Windows XP Source Code Leaked
Alleged source code for Windows XP leaked online this week. The leak was spread in a thread on the anonymous forum 4chan, which linked to archives of both the alleged Windows XP source code along with source code for other Microsoft products. Notably, the archive includes the Windows NT 3.5 and original Xbox source code dumps that appeared online in May.
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If the leak is legitimate, it could expose any remaining Windows XP-based systems to new attacks. However, Microsoft hasn’t supported Windows XP in any meaningful way since it reached its end-of-support date in 2014, which marked the end of security updates for the aging operating system.
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Interestingly, while this would be the first time Windows XP source code has gone public, Microsoft already shares its code with governments and university researchers around the world.
Tom Warren (via Hacker News, MacRumors):
Microsoft created a secret Windows XP theme that made the operating system look more like a Mac. A recent Windows XP source code leak has revealed Microsoft’s early work on the operating system and some unreleased themes the company created during its early XP development back in 2000.
One is labeled “Candy” and includes a design that closely resembles Apple’s Aqua interface that was first introduced at the Macworld Conference & Expo in 2000. Although the theme is incomplete, the Windows XP Start button and various buttons and UI elements are clearly themed to match Apple’s Aqua.
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I don’t think there was any intent to ship this. My guess would’ve been that some MS engineer did it either as a joke / prototype, or to test capabilities. This person specifically claims the latter.
I wouldn’t be too quick to label Candy an Aqua riff. Remember that the glossy New Look of OS X’s IE5 was developed independently of and in parallel to the Aqua UI it turned out to resemble.
No, I’m pretty sure it’s deliberately an Aqua riff (and I think Microsoft would agree that it’s a not a great one; besides, it couldn’t be, because XP didn’t yet have compositing or GPU acceleration — only rather limited alpha channel stuff in GDI+).
As for IE 5 for Mac, if it was an Aqua riff, it was a much better one than this one, despite also not having access to compositing or GPU acceleration (since it had to run on Mac OS 9 as well). MacBU at the time was a completely different unit, though. I also vaguely recall that IE 5’s design was done before Apple had demo’d Aqua?
@Sören Yes, IE 5’s look was developed before Microsoft saw Aqua: https://mjtsai.com/blog/2020/01/06/20-years-ago-internet-explorer-5-and-itools/
@ Michael: yup, thanks. I thought there was an anecdotal story like that a while back, but couldn't find it.
I wouldn't be too quick to label Candy an Aqua riff. Remember that the glossy New Look of OS X's IE5 was developed independently of and in parallel to the Aqua UI it turned out to resemble.