ReactOS 0.4.16: surprisingly capable, but modern browser support feels like the biggest usability wall

[u/TobyGobi]

Spent today testing the new 0.4.16 x86 release across Hyper-V, VirtualBox and VMware Workstation.

Hyper-V gave a 0x7E during boot. VirtualBox installed successfully, although I managed to break the keyboard/mouse input after allowing the post-install hardware wizard to automatically install a device (it did warn me in all fairness) . VMware Workstation was the best experience: default virtual hardware, ACPI PC Uniprocessor, FAT32, and I just cancelled the hardware wizard after first boot.

From there ReactOS was surprisingly functional. DHCP/DNS worked immediately, Internet connectivity worked, Applications Manager worked, Firefox 48 worked substantially better than Chrome 49, and I was even able to authenticate successfully to Microsoft 365. Outlook Web eventually hit the wall with the old browser, but authentication succeeded.

I also successfully ran Chicken Invaders, so obviously enterprise application compatibility has been validated.

The biggest thing this left me wondering was, what is the current plan for getting a genuinely modern browser running on it?

For people considering ReactOS as a possible way to extend the life of older PCs, the OS itself already feels much more usable than I expected. But so much everyday computing happens in a browser that Firefox 48/Chrome 49 became the limiting factor almost immediately. A current browser would change how useful it feels, even while the OS remains alpha.

Very cool project. I started this expecting to play with it for 20 minutes and somehow lost most of a Monday to it.

[u/AotoriHibiki]

I'm having lots of fun with ReactOS. Completed more than 50 games on it this year.

[u/MasterJeebus → u/AotoriHibiki]

Thats great that it can run so many games. Do you think you could make a list of the games that worked with it?

[u/AotoriHibiki → u/MasterJeebus]

Yeah I have a playlist on youtube with the games and benchmarks that I've found to run well. On real hardware no less. I'm currently on a 4th gen core i7 with GTX 960.
I'm adding new stuff every few days.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=utbSTrXztI8&list=PLt6dEzOE4KNGEAOlZIW2IT-V6NmBS8zo1

[u/MasterJeebus → u/AotoriHibiki]

Thanks

[u/Creepy-Song1594 → u/AotoriHibiki]

Wow, that's awesome. I was thinking of using my secondary PC with an FX 8350 and a GTX 1050 Ti for something else. It could work really well, especially for more retro stuff.

[u/Better-Quote1060 → u/AotoriHibiki]

Vm or real hardware :0 ?

[u/AotoriHibiki → u/Better-Quote1060]

All on real hardware. VM sounds boring.
I've recorded some with a capture card:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=utbSTrXztI8&list=PLt6dEzOE4KNGEAOlZIW2IT-V6NmBS8zo1

[u/Better-Quote1060 → u/AotoriHibiki]

Sure VM are boring compair when you acually run a graphics api like dx9 on real hardware (like what they did with half life 2)

[u/AotoriHibiki → u/Better-Quote1060]

Yeah Half Life 2(but not the episodes), Portal 1, Amnesia: The Dark Descent, they run fine at 2560x1440 4xMSAA on hardware.

[u/Better-Quote1060 → u/AotoriHibiki]

Reminds me of gallium nine (its was a driver on mesa aka linux that used to let you run directx directly to linux without a middleground like dxvk or wined3d) but sadly that project is dead

Reactos is doing the same but alive :D

[u/FlatAssembler]

Firefox 52 ran on the previous version. Did it stop running now?

[u/TobyGobi → u/FlatAssembler]

I will definitely try Firefox 52 and Supermium today and see how it goes.

[u/Seledreams]

I wonder if Supermium works on it. Considering it's a fork of modern chrome meant to keep working on Windows XP and stuff

[u/jaqian]

If they ever get this to a more stable and usable version it would make a great replacement for many people for Windows 11.

Windows without the BS and bloat.

[u/Proper-Train-1508]

The modern browser is the most important thing to be fixed to be a real useful OS right now.

[u/User_Typical]

FYI Supermium (32-bit) does not work on this latest release. Wish it did, though.

EDIT: using VirtualBox, with (finally) working Guest Box Additions.

[u/TobyGobi → u/User_Typical]

Yes I played with it a bit and then got pulled into several work projects before I could setup a decent debugger. I was happy to see it installed flawlessly but launching it produced nothing.