US — Ars Technica
ReactOS reaches major milestone with NTFS install support
Software1 min read
ReactOS, an open source project that aims to work like Windows, can now be installed onto an NTFS drive partition. This removes a long-standing barrier on the way to its first beta release.
What happened
ReactOS is a free, open source operating system. Its goal is to act like Windows so that Windows programs can run on it. Until now, ReactOS needed a FAT32 partition (a type of disk section) for installation. Now it can be installed on an NTFS partition, which is the file system most modern Windows computers use.
Key facts
- NTFS dates back to Windows NT 3.1, released in 1993.
- The version used by most Windows systems today came with Windows XP in 2001.
- ReactOS aims for binary compatibility with Windows Server 2003.
Why NTFS matters
A file system is the way a computer organizes and stores files on a disk. NTFS is owned by Microsoft. Because ReactOS was limited to FAT32, it could not match the Windows setup it wants to copy.
Why it matters
This is a big step toward a beta version, which is an early test version for the public. But the new driver (the software that lets ReactOS read and write NTFS drives) is not finished. It lacks caching, which slows performance, and it has no journaling or security support. The team also warned there may still be hidden bugs, so users should be careful.
What to watch
- Whether ReactOS adds caching, journaling, and security support to the NTFS driver.
- Whether the team finds and fixes the possible hidden bugs.
- When ReactOS reaches its first beta release.
Glossary
- ReactOS
- A free, open source operating system that tries to work like Windows.
- NTFS
- A file system made by Microsoft that organizes files on a disk. Most modern Windows computers use it.
- FAT32
- An older, simpler file system for storing files on a disk.
- Windows Server 2003
- A server version of Microsoft Windows released in 2003. ReactOS wants to match it.