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TRANSCRIPT
The Seminar Report on Google Chrome OS
Introduction
What is Google Chrome OS?
Google Chrome OS is an upcoming Linux-based, open source operating
system designed by Google to work exclusively with web applications. Announced
on July 7, 2009, Chrome OS is set to have a publicly available stable release during
the second half of 2010.
Chrome OS will not be available as a download to run and install. Instead, the
operating system will only ship on specific hardware from Google's manufacturing
partners. The user interface takes a minimalist approach, resembling that of
the Chrome web browser. Google Chrome OS is aimed at users who spend most of
their time on the Internet. Google Chrome browser has been redesigned in
underlying security architecture of the OS so that users don't have to deal with
viruses, malware and security updates. It should just work.
Google Chrome OS will run on both x86 as well as ARM chips the software
architecture is simple — Google Chrome running within a new windowing system
on top of a Linux kernel. For application developers, the web is the platform. All
web-based applications will automatically work and new applications can be
written using your favorite web technologies. And of course, these apps will run
not only on Google Chrome OS, but on any standards-based browser on Windows,
Mac and Linux thereby giving developers the largest user base of any platform.
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What is Cloud Computing?
Cloud Computing is Internet-based computing, whereby shared resources,
software, and information are provided to computers and other devices on demand,
like the electricity grid.
Cloud computing is a paradigm shift following the shift from mainframe to client–
server in the early 1980s. Details are abstracted from the users, who no longer have
need for expertise in, or control over, the technology infrastructure "in the cloud"
that supports them. Cloud computing describes a new supplement, consumption,
and delivery model for IT services based on the Internet, and it typically involves
over-the-Internet provision of dynamically scalable and often virtualized
resources. It is a byproduct and consequence of the ease-of-access to remote
computing sites provided by the Internet.
The term "cloud" is used as a metaphor for the Internet, based on the cloud
drawing used in the past to represent the telephone network, and later to depict the
Internet in computer network diagrams as an abstraction of the underlying
infrastructure it represents. Typical cloud computing providers deliver
common business applications online that are accessed from another Web service
or software like a Web browser, while the software and data are stored on servers.
Most cloud computing infrastructures consist of services delivered through
common centers and built on servers. Clouds often appear as single points of
access for all consumers' computing needs.
What is a Netbook?
Netbooks (sometimes also called mini notebooks or ultra portables) are a branch
of subnotebooks, a rapidly evolving category of small, lightweight, and
inexpensive laptop computers suited for general computing and accessing Web-
based applications; they are often marketed as "companion devices", i.e. At their
inception in late 2007 — as smaller notebooks optimized for low weight and low
cost — netbooks omitted certain features, featured smaller screens and keyboards,
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and offered reduced specification and computing power. Over the course of their
evolution, netbooks have ranged in size from below 5" screen diagonal to over
11.6". A typical weight is 1 kg. Often significantly less expensive than
other laptops, by mid-2009, some wireless data carriers began to offer netbooks to
users "free of charge", with an extended service contract purchase.
Difference between Google Chrome OS and Chromium OS
Google Chrome OS is to Chromium OS what Google Chrome browser is to
Chromium. Chromium OS is the open source project, used primarily by
developers, with code that is available for anyone to checkout, modify and build
their own version with. Meanwhile, Google Chrome OS is the Google product that
OEMs will ship on Netbooks this year. Specifically, Google Chrome OS will run
on specially optimized hardware in order to get enhanced performance and
security. Chromium OS does not auto-update (so that we do not blow away any
changes you may have made to the code) while Google Chrome OS will
seamlessly auto-update so that users have the latest and greatest features and fixes.
Google Chrome OS will be supported by Google and our partners, whereas
Chromium OS is supported by the open source community, but they fundamentally
share the same code base. Google Chrome OS also has some cool firmware
features, verified boot and easy recovery, which require corresponding hardware
changes and thus also don't work in Chromium OS builds.
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History
Google developers began coding the operating system in 2009, inspired by
the growing popularity and lower power consumption of netbooks and the focus of
these small laptops on Internet access. To ascertain marketing requirements for an
operating system focused on netbook Web transactions, the company did not do
the usual demographic research generally associated with a large software
development project. Instead, engineers have relied on more 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, 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.
On November 19, 2009, Google released Chrome OS's source code as
the Chromium OS project. As with other open source projects, developers are
modifying code from Chromium OS and building their own versions, whereas
Google Chrome OS code will only be supported by Google and its partners, and
will only run on hardware designed for the purpose. Unlike Chromium OS,
Chrome OS will be automatically updated to the latest version.
InformationWeek reviewer Serdar Yegulalp wrote that Chrome OS will be a
product, developed to "a level of polish and a degree of integration with its host
hardware that Chromium OS does not have by default," whereas Chromium OS is
a project, "a common baseline from which the finished work is derived" as well as
a pool for derivative works. The product and project will be developed in parallel
and borrow from each other.
In March 2010 Google indicated that consideration is being given to developing
two versions of the operating system, a consumer version and an enterprise
version.
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Software Architecture
Chromium OS consists of three major components:
The Chromium-based browser and the window manager
System-level software and user-land services: the kernel, drivers, connection
manager, and so on
Firmware
Figure: High-level design
Firmware
The firmware plays a key part to make booting the OS faster and more secure. To
achieve this goal we are removing unnecessary components and adding support for
verifying each step in the boot process. We are also adding support for system
recovery into the firmware itself. We can avoid the complexity that's in most PC
firmware because we don't have to be backwards compatible with a large amount
of legacy hardware. For example, we don't have to probe for floppy drives.
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Our firmware will implement the following functionality:
System recovery: The recovery firmware can re-install Chromium OS in the event
that the system has become corrupt or compromised.
Verified boot: Each time the system boots, Chromium OS verifies that the
firmware, kernel, and system image have not been tampered with or become
corrupt. This process starts in the firmware.
Fast boot: We have improved boot performance by removing a lot of complexity
that is normally found in PC firmware.
System-level and user-land software
From here we bring in the Linux kernel, drivers, and user-land daemons. Our
kernel is mostly stock except for a handful of patches that we pull in to improve
boot performance. On the user-land side of things we have streamlined the init
process so that we're only running services that are critical. All of the user-land
services are managed by Upstart. By using Upstart we are able to start services in
parallel, re-spawn jobs that crash, and defer services to make boot faster.
Here's a quick list of things that we depend on:
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D-Bus: The browser uses D-Bus to interact with the rest of the system. Examples
of this include the battery meter and network picker.
Connection Manager: Provides a common API for interacting with the network
devices, provides a DNS proxy, and manages network services for 3G, wireless,
and ethernet.
WPA Supplicant: Used to connect to wireless networks.
Autoupdate: Our autoupdate daemon silently installs new system images.
Power Management: (ACPI on Intel) Handles power management events like
closing the lid or pushing the power button.
xscreensaver: Handles screen locking when the machine is idle.
Standard Linux services: NTP, syslog, and cron.
Chrome and the window manager
The window manager is responsible for handling the user's interaction with
multiple client windows. It does this in a manner similar to that of other X window
managers, by controlling window placement, assigning the input focus, and
exposing hotkeys that exist outside the scope of a single browser window. Parts of
the ICCCM (Inter-Client Communication Conventions Manual) and EWHM
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(Extended Window Manager Hints) specifications are used for communication
between clients and the window manager where possible.
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Design goals and direction
Minimum Booting Time
One of the Chrome’s best features is that its booting time is minimum. It claims to
boot in 7 seconds.
Goals for the drive partitioning scheme are as follows:
Speed - Support fast boot, where the boot loader is part of the firmware.
Simplicity - Support autoupdate.
Robustness - Recover from failed updates or corrupt partitions.
Openness - Allow developers to run operating systems other than Google
Chrome OS.
Goals for the boot process are as follows:
Support readily available development platforms so that Chromium OS
software can be built and tested without waiting for final
hardware/firmware.
Support a limited selection of off-the-shelf netbooks for internal trials of
Chromium OS.
Provide a secure and verifiable boot path for official Google Chrome OS
devices.
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User interface
Design goals for Google Chrome OS's user interface include using minimal screen
space by combining applications and standard Web pages into a single tab strip,
rather than separating the two. Designers are considering 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 are also under
consideration for viewing two pieces of content side-by-side. Google Chrome OS
will follow the Chrome browser's practice of leveraging HTML5's offline modes,
background processing, and notifications. Designers propose using search and
pinned tabs as a way to quickly locate and access applications.
Remote application 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.
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Hardware support
Google Chrome OS is initially intended for secondary devices like netbooks, not a
user's primary PC, and will run on hardware incorporating an x86 or ARM-based
processor. While Chrome OS will support hard disk drives, Google has requested
that its hardware partners use solid-state drives due to their higher performance and
reliability, as well as the lower capacity requirements inherent in an operating
system that accesses applications and most user data on remote servers. Google
Chrome OS consumes one-sixtieth as much drive space as Windows 7.
Integrated media player
Google will integrate 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.
Printing
Google plans to create a service called Google Cloud Print, which will help any
application on any device to print on any printer. This method of printing does not
require any drivers and therefore will be suitable for printing from Google Chrome
OS. Mike Jazayeri, Google group product manager, wrote that the service was
prompted by a paradox inherent in an operating system designed expressly for
cloud computing. 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. The service would entail installing a
piece of software, called a proxy, as part of Chrome OS. The proxy would register
the printer with the service, manage the print jobs and give status alerts for each
job.
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Link handling
One unresolved design problem related to both Chrome OS and the Chrome
browser is the desired behavior for how Web applications handle specific link
types. For example, if a JPEG is opened in Chrome or on a Chrome OS device,
should a specific Web application be automatically opened to view it, and if so,
which one? Similarly, if a user clicks on a .doc file, which website should open:
Open Office, Gview, or a previewing utility? Project director Matthew Papakipos
noted that Windows developers have faced the same fundamental problem:
"QuickTime is fighting with Windows Media Player, which is fighting with
Chrome". As the number of Web applications increases, the same problem arises.
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,
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.
Cros API
Cros is set of APIs that is implemented on the Chromium OS side and exposed to
Chromium via dynamically linked libcros.so file. It has been designed a versioning
system to make sure that Chromium OS will only boot up if we have the correct
version of libcros.so. If either the libcros.so version or the Chromium version is too
old, we catch that and disable login.
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Compatible Hardware
Companies developing hardware for the operating system include Acer, Adobe,
Toshiba, Intel, Samsung Australia, and Dell.
In July 2010, Google CEO Eric Schmidt said a Google-branded Google OS
netbook was unlikely, despite Google's having previously negotiated with a couple
of hardware manufacturers to produce it.
Schmidt has acknowledged that Chrome OS will be compatible with a smaller
library of applications than conventional operating systems, like Windows, which
support both Web- and client-based applications. That limitation, coupled with
Chrome OS having no licensing fee, has caused speculation as to the retail price of
Chrome OS devices.
In April 2010, Schmidt indicated that he expected prices for Chrome OS netbooks
to range from US$300 to $400, and thus be similar in cost to comparable devices
that ship with closed source operating systems. He also confirmed that Google will
supply the operating system for free, but it will be up to hardware manufacturers
and retailers to set their own prices for the devices.
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Market Implications
When Google announced the Chrome browser in September 2008, it was
viewed as a continuation of the battle between Google and Microsoft ("the two
giants of the digital revolution"). As of December 2009, Microsoft dominates
the usage share of desktop operating systems and the software market in word
processing and spreadsheet applications. The operating system dominance may be
challenged directly by Google Chrome OS, and the application dominance
indirectly through a shift to cloud computing. According to an analysis by PC
World, Google Chrome OS represents the next step in this battle. But Chrome OS
engineering director Matthew Papakipos has noted that the two operating systems
will not fully overlap in functionality. Users should be aware that Chrome OS
hosted on a netbook is not intended as a substitute for Microsoft Windows running
on a conventional laptop, which has the computational power to run a resource-
intensive program like Photoshop.
Although, Google stated that it was looking to launch on netbooks at the end of
2010, it is clear that the internet giant could challenge Microsoft on laptops and
PCs should it show its worth in the low-cost, small form-factor market.
Microsoft has been overjoyed with the reaction to Windows 7 since it launched in
late October and will feel confident that its latest OS can defend against all-comers,
but Google has both the financial might and popularity to potentially produce
something that is adopted by the public.
But Chrome OS is a seismic change from what people are expecting; and Google's
assertion that this is meant to be for secondary devices means that this is not meant
to replace Windows - at least not yet. Assuming that the Chrome OS lives up to
expectations and provides a polished, capable experience, there is still a long way
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to go before a Web-centric OS can even begin to replace the traditional desktop
operating system.
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Bibliography
1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chromium_OS 2. Pichai, Sundar (2009-07-07). "Introducing the Google Chrome OS". Official
Google Blog. Google, Inc. http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2009/07/introducing-google-chrome-os.html
3. "The Chromium Projects: User Experience" . Google. http://www.chromium.org/chromium-os/user-experience
4. Chrome OS – Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chrome OS
5. Netbook - Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Netbook
6. Cloud Computing - Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cloud Computing
7. Ten things to know about Google - http://www.techradar.com/news/software/operating-systems/10-things-to-know-about-google-chrome-os-614370?artc_pg=1
8. Chrome OS Strives to Replace Desktop Culture http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/blogs/network.html
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