Il 17/05/2016 20:23, Magnus Johnsson ha scritto:

I am an utter scrubnub, but has followed this mailing list for.. more than a few years. Its not unheard of to get an angry response to a commit saying that its an API that is newer than the targeted version.

Being a scrubnub lurker I can't help but think that being somewhat agressive on compatibilty modes would be nice, but.. I'll shut up now :'). Just wanted the "people are angry when non-targeted versions of API's are implemented" thrown in there.

+1 to this, forgot to mention it.

Il 17/05/2016 20:04, Alex Ionescu ha scritto:

The project doesn't have to be hard-coded to NT5. For example, I am
building a UEFI loader/bootmgr based on Windows 10, because 2003
doesn't boot on UEFI systems.

That being said, I don't see any good reason for us not to still
mainly focus on 2003 for the kernel. The kernel is NOT what's
preventing apps from working, or hardware from working. What's
preventing that from working is:

1) Lacking user-mode APIs, and in some cases Rtl APIs (sure, implement
Win 10 ones!)
2) Lacking hardware support for things like UEFI (I'm working on it),
AHCI (we have a student working on it), USB 3 (someone can implement
this...but USB 2 barely works), etc..etc..etc..

Find me a single device driver that *only* works on NT 6... Server
2003 is still a support MS OS, so by definition there's still drivers
for it.
Best regards,
Alex Ionescu

Hello Alex,

You can definitely focus on 2003 for the kernel, however keep in mind that you would be re-implementing 14 years that is an advanced state of the process of migration towards new software.
Yes, user-mode APIs and lacking hardware support is what prevents apps from working now. Lacking kernel support is what will prevent apps from working in a few years.

A clear example: most of new Windows application are being written against the .NET libraries, and the last version of .NET has already dropped Windows XP support. I doubt you can run .NET 4.5 on a 2003 type of kernel even if you implement the last user-mode interface (and afaik you can't even do that unless you implement some parts of NT6), so this is already significant portion of apps that ReactOS will never be able to run if you stick to NT5. Unless you want to reverse .NET 4.5 too and rewrite the it to run on NT5... The same goes for all other examples of this kind, both from Microsoft and from 3rd party vendors.

I've also found an example of a device driver that only works on NT6, and in fact I didn't even have to look for it: it was the first device I saw on my desk. Elgato Game Capture HD, and that's pretty much the entire YouTube and Twitch gaming business (a multi-million dollar industry, for those who aren't familiar with it).
Also, some of the newer printers in my father's business, as well as the GPS navigation system map update driver for some of his trucks, to give some "job industry" examples.

Windows Server 2003 is definitely supported by Microsoft (which doesn't mean it is supported by others, and it mostly isn't), but it is almost dead, and it would only do harm to deny that.
Implementing NT5 with the "NT6" user-mode API would lead to an Open Source Windows Vista, without the "wow Aero looks so cool" factor. Please don't waste all the magnificent work you've done so far like this. :)

Best regards,
--- Riccardo Paolo Bestetti

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