The ReactOS project has prepared a unified BootCD, replacing the previously separate installation media and LiveCD images. The new image combines the traditional text installer and LiveCD mode on a single medium. Within the unified BootCD, the updated LiveCD mode now includes the option to start a fully graphical system installer. The graphical interface aims to make installation more accessible for new users compared to the long-standing text-based configuration process, especially when using USB drives.
In addition, a new ATA storage driver has been added to the ReactOS codebase, which has been under development since early 2024. The storage stack supports PnP (plug-and-play) technology and works with SATA, PATA, ATAPI, AHCI, and even SCSI devices, potentially expanding the range of hardware on which ReactOS can successfully boot.
ReactOS also features experimental support for the ARM64 architecture. The project, which has focused on i586 and AMD64 architectures for decades, can now boot on 64-bit ARM systems — such as the Raspberry Pi 5 or in QEMU with an Apple ARM64 processor.
All of the mentioned features, along with recent improvements in graphics driver support, are available for testing in the latest nightly test builds of ReactOS 0.4.17.
Source: opennet.ru
