> 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!"

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)

Writing something down in a design spec doesn't mean it isn't a UX gaffe. The hamburger menu is the most obvious example.

Interesting. They actually have formal design specs all written down?

Of course [1]! How would they give consistent, cleanly designed UI. I find the UX/UI much more cohesive than Windows' where some apps look like flat boxes (metro UI), others look like classic Windows.

You thought open-source means there'd be no design and they'd only jam code, while designing and architecturing is only for proprietary projects within ivy towered castles?

[1]: https://developer.gnome.org/hig/

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.

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.

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

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=24640878 has yielded some interesting underground developments, not surprisingly mainly in CIS countries and the Orient.

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

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

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

Depending on the kinds of games you play, Linux + Proton can provide an excellent gaming experience now, often times better than on Windows, with fewer stutters.

Some multiplayer games with kernel rootkit/anticheat might not work, but I haven't encountered any Linux-specific issues in the games I play. I'm sure this isn't the experience for everyone but it's worth a try.

And host them on Github /s

Not sure I see the issue.

owned by MS

Still don’t see the issue.

Nah.. many have started moving out to SourceHut, Gitlab, self-host, etc. I did see the /s but just saying.

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.

Windows Home has full disk encryption and it will be on by default in Windows 11. They just don't call it BitLocker.

https://www.theverge.com/2024/8/14/24220138/microsoft-bitloc...

And the keys are owned by Microsoft. /s

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.

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

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.

File Manager: https://github.com/microsoft/winfile

Calculator (the horrible UWP one, unfortunately): https://github.com/microsoft/calculator

As for that FAT driver, it was traditional to include in the SDK/DDK sources of some of the actual drivers in Windows, so that one is not a surprise.

>Open sourcing the non-GUI core could be a good initial step,

I think that is what could happen in 10-20 year period. As long as they could drive enough revenue from Cloud.

At least M$ under Nadella so far has a much better strategic play than most other tech CEO.

my guess is if they did it it would be under some odd ball license just to make sure its code couldn't be incorporated into other penguin themed operating systems

Invest in ReactOS.