ReactOS wishlist

[Howard Lee Harkness]

I have been tutoring a blind lady on how to use a computer. Unfortunately, she has Windows Vista, which is real PITA. There is a long story behind that, which I will omit in this post.

What I would like to see in ReactOS:

• Needs to run NVDA (non-visual desktop access, an open-source screenreader)
  Needs to run a browser (Firefox preferred, but would also like a more blind-accessible brower)
  Needs to run Thunderbird (open-source email/newsreader) or some other blind-accessible email/newsreader
  Needs to connect via WiFi
  Needs to print to a WiFi printer
  Needs to run a LogMeIn server (or any other equivalent *free* remote support app)
  BONUS: Capable of running in "Live CD/DVD" mode (virus-proof)

If this list is possible for ReactOS, I can see a tremendous benefit to visually-handicapped people, most of whom are unemployed or under-employed, and therefore don't have the means to buy a lot of software.

[PurpleGurl]

Yes, capturing the segment of those who are differently abled and supporting them could be a great boon for us. Of course, keep in mind that if it doesn't exist for Windows, it won't exist for us. So if something doesn't exist for Windows, then creating it in the first place would be where to start. I know for getting stuff into the PC, Dragon software (formerly Dragon Naturally Speaking) is a superb program for that, though very expensive. Whether it currently works under ROS is another matter. However, I know very little about it going the other way, there text gets converted to voice or even to haptics.

As for the WiFi stuff, that should work as ROS becomes usable in general. As for running completely in Live CD mode, I am not sure if a NT OS can work the best like that. Generally, virtual memory is necessary. Perhaps the Live version could be modified to accept USB drives under certain circumstances for a swap file. The ChromeOS is made to run completely stateless. Once it loads from the hard drive, the drive is no longer available for anything, and it runs out of RAM and possibly off of a cloud server too, at least for user data.

Yes, for the differently abled, open source is a great concept.

[mrugiero]

I know of someone visually handicapped on my Ubuntu mailing community, I might ask him which software does he use, and try and port it to Windows/ReactOS if it's not already ported.

[erkinalp]

Provided that disk format being the same, swapfile being on internal/external storage and regular file/special file/partition does not matter outside the kernel and core disk and filesystem routines. So if we are able to achieve external storage swap on Live media, we will be able to achieve it on installed system too.

[rembrandt]

....
Needs to run a LogMeIn server (or any other equivalent *free* remote support app)
.....

Teamviewer already works!

[ReactOS_FAN]

My Wishlist is:

1. UAC as Opt-in Feature
2. ASLR and DEP
3. GUI customization like making black Task Bar
4. Security Features like faking being in a VM (many malware does not execute in VM because they fear of being analysed)
5. Kernel Based Emulation (like Kernel Based Virtualization in Linux or Hyper-V in Windows, just you can also run Android for ARM. Good feature for developers)
6. Boot on GPT with Legacy BIOS PC
7. NTFS, EXT3, EXT4
8. DirectX Support up to 11.1

[jonaspm]

My wishlist for short time would be:

-stable ext2 support
-complete explorer_new.exe
-WiFi WPA/WPA2 support
-complete USB 1.1 & 2.0 support
-complete PS/2 support (my touchpad has issues)
-complete DirectX 9 support and OpenGL 3.0

[PurpleGurl]

- Stable on most real hardware.
- Multicore, SMP, and hyperthreading support
- 64-bit
- PAE and no-execute for the 32-bit implementation.
- Complete, stable, and working USB support.
- Stable ext2 or NTFS support
- Complete explorer_new.exe
- complete DirectX 11.1 support and OpenGL 3.0

[DOSGuy]

1. Universal compatibility with software for every operating system ever created
2. Complete immunity from Windows viruses
3. A utility for picking the winning lottery numbers
4. Sharks with frickin' laser beams attached to their heads

[Black_Fox]

Based on others' wishlists, here's mine mid-range, ordered by my understanding of difficulties of implementation:

-WiFi WPA/WPA2 support
-complete USB 1.1 & 2.0 support
-complete shell support for explorer_new.exe
-DirectX 9 support and OpenGL 3.0
-reasonable driver support (printer, discrete graphics, on-board network, on-board sound)

I don't *really* need DX11, NTFS, multicore or x64 for most of the daily tasks. I started writing before DOSGuy's wishlist arrived, so the sharks didn't make it to mine.
EDIT: Cleared up slightly how I've come to this order of difficulty.

[manuel]

my list to reactos:

• find process (in the task manager - similar to puppy linux Task Manager).
• When you insert a USB memory reactos show a confirm dialog to run the application from the autorun.inf file (with possibility to see that file first and of play/stop the execution of the application - stop virus)
• Preview of the windows in the taskbar (windows vista/7 like).
• Customize icons to reactos (select a theme from a list, restart reactos and ready, new look to reactos).

too, visit the Forum in Spanish (reactos developers), section suggestions, there are very good ideas here: http://www.reactos.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=1009 greetings

[Dave3434]

by manuel » 17 Sep 2013 21:24
my list to reactos:

find process (in the task manager - similar to puppy linux Task Manager).

why reactos has a task manager already?

[manuel]

by manuel » 17 Sep 2013 21:24
why reactos has a task manager already?

but don't have a search processes engine or Yes?, I remember that it is similar to windows xp and to locate a process i have to sort the list, but it would more practical if will exists a filter similar to windows vista/7 to display the files in a folder that match a name, that way is simplified search, greetings.

[hbelusca]

by manuel » 17 Sep 2013 21:24
why reactos has a task manager already?

but don't have a search processes engine or Yes?, I remember that it is similar to windows xp and to locate a process i have to sort the list, but it would more practical if will exists a filter similar to windows vista/7 to display the files in a folder that match a name, that way is simplified search, greetings.

?!?! On windows Vista/7 there is no such thing. Maybe you're talking about Windows 8 ?

[Aeneas]

-WiFi WPA/WPA2 support
-complete USB 1.1 & 2.0 support
-complete shell support for explorer_new.exe
-DirectX 9 support and OpenGL 3.0
-reasonable driver support (printer, discrete graphics, on-board network, on-board sound)

I think the list of Black Fox is excellent, and the two things I'd like to add would be:
- that "printing subsystem" you mention as necessary (he mentions it from a driver point of view, I mention it from the point of view of "black letters on white paper, I don't care how");
- an SSH server. (I've been looking forward to this last one for years and years...)

I cannot stress the importance of drivers and real hardware too much - VirtualBox is mastu...

PurpleGurl is right that ultimately, you cannot ignore the major hardware advances of the recent years, and namely:

- 64 bit. 4GB of RAM is OK this year, but already smallish (8 are standard), 4GB of RAM will be ridiculous 5 years from now.
- Graphics card support, stuff like DirectX and OpenGL. New, particularly "flashy", apps, make use of it - it is not "just for games".
- Same applies for multicore.

If you ignore these, you will end up like FreeDOS at the latest three to five years from now.