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ZoomerCretin | 1 year ago

I so badly wish they'd open-source Windows. It wasn't bad enough that they refuse to fix obviously bad code, but they also don't allow the very many talented performance engineers submit PRs that would do in a month what they couldn't get done in years.

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lelanthran|1 year ago

> I so badly wish they'd open-source Windows. It wasn't bad enough that they refuse to fix obviously bad code, but they also don't allow the very many talented performance engineers submit PRs that would do in a month what they couldn't get done in years.

Being open-source wouldn't fix things like that.

It'll be just like Gnome: PRs that fix UI gaffes wouldn't be accepted because "The Developers Know Better!"

OsrsNeedsf2P|1 year ago

Except Gnome does accept PRs that fix UI gaffes (as long as it fits their design spec) and has also been forked (Cinnamon and MATE)

supriyo-biswas|1 year ago

That's just wishful thinking, but I wish there was a way to license the NT kernel and other core OS components. That way, other companies could work to add usable and performant userspace components to their version of Windows, with users finally being relieved of dealing with the batshit crazy UI and other warts Microsoft keeps on adding.

userbinator|1 year ago

The source for several older versions was... forced open a few years ago.

If you're willing to ignore Imaginary Property laws, there are some very interesting chimeric OSes out there on the shadier parts of the Internet.

supriyo-biswas|1 year ago

The only ones that I've found are Windows "mods" that use a combination of NTLite[1] for feature removal and slipstreaming and some edits to icon resources in system32.dll etc.

Did you have something else in mind? Email is in my profile in case you have a link that you can share.

[1] https://www.ntlite.com

aap_|1 year ago

Thanks for "Imaginary Property". I will use this from now on.

Idesmi|1 year ago

Don't submit to the whims of a private company. Use Free Software.

ilrwbwrkhv|1 year ago

I only use it for games and maybe with valve's work that won't be needed sooner either.

ghssds|1 year ago

And host them on Github /s

tlhunter|1 year ago

What drives me nuts is that even though Windows is the only os I have paid for it's also the only os I use which doesn't include full disk encryption (unless I pay even more). Linux is free and comes with it. Macos is freeish and comes with it. Windows home costs over $100 and doesn't. Those built in ads are also ironic.

davkan|1 year ago

Grey market pro keys are like $5 on ebay. I have zero qualms buying them when such a basic and critical form of security is absent from the base edition. It’s malpractice.

ksec|1 year ago

I actually think this could happen one day under Nadella. May be not whole OS but part of Windows.

skissane|1 year ago

Some parts have already been open-sourced. For example, the console host component has been open sourced here: https://github.com/microsoft/terminal

And the FAT filesystem driver: https://github.com/microsoft/Windows-driver-samples/tree/mai...

And also PowerShell: https://github.com/PowerShell/PowerShell

And most of .NET: https://github.com/dotnet

Maybe they could consider an Apple-style approach: open source the core of the kernel and text-mode user space but leave the GUI closed.

Of course, open sourcing everything would be even better, but that might too big of a step for them. Open sourcing the non-GUI core could be a good initial step, whether or not it ends up going further.