of a non-commercial project.

[EmuandCo]

Non-Commercial != GPL compatible.

[ctasan]

You can take a look to WRK license:

Windows Research Kernel Source Code License

This license governs use of the accompanying software, and your use of
the software constitutes acceptance of this license. Your license rights
below are subject to the restrictions in the license, and are available
to you only so long as you remain eligible due to your affiliation with
an accredited educational institution. (For more details on eligibility
see http://www.microsoft.com/resources/shar ... demic.mspx)

You may use and modify this software for any non-commercial purpose within
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You may distribute snippets of this software in research papers, books or
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License Version: 12 January 2006.

[Z98]

We have looked at the license. We and the entire open source community have examined every single license MS has used for any source code they release. We know exactly which licenses allow us to actually use code in ReactOS and which do not. The WRK's license most emphatically does not.

[The_French_Rat]

No, we cannot. ReactOS does not fit the definition of a non-commercial project.

One question: How?

[WorldBlender]

One question: How?

The license(s) that ReactOS are licensed under permit commercial uses, including but not limited to, charging a monetary fee for a copy of ReactOS, forking ReactOS in order to gain a commercial advantage, and usage in a business for essential operations, even if the main user target is towards those of residential or other non-commercial users.
And these snippets,

From the Windows Research Kernel Source Code License:

You may use and modify this software for any non-commercial purpose within
your educational institution, including making a reasonable number of copies.
Teaching, academic research, and personal experimentation are examples
of purposes which can be non-commercial. You may post copies
on an internal secure server, and it may be installed and used
on personal machines of eligible users. [<- Does not fit the definition of "anyone"]

You may not use or distribute this software or any derivative works
in any form for commercial purposes. Examples of commercial purposes
would be running business operations, licensing, leasing, or selling
the software, or distributing the software for use with commercial products.

You may distribute the software and modifications to the software for
non-commercial purposes, but only to other eligible users of the software
(for example, to another university student or professor to support joint
academic research). You may not grant rights to the software or derivative
works that are broader than those provided by this license. For example,
you may not distribute modifications of the software under terms that would
permit commercial use, or under terms that purport to require the software
or derivative works to be sublicensed to others.

go against my main point here.

[Black_Fox]

The license(s) that ReactOS are licensed under permit commercial uses, including but not limited to, charging a monetary fee for a copy of ReactOS, forking ReactOS in order to gain a commercial advantage, and usage in a business for essential operations, even if the main user target is towards those of residential or other non-commercial users.
And these snippets (snip) go against my main point here.

Thanks for reminding, I tend to forget the forking/derivate aspect of opensource licences in regard to non-commercialism.

[The_French_Rat]

One question: How?

The license(s) that ReactOS are licensed under permit commercial uses, including but not limited to, charging a monetary fee for a copy of ReactOS, forking ReactOS in order to gain a commercial advantage, and usage in a business for essential operations, even if the main user target is towards those of residential or other non-commercial users.
And these snippets,

From the Windows Research Kernel Source Code License:

You may use and modify this software for any non-commercial purpose within
your educational institution, including making a reasonable number of copies.
Teaching, academic research, and personal experimentation are examples
of purposes which can be non-commercial. You may post copies
on an internal secure server, and it may be installed and used
on personal machines of eligible users. [<- Does not fit the definition of "anyone"]

You may not use or distribute this software or any derivative works
in any form for commercial purposes. Examples of commercial purposes
would be running business operations, licensing, leasing, or selling
the software, or distributing the software for use with commercial products.

You may distribute the software and modifications to the software for
non-commercial purposes, but only to other eligible users of the software
(for example, to another university student or professor to support joint
academic research). You may not grant rights to the software or derivative
works that are broader than those provided by this license. For example,
you may not distribute modifications of the software under terms that would
permit commercial use, or under terms that purport to require the software
or derivative works to be sublicensed to others.

go against my main point here.

Thanks for clarifying.

[Bluebee]

There is a great tool for Development Help: Win32Forth

With Win32Forth it is easy to have interactive and automated access to parts of the source.
For testing I am using VisualFORTH from http://www.visualforth.org
All vF-examples are running on ReactOS
These examples are available at http://www.visualforth.org/Examples/Examples.html