ReactOS, the open-source Windows-compatible operating system, marks 30 years since its first commit. The project began as a reaction to Microsoft's monopoly, evolving from the failed FreeWin95 project to a dedicated effort to clone Windows NT. Its early development was a slow, bootstrapping process to build a basic NT-like kernel before any drivers or applications could run.

Progress accelerated after 2003, but a 2006 source code audit and contribution freeze created a major hurdle. Despite this, ReactOS 0.3.x introduced crucial features like networking and a package manager. The modern 0.4.x series, starting in 2016, brought a new graphical shell and better kernel debugging tools, significantly improving its practical usability for developers.

Today, the project continues with active development on an x86_64 port, though it lacks a WoW64 subsystem for running 32-bit apps. Future goals include a new NTFS driver, SMP support, and UEFI compatibility. The community's mission remains to provide a trusted, open environment for running Windows applications and drivers.