What are the prospects for self-written operating systems like ReactOS, what do they achieve?

Question

Operating Systems

If you just eliminate the criterion "For fun", then why do people spend so much time writing an OS that no one will use? After all, such projects are always catching up and cannot offer anything new. Then why?

Answer 1

Then why?

Make Windows open source.

in the role of chasing

This is if there is something to chase. Not everyone needs what is now being added to Windows 10.

Answer 2

Solidarity with dollar.
There is another caveat, many large companies are interested in an OS compatible with WXP or W7, simply because there is a lot of hardware still working but MS does not support the operating system.
For example, machines, servers, printers, specific equipment, etc. Put W10 on them? No drivers, no support. Here they support ReactOS.
And in general, a simple user does not care what to run the office and browser on.

Answer 3

Today's operating systems are multi-gigabyte monsters full of bugs. Not only do they take up a lot of disk space, they also consume a lot of RAM.
And how much is required from the OS? Ensure the smooth operation of applications and drivers, and access to computer resources. Everything!
Previously, in the days of MS-DOS, somehow 640Kb was enough for everyone, even with a margin. What now?
Here samopisnye OS also try to compete. Their problem is that they fail to become universal enough. Not that it was impossible, just a very long time, and, as a rule, no one pays money for this. You can go down the path of rapid development with a pile of ready-made solutions that pull huge libraries and a bunch of resources in reserve, but this will result in the fact that the OS will be a monster. Or you can take a long time and thoughtfully make a well-thought-out architecture, implement support for existing technologies, implement support for old dead technologies for backward compatibility, write or adapt drivers, and hope that the OS will see a bright future, but it will take years or decades, and many are missing for such a feat with sheer enthusiasm.
The most correct way is to abandon old technologies. And to finish modern technologies to the mind, without overloading, making them simple and reliable. And just support them. But, as I said, with this approach, universality and backward compatibility suffer, and simply compatibility, so such an OS will not be popular.

Answer 4

Search for "Mythical Man-Month"

Answer 5

Linux was created on sheer enthusiasm, CEPH is a PhD (not that doctoral) project. Continue?