Tag Archives: Linux
Chrome helps Linux pt. 2: Cloud Graphics
Posted on 25. Aug, 2011 by Julian West. 
0 Comments
With Chrome, Google has been at the forefront of enhancing the capabilities of the browser and enhancing the powers of the browser. One of these areas is GPU Accelerated Drawing. Traditionally, the CPU was the only computer hardware which was utilized to render graphics in a browser, which resulted in limitations with regard to the browser’s graphics rendering. With GPU Accelerated Drawing, however, the browser is utilizing the thin client’s GPU in rendering browser graphics, greatly boasting the browser’s rendering power.
Such advances in browser technology also has benefits for Linux.
Linux doesn’t have the best reputation with regards to graphics, mainly due to the fact that that not all hardware manufacturers make Linux compatible drivers for their graphics cards and it can take considerable time before open-source drivers for those graphics cards are available. Due to its cross platform nature, OpenGL ES is a clear path for Linux to obtain video support from major chip makers and sidestep these driver issues since OpenGL standardizes the rendering API for the browser regardless of the platform. GPU Accelerated Drawing will eventually enable the browser’s graphics performance to be at a level expected from today’s demanding users.
WebGL has a ways to go before it can compete with the video performance your traditional legacy system offers; the technology still is in its beginning stages. I tried GPU Acceleration in “about:flags” on my Cr-48, and it actually slowed down the graphics performance. I tested on the Asteroids HTML5 Canvas 2D Rendering and JavaScript Benchmark experiment, and it went from a benchmark score of initially 417, when the GPU Acceleration flag was disabled to 183 when GPU Acceleration was enabled. I’m not the only one who experienced the slow down.
I remain optimistic however. WebGL technology and the like are sure to advance due to the superior development process of Open Source. It’s just a matter of time. Consider the below statement from Linus Torvalds:
“[Open Source] is superior because it’s a lot more fun and because it makes cooperation much easier (no silly NDA’s or artificial barriers to innovation like in a proprietary setting), and I think Open Source is the right thing to do the same way I believe science is better than alchemy. Like science, Open Source allows people to build on a solid base of previous knowledge, without some silly hiding. [Y]ou can obviously never do as well in a closed environment as you can with open scientific methods.”
In a ZDnet article dated June 26, 2008, an exec from the Linux Foundation is quoted as saying “The future of cloud computing and Web 2.0 application development will be built on Linux and open source.” Consider how far cloud computing has come since then. Today, we can even play Angry Birds in the browser!
What are your views on Linux, Chrome, and the advances of cloud computing? Are you optimistic?
Building a Chrome OS PC Yourself: Is It Worth The Effort?
Posted on 19. May, 2011 by Nicholas Greene. 2 Comments
We can all agree that Chrome OS is a rather awesome, unique idea- perhaps even revolutionary. We can probably also agree that the concept behind the Chromebooks is a pretty awesome one. I mean, who doesn’t want to worry about data being lost, right? We can also collectively nod our heads at the fact that this news has been causing quite a few waves in the PC industry. One thing we might not be able to agree on though is this: while Google Chrome sounds like an awesome OS to pre-load onto a computer, is it a viable OS around which to build your own system upon?
Now, a lot of you will probably point to Chromium and say “Well…yeah, it does.” Thing is, Chromium and Chrome are two different operating systems. While both work on similar principles- namely, cloud computing- and both are derived the same source code, Chromium is completely open source- a whole different ballgame from Chrome OS.
Now, in order to determine whether a custom Chrome machine is a viable option, I’m going to have to look at several key factors. These are, in no particular order, hardware requirements, hardware optimization, and cost effectiveness. Now, if you’re particularly astute (or just a huge tech head), you’ve already realized that these three are very much interrelated to one another- hardware optimization influences cost effectiveness and software optimization and so on. Just the same, these are the three deciding factors in whether or not this OS is suitable as a build platform.
Hardware Requirements
What are the most basic, bare bones requirements of a Chrome machine? What sort of stresses does Chrome OS put on the hardware involved? If Chromebooks are anything to judge this by, the OS doesn’t really put any terrible strain on the system. To be safe, we’ll set the lowest benchmark for the system at 2 GB of RAM and at most, a 1.7 GHz dual core processor. Minimum processer benchmark, I’d say somewhere around 1.4 GHz. Hard drive space, we’ll set at 8-16 GB minimum.
Rather low end as far as custom builds go, and pretty easy to come by. Not particularly expensive too. So, as far as base hardware requirements, Google’s Chrome OS is looking like a good choice. Also, your system pretty much has to support OpenGL. That’s a given. Ah, but there are other things to consider.
Optimization/Other Requirements.
Here’s the deciding factor. If Google’s OS requires specialized hardware to run, building a rig on it will either be entirely pointless, or so much trouble that it’s not worth the effort. Now, the trouble here is that…we don’t actually know a whole lot about what sort of optimization might be necessary to run Chrome. While we can infer from the Chromebooks that it’s not a horrendously memory-intensive OS, there’s really no way of telling whether or not the hardware’s been modified or optimized in some way to run with Chrome.
See, the problem here is that we don’t really have all the information on the Chrome OS yet. There’s no real word on how the software is optimized, the highest grade system that could feasibly be run to its fullest extent, whether or not the OS requires special or modified pieces of hardware to properly run.The information simply isn’t there. I’ve done a bit of research about the OS, but the problem is, nobody seems to know the details. There are so many conflicting reports; it’s hard to tell what’s true and what isn’t.
I’ve heard people say that Chrome OS will only run with hardware that’s specifically optimized and manufactured to run Chrome. Others have said that it’ll run on pretty much any system. I’ve heard people say that if you’re running Chrome OS, you need a solid state drive on which to boot it. Others have retorted that it’s merely recommended that you have it.
There’s only one thing we know for certain. Fortunately, it’s all we really need to know to render our verdict here.
Pretty much the only thing everyone seems to agree on is that Google’s Chrome OS isn’t going to be intended for desktop PCs- at least, not at first. It’s optimized for x86 and ARM-based systems. So, that’s a point against its viability as a custom rig platform right there. I mean, seriously, have you ever tried building a laptop computer from scratch? Second question, how many gray hairs did you have after such an experience? If Google’s new OS is optimized for laptop computers they are probably saying what they mean.
Let’s Get Ready to Rumble – Jolicloud vs Chrome OS
Posted on 22. Aug, 2010 by Julien Cadot. 5 Comments
Making comparisons is always difficult, especially when one tries to compare apples-to-apples something complex like and operating system. But here goes anyway.
Ladies and gentlemen, on the left corner, please welcome one of the most anticipated operating systems, the 10 second-to-launch, fully browser operated Google Chrome OS! On the right corner, ladies and gentlemen, the outsider no one knew before its release except true geeks , the prince who wants to be king before the king has the crown, the black-wallpapered and not-that-clouded Jolicloud!
Everyone should have noticed: we’re dealing with a very much alpha preview version of Chrome OS and a fully functional one in Jolicloud. Unfair to compare? Not really, since I have also alpha tested Jolicloud. I promise, I’ll try to keep that in mind during the comparison.
Which of them will win?
thechromesource Daily: Links for 8/5/10
Posted on 05. Aug, 2010 by Daniel Cawrey. 1 Comments
Google-developed protocols are in the new version of Linux, possibly an aid to speed web processing in the cloud.
Google Apps has now been fully implemented in the city of Los Angeles, two weeks after the launch deadline.
Is it possible to achieve anonymity in Gmail using IPv6?
GigaOM’s Sam Dean questions whether Google will support Chrome OS over the long haul.
Technology Review’s Erica Naone on Google’s net neutrality stance: ”I don’t think straight payola is the company’s style“.
The $35 Tablet
Posted on 24. Jul, 2010 by Daniel Cawrey. 6 Comments
Have you heard about the tablet that has been developed in India for educational purposes that costs $35? Kapil Sabil, who works for the Indian government’s human resource ministry, showed off a prototype recently and even speculated that the device could cost $10 in a short time as hardware costs decline.
News organizations are reporting this as a laptop; the reality is that this device looks like a tablet. It has no keyboard, doesn’t fold and has a touchscreen. How can that be described as a laptop?
More and more, cloud computing makes hardware a commodity that will matter less than the platform that a device runs on. This comes as Intel recently posted its best quarter ever as companies purchase more expensive servers to handle increased processing that is done remotely now more than ever.
Witness the increasingly short lifespan of the mini-computers that we all carry around called smartphones. Indeed, it almost seems surprising to me that phones are given one-word names: at some point this convention for naming is going to run out of creative ideas there are so many products coming out.
Nevertheless, this Indian device has one purpose: to increase education and literacy rates in India. Would you be surprised to hear that this gadget runs Linux, has a web browser and can allow users to read PDF files?
Sounds like a Chrome OS computer to me.
thechromesource Daily: Links for 7/14/10
Posted on 14. Jul, 2010 by Daniel Cawrey. 0 Comments
Linux will dominate mobile devices by 2015, owning a 62% share of the market according to a report by ABI Research.
In a bid to fix user input issues with ever-smaller computing devices, MIT researchers are working on an invisible mouse.
Mozilla may be working on an open App Store that works across all devices, but will anyone actually use it?
Ten percent of all Google Search queries are now from mobile devices.
eWeek’s Clint Boulton says that Google is for pandas and Facebook is for lobsters, although the two aren’t mutually exclusive.
Will People Actually Want to Move Away From Windows?
Posted on 14. Jul, 2010 by Daniel Cawrey. 0 Comments
Maybe Windows is horrible, or could just be enough for people to get by. ITPro’s Simon Brew has an article talking about alternatives to using the Windows operating system. Of course, there are open source alternatives in Linux and Chrome OS was brought up, but the main question brought to mind is this: are users actually going to want to switch from Windows?
On example of this is the fact that Microsoft is still trying to get users off of Windows XP, which debuted in 2001. If a user does get off of XP, their alternative now is going to be to start using Windows 7 which to some people may not be any different than the classic XP. It starts to make one wonder how much market share Google can really take from Windows, especially since probably the only ones buying a Chrome OS system will be those who are actually seeking out the device.
So, with that logic, maybe those who actively hate Windows will go out and look for a Google alternative when it arrives, but the fact of the matter is that Microsoft holds a dominating ninety percent share of a profitable market, and they are not going to lose out very quickly to upstart operating systems.
An example of Microsoft’s stronghold is that somehow, Internet Explorer, known to be an inferior browser through technical tests, still commands a sixty percent share across its three versions. Anyone can download one of the better alternatives, but either they don’t know they can or can do what they need to with a Microsoft product. And that’s the problem.
WebOS May Now be the Focal Point of HP’s Tablet
Posted on 07. Jul, 2010 by Daniel Cawrey. 1 Comments
One of the official Google hardware partners for Chrome OS has been known to be computer behemoth HP. We’ve been very interested in seeing what HP would be able to offer Google’s forthcoming computer OS since they really are one of the only computer manufacturers that has been able to create and produce designs that are, shall we say, less utilitarian and more eye-pleasing than the rest of the PC market.
But recently HP bought the financially struggling Palm, possibly to boost its position in the ever-growing mobile market. Palm has been able to design and launch smartphone products that have been critically praised of late, however because of the growing dominance of Android phones it has not been successful in boosting its flagging market share. This, in a nutshell, is why Palm desperately needed HP in order to survive.
But the fact of the matter is that now with Palm in the fold, it’s quite possible that HP will focus on developing a tablet that runs Palm’s WebOS rather than Chrome OS as might have been originally planned. WebOS sounds surprisingly similar to Chrome OS as a cloud operating system based on the Linux kernel, although WebOS may be more focused upon social media aspects, so there may be a niche edge there for Palm in that space.
So, we’re not saying that the new Palm-HP relationship (Palm is now a subsidiary) means that HP will not release its own version of a Chrome OS device this year. It does, however, leave one curious how much in terms of resources will be spent on WebOS versus Chrome when the former is something built specifically for Palm devices and could be more successfully branded for long-term opportunity in HP’s eyes.
We shall see, as it will be dependent on either device’s success, that being a laptop device or tablet. This will be HP hedging its bets on both operating systems in the end.
Chromoting Fits the Chrome OS Thin Client Model
Posted on 10. Jun, 2010 by Daniel Cawrey. 1 Comments
The idea of Chromoting as a way to bridge the gap between the web-enabled environments of the future over to the old model of installed applications on Windows, Mac and Linux seems to fit with the overall theme of Chrome OS. That theme is to get away from natively installed applications, though many of us still will rely on these “legacy” apps to some degree.
In the smartphone realm, the use of remote desktop is possible to go into our computer at home or at work to do things. Chromoting will be no different than that, installed as an extension on a Chrome OS device with another application on whatever other machine you need to remote into.
As cloud computing in ramps up from an operating system standpoint, there is going to be some software that simply will not be available in the cloud. Although it is true when Google says that most major applications are coming out today arrive web-based, there are still some resource-heavy tasks that require a traditional computer. Chromoting thus offers power users the ability to possibly use virtualization on servers to harness both Chrome OS and whatever applications they may need directly through the cloud.
I can see a variety of uses for Chromoting, and not just as a stopgap solution for legacy purposes but also as a path to allow Chrome OS to act as a window to more process-intensive computing capabilities. One would not only be able to use it to access powerful software tools on a thin client Chrome OS device, but the enterprise would benefit as well. I could see IT support analysts, salespeople and health professionals utilizing Chromoting on a tablet or netbook to access resources in a safe and controlled way that perhaps other devices would be unable to.
What other intriguing purposes could Chromoting provide for that I have missed?
thechromesource Daily: Links for 6/9/10
Posted on 09. Jun, 2010 by Daniel Cawrey. 0 Comments
Chrome OS will run legacy PC applications using a process unofficially called ‘Chromoting’ according to the Register.
In a partnership with HP, a launch of cloud-enabled printers will be coming soon allowing your printing to be wireless in the cloud.
The Dell Linux team has updated their build of Chromium, specifically for its line of netbooks.
Interestingly, Apple has been credited with spotting some bugs in the Chrome browser.
ZDNet asks, what will be the effects of Android and Chrome OS on the release of Linux distributions?
Is Chrome OS Just a Web Browser?
Posted on 08. Jun, 2010 by Daniel Cawrey. 1 Comments
It’s hard not to think that Chrome OS will be just a glorified web browser when it is released later on this year. The reason for this is because Google has been very adamant about their message that the web will be the platform of the future, and Chrome OS serves to be a way to serve up the web in a different manner than we have seen before. But when you hear this, it makes one start to wonder whether or not all we’re getting is a bootable version of the browsers we know of today.
The Chrome browser plays a part in the development in its counterpart operating system, as we’re starting to see with Chromium that Native Client is going to have to play a big part in the interface between the web and hardware. It’s being implemented in Chrome browser as well, so it will be interesting to see if we will see some cool Native Client stuff prior to the release of a Chrome OS gadget although an official device will be better optimized to do this because of the requirements that have been made by Google in the regard.
One thing that has been brought up in the Chromium discussion list (join here) is that a way to get around the issue of connectivity is that Chrome OS could use the browser interface as the way to run apps both online and locally. Local apps will still be based on web technologies, and all of the executables and information to need them will be securely stored on the hard drive. This will be the stopgap while emerging wireless internet available continuous to become more ubiquitous, one issue that is of great concern when you start considering a completely web-based computing solution.
So, without going much more into detail, no Chrome OS is not just a browser. It is a web-enabled solution paired with hardware that runs on an underlying Linux architecture to allow for processes that run just like any other operating system, but will be a tad more locked down in terms of applications for users.
I guess that would be kind of a mouthful to explain to someone, right?
Microsoft Dominates at Computex
Posted on 01. Jun, 2010 by Daniel Cawrey. 1 Comments
So the first day of the Computex computer trade show has come and gone, and I’ve been confronted with a startling revelation: Microsoft really has command of this conference.
I spent a good amount of time today going from manufacturer to manufacturer asking about Chrome OS. While most of them are open to using it, there really seems to be an “in the future” mentality to using any operating system from Google. That also includes Android as well, with the sheer majority of tablets that I saw sporting a touch-enabled Windows 7.
Here is some of the reasons that Microsoft is such a force at Computex.
The Show is for Procurement
People come to Computex to make purchasing decisions for their companies on products that mostly come from Taiwanese manufacturers. As such, they want to see what they are going to be buying over the balance of 2010 and into 2011. Because of this, purchasers are looking at getting devices that run Windows 7 since it is here and now, ready for deployment and/or selling.
Windows 7
Windows 7 was launched not too long ago, and as such Microsoft is making a big push to sell its new operating system. Despite the software climate these days, Redmond still makes a ton of money on selling operating systems that are shipped on new computers. That would partially explain the reasoning behind so many tablets having a Microsoft OS instead of Android. With that being said, there was an open source booth that had some different commercial versions of Linux. I also got a chance to try MeeGo, and I have to say I was impressed with it.
The Microsoft-Manufacturer Connection
One product manager I talked to for a leading manufacturer told me that there are some financial incentives to help them put a display on at Computex if they follow certain standards for showing off Microsoft products. I was a bit surprised by this fact initially, but it makes sense. The relationship between Microsoft and Taiwan manufacturers is very tight-knit whereby Microsoft offers a platform that works with an array of hardware that the manufacturers design and produce for a good price.
Bottom Line
The most intriguing dynamic to all of this is the fact that it was reported by CNET today that new Google employees can no longer choose a Windows solution for their workstations. Future Microsoft implementations at Google will only be for testing purposes, or specially approved. This report, which was rumored but not confirmed until now, comes at the same time we are seeing a boatload of Microsoft-loaded products at Computex.
It will be interesting to see how this may change over the course of the next year, with Google exerting more dominance in the market. This is a telling sign that IT purchasers do not have Google platforms in their sights as of yet.
