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posted by mrpg on Friday June 22 2018, @05:32AM   Printer-friendly
from the with-systemd? dept.

Google's Fuchsia OS will support Linux apps

Google's non-Linux-based Fuchsia OS has added an emulator for running Debian Linux apps. Like its upcoming Linux emulator for Chrome OS, Fuchsia's "Guest" app will offer tighter integration than typical emulators.

Google has added a Guest app to its emergent and currently open source Fuchsia OS to enable Linux apps to run within Fuchsia as a virtual machine (VM). The Guest app makes use of a library called Machina that permits closer integration with the OS than is available with typical emulators, according to a recent 9to5Google story.

Last month, Google announced a Project Crostini technology that will soon let Chromebook users more easily run mainstream Linux applications within a Chrome OS VM. This week, Acer's Chromebook Flip C101 joined the short list of Chromebooks that will offer Linux support later this year.

Previously: Google's New Non-Linux OS: Fuchsia
Google's Not-So-Secret New OS
Google Fuchsia UI Previewed
Google to Add Swift Language Support to Fuchsia OS
ChromeOS Gains the Ability to Run Linux Applications


Original Submission

Related Stories

Google's New Non-Linux OS: Fuchsia 46 comments

Google is designing a new operating system (also at Github) based on its own new kernel (Magenta), which may be intended to unify/replace Android and ChromeOS. It is also expected to run on a wide range of ARM and x64 devices, such as Chromecast, Raspberry Pi 3, smartphones, laptops, and desktops.


Original Submission

Google’s Not-So-Secret New OS 23 comments

TechSpecs Blog ponders:

I decided to dig through open source to examine the state of Google's upcoming Andromeda OS. For anyone unfamiliar, Andromeda seems to be the replacement for both Android and Chrome OS (cue endless debates over the semantics of that, and what it all entails). Fuchsia is the actual name of the operating system, while Magenta is the name of the kernel, or more correctly, the microkernel. Many of the architectural design decisions appear to have unsurprisingly been focused on creating a highly scalable platform.

It goes without saying that Google isn't trying to hide Fuchsia. People have clearly discovered that Google is replacing Android's Linux kernel. Still, I thought it would be interesting for people to get a better sense of what the OS actually is. This article is only intended to be an overview of the basics, as far as I can comment reasonably competently. (I certainly never took an operating systems class!)

To my naive eyes, rather than saying Chrome OS is being merged into Android, it looks more like Android and Chrome OS are both being merged into Fuchsia. It's worth noting that these operating systems had previously already begun to merge together to an extent, such as when the Android team worked with the Chrome OS team in order to bring Update Engine to Nougat, which introduced A/B updates to the platform.

Google is unsurprisingly bringing up Andromeda on a number of platforms, including the humble Intel NUC. ARM, x86, and MIPS bring-up is exactly what you would expect for an Android successor, and it also seems clear that this platform will run on Intel laptops.


Original Submission

Google Fuchsia UI Previewed 38 comments

Google's Fuchsia System UI can now be previewed. The operating system could potentially replace Android and even ChromeOS:

Google, never one to compete in a market with a single product, is apparently hard at work on a third operating system after Android and Chrome OS. This one is an open source, real-time OS called "Fuchsia." The OS first popped up in August last year, but back then it was just a command line. Now the mysterious project has a crazy new UI we can look at, so let's dive in.

Unlike Android and Chrome OS, Fuchsia is not based on Linux—it uses a new, Google-developed microkernel called "Magenta." With Fuchsia, Google would not only be dumping the Linux kernel, but also the GPL: the OS is licensed under a mix of BSD 3 clause, MIT, and Apache 2.0. Dumping Linux might come as a bit of a shock, but the Android ecosystem seems to have no desire to keep up with upstream Linux releases. Even the Google Pixel is still stuck on Linux Kernel 3.18, which was first released at the end of 2014.

[...] This all leads us to an interesting point right now: the Fuchsia interface is written with the Flutter SDK, which is cross-platform. This means that, right now, you can grab chunks of Fuchsia and run it on an Android device. Fuchsia first went public in August 2016, and but back then compiling it would get you nothing more than a command line. Thanks to Hotfixit.net for pointing out that the Fuchsia System UI, called "Armadillo" is actually pretty interesting now.

It's possible to download the source and compile Fuchsia's System UI into an Android APK and install it on an Android device. It consists of a wild reimagining of a home screen along with a keyboard, a home button, and (kind of) a window manager. Nothing really "works"—it's all a bunch of placeholder interfaces that don't do anything. There's also a great readme in the Fuchsia source that describes what the heck is going on.

It's about time for Linux Torvalds' domination of the smartphone industry to end.

Also at BGR, ZDNet, ComputerWorld, and The Register. Preview video.

Fuchsia on Google Git.


Original Submission

Google to Add Swift Language Support to Fuchsia OS 17 comments

Google will contribute changes to Apple's Swift programming language, and will support the language in the Fuchsia OS, a presumed replacement for Android, ChromeOS, etc. that is designed to work on all devices:

Fuchsia is Google's not-at-all-but-kind-of-secret operating system that's being developed in the open, but with almost zero official messaging about what it's for, or what it's built to replace. (Android? Chrome OS? Both? Neither?) The operating system's core is written in mostly C and C++, with Dart for the default "Flutter" UI, but other languages like Go, Rust, Python, and now Swift have also found a home in the project.

Of course, just because you'll be able to compile Swift to run on Fuchsia doesn't mean you'll be able to instantly port any iOS app to Google's new OS when or if it ships. While Apple has open sourced the Swift language itself, much of the iOS platform (like the UI stuff, for instance) is closed source, so code that relies on those closed Apple libraries won't be portable.

One possible future in a world where Fuchsia is an important and relevant platform for apps is that you write the "core logic" of your app in your language of choice — Swift, Go, Rust, JavaScript, etc. — and then you build a custom UI for each platform — Android, iOS, Fuchsia, Linux, Windows, the web — using the appropriate tools for each.

Also at Android Police.

Previously: Google's New Non-Linux OS: Fuchsia
Google's Not-So-Secret New OS
Google Fuchsia UI Previewed


Original Submission

ChromeOS Gains the Ability to Run Linux Applications 42 comments

Chrome OS is getting full-fledged Linux apps

Google Chrome is getting a big upgrade with the ability to run Linux apps, with a preview set to be released on the Google Pixelbook today before rolling out later to other models, according to a report from VentureBeat.

It's a major addition to Google's web-based operating system, which up until now has offered web-based Chrome applications and, more recently, the ability to run Android apps. But the option to run full-fledged Linux software marks the first time that real desktop applications have come to Chrome OS.

According to Chrome OS director of product management Kan Liu, users will be able to run Linux tools, editors, and integrated development environments directly on Chromebooks, installing them from their regular sources just like they would on a regular Linux machine. According to Liu, "We put the Linux app environment within a security sandbox, running inside a virtual machine," with the apps running seamlessly alongside Android and web applications on Chrome OS.


Original Submission

Google May Allow Windows 10 to Dual-Boot or Run Alongside ChromeOS on Chromebooks 35 comments

Google may add Windows 10 dual-boot option to Chromebooks

Google appears to be working on dual-boot support for Chromebooks. XDA-Developers has discovered that Google has been working to support an "alt OS mode" for its Pixelbook laptop for months now. Dubbed "Campfire," an obvious nod to Apple's own Boot Camp feature, Google's dual-boot is rumored to support Windows 10 on Chromebooks.

XDA-Developers claims Google is attempting to pass Microsoft's hardware certification for Windows 10 to allow its Pixelbook to officially run the alternative operating system. References to Microsoft's Windows Hardware Certification Kit have appeared in development builds of Chrome OS, and Google's Campfire work might extend to other new Chromebooks in the future.

Dual-boot support is said to be arriving on the Pixelbook soon, as Google engineers are pushing through multiple changes for Chrome OS to support the new feature.

That makes Google's recent attack ad a little funnier.

Also at Engadget, The Register, 9to5Google, Tom's Hardware, and CNET.

See also: Why cheap Chromebooks running Windows will benefit Google, not you

Related: ChromeOS Gains the Ability to Run Linux Applications
Google's Fuchsia OS Adds Emulator for Debian Linux Applications


Original Submission

Google Hires a 14-Year Apple Veteran to Bring Fuchsia to Market 30 comments

Google has hired 14-year Apple engineer Bill Stevenson to help bring the Fuchsia OS to market.

We learned in 2016 that Google was working on an entirely new operating system called Fuchsia. Development continues with new features and testing on a variety of form factors spotted regularly. Google has since hired 14-year Apple engineer Bill Stevenson to work on its upcoming OS, and help bring it to market.

[...] Remaining in the OS X organization, he became a Senior Engineering Program Manager four years later. New responsibilities included serving as PM and Technical Lead for AirPlay, Find My Mac, iCloud for Mac, and AirDrop from 10.6 Snow Leopard to 10.9 Mavericks. Most of these features are notably backed by cloud services.

[...] It’s not surprising why Google would want someone with that background and experience to bring up Fuchsia. In a LinkedIn post shared yesterday, Stevenson specifically notes “joining Google to help bring a new operating system called Fuchsia to market.”

Google seems to be all aboard the Fuchsia train.

Previously: Google Hopes to Replace Android with Fuchsia in Five Years
Google's Fuchsia OS Adds Emulator for Debian Linux Applications
Google to Add Swift Language Support to Fuchsia OS


Original Submission

Google's Fuchsia OS Appears ... on a Nest Hub 11 comments

Google is officially releasing its Fuchsia OS, starting w/ first-gen Nest Hub

Google's long-in-development, from-scratch operating system, Fuchsia, is now running on real Made by Google devices, namely, the first-generation Nest Hub.

Google has told us that as of today, an update is beginning to roll out to owners of the first-generation Nest Hub, first released in 2018. For all intents and purposes, this update will not change any of the functionality of the Nest Hub, but under the hood, the smart display will be running Fuchsia OS instead of the Linux-based "Cast OS" it used before. In fact, your experience with the Nest Hub should be essentially identical. This is possible because Google's smart display experience is built with Flutter, which is designed to consistently bring apps to multiple platforms, Fuchsia included.

We've been tracking the development of Fuchsia since 2016, starting from an ambitious experimental UI, to running on Google's many internal testing devices for Fuchsia, ranging the full gamut of Google's smart home and Chromebook lineup. In the time since then, the OS has gradually progressed and recently even begun a steady release schedule.

Google Fuchsia.

Also at The Verge and Notebookcheck.

Previously:

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  • (Score: 1, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Friday June 22 2018, @06:40AM (5 children)

    by Anonymous Coward on Friday June 22 2018, @06:40AM (#696607)

    Is Fuchsia offering Windows emulation? No. After all, Windows is currently in the process of trying to offer Linux emulation.

    Nevertheless, I'm both irritated by Fuchsia and happy for it. I'm irritated because it seems to be just another bunch of Google 20%-time crap that exists without any stated purpose; however, I hope Google starts giving Linux a run for its mindshare, because the whole Linux dev environment has calcified in its old age.

    • (Score: 2) by DannyB on Friday June 22 2018, @03:11PM (4 children)

      by DannyB (5839) Subscriber Badge on Friday June 22 2018, @03:11PM (#696774) Journal

      It would be amusing if Linux applications became the universal application type, with all OSes working to be capable of running these apps.

      Windows Subsystem for Linux probably would have to work the hardest.

      Linux the easiest.

      Fuchsia probably not too hard?

      How difficult would it be for OS X to become capable of running Linux apps?

      --
      People today are educated enough to repeat what they are taught but not to question what they are taught.
      • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday June 22 2018, @05:11PM (2 children)

        by Anonymous Coward on Friday June 22 2018, @05:11PM (#696839)

        How difficult would it be for OS X to become capable of running Linux apps?

        Darwin, the core of OS X, is a BSD derivative.

        • (Score: 2) by DannyB on Saturday June 23 2018, @03:21AM (1 child)

          by DannyB (5839) Subscriber Badge on Saturday June 23 2018, @03:21AM (#697107) Journal

          Let me rephrase. If the Windows kernel can be made to run Linux apps (aka Windows Subsystem for Linux from Microsoft), then how difficult would it be for a BSD kernel to be made able to run Linux apps?

          --
          People today are educated enough to repeat what they are taught but not to question what they are taught.
          • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday June 24 2018, @04:12PM

            by Anonymous Coward on Sunday June 24 2018, @04:12PM (#697603)

            And before that iBCS, SunOS, Xenix, and a bunch of other binary emulation.

            The problem being that since it isn't a formal specification, implementation differences in the OS itself sometimes has unexpected effects on the emulators capabilities, as well as differences in permission models between oses. In FreeBSD's case, I believe they had some issues supporting 64 bit linux for a while. But I was running the Neverwinter Nights dedicated server on FreeBSD 4.x back in the early 2000s, so it is more than possible: it is functional. The greatest limitation has been driver support so desktop applications can be run or run with full functionality.

      • (Score: 3, Informative) by HiThere on Friday June 22 2018, @11:36PM

        by HiThere (866) Subscriber Badge on Friday June 22 2018, @11:36PM (#697027) Journal

        I don't know about current versions of OSX, but back at OS10.4 pretty much all Linux applications could run as native-with-a-translation-library. They had a ports system that could be used. (And there were also other approaches that also worked.)

        Of course, that doesn't directly speak to current OSX use, but it sure means that it wouldn't be difficult to add.

        --
        Javascript is what you use to allow unknown third parties to run software you have no idea about on your computer.
  • (Score: 5, Funny) by coolgopher on Friday June 22 2018, @08:03AM (8 children)

    by coolgopher (1157) on Friday June 22 2018, @08:03AM (#696630)

    So... this Google OS, it's pronounced just like "f*cks ya"? Sounds accurate enough if that's the case.

    • (Score: 4, Insightful) by aristarchus on Friday June 22 2018, @08:37AM (6 children)

      by aristarchus (2645) on Friday June 22 2018, @08:37AM (#696637) Journal

      So, it is just linux, but without the attribution? So much for don't be evil!

      I hope Google starts giving Linux a run for its mindshare, because the whole Linux dev environment has calcified in its old age.

      I am constantly amazed at how little temporal perspective the young and ignorant libertariantard types these days have. Do you know the Origins of Unix? Can you recall Multics? Have you ever heard of VMS, what was the second system stolen by Micro$oft of the land of Darkness (first being CP/M) to become the first non-DOS, or Windows NT? And all that remained, at the end, was Unix, Linux, BSD, the code, the one true code. Old age? You have no idea.

      • (Score: 1, Touché) by Anonymous Coward on Friday June 22 2018, @11:00AM (5 children)

        by Anonymous Coward on Friday June 22 2018, @11:00AM (#696672)

        I am constantly amazed at how little temporal perspective the young and ignorant libertariantard types these days have.

        I am constantly amazed at how arrogant you are.

        Do you know the Origins of Unix? Can you recall Multics? Have you ever heard of VMS, what was the second system stolen by Micro$oft of the land of Darkness (first being CP/M) to become the first non-DOS, or Windows NT?

        Yes we know the stories of Gary Kildall and Dave Cutler.

        And all that remained, at the end, was Unix, Linux, BSD, the code, the one true code. Old age? You have no idea.

        Exactly because it wasn't a designed-by-committee shit show. LIVE FREE OR DIE [unix.org]

        • (Score: 2) by DannyB on Friday June 22 2018, @03:14PM (4 children)

          by DannyB (5839) Subscriber Badge on Friday June 22 2018, @03:14PM (#696778) Journal

          Being arrogant and being correct are not mutually exclusive.

          --
          People today are educated enough to repeat what they are taught but not to question what they are taught.
          • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday June 22 2018, @05:13PM (1 child)

            by Anonymous Coward on Friday June 22 2018, @05:13PM (#696842)

            True, but if you are the former about the later then you are a douche.

          • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday June 22 2018, @08:52PM (1 child)

            by Anonymous Coward on Friday June 22 2018, @08:52PM (#696956)

            Being arrogant and being correct are not mutually exclusive.

            Not only did our ancient Greek friend somehow manage to reply to the wrong comment but...

            I am constantly amazed at how little temporal perspective the young and ignorant libertariantard types these days have.

            And my response was a link..

            One day Armando was driving and he saw a Florida "Sunshine State" plate on the front of a car in a parking lot and was inspired to make a fake license plate as a hand-out. At first Armando considered making a "Sunshine State" license, then thought about New Mexico's "Land of Enchantment", but eventually settled on the New Hampshire License plate motif. The fact that "Live Free or Die" was New Hampshire's state motto and appeared on every license plate made the choice even more fitting, as Armando felt the phrase met UNIX's minimalistic and libertarian orientation.

            • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday June 23 2018, @12:37AM

              by Anonymous Coward on Saturday June 23 2018, @12:37AM (#697060)

              "Eat shit and die"? If you think Linux is calcified, you are probably not even Two Score and ten, yet. And you do not work well with others. Blatant intentional violation of CoC! Beetlejuice! Beetlejuice! Systemd!

    • (Score: 2) by DannyB on Friday June 22 2018, @03:12PM

      by DannyB (5839) Subscriber Badge on Friday June 22 2018, @03:12PM (#696777) Journal

      You may have just started a new meme.

      --
      People today are educated enough to repeat what they are taught but not to question what they are taught.
  • (Score: -1, Flamebait) by Anonymous Coward on Friday June 22 2018, @01:31PM (1 child)

    by Anonymous Coward on Friday June 22 2018, @01:31PM (#696736)

    The jews are good at emulating things. Abstraction on top of abstraction. Then top it off with more abstraction.

    It is no use telling them to use the real thing. They count on abstractions to use and confuse people.

    • (Score: 3, Insightful) by DannyB on Friday June 22 2018, @03:24PM

      by DannyB (5839) Subscriber Badge on Friday June 22 2018, @03:24PM (#696783) Journal

      I'm a Java developer. Abstractions upon abstractions? You ain't got nothin' on me!

      Let me introduce you to the FactoryFactoryFactory pattern.

      You need to obtain an instance of, say, an XmlSomething. But an XmlSomething is rather complex to initially configure and get it just right.

      So we introduce the XmlSomethingFactory class. You instantiate an XmlSomethingFactory, configure it, and now it can produce suitable XmlSomething instances for you. Just ask the factory for a new instance as often as you want. The factory may actually construct different underlying instance classes which all extend XmlSomething, but you won't know the difference. These different implementation classes can be pessimized for how you have configured the XmlSomethingFactory in order to ensure sub-optimal performance.

      Now, configuring the XmlSomethingFactory is rather complex. So we introduce a new XmlSomethingFactoryFactory. You instantiate an XmlSomethingFactoryFactory, configure it, and it can produce for you as many differently configured XmlSomethingFactories as you want, which can be used as in the previous paragraph to create suitably confused XmlSomething instances.

      Now, configuring an XmlSomethingFactoryFactory is rather complex, . . . . I think you can see where I'm going with this.

      This example brought to you by the same people who have created many other similarly abstract examples of abstract abstractions to abstract away the underlying dirty reality bits.

      --
      People today are educated enough to repeat what they are taught but not to question what they are taught.
  • (Score: 2, Informative) by pD-brane on Friday June 22 2018, @02:25PM (1 child)

    by pD-brane (6728) on Friday June 22 2018, @02:25PM (#696750)

    It's "Debian GNU/Linux". Even at Slashdot they get this right.

    • (Score: 2) by jmorris on Friday June 22 2018, @07:43PM

      by jmorris (4844) on Friday June 22 2018, @07:43PM (#696911)

      Well in this case there is no Linux, only Debian's packaging of GNU + X + GNOME/KDE/Firefox/LibreOffice/etc.

      So this new thing has no apps and is solving that by becoming an inferior, less portable substrate for the UNIX/GNU toolchain. Kinda like Be. Sad. At least Be was actually better than Linux at the time for multimedia applications. What is this thing's "bullet point" for why it should be used vs just installing Debian GNU atop Linux? Google's hatred of the GPL? Just use *BSD under the same basic userland in that case.

  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday June 22 2018, @03:03PM

    by Anonymous Coward on Friday June 22 2018, @03:03PM (#696770)

    so fushcisa can run linox apps in a vm and chrome can run linux apps in a vm. that's just great but i'd rather just run linox instead of google mitm my actions with their spy+control layer. that would probably be too free though. can't have that.

  • (Score: 2) by DannyB on Friday June 22 2018, @03:30PM

    by DannyB (5839) Subscriber Badge on Friday June 22 2018, @03:30PM (#696784) Journal

    Soon EVERY OS will be able to run Linux apps! Everyone will run Linux apps! When the year of the Linux Desktop arrives, the only piece missing will be the Linux kernel.

    --
    People today are educated enough to repeat what they are taught but not to question what they are taught.
  • (Score: 1) by fritsd on Friday June 22 2018, @05:29PM

    by fritsd (4586) on Friday June 22 2018, @05:29PM (#696851) Journal
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