In a noteworthy development for the open-source community, ReactOS, the ambitious project dedicated to recreating Windows NT, has successfully achieved a significant milestone by booting on ARM64 architecture. This experimental build, while still in its nascent stages, has sparked enthusiasm among developers and tech enthusiasts alike. The ReactOS team has urged users to explore this new capability, despite the caveats regarding its experimental nature.
Recent screenshots have showcased the operating system running on ARM64 via QEMU and on the Raspberry Pi 5, a popular single-board computer. This achievement coincides with the 30th anniversary of the project’s first commit to its source tree, with current development efforts focusing on compatibility with Windows Server 2003. ReactOS has previously garnered attention for its impressive recreation of the Windows experience, reminiscent of the golden era of the operating system.
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The ARM64 port serves primarily as a proof of concept at this stage, with limited functionality available for users. However, the experience of seeing the familiar Windows desktop materialize on new hardware is undeniably exhilarating. It would be an oversight to dismiss this achievement as merely an “it boots” milestone; the journey to this point has been arduous. A dedicated contributor to the ReactOS project invested eight months of effort to bring this code to life.
To run ReactOS on ARM64, users need a UEFI ARM64 system with GICv2 or v3 enabled, supporting boards from ARMv8-A onward, with the Raspberry Pi 5 presenting a unique challenge. A recent attempt by The Register to boot the system on a Raspberry Pi 5 yielded mixed results, highlighting the complexity of the process. The ReactOS team has been forthright in labeling this endeavor as experimental, and any critiques regarding stability or application support at this stage would be premature.
ReactOS positions itself as “an alpha-quality operating system,” suggesting that it is best suited for those willing to experiment on less critical devices. While the current capabilities of ReactOS on ARM64 may be limited, the achievement of reaching the desktop is a commendable milestone that reflects the dedication and perseverance of the development team.
