ntoskrnl VS website

This is part of what I read on HN:

The first thing we observe is that the directory structure is basically identical. Yes, NT kernel subsystems are identified with short codes like "Ke" or "Ex". It's plausible that someone with a lot of NT knowledge would end up creating top level directories with these exact names, as is true of the WRK. But it seems kind of unlikely: the Wine sources do not show this pattern.

If we look at the Kernel Executive (Ke) subtree, we can see that there is a thing called a "Balance Set Manager". Both source trees define it in a file called balmgr.c - not only the location of the file but also the file name is identical.

https://github.com/Zer0Mem0ry/ntoskrnl/blob/master/Ke/balmgr... https://github.com/reactos/reactos/blob/master/ntoskrnl/ke/b...

It appears from the module description that the "balance set manager" is an optimisation of some sort related to reducing memory usage. Is this really something that needs a reimplementation with identical function prototypes?

Looking at the code of the identically named KeBalanceSetManager function, we can see that not only is the function prototype identical, but the order in which it does things is also identical. First it changes a thread priority, then it schedules a periodic timer callback.

Some of the local variables in these functions have identical names: PeriodTimer, DueTime, WaitObjects. Yes, these are obvious names. It's not a smoking gun. But it's not looking good.

Finally we discover that the ReactOS Balance Manager does .... nothing. It enters a loop which starts out by doing a wait for an event (fine, it's inherent to the task), and then switches on the result. But the code in the arms of the switch are commented out (the commented out code does a subset of the stuff in the NT code). The loop does nothing, just sits blocking in a loop forever. Why does this code in ReactOS exist if it does nothing?

It's the same story for the other big function in this file, KiScanReadyQueues. The code is virtually identical, line for line, with minor formatting and occasional trivial naming differences. Even the assertions are identical.

I'm not alleging anything specific or illegal, just comparing a small part of both codebases. However given what I've just seen, I wouldn't touch ReactOS with a barge pole. The Microsoft guy's complaint is entirely understandable.

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=20345645

I hear you, but they've all moved along in leaps and bounds. Some options if you ever look again -

* ElementaryOS(https://elementary.io/)

I’ve seen Raycast adjacent apps for Linux, but I don’t know what the current go-to all the kids are using these days. I used Quicksilver on OS X back in the day, which kind of defined the category I think. But these days I try to keep it simple.

Elementary OS seems to be trying to solve for the design issue, but it’s not as polished as macOS and there are still all the 3rd party apps to contend with. I’ve tried it, and it didn’t have me considering a full time switch.

https://elementary.io/

For me, one of the big things keeping me on macOS is the sync between devices. 20 years ago it seemed much easier to move to Linux, because I didn’t have to worry about my contacts, calendar, etc being in sync everywhere. Having all that stuff, and the handoff between devices, just work is a huge benefit. There are probably ways to sync various things between iOS and Linux, but then researching all the options, setting it up, and keeping up on it all, becomes a hobby. That’s not a hobby I want at this stage of my life.

I thought ElementaryOS was dead due to infighting between the two cofounders, but it still seems to be going: https://elementary.io/

(I installed it on one box a few years ago and liked it, but moved back to Ubuntu once I learned about its conflict in the team.)

As an alternative to the other (great) suggestions, check out ElementaryOS.

But get an old laptop, download and install on it https://elementary.io/, or PopOS or Debian (they all resemble macOS) or whatever distro you like the most. And start tinkering.

I would suggest installing elementaryOS inside a VM, and follow their getting started guide

Elementary OS e un distro de Linux cu aspect de macos

Maybe take a look at https://elementary.io/? It was one of the better "out of the box" linux distros when I was last using linux.

It warms my heart seeing all my fellow linux users here! 😊 I personally use elementary OS because the desktop is pretty 🥺. Also, the lead of the project is a trans woman!