June 7, 2009 at 16:31Operating System - Browser
I read the topic about HabraOS and remembered the idea that I had a few months ago. Googling a little, I found as many as two projects implementing a similar system, but still decided to write a detailed presentation of the idea. Maybe it will lead someone to thoughts.
It is necessary to create an OS-browser.
What for?
The logic is very simple: today the availability and quality of Internet connection is growing very quickly. Russia, of course, is a separate case, but in Europe and America, a quick Internet connection is already becoming commonplace. In addition, various online services are growing like mushrooms. You can already do any work online - edit office documents, listen to music, there are even whole online OSes.
Theoretically, now you can completely abandon the classical model of working with a computer, and do everything with the help of online services without installing any programs on your computer. In theory, such a work model gives a lot of advantages.
Firstly, all the load is transferred from the client computer to the remote servers. Thus, from the point of view of the user, computer performance is limited only by the speed of Internet connection.
Secondly, the user no longer needs to worry about transferring his data from one computer to another: all data is stored on servers that are equally accessible from any client computer.
Finally, online services make it easy to organize teamwork.
Further, it is worth paying attention to the fact that often users start the computer just to open the browser (usually an audio player and IM client are launched along with the browser, but convenient online services already exist for listening to music and for instant messages). Thus, the user loads the bulky operating system, and then uses only a minimal set of its functions.
What I propose
You can create an OS that will be designed to work with one single application - a web browser. Moreover, you can make it in the form of a LiveCD. Of course, this can no longer be called a valuable OS. Here are the benefits of such a system. Such a system can load and run very quickly. In such a system, all system resources will be initially designed for a web browser.
That is, you can make the browser work much faster than on all classic systems. All free RAM can be used to cache web pages. From the user's point of view, such a browser will work incredibly fast. The process scheduler for such a system should be different from the schedulers of conventional systems. It must be sharpened to perform just a few processes, so you can achieve a good increase in the speed of one particular application. In general, the core of such a system can be very well “sharpened” for the operation of one specific browser, achieving good performance.
In addition, when developing such a system, you do not have to worry about protection. Since the system runs a single application, you do not have to worry about viruses and similar dangers. Only the browser can be attacked, and the developers should have already thought about protecting the browser (and I suggest taking a ready-made browser).
You can also integrate the system with popular online services, for example, implement a virtual file system using some kind of file hosting, synchronize browser bookmarks with services like del.icio.us, etc. In addition, you can create a number of services oriented It is on this system.
On the other hand, the following problems arise.
If the system is implemented as a LiveCD, the question arises: where can the user store their settings and files? A logical solution arises: to organize an online service specifically for this. Thus, immediately after loading the system and establishing an Internet connection, the user will be prompted to enter one password and all his settings, cookies and saved passwords will be available to him.
It is necessary to implement a good equipment auto-configuration system, which will quickly determine and initialize the required minimum equipment.
When downloading, you need to avoid questions to the user as much as possible. It is necessary to implement the scheme "inserted a disk - pressed a button - it worked." The user is not obliged to know the details of the device of his computer, therefore, everything that is possible, the system must solve and configure without user intervention, even if the user can do part of the work better. However, there is a point in which questions for the user cannot be avoided - setting up an Internet connection. To do this, you need to make a program that will step by step find out the type of connection from the user, and if you need a user name and password for the connection. The interface of such a program should be as simple as possible, and the most simple, clear and complete reference documentation should be written for it, which can be called up at any time in a simple and obvious way.
Practical considerations You
can take the Linux kernel as the basis for such a system. It will be necessary to remove everything superfluous from it, turn on all the necessary drivers and implement a system of auto-configuration of equipment (I must say that such systems are already used in Linux-based LiveCDs, for example, Knoppix and Ubuntu). As a browser, you can take Firefox (it will have to make a number of changes). Also, you will need to include a number of browser add-ons, for example, a Flash player and the like.
Receiving a profit
Of course, I expect to distribute this system for free. However, with its help you can make a profit. You can get money from corporations like Google for integrating our system with their online services. Such a business scheme is quite capable of generating large incomes, subject to the popularity of our system.
PS Topic moved from my LJ: http://i1ey.livejournal.com/9895.html
It is necessary to create an OS-browser.
What for?
The logic is very simple: today the availability and quality of Internet connection is growing very quickly. Russia, of course, is a separate case, but in Europe and America, a quick Internet connection is already becoming commonplace. In addition, various online services are growing like mushrooms. You can already do any work online - edit office documents, listen to music, there are even whole online OSes.
Theoretically, now you can completely abandon the classical model of working with a computer, and do everything with the help of online services without installing any programs on your computer. In theory, such a work model gives a lot of advantages.
Firstly, all the load is transferred from the client computer to the remote servers. Thus, from the point of view of the user, computer performance is limited only by the speed of Internet connection.
Secondly, the user no longer needs to worry about transferring his data from one computer to another: all data is stored on servers that are equally accessible from any client computer.
Finally, online services make it easy to organize teamwork.
Further, it is worth paying attention to the fact that often users start the computer just to open the browser (usually an audio player and IM client are launched along with the browser, but convenient online services already exist for listening to music and for instant messages). Thus, the user loads the bulky operating system, and then uses only a minimal set of its functions.
What I propose
You can create an OS that will be designed to work with one single application - a web browser. Moreover, you can make it in the form of a LiveCD. Of course, this can no longer be called a valuable OS. Here are the benefits of such a system. Such a system can load and run very quickly. In such a system, all system resources will be initially designed for a web browser.
That is, you can make the browser work much faster than on all classic systems. All free RAM can be used to cache web pages. From the user's point of view, such a browser will work incredibly fast. The process scheduler for such a system should be different from the schedulers of conventional systems. It must be sharpened to perform just a few processes, so you can achieve a good increase in the speed of one particular application. In general, the core of such a system can be very well “sharpened” for the operation of one specific browser, achieving good performance.
In addition, when developing such a system, you do not have to worry about protection. Since the system runs a single application, you do not have to worry about viruses and similar dangers. Only the browser can be attacked, and the developers should have already thought about protecting the browser (and I suggest taking a ready-made browser).
You can also integrate the system with popular online services, for example, implement a virtual file system using some kind of file hosting, synchronize browser bookmarks with services like del.icio.us, etc. In addition, you can create a number of services oriented It is on this system.
On the other hand, the following problems arise.
If the system is implemented as a LiveCD, the question arises: where can the user store their settings and files? A logical solution arises: to organize an online service specifically for this. Thus, immediately after loading the system and establishing an Internet connection, the user will be prompted to enter one password and all his settings, cookies and saved passwords will be available to him.
It is necessary to implement a good equipment auto-configuration system, which will quickly determine and initialize the required minimum equipment.
When downloading, you need to avoid questions to the user as much as possible. It is necessary to implement the scheme "inserted a disk - pressed a button - it worked." The user is not obliged to know the details of the device of his computer, therefore, everything that is possible, the system must solve and configure without user intervention, even if the user can do part of the work better. However, there is a point in which questions for the user cannot be avoided - setting up an Internet connection. To do this, you need to make a program that will step by step find out the type of connection from the user, and if you need a user name and password for the connection. The interface of such a program should be as simple as possible, and the most simple, clear and complete reference documentation should be written for it, which can be called up at any time in a simple and obvious way.
Practical considerations You
can take the Linux kernel as the basis for such a system. It will be necessary to remove everything superfluous from it, turn on all the necessary drivers and implement a system of auto-configuration of equipment (I must say that such systems are already used in Linux-based LiveCDs, for example, Knoppix and Ubuntu). As a browser, you can take Firefox (it will have to make a number of changes). Also, you will need to include a number of browser add-ons, for example, a Flash player and the like.
Receiving a profit
Of course, I expect to distribute this system for free. However, with its help you can make a profit. You can get money from corporations like Google for integrating our system with their online services. Such a business scheme is quite capable of generating large incomes, subject to the popularity of our system.
PS Topic moved from my LJ: http://i1ey.livejournal.com/9895.html