After a few days of work Thomas Weidenmueller and Filip Navara of the ReactOS project have developed a SkyOS Compatibility Layer that works under ReactOS and Windows.I am at this time working on adding support to Wine to allow SkyOS applications to run. More complex applications should follow in the days ahead.
ReactOS Screenshots
http://129.125.140.135/~w3seek/skymandelros.png
http://129.125.140.135/~w3seek/skymandelros2.png
SkyOS Screenshot
http://www.skyos.org/images/skymandel.png
Windows Screenshot
http://129.125.140.135/~w3seek/skymandel.png
Extensive C++ Programming Tutorial For SkyOS
Thom submitted the news about a new tutorial for SkyOS API. Excerpt:
“It’s time to get serious and build a real application using C++ for SkyOS; by “real” I mean an application that embodies all the good things that high-quality software should include, such as a clean and easily understood design, effective error checking and diagnostic functions, and a graphically pleasing user interface.”
Check out this extensive tutorial on C++ programming on SkyOS on the SkyOS’ Programmer’s diary, chapter 1 and 2.
sweet! now we have compatibility with SkyOS apps. This will really help increase the number of compatible apps for the Windows Clone immensely
🙂
This is really cool, tho.
Would one be able to make SkyOS apps run on Windows with this in theory?
SkyOS apps can run on Windows with this set of libs. It was developed by the ReactOS developers because it looked interesting and they wanted to see if it could be done. It really just shows how much like Windows SkyOS really is in terms of the Graphics API. If anything this would help SkyOS because if this Compatiblity Layer is improved then people will be able to write apps on Windows that they know will work on SkyOS.
>>Would one be able to make SkyOS apps run on Windows with this in theory?
If I understud everything and didn’t misinterpret the screenshots, then exactly this is the case.
The layer basically just emulates a few basic functions and redirect them to standard win32 api functions. No drivers, no kernel mode code needed. this is possible because the skyos executables are PE files too which windows can load. The only thin that needs to be done to get it run in windows is, you need to change the subsystem id from native to windows gui in the optional NT header of the executable to get it run in windows. In reactos you can run them without modification by just renaming it to .exe
Although I have contributed some code to the libraries, I don’ t consider myself as an coauthor of the libs. Thomas did most of the work.
Furthermore this post can make you into the impression that we support a lot of the APIs. That’s not true either, it’s still in proof-of-concept state.
now we can use all the great skyos programms on windows, like … eh … hm … skymandelbrot
… but good work anyway. Kepp it up!
This is great! I love seeing OS intercompatibility.
Is this going to be added as an official “subsystem” in the next reactos release? That would be cool…
Its far to soon for that but we really want to see the SkyOS team do some work with it. We might make it part of a extras package if SkyOS developers want to use it to develop apps that will run across platforms.
That would be way better.
Why would somebody run SkyOS applications on any other OS?
There is no killer application ‘for SkyOS only’.
All applications that are available for SkyOS came from somewhere else (…if only parts of it).
“Why would somebody run SkyOS applications on any other OS? ”
To be able to develop applications for SkyOS on another operating system. Once this is mature you will be able to compile/build your applications as well as run them on Windows/ReactOS.
Yes! Wine for SkyOS would be great!
Its SkyOS applications support on ReactOS, Windows and Wine allowing you to market your SkyOS apps to a larger group.
http://129.125.140.135/~w3seek/skytictactoewin.png
SkyOS only would have a chance if it was free (as freedom) software. In GPL, LGPL, BSD age there are no chance for another proprietary operating system.
[quote]SkyOS only would have a chance if it was free (as freedom) software. In GPL, LGPL, BSD age there are no chance for another proprietary operating system.[/quote]
It seems to be doing OK so far… I’d keep your mind open to something other than GPL zealotry.
“It seems to be doing OK so far… I’d keep your mind open to something other than GPL zealotry.”
doing OK so far? man, it has about 20 users, how many people use skyos as their full-time operating system?? its way too soon to tell if its going to do well.
and just because someone wishes it was gpled, it doesnt make them a zealot.
“I’d keep your mind open to something other than GPL zealotry.”
You call him a “GPL zealot” although he mentioned the BSD license? This just proofs that people like you have made the word “GPL zealot” completely meaningless.
can it run on windows?
skykruzer at the moment is based on an extremely old version of the KHTML Rendering engine, it will be updated hopefully for Beta8, im not sure if ReactOS’s and Windows Networking frameworks are compatible with SkyOS’s (which has been re-written for 5.0 afaik).
“doing OK so far? man, it has about 20 users, how many people use skyos as their full-time operating system?? its way too soon to tell if its going to do well.”
That is not the only thing to judge an OS for; the SkyGuys have come surprisingly far in creating (yet another frigging) modern OS with adequate userf-friendly GUI. And competition never can be bad.
regards pplz
hat is not the only thing to judge an OS for; the SkyGuys have come surprisingly far in creating (yet another frigging) modern OS with adequate userf-friendly GUI. And competition never can be bad.
regards pplz
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users matter. number of users determine a lot. your technical piece of genuine marvel is completely useless if it only matters to ten people in the planet.
users matter. number of users determine a lot. your technical piece of genuine marvel is completely useless if it only matters to ten people in the planet.
In that case, every desktop OS other than Windows is negliceable. With Windows having a 95% marketshare…
In that case, every desktop OS other than Windows is negliceable. With Windows having a 95% marketshare..
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loads of crap. desktop market isnt the only one that counts
server
embedded machines
and so on also is valuable. get a clue
So because we have 20 users now (which is incorrect, but anyway), we should stop developing SkyOS? By that logic, no new company should ever offer anything new because before they release their product, they start out at zero users.
SkyOS is a good system. It will get even better. The users will come. You have to remember, SkyOS isn’t even available to the general public at this point.
it’s a brilliant idea.
“the more the merrier” is my attitude towards alternative Operating Systems. And if the SkyOS API is so close to the Windows API that all it takes is a minor change to the PE header, then that’s another potential Windows clone Microsoft should be worried about.
“The more the merrier!”
But they would still lack hardware support.
I got a standard RTL8139 NIC – And it doesn’t work!
I got standard AC’97 Sound – And it doesn’t work!
I haven’t tested USB2, because without sound, I won’t need it!
But to be fair; That was SkyOS 5b5 so it might have chanced.
>>users matter. number of users determine a lot. your >>technical piece of genuine marvel is completely useless if >>it only matters to ten people in the planet.
>In that case, every desktop OS other than Windows is >negliceable. With Windows having a 95% marketshare…
If your point is correct, then there are less than 500 PCs in the world.
Linux is less than 5% of the desktop, but more than 20 people.
RTL8139 NIC is supported in beta8 along with many other netcard chips.
Which AC97 soundcard do you have? Which chipset?
AC97 is just the half part of a soundchip.
loads of crap. desktop market isnt the only one that counts
server
embedded machines
and so on also is valuable. get a clue
I specifically said the desktop market. Pay attention, kiddo.
It’s a VIA KM266 (That was all I could find).