Chrome OS

Chrome OS
Developer Google
Written in C, C++
OS family Linux[1]/Chromium
Working state Preinstalled on Chromebooks, Chromeboxes, Chromebits, Chromebase
Initial release June 15, 2011 (2011-06-15)
Latest release 49.0.2623.112 (April 11, 2016 (2016-04-11)[2]) [±]
Latest preview
Beta

50.0.2661.91/50.0.2661.94 (April 29, 2016 (2016-04-29)[3]) [±]

Dev
51.0.2704.29 (April 27, 2016 (2016-04-27)[4]) [±]
Update method Rolling release
Platforms x86, ARMv7
Kernel type Monolithic (Linux kernel)[5]
Default user interface WIMP-based [web browser] windows
License Google Chrome OS Terms of Service[6]
Official website www.google.com/chromebook/

Chrome OS is an operating system designed by Google and based upon the Linux kernel.

Google announced the project in July 2009, conceiving it as an operating system in which both applications and user data reside in the cloud: hence Chrome OS primarily runs web applications. Source code and a public demo came that November. The first Chrome OS laptop, known as a Chromebook, arrived in May 2011. Initial Chromebook shipments from Samsung and Acer occurred in July 2011.

Chrome OS has an integrated media player and file manager. It supports Chrome Apps, which resemble native applications, as well as remote access to the desktop. A few Android applications have been available for the operating system since 2014. Reception was initially skeptical, with some observers arguing that a browser running on any operating system was functionally equivalent. As more Chrome OS machines have entered the market, the operating system is now seldom evaluated apart from the hardware that runs it.

Chrome OS is only available pre-installed on hardware from Google manufacturing partners. An open source equivalent, Chromium OS, can be compiled from downloaded source code. Early on, Google provided design goals for Chrome OS, but has not otherwise released a technical description.

Open source

Chrome OS is partially developed under the open source Chromium OS project.[7] As with other open source projects, developers can modify the code from Chromium OS and build their own versions, whereas Chrome OS code is only supported by Google and its partners and only runs on hardware designed for the purpose. Unlike Chromium OS, Chrome OS is automatically updated to the latest version.[8]

History

Google announced Chrome OS on July 7, 2009,[9] describing it as an operating system in which both applications and user data reside in the cloud. To ascertain marketing requirements, the company relied on informal metrics, including monitoring the usage patterns of some 200 Chrome OS machines used by Google employees. Developers also noted their own usage patterns. Matthew Papakipos, former[10] engineering director for the Chrome OS project, put three machines in his house and found himself logging in for brief sessions: to make a single search query or send a short email.[11]

On November 19, 2009, Google released Chrome OS's source code as the Chromium OS project.[12]

At a November 19, 2009 news conference, Sundar Pichai, at the time Google's vice president overseeing Chrome, demonstrated an early version of the operating system. He previewed a desktop which looked very similar to the Chrome browser, and in addition to the regular browser tabs, also had application tabs, which take less space and can be pinned for easier access. At the conference, the operating system booted up in seven seconds, a time Google said it would work to reduce.[8][13][14][15]

Also on November 19, 2009, Chris Kenyon, vice president of OEM services at Canonical Ltd, announced that Canonical was under contract to contribute engineering resources to the project with the intent to build on existing open source components and tools where feasible.[16]

The launch date for retail hardware featuring Chrome OS was delayed from late 2010[17] to June 15, 2011.

Hardware

Main articles: Chromebook, Chromebox and Chromebit

Laptops running Chrome OS are known collectively as "Chromebooks". The first was the CR-48, a reference hardware design that Google gave to testers and reviewers beginning in December 2010. Retail machines followed in May 2011. A year later, in May 2012, a desktop design marketed as a "Chromebox" was released by Samsung.

In early 2014, LG Electronics introduced the first device belonging to the new all-in-one form factor called "chromebase". Chromebase devices are essentially chromebox hardware inside a monitor with built-in camera, microphone and speakers. Acer has since released a chromebase device with a touchscreen.

The Chromebit, announced is an HDMI dongle running the Chrome OS operating system. When placed in an HDMI slot on a television set or computer monitor, the device turns that display into a personal computer. The device was announced in March 2015 and shipped that November.[18]

Chrome OS supports dual-monitor setups, at least on Chromebook Pixel 2.[19]

Feature updates

In April 2012, Google made the first update to Chrome OS's user interface since the operating system had launched, introducing a hardware-accelerated window manager called "Aura" along with a conventional taskbar. The additions marked a departure from the operating system's original concept of a single browser with tabs and gave Chrome OS the look and feel of a more conventional desktop operating system. "In a way, this almost feels as if Google is admitting defeat here", wrote Frederic Lardinois on TechCrunch. He argued that Google had traded its original version of simplicity for greater functionality. "That’s not necessarily a bad thing, though, and may just help Chrome OS gain more mainstream acceptance as new users will surely find it to be a more familiar experience."[20]

Applications

Integrated media player, file manager

Google integrates a media player into both Chrome OS and the Chrome browser, enabling users to play back MP3s, view JPEGs, and handle other multimedia files while offline.[21] It supports DRM videos.[22]

Chrome OS also includes an integrated file manager, resembling those found on other operating systems, with the ability to display directories and the files they contain from both Google Drive and local storage, as well as to preview and manage file contents using a variety of Web applications, including Google Docs and Box.[23] Since January 2015, Chrome OS can also integrate additional storage sources into the file manager, relying on installed extensions that use the File System Provider API.[24]

Chrome Apps

Google has encouraged developers to build not just conventional Web applications for Chrome OS, but Chrome Apps (formerly known as Packaged apps). From a user perspective, Chrome Apps resemble conventional native applications: they can be launched outside of the Chrome browser, are offline by default, can manage multiple windows, and interact with other applications. Technologies employed include HTML5, JavaScript, and CSS.[25][26][27]

Android applications

At Google I/O 2014, a proof of concept showing Android applications, including Flipboard, running on Chrome OS was presented. In September 2014, Google introduced a beta version of the App Runtime for Chrome (ARC), which allows Android applications to be used on Chrome OS, using a Native-Client-based environment that provides the platforms necessary to run Android software. Android applications do not require any modifications to run on Chrome OS, but may be modified to better support a mouse and keyboard environment. As with other Chrome OS software, these applications are distributed through Chrome Web Store, and appear as native programs within application menus. As of its introduction, Chrome OS support is only available for selected Android applications, including Duolingo, Evernote, Sight Words, and Vine.[28]

Remote application access and virtual desktop access

In June 2010, Google software engineer Gary Kačmarčík wrote that Chrome OS will access remote applications through a technology unofficially called "Chromoting", which would resemble Microsoft's Remote Desktop Connection.[21] The name has since been changed to "Chrome Remote Desktop", and is "probably closer to running an application via Remote Desktop Services or by first connecting to a host machine by using RDP or VNC".[29] Initial roll-outs of Chrome OS laptops (Chromebooks) indicate an interest in enabling users to access virtual desktops.[30][31]

Reception

At its debut, Chrome OS was viewed as a competitor to Microsoft, both directly to Microsoft Windows and indirectly the company's word processing and spreadsheet applications—the latter through Chrome OS's reliance on cloud computing.[32][33] But Chrome OS engineering director Matthew Papakipos argued that the two operating systems would not fully overlap in functionality because Chrome OS is intended for netbooks, which lack the computational power to run a resource-intensive program like Adobe Photoshop.[11]

Some observers claimed that other operating systems already filled the niche that Chrome OS was aiming for, with the added advantage of supporting native applications in addition to a browser. Tony Bradley of PC World wrote in November 2009:

“ We can already do most, if not all, of what Chrome OS promises to deliver. Using a Windows 7 or Linux-based netbook, users can simply not install anything but a web browser and connect to the vast array of Google products and other web-based services and applications. Netbooks have been successful at capturing the low-end PC market, and they provide a web-centric computing experience today. I am not sure why we should get excited that a year from now we'll be able to do the same thing, but locked into doing it from the fourth-place web browser.[34] ”

Relationship to Android

Google's offering two open source operating systems, Android[35] and Chrome OS, has drawn some criticism and market confusion, as both are client-based and overlap in functionality. Steve Ballmer, Microsoft CEO at the time, accused Google of not being able to make up its mind.[36] Steven Levy wrote that "the dissonance between the two systems was apparent" at the 2011 Google I/O developer conference. The event featured a daily press conference in which each team leader, Android's Andy Rubin and Chrome's Sundar Pichai, "unconvincingly tried to explain why the systems weren't competitive."[37] Google co-founder Sergey Brin addressed the question by saying that owning two promising operating systems was "a problem that most companies would love to face".[37] Brin suggested that the two operating systems "will likely converge over time."[38] The speculation over convergence increased in March 2013 when Chrome OS chief Pichai replaced Rubin as the senior vice president in charge of Android, thereby putting Pichai in charge of both.[39]

The relationship between Android and Chrome OS became more substantial at Google I/O 2014, where Google developers presented a demo demonstrating native Android software running on Chrome OS through Native Client.[28][40] In October 2015, The Wall Street Journal reported that Chrome OS would be folded into Android so that a single OS would result by 2017. The resulting OS will be Android, but it will be expanded to run on laptops.[41][42] Google responded that while the company has "been working on ways to bring together the best of both operating systems, there's no plan to phase out Chrome OS."[43]

Design

Early in the project, Google provided publicly many details of the Chrome OS's design goals and direction,[44] although the company has not followed up with a technical description of the completed operating system.

User interface

Old Chrome-Chromium OS login screen

Design goals for Chrome OS's user interface included using minimal screen space by combining applications and standard Web pages into a single tab strip, rather than separating the two. Designers considered a reduced window management scheme that would operate only in full-screen mode. Secondary tasks would be handled with "panels": floating windows that dock to the bottom of the screen for tasks like chat and music players. Split screens were also under consideration for viewing two pieces of content side-by-side. Chrome OS would follow the Chrome browser's practice of leveraging HTML5's offline modes, background processing, and notifications. Designers proposed using search and pinned tabs as a way to quickly locate and access applications.[45]

New window manager and graphics engine

On April 10, 2012, a new build of Chrome OS offered a choice between the original full-screen window interface and overlapping, re-sizable windows, such as found on Microsoft Windows and Apple's Mac OS X. The feature was implemented through the Ash window manager, which runs atop the Aura hardware-accelerated graphics engine. The April 2012 upgrade also included the ability to display smaller, overlapping browser windows, each with its own translucent tabs, browser tabs that can be "torn" and dragged to new positions or merged with another tab strip, and a mouse-enabled shortcut list across the bottom of the screen. One icon on the task bar shows a list of installed applications and bookmarks. Writing in CNET, Stephen Shankland argued that with overlapping windows, "Google is anchoring itself into the past" as both iOS and Microsoft's Metro interface are largely or entirely full-screen. Even so, "Chrome OS already is different enough that it's best to preserve any familiarity that can be preserved".[46][47][48]

Architecture

In preliminary design documents for the Chromium OS open source project, Google described a three-tier architecture: firmware, browser and window manager, and system-level software and userland services.[49]

Hardware support

Chrome OS is initially intended for secondary devices like netbooks, not as a user's primary PC,[13] and will run on hardware incorporating an x86 or ARM-based processor.[50] While Chrome OS will support hard disk drives, Google has requested that its hardware partners use solid-state drives "for performance and reliability reasons"[8] as well as the lower capacity requirements inherent in an operating system that accesses applications and most user data on remote servers. In November 2009 Matthew Papakipos, engineering director for the Chrome OS claimed that the Chrome OS consumes one-sixtieth as much drive space as Windows 7.[51]

Printing

Google Cloud Print is a Google service that helps any application on any device to print on any printer. While the cloud provides virtually any connected device with information access, the task of "developing and maintaining print subsystems for every combination of hardware and operating system – from desktops to netbooks to mobile devices – simply isn't feasible."[52][53] The cloud service requires installation of a piece of software called proxy, as part of the Chrome OS. The proxy registers the printer with the service, manages the print jobs, provides the printer driver functionality, and gives status alerts for each job.[54]

Link handling

Chrome OS was designed with the intention of storing user documents and files on remote servers. Both Chrome OS and the Chrome browser may introduce difficulties to end users when handling specific file types offline; for example, when opening an image or document residing on a local storage device, it may be unclear whether and which specific Web application should be automatically opened for viewing, or the handling should be performed by a traditional application acting as a preview utility. Matthew Papakipos, Chrome OS engineering director, noted in 2010 that Windows developers have faced the same fundamental problem: "Quicktime is fighting with Windows Media Player, which is fighting with Chrome."[11]:3

Security

In March 2010, Google software security engineer Will Drewry discussed Chrome OS security. Drewry described Chrome OS as a "hardened" operating system featuring auto-updating and sandbox features that will reduce malware exposure. He said that Chrome OS netbooks will be shipped with Trusted Platform Module (TPM), and include both a "trusted bootpath" and a physical switch under the battery compartment that actuates a developer mode. That mode drops some specialized security functions but increases developer flexibility. Drewry also emphasized that the open source nature of the operating system will contribute greatly to its security by allowing constant developer feedback.[55]

At a December 2010 press conference, Google claimed that Chrome OS would be the most secure consumer operating system due in part to a verified boot ability, in which the initial boot code, stored in read-only memory, checks for system compromises.[56]

Shell access

Chrome OS includes the Chrome Shell, or "crosh", which documents minimal functionality such as ping and SSH at crosh start-up. In the older Chrome OS versions originally in Acer C710 no bash-like shell abilities were provided. In the later Chromebooks such as Acer C720, bash is available from crosh, where the entire Linux filesystem can be found and explored.

In developer mode, a full-featured bash[57] shell (which is supposed to be used for development purposes[58]) can be opened via VT-2, and is also accessible using the crosh command shell.[59] To access full privileges in shell (e.g. sudo) the root password is required; it is "chronos" in Chrome OS and "facepunch" in Chrome OS Vanilla.[60]

Release channels and updates

Chrome OS uses the same release system as Google Chrome: there are three distinct channels: Stable, Beta, and Developer preview (called the "Dev" channel). The stable channel is updated with features and fixes that have been thoroughly tested in the Beta channel, and the Beta channel is updated approximately once a month with stable and complete features from the Developer channel. New ideas get tested in the Developer channel, which can be very unstable at times.[61][62] A fourth canary channel was confirmed to exist by Google Developer Francois Beaufort and hacker Kenny Strawn, by entering the Chrome OS shell in developer mode, typing the command shell to access the bash shell, and finally entering the command update_engine_client -channel canary-channel -update. It is possible to return to verified boot mode after entering the canary channel, but the channel updater disappears and the only way to return to another channel is using the "powerwash" factory reset.[63]

Chrome OS on Windows 8

On Windows 8 exceptions allow the default desktop web browser to offer a variant that can run inside its full-screen "Metro" shell and access features such as the Share charm, without necessarily needing to be written with Windows Runtime. Chrome's "Windows 8 mode" was previously a tablet-optimized version of the standard Chrome interface. In October 2013, the mode was changed on Developer channel to offer a variant of the Chrome OS desktop.[64][65][66][67][68]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Steven J. Vaughan-Nichols. "The secret origins of Google's Chrome OS". ZDNet. Retrieved April 15, 2016.
  2. ↑ "Stable Channel Update for Chrome OS". 2016-04-11. Retrieved 2016-04-12.
  3. ↑ "Beta Channel Update for Chrome OS". 2016-04-29. Retrieved 2016-04-29.
  4. ↑ "Dev Channel Update for Chrome OS". 2016-04-27. Retrieved 2016-04-28.
  5. ↑ "Kernel Design: Background, Upgrades". Google. Retrieved September 7, 2011.
  6. ↑ Google. "Google Chrome OS Terms of Service". Retrieved September 5, 2012.
  7. ↑ "Chromium OS". The Chromium Project. Google. Retrieved 21 February 2016.
  8. 1 2 3 "Developer FAQ". Google. Retrieved December 12, 2009.
  9. ↑ Pichai, Sundar (July 7, 2009). "Introducing the Google Chrome OS". Official Google Blog. Google, Inc. Retrieved July 11, 2012.
  10. ↑ Brodkin, Jon (June 28, 2010). "Google Chrome OS creator takes job at Facebook, announces switch on Twitter". Business Week. Retrieved June 29, 2010.
  11. 1 2 3 Stokes, Jon (January 19, 2010). "Google talks Chrome OS, HTML5, and the future of software". Ars Technica. Retrieved January 23, 2010.
  12. ↑ Sengupta, Caesar (November 19, 2009). "Releasing the Chromium OS open source project". Official Google Blog. Google, Inc. Retrieved November 19, 2009.
  13. 1 2 "Linux commands". The New York Times.
  14. ↑ Yegulalp, Serdar (December 5, 2009). "Google Chrome OS Previewed". InformationWeek. Retrieved December 6, 2009.
  15. ↑ Rapoza, Jim (December 3, 2009). "REVIEW: Google Chrome OS Developer Edition Provides Intriguing Look at Web-Only Computing". eWeek.com. Retrieved December 4, 2009.
  16. ↑ Kenyon, Chris (November 2009). "Google Chrome OS and Canonical". Canonical Blog. Retrieved December 14, 2010.
  17. ↑ "Google sets "late fall" release for Chrome". Reuters. June 2, 2010.
  18. ↑ Martonik, Andrew (November 17, 2015). "Google and ASUS officially launch the Chromebit, available now for just $85". Android Central. Retrieved 2016-01-30.
  19. ↑ Joey-Elijah Sneddon. "What The Press Think About The New Chromebook Pixel 2". OMG! Chrome!. Retrieved June 6, 2015.
  20. ↑ Lardinois, Frederic (April 9, 2012). "Google’s Chrome OS Will Soon Look More Like Windows Than A Browser". Techcrunch. Retrieved June 2, 2013.
  21. 1 2 Metz, Cade (June 9, 2010). "Google morphs Chrome OS into netbook thin client". The Register. Retrieved June 14, 2010.
  22. ↑ Sneddon, Joey-Elijah (February 24, 2014). "Chrome OS 33 Hits Stable Channel, Adds New ‘First Run’ Tour, Contact Search". omgchrome. Retrieved March 7, 2014.
  23. ↑ Rosenblatt, Seth (August 10, 1011). "Chrome OS goes offline, gets file manager". CNET download.com. Retrieved August 11, 2011.
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  25. ↑ Samson, Ted (May 16, 2013). "Google entices Chrome OS developers with prospect of native-like apps". InfoWorld. Retrieved June 5, 2013.
  26. ↑ "What Are Packaged Apps?". Chrome apps stable. Google. Retrieved June 5, 2013.
  27. ↑ "For Your Desktop". Chrome Web Store. Google. Retrieved January 23, 2014.
  28. 1 2 "Chrome OS can now run Android apps, no porting required". Ars Technica. September 11, 2014. Retrieved September 12, 2014.
  29. ↑ Mathews, Lee (August 13, 2010). "Google Chrome's Remoting feature shows up in Chrome with enterprise implications". Retrieved August 22, 2010.
  30. ↑ Claburn, Thomas. "Google Pleased With Chromebook Sales". InformationWeek.
  31. ↑ Thibodeau, Patrick. "Orlando tries out 600 Chromebooks, The Chrome OS-based laptops may fit into city's cloud strategy". Computerworld.
  32. ↑ Keegan, Victor (July 10, 2009). "Can Chrome steal Microsoft's shine?". The Guardian (UK). Retrieved July 11, 2009.
  33. ↑ Bertolucci, Jeff (July 10, 2009). "Google, Microsoft Invade Enemy Territory: Who Wins?". PC World. Retrieved July 11, 2009.
  34. ↑ Bradley, Tony (April 2010). "Five Reasons the Google Chrome OS will Flop". Retrieved April 21, 2010.
  35. ↑ Dignan, Larry (November 23, 2009). "Admob: Droid and Android army make big browsing splash". ZDNet. Retrieved December 1, 2009.
  36. ↑ Patel, Nilay (July 14, 2009). "Steve Ballmer calls Chrome OS "highly interesting," says Google "can't make up their mind"". Engadget. AOL. Retrieved November 28, 2009.
  37. 1 2 Levy, Steven (June 7, 2011). "Jobs to PC: 'You're Busted!' And Other Notes From The OS Wars". Wired. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  38. ↑ Krazit, Tom (November 20, 2009). "Brin: Google's OSes likely to converge". CNET News. Retrieved November 28, 2009.
  39. ↑ Olivarez-Giles, Nathan (March 13, 2013). "Google Replaces Android Boss Andy Rubin With Chrome’s Sundar Pichai". Wired. Retrieved March 13, 2013.
  40. ↑ Bohn, Dieter (June 25, 2014). "Native Android apps are coming to Chrome OS". The Verge. Retrieved 2014-06-25.
  41. ↑ Alistair Barr (October 30, 2015). "Alphabet’s Google to Fold Chrome Operating System Into Android". WSJ. Retrieved November 14, 2015.
  42. ↑ Sam Tran. "Chrome OS Will Be Merged Into Android - OMG! Chrome!". OMG! Chrome!. Retrieved November 14, 2015.
  43. ↑ Lockheimer, Hiroshi (November 2, 2015). "Chrome OS is here to stay". Retrieved November 27, 2013.
  44. ↑ "The Chromium Projects: Chrome OS". Retrieved July 2, 2011.
  45. ↑ "The Chromium Projects: User Experience". Google. Retrieved November 21, 2009.
  46. ↑ Stephen Shankland (April 10, 2012). "Google gives Chrome OS a less alienating interface". CNET.
  47. ↑ Caleb Garling (April 10, 2012). "Google Chrome OS Busts Out Of Browser With New Interface". Wired.
  48. ↑ Paul, Ryan (April 16, 2012). "Hands-on: getting work done with Google's new Aura interface for Chrome OS". Ars Technica. Retrieved April 17, 2012.
  49. 1 2 3 4 "Security Overview: Chromium OS design documents". Google. Retrieved November 25, 2009.
  50. ↑ Womack, Brian (July 8, 2009). "Google to Challenge Microsoft With Operating System". Bloomberg. Retrieved July 8, 2009.
  51. ↑ Mearian, Lucas (November 19, 2009). "Google Chrome OS will not support hard-disk drives". Computerworld. Retrieved November 21, 2009.
  52. ↑ Jazayeri, Mike (April 15, 2010). "A New Approach to Printing". The Chromium Blog. Google Inc. Retrieved April 16, 2010.
  53. ↑ Heater, Brian (April 16, 2010). "Google Talks Cloud-Based Printing for Chrome OS". App Scout. Retrieved April 16, 2010.
  54. ↑ Whitney, Lance. "Google moving closer to Chrome OS printing". CNET News. Retrieved April 17, 2010.
  55. ↑ Messmer, Ellen (March 2010). "Google sheds light on Chrome OS Netbook security". Retrieved March 8, 2010.
  56. ↑ Paul, Ryan (December 2010). "Google demos Chrome OS, launches pilot program". Ars Technica. Retrieved December 8, 2010.
  57. ↑ "Samsung Series 5 Chromebook". The Chromium Projects. Retrieved June 5, 2015. sudo bash
  58. ↑ "Shell Style Guidelines". The Chromium Projects. Retrieved June 5, 2015. When writing code that is used on developer systems or dev/test Chromium OS images, always use bash. For scripts that are used on the release Chromium OS image, you should be using POSIX shell.
  59. ↑ "Poking around your Chrome OS Notebook". The Chromium Projects. Retrieved February 6, 2011.
  60. ↑ "Boot and Install Chromium OS on Notebook". Keyables.
  61. ↑ Mark Larson (January 8, 2009). "Google Chrome Release Channels". Retrieved January 9, 2009.
  62. ↑ Mark Larson (January 8, 2009). "Dev update: New WebKit version, new features, and a new Dev channel". Retrieved January 9, 2009.
  63. ↑ Beaufort, François (January 3, 2014). "We all agree that Dev Channel is great to test out new…". Google+. Retrieved February 22, 2014.
  64. ↑ "Windows 8 browsers: the only Metro apps to get desktop power". TechRadar. Future Publishing. Retrieved November 13, 2012.
  65. ↑ Newman, Jared. "Google Chrome Gets Early Metro-Style App for Windows 8". PCWorld. IDG. Retrieved June 13, 2012.
  66. ↑ "Mozilla previews 'Metro'-ized Firefox for Windows 8". Computerworld. IDG. Retrieved November 13, 2012.
  67. ↑ "Firefox for Windows 8 enters Aurora channel with touch and gesture support". Engadget. Retrieved September 21, 2013.
  68. ↑ "Google is building Chrome OS straight into Windows 8". The Verge. Retrieved October 5, 2013.

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