KernelXE Development Information and Progress

[mina7601]

I hope you come up with a new version of your KernelXE soon! The project is really nice like BWC's KernelEx, and I am looking forward to it!

[WIN2000WARRIOR]

This post contains information and progress on the development of KernelXE v0.3, also known as the KernelXE Refresh.
The first Technical Preview of KernelXE v0.3 will be released when all important additions are completed.
Note: None of these new additions have been tested yet. Details about stability will be posted when testing is possible.

Current Status (April 2022)
Some DLLs will be available for testing soon. These will mostly be higher level components as I still have plenty more to do with ntoskrnl. If anyone is interested, the expected environment for testing is a fully updated Windows 2000 installation with WildBill’s extended kernel installed.

KernelXE 0.3 Technical Preview 1 Development:

Major internal OS features:
Keyed Events - 100%
Activation Context - 100%
Headless Functionality - 25%
Thread Pools - 5%
Library Loading Enhancements:
LoadLibraryEx Upgrade - 100%
LdrLoadDll TLS Support - 65%
Additional Ldr Functions - 0%
Other additions:
Modern Locale Support - 35%
Skylake timing issue mitigation - 100%


Files from other sources that weren't modified by me in any significant way will be credited here. All credits will be present on my website following the release of Technical Preview 1.
File List:
advapi32.dll - Don’t expect anything for a while
atapi.sys - BlackWingCat
atmfd.dll - Provided and maintained by Adobe
atmlib.dll - Provided and maintained by Adobe
bcrypt.dll - ReactOS
bootvid.dll - WildBill (optimized by me for smaller file size)
cmd.exe - BlackWingCat (XP icon replaced with classic style icon)
comctl32.dll - Probably done (need to double check everything)
comdlg32.dll - Done
dbgeng.dll - From Windows 8.0 RTM
dbghelp.dll - From Windows 8.0 RTM
dnsapi.dll - Done
dsound.dll/vxd - Microsoft
dssenh.dll - Microsoft (From a Windows XP update)
dwmapi.dll - BlackWingCat
explorer.exe - WildBill (many resources updated by me)
halmacpi.dll - Done
hidclass.sys - idk where it came from
iphlpapi.dll - Very messy code, might work
kernel32 - Needs a bit of work but almost done
locale.nls - BlackWingCat
mbedtls.dll - ReactOS
mfc40/42(u).dll - Microsoft
msftedit.dll - Microsoft
msvbvm60.dll - Microsoft
msvcirt.dll - From Windows Vista RTM
msvcrt.dll - From a Windows Vista Update
msxml3.dll - Microsoft
msxml6.dll - Microsoft
netapi32.dll - Need to make sure it doesn’t call any functions that can’t reasonably be added to 2000
mormidna.nls - Microsoft
normnfc.nls - Microsoft
normnfd.nls - Microsoft
normnkfc.nls - Microsoft
normnkfd.nls - Microsoft
ntdetect.com - XP version with modifications (not done by me)
ntldr - XP version
ntoskrnl.exe -
ole32.dll - Done
photometadatahandler.dll - From Windows Vista
propsys.dll - Microsoft
rsaenh.dll - Microsoft
schannel.dll - Microsoft
SERVICES - MDGx
sfc.dll - Unknown source
srv.sys - BlackWingCat
taskmgr.exe - Longhorn Build 5259 (resources merged into exe by piotrhn)
tcpip.sys - Done
update.sys - BlackWingCat
usp10.dll - Microsoft
vgx.dll - Microsoft
videoprt.sys - BlackWingCat
ws2_32.dll - One complex function to finish, then will be done

Items in this list may not be added to KernelXE. Either older versions may be used or these may not work at all.
Unconfirmed additions:
Updated WIC from Vista
KMDF 1.11
Web Services Runtime

For later Technical Previews:
USB stack upgrade (Will be available with Technical Preview 1’s release but will be separate to verify stability)
Address Waiting Functions
IP Helper API Upgrade
WinUSB
UMDF

For Release:
Kernel-mode WMI Functions (maybe)
Enhanced Task Manager
More 32-bit color icons
machine.inf upgrade

Addons:
SxS:
Contains sxs.dll and WildBill’s rewritten basesrv and csrsrv.
If this is proven to be stable, it may be added to the main KernelXE installer.
DirectX:
Wine Direct3D 11
Wine Direct2D 1.0
Security:
Any security patches for files that are not included in the KernelXE installer will be in the security addon.
SSE2:
Warning - The SSE2 check may not be implemented into the installer before release. If this warning is present, double check if your CPU has SSE2 before installing this addon.
Current Windows Vista gdiplus
Current Windows 7 usp10

Future plans (after KernelXE Refresh):
NDIS 5.1
IE6 Security Checkup
Windows 7 storport
NMVe support

Hi ximonite you are fine , well done you are doing a great job, for ntoskrnl.exe why don't you use the version for windows xp sp1 ntoskrnl/hal with a new entrypoint and new functions with code merged in from the ntoskrnl extender for XP as Infuscomus will do, you will gain a lot of time with sure work as kmdf 1.11 and everything .

[WIN2000WARRIOR]

Boot skin support will not be added to KernelXE v0.3 unless people request it to be added. [Vote here]

Hello, what is the difference that you put the boot skin or not, in the practical side and not in the appearance , I felt that it was a bit strange, is it possible for more clarification on this aspect

[WIN2000WARRIOR]

Hi Ximonite , please in your next plan , please add the code responsible of hide inactive icons from reactos-master the code is in github.com
the code include .rc and .cpp files

[Ximonite]

Hi Ximonite , please in your next plan , please add the code responsible of hide inactive icons from reactos-master the code is in github.com
the code include .rc and .cpp files

This looks like a cool idea
I will definitely take a look at the code. This looks like a big challenge for me, but it's a challenge that I want to face.

[WIN2000WARRIOR]

Hi Ximonite , please in your next plan , please add the code responsible of hide inactive icons from reactos-master the code is in github.com
the code include .rc and .cpp files

This looks like a cool idea
I will definitely take a look at the code. This looks like a big challenge for me, but it's a challenge that I want to face.

i forget to told you the first build add this feature is Whistler build 2296 , maybe you need some thing as .bmp files , if you don't found the specific reactos code source in github tell me to sent you an private message on msfn messages

[Mox AX,BX]

Has this project been discontinued ?

[Ryan]

Has this project been discontinued ?

No it has not been

[Mox AX,BX]

Test files can be downloaded here: https://www.mediafire.com/file/5386vkwojhjslou/KernelXE-0.3-dev-filebatch01.zip/file

Hi, I copied all these files to System32 and bsod

[WIN2000WARRIOR]

Test files can be downloaded here: https://www.mediafire.com/file/5386vkwojhjslou/KernelXE-0.3-dev-filebatch01.zip/file

Hi, I copied all these files to System32 and bsod

maybe you have kernelXE 0.2.4.2 installed and ximonite said you shoud to install wildbill update collection and not to install wildbill collection + kernexe to test the files , i hope ximonite is fine now and in progress on his project .
I know that it is difficult. With NT4, I am facing a major deficiency in win32k.sys, which makes adding monitor functions to user32.dll a bug in many other applications at initialize . Perhaps Windows 2000 needs major additions in win32k.sys to upgrade to be like XP. I told bwc why Windows 2000 did not upgrade the hardware to be like XP. He told me that it lacks many functions in the kernel driver base and needs XP SP2 source code, because binary patching is very difficult.