The ReactOS development team has officially announced the release of ReactOS 0.4.15, one of its most significant and ambitious updates to date. As a free and open-source operating system designed to be compatible with Windows applications and drivers, this new version brings more than 8,600 commits and resolves 1,319 reported issues since the previous release.
Version 0.4.15 is dedicated to Eric Kohl, the longest-standing contributor to the project, celebrating 26 years of continuous involvement since his first commit in 1999. This milestone underscores the strength and dedication of the global community behind ReactOS.
Key Highlights of ReactOS 0.4.15
Enhanced Plug and Play Support
Victor Perevertkin led a comprehensive rewrite of the Plug and Play Manager, enabling ReactOS to support more third-party drivers and allowing the system to boot from USB devices. This update also extends compatibility with chipsets using EHCI, OHCI, and UHCI controllers. Additionally, Johannes Anderwald fixed a persistent issue that caused the USB driver to enter infinite loops, allowing the OS to run on a wider range of hardware.
Significant Audio Improvements
Thanks to contributions from Oleg Dubinskiy, ReactOS now supports additional audio formats, looped playback of WAV files, higher sampling rates, and multi-channel output. The integration of the open-source AC’97 driver from the Windows Driver Kit (WDK) also enables immediate sound output on VirtualBox and motherboards manufactured before 2004.
Upgraded Memory Management and FAT Filesystem Driver
Jérôme Gardou refactored Section Objects in the kernel to enhance compatibility with Windows systems. This resolves long-standing issues where executables could not launch from network locations or shared folders. The introduction of the open-source Microsoft FAT filesystem driver from the WDK replaces the legacy driver, offering faster and more stable performance. The system now also supports safe ejection of external FAT-formatted drives.
Registry Self-Healing and Caching
George Bișoc introduced essential registry mechanisms including self-healing, regular flushing, and caching. These features enhance system resilience by automatically repairing registry corruption and ensuring changes are consistently saved, even after unexpected power outages.
Improved Kernel Security
Before this update, kernel-level access checks were ineffective, allowing unrestricted access to system objects. Bișoc addressed this critical vulnerability by implementing robust access control mechanisms that now prevent unauthorized actions, bringing ReactOS much closer to Windows-level security.
Shell and User Experience Enhancements
The ReactOS graphical shell received multiple upgrades. Carl Bialorucki added support for large taskbar icons, while Mark Jansen introduced native ZIP archive support. Doug Lyons corrected icon display issues in popular applications like Microsoft Office 2000 and Visual Basic 6. Additionally, Katayama Hirofumi MZ enhanced the desktop with an “Internet Browser” icon and improved support for complex input systems via the Input Method Editor (IME), enabling languages like Japanese to function smoothly. The default theme has been updated to the modern and visually appealing “Mizu” style.
Looking Ahead: Next-Generation Features in Development
With the release of 0.4.15, the ReactOS team is already focusing on future milestones. Development efforts are underway for UEFI support, symmetric multiprocessing (SMP), a new graphical installer, an advanced NTFS filesystem driver, and improved power management. Expanded support for modern applications is also on the horizon.
A Community-Driven Vision for Open-Source Windows Compatibility
ReactOS continues to grow as a unique project that brings together developers, researchers, and enthusiasts with a shared goal: providing a free and transparent operating system that runs Windows software natively.
Version 0.4.15 represents a major leap forward for the project, reaffirming its relevance in today’s technology landscape. Users can download the latest version from the official ReactOS website and are encouraged to contribute to this open-source initiative, helping shape the future of an alternative Windows-compatible platform.
Source: React OS
