You can find some discussion here, but that was originally a news thread, and so I think it's better to post anything related to Chrome OS here.
So, what is it?
(Taken from the Chromium OS Project page)Chromium OS is an open-source project that aims to build an operating system that provides a fast, simple, and more secure computing experience for people who spend most of their time on the web.
This is the video they presented yesterday to explain the Chrome OS concept:
[YT="What is Google Chrome OS?"]0QRO3gKj3qw[/YT]
From what I have read on a technology blog, the Chrome browser will be the center of the OS and you won't be able to install applications as everything will work "in the Cloud". Data will be synchronized on line, videos will be played using the browser's components. Chrome OS is destined for netbooks with SSD drives (it won't be compatible with mechanic HDDs) and will begin to be distributed next year. If I read correctly, it will access the hardware directly, i.e. no drivers.
Speed will be a critical factor. During the demonstration, it took the OS just seven seconds to get to the login screen, and three seconds to open an application on a modded Asus EEE. Same goes for security. Updates will be done transparently. A system called "Verified Boot" will be implemented: every time you start the OS, it will verify its own integrity. If a vital system file has been modified, it will reboot and get a clean copy from Google. Applications won't be able to modify any aspects of the operating system at all. Furthermore, information stored locally will be encrypted.
Its source code has already been released, and you can get it at the Repository page. As a matter of fact, someone at The Pirate Bay has released a VMWare disk image of an already installed system - you can get it here and run it on a VirtualBox.
Links:
The last two in Spanish. I translated the info I posted from there.
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