My own questions and suggestions to the ReactOS Team

[falkTX]

First of all, thank you for working so hard on this project. This is actually one of my favourite opensource projects, and it's growing so fast! Thank you!
Here's what I want to say:

1. I recently start learning developing in my free time (which is a lot), but most of what I've learned is just making bash scripts. I wanted to start learning something that could really help you guys (maybe C++ ?); But I don't know the right place to start, can you recommend me some basic books? Will I need shareware apps to write/edit/compile any of the code? And what does the ROS Team REALLY NEEDS right now? I think I can start there.

2. I'm a little worried about something - codecs. I know that opensource OSes cannot provide non-free codecs because of (stupid) patents/restrictions, so I guess this will be ROS case as well. Will you, devs, have any problems with this? And we, users, are we going to be able to install any codecs/players we want? For example, VLC includes the libdvdcss that is actually not available (officialy) to Ubuntu cause it requires buying some non-free license. What can you tell me about this?

3. What are your goals for 0.3.9/0.4.x? I like to hear plans for future releases and I want to recommend the 2 most important things for me/you right now:
A) atapi.sys driver - this because my HDs are still not supported, which makes ReactOS not installable. I have 2 laptops and a old desktop, and the only way I got to install ReactOS was by replacing the HD on the desktop PC with a really old one (a 'WD Caviar 24300' with 4Gb space). I think that making ROS able to install on any HD is the first step to make it work on real HW.
B) VirtualBox Graphics Driver - this because the new VBox (2.1.x) supports OpenGL Acceleration, a thing that no other VM has (VMware has DirectX accel, but ROS is still poor at DX graphics). I've tested this feature in my Kubuntu and I must say it works fine (with 128Mb GPU); I was able to run TORCS inside VBox with almost no trouble at all! If you guys are interested on getting (OpenGL) games to work under ROS, fixing the issues to make VBox G.R. (and maybe 'Seamless windows', why not?), is going to be awesome! (Conter-Strike may also work this way since it has an option for OpenGL graphics).

4. There are still lots of bugs. This is sad and I know you're working hard to get things to work just as they work on XP (or better), so I'll just ask just for 1 bug fix (that may envolve many bugs, I don't know for sure) - The Command-Line! Since ReactOS explorer is, honestly, too weak and buggy to use, starting using cmd to some basic tasks should be a priority. Here's my little list of the most-annoying cmd bugs:
1. English keyboard layout only (or Switzerland/French and Portuguese are not supported?)
2. Cannot start "non-ReactOS" apps from cmd (like if I wanted to install an app from cmd, it's not possible, even when the path is fully written or using a *.bat file for the task; This can also break OEMRunOnce, cause most of the files used there are .bat/.cmd)
3. 'dir' to an empty drive root directory gives and error instead of displaying info about the drive
4. I can copy a file to a diretory that actually doesn't exist..!
5. trying to use 'format' to a CD/DVD drive doesn't display an error, instead it treats the drive like it was a diskette.


And that's all for now. For my first post here this is a little big, but I'm sure I'll help ReactOS in time...
And again, THANK YOU for this awesome project! (It gives me hope...)

[vicmarcal]

A lot of thanks about your bugs and about offering your help.
ReactOS is basically coded in C,some(but few) in C++ and some in Assambler.
Look in our Wiki,you will find a lot of recommended books: books to begin coding and books to begin understanding OS and NT structure.
About Bugs,report them in our Bugzilla.Try to follow the Bugzilla Report guidelines from our Wiki too. We use it to find the bugs and solve them, i´m working currently in CMD.exe, so i will give a look to those you have posted.Anyway fill a Report for each bug in our Bugzilla.
We need junior coders,senior coders,Web and Ros translators,document writers...Look our Wiki and you will discover how to improve your skills,my recommendation: begin from the basics(and the easiest stuff) while you improve your coding..then..little by little you will find yourself coding with the Developers all together.

[falkTX]

I'll look into the wiki, but since I don't have net acess at home (yet), I'll just have to download all the pages and read them at home.

[Z98]

2. We have a binary linking exception. Even then, we don't bundle applications or anything, minus the basics. If you want an application, go get the Windows installer for it. Our job is to make sure any application that works on Windows will work on ROS. We have no intention of trying to ram political or philosophical beliefs down users' throats.

3. No answer exists since the roadmap was completely out of date and getting developers to work out a new one and actually stick to it is next to impossible. Maybe when I have some free time I'll whip one out of them. Your HD problem seems odd, as the driver currently can only see 4GB of space on any ATA drive, not refuse to acknowledge a much larger drive. And we already get OpenGL games working, just not without any hardware acceleration. That's a whole other issue that needs working out.

[hto]

We have no intention of trying to ram political or philosophical beliefs down users' throats.

heh, even GNU OS allows users to run proprietary software on it…

[GoBusto]

We have no intention of trying to ram political or philosophical beliefs down users' throats.

heh, even GNU OS allows users to run proprietary software on it…

Well, if you think about it, that's only really because any attempt to stop users from doing so would go like this:

1) Modify GNU/whatever so that it refuses to run proprietary things.
2a) Realise that this counts as an anti-feature and is thus against everything the GNU project stands for.
2b) Realise that, since the whole point of the GNU project is to allow users to customise their software as they wish, users are just going to edit the source code and remove these restrictions anyway.
3) Result: More work for the developers who have to implement the restrictions and more work for end users who have to remove them, with no real benefit to either side, plus the GNU project looks hypocritical for implementing restrictions on a supposedly unrestricted operating system.

[hto]

Better explanation:

• The freedom to run the program, for any purpose (freedom 0).

[vicmarcal]

4. There are still lots of bugs. This is sad and I know you're working hard to get things to work just as they work on XP (or better), so I'll just ask just for 1 bug fix (that may envolve many bugs, I don't know for sure) - The Command-Line! Since ReactOS explorer is, honestly, too weak and buggy to use, starting using cmd to some basic tasks should be a priority. Here's my little list of the most-annoying cmd bugs:
1. English keyboard layout only (or Switzerland/French and Portuguese are not supported?)
2. Cannot start "non-ReactOS" apps from cmd (like if I wanted to install an app from cmd, it's not possible, even when the path is fully written or using a *.bat file for the task; This can also break OEMRunOnce, cause most of the files used there are .bat/.cmd)
3. 'dir' to an empty drive root directory gives and error instead of displaying info about the drive
4. I can copy a file to a diretory that actually doesn't exist..!
5. trying to use 'format' to a CD/DVD drive doesn't display an error, instead it treats the drive like it was a diskette.

Well... as i said you...lets look these bugs:

1.We support some Keyboard Layouts...Spanish Keyboard layout(i.e) is working perfectly. I will check French and Portuguese.But must too.
2.You can start perfectly apps from CMD. I have made the next test: Put Firefox 1.5.0.12 installer in D:. Open cmd...go to D: drive and write Fire (make a Tab completion),it will write the file and click enter. It begins installing
3.making just dir in an empty directory shows the Directory Path, and everything (all as it´s shown in XP cmd). Please give me your replication method.
4.we have some format drive problems...also we arent checking the Drive to format exists,it has been solved(or it´s in the way to be solved soon)


BTW, which version are you currently testing?

[coldReactive]

Well... as i said you...lets look these bugs:

1.We support some Keyboard Layouts...Spanish Keyboard layout(i.e) is working perfectly. I will check French and Portuguese.But must too.
2.You can start perfectly apps from CMD. I have made the next test: Put Firefox 1.5.0.12 installer in D:. Open cmd...go to D: drive and write Fire (make a Tab completion),it will write the file and click enter. It begins installing
3.making just dir in an empty directory shows the Directory Path, and everything (all as it´s shown in XP cmd). Please give me your replication method.
4.we have some format drive problems...also we arent checking the Drive to format exists,it has been solved(or it´s in the way to be solved soon)


BTW, which version are you currently testing?

Your number 4 should be number 5. You skipped "I can copy a file to a diretory that actually doesn't exist..!"

[vicmarcal]

Well... as i said you...lets look these bugs:

1.We support some Keyboard Layouts...Spanish Keyboard layout(i.e) is working perfectly. I will check French and Portuguese.But must too.
2.You can start perfectly apps from CMD. I have made the next test: Put Firefox 1.5.0.12 installer in D:. Open cmd...go to D: drive and write Fire (make a Tab completion),it will write the file and click enter. It begins installing
3.making just dir in an empty directory shows the Directory Path, and everything (all as it´s shown in XP cmd). Please give me your replication method.
4.we have some format drive problems...also we arent checking the Drive to format exists,it has been solved(or it´s in the way to be solved soon)


BTW, which version are you currently testing?

Your number 4 should be number 5. You skipped "I can copy a file to a diretory that actually doesn't exist..!"

Thanks Iyeru , you are right

[falkTX]

3. making just dir in an empty directory shows the Directory Path, and everything (all as it´s shown in XP cmd). Please give me your replication method.
----------------------------------------------
I mean:
Add an empty HD. change to it and 'dir'. It will give you an error is the 'root directory' of the HD is empty.
I'm using 0.3.8

[falkTX]

I downloaded the 0.3.8 source and I saw something I can easily do - Translations.
Also I may could implement NuoveXT look, but I need to know what devs think.

How can I start developing? (or.. translating?)

---------------------------------------------------------------
And about C that I'm learning, I just did my first code: (very basic)

Code: Select all

#include <stdio.h>
/* Learning Code */
// by falkTX
int number[3];
int number_mix;
int result[3];
int null;
void CHA1()
{
printf("Challenge 1:\nWrite a number higher than 1 and lower than 5!\n");
scanf("%i",&number[0]);
   if (number[0] > 1 && number[0] < 5)
result[0] = 1;
   else
printf("\nWrong!!!\n");
}
void CHA2()
{
printf("\nChallenge 2:\nWrite a number higher than 80 or lower than 3!\n");
scanf("%i",&number[1]);
   if (number[1] < 3 || number[1] > 80)
result[1] = 1;
   else
printf("\nWrong!!!\n");
}
void CHA3()
{
printf("\nChallenge 3:\nWrite the value of the fist number plus the second that you wrote!\n");
scanf("%i",&number[2]);
number_mix = number[0] + number[1];
   if (number[2] == number_mix)
printf("\nWOW! You did it!!\n");
   else
printf("\nWrong!!!\n");
}
int main()
{
CHA1();
   if (result[0] == 1)
CHA2();
   if (result[1] == 1)
CHA3();
   else
return 0;
}


[vicmarcal]

Your code seems nice to be the first
But in my opinion i would change some things:

Code: Select all

void CHA1()
{
printf("Challenge 1:\nWrite a number higher than 1 and lower than 5!\n");
scanf("%i",&number[0]);
   if (number[0] > 1 && number[0] < 5)
       result[0] = 1;
   else
       printf("\nWrong!!!\n");
}

Of course everyone has his own method to made easy-understandable code but IMHO code is much better readable with this identation.
Now easily you can read result[0] is an IF-dependant-code, and printf is an ELSE-dependant-code. In this easy case isnt needed,but in future difficult long code this identation will help to understand the relations.

Code: Select all

int main()
{
CHA1();
   if (result[0] == 1)
CHA2();
   if (result[1] == 1)
CHA3();
   else
return 0;
}

Here the same, a fast reader will think that CHA1(),CHA2() and CHA3() will be executed at least once, then looking carefully the IFs you notice that CHA2() and CHA3() are IF dependant. So a much better would be:

Code: Select all

int main()
{
CHA1();
if (result[0] == 1)
   CHA2();
if (result[1] == 1)
   CHA3();
else
   return 0;
}

This "just identation" will help you to anwer my questions:
*When does main returning 0?in which cases?
*Which value does main() return if result[0]=0???
*Second question: Which is the Diagram Tree? Could you explain the relations between CHA1() CHA2() and CHA3()? Right now *I think* there is a logical BUG in the "int main". So please explain me the Diagram Tree to Confirm you this.
*How are u testing if the "main", is returning the expected values???

These questions are just for flakTX please ...dont spoil them...thanks

[falkTX]

This "just identation" will help you to anwer my questions:
*When does main returning 0?in which cases?

Actually I still don't know why I should write 'return 0', but it seems to work

*Which value does main() return if result[0]=0???

hm... if 'result[0]' is not 1 it means you failed, so you can't go forward to the next challenge.

*Second question: Which is the Diagram Tree? Could you explain the relations between CHA1() CHA2() and CHA3()? Right now *I think* there is a logical BUG in the "int main". So please explain me the Diagram Tree to Confirm you this.

I don't understand what you're trying to say, but CHA1, 2,3 are that way just to make code a little bit clean and don't confuse me. CHA1,2,3 are (I think) functions tha't main' will need later. If you complete the challenge you pass to the next one.

*How are u testing if the "main", is returning the expected values???
What??? I just test if CHA1,2,3 are correct or not

Thanks for your reply

[hto]

How can I start developing? (or.. translating?)

Read development introduction and translation introduction.