ReactOS Adds Its First NT6 System Call

*ReactOS now contains one NT6-era system call that executes nothing, the initial marker of planned compatibility with Windows Vista and later releases.*

ReactOS reached a narrow but noted milestone by landing its first system call from the NT6 kernel family. The call exists in the codebase yet contains no implementation. Project contributors treat the addition as the formal start of work on Vista-level compatibility rather than a working feature.

The change sits inside the ReactOS effort to run Windows binaries without Microsoft code. Earlier releases targeted NT5 behavior found in Windows 2000 and XP. Moving past that boundary requires new entry points that match later kernel versions.

No performance numbers or compatibility tests accompany the commit. The source article supplies only the existence of the call and its current non-functional state.

Why it matters

For developers tracking open-source alternatives to Windows, the commit shows the project has begun the long climb toward post-XP kernels. Actual driver or application support remains years away at the current pace. The step is real, but it also underscores how much ground still lies between a single stub and usable Vista-era compatibility.

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Sources:

• Neowin

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