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Google’s Fuchsia OS on the Pixelbook

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91–100 of 126 posts

Re: Google’s Fuchsia OS on the Pixelbook

#91
post #87

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's all written in C++, so from a security and reliability perspective, I'm sketical it's going to offer much improvement over Linux. I don't see any evidence yet of "new technology". I'm happy to be proven wrong.

> It's all written in C++, so from a security and reliability perspective, I'm sketical it's going to offer much improvement over Linux. Are you an expert in C? or in C++?

It's not news to anyone that C/C++ puts the burden of security and safety onto the programmer. And it's getting harder all the time, see for example Spectre mitigation. C was designed alongside Unix in the 70's, a very different era. It is time for a next generation OS, but it needs to be built using next generation tooling.

Re: Google’s Fuchsia OS on the Pixelbook

#92
post #89
post #87

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's all written in C++, so from a security and reliability perspective, I'm sketical it's going to offer much improvement over Linux. I don't see any evidence yet of "new technology". I'm happy to be proven wrong.

I can use your logic to prove that there is no evidence of new technology in the Falcon 9 rocket. After all, it is developed with very similar tools compared to every other rocket in existence.

Assuming your analogy has merit, I doubt very much this is true. Computer modelling, for example, has improved significantly over the years.

However, it is true that many high profile failures in aerospace have been due to software errors, so I would say that software tooling is certainly one area that they could also benefit from.

Re: Google’s Fuchsia OS on the Pixelbook

#93
post #91

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> It's all written in C++, so from a security and reliability perspective, I'm sketical it's going to offer much improvement over Linux. Are you an expert in C? or in C++?

It's not news to anyone that C/C++ puts the burden of security and safety onto the programmer. And it's getting harder all the time, see for example Spectre mitigation. C was designed alongside Unix in the 70's, a very different era. It is time for a next generation OS, but it needs to be built using next generation tooling.

> It is not news to anyone that C/C++ puts the burden of security and safety onto the programmer.

Okay, so neither.

Please consider reading these links. [1] [2]

[1] http://qr.ae/TbSNZ8

[2] http://www.lb-stuff.com/cc

Re: Google’s Fuchsia OS on the Pixelbook

#94
post #91

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's not news to anyone that C/C++ puts the burden of security and safety onto the programmer. And it's getting harder all the time, see for example Spectre mitigation. C was designed alongside Unix in the 70's, a very different era. It is time for a next generation OS, but it needs to be built using next generation tooling.

> It is not news to anyone that C/C++ puts the burden of security and safety onto the programmer. Okay, so neither. Please consider reading these links. [1] [2] [1] http://qr.ae/TbSNZ8 [2] http://www.lb-stuff.com/cc

I have programmed C and C++ professionally on and off for over two decades, but I don't think that is relevant here. C++ shares many of the same security and safety problems as C, that is why they are often lumped together.

Re: Google’s Fuchsia OS on the Pixelbook

#95

The code is available here: https://fuchsia.googlesource.com/ Key components: ## Zircon Zircon is the operating system's foundation: it mediates hardware access, implements essential software abstractions over shared resources, and provides a platform for low-level software development. For example, Zircon contains the kernel, device manager, most core and first-party device drivers, and low-level system libraries, s…

Thanks for the overview. Nice names!

Re: Google’s Fuchsia OS on the Pixelbook

#96
post #87
post #24

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As somebody who read that famous first email and shared it around her lab: We were all tremendously excited, and spent days discussing it. This is the same thing - it's exciting . It's trying to do things many of us have thought of, but never worked on. It's new technology. It's something that, in our hearts, we want to succeed just because the alternatives are all grungy and dusty and carry the compatibility fixes o…

It's all written in C++, so from a security and reliability perspective, I'm sketical it's going to offer much improvement over Linux. I don't see any evidence yet of "new technology". I'm happy to be proven wrong.

Of course the programming language defines the architecture ...

Re: Google’s Fuchsia OS on the Pixelbook

#97
post #92
post #89

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I can use your logic to prove that there is no evidence of new technology in the Falcon 9 rocket. After all, it is developed with very similar tools compared to every other rocket in existence.

Assuming your analogy has merit, I doubt very much this is true. Computer modelling, for example, has improved significantly over the years. However, it is true that many high profile failures in aerospace have been due to software errors, so I would say that software tooling is certainly one area that they could also benefit from.

In line with your reasoning, software development methodology has significantly improved over the years. One does not write C++ in 2018 as they would have written C in 1980.

Re: Google’s Fuchsia OS on the Pixelbook

#98

There's no point to these early Fuschia review attempts. I don't see how it demonstrates anything. It's like looking at the famous first email from Linus Torvald and figuring out what the os would be in the end. So it boots, it has windows, but not apps, and prints some things to the screen. It tells us nothing about real intentions, future capabilities, etc.

Its sort of a "review" of an early preview. I think it demonstrates a lot especially what Fuchsia is and what it is capable of. The other point would be that Google gets free advertisements of their new OS.

I don't think they really care about anyone knowing about it right now as a company, so the decision to open-source it right away confuses me a bit.

Maybe it's a subtle signal of their plans/capabilities towards competitors/dart devs?

Re: Google’s Fuchsia OS on the Pixelbook

#99
post #34

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There are already important signals here. 1. Your login is tied to your google account. Want to use the computer in any real capacity? Google account. 2. They think bringing back multi tasking from the 90s is important. 3. People will want to control their computer views. 4. They are making a new kernel. 5. They believe in the capabilities based security model. 6. They believe in micro kernels. 7. They don't have any…

I feel like just executing an old idea correctly is as worthwhile as coming up with something new.

It seems that the most useful OS/programming concepts have already been thought of, but all implementations are lacking in some ways, so I tend to agree.

Re: Google’s Fuchsia OS on the Pixelbook

#100

There's no point to these early Fuschia review attempts. I don't see how it demonstrates anything. It's like looking at the famous first email from Linus Torvald and figuring out what the os would be in the end. So it boots, it has windows, but not apps, and prints some things to the screen. It tells us nothing about real intentions, future capabilities, etc.

I'm hoping it will be noticed by Linus and other Linux developers and help them address some of the shortcomings that Fuchsia aims to fix. It seems like this is how Google is exerting pressure on Linux to get what it wants...

Maybe - but it doesn't seem to me like the Linux community as a whole cares much about what Google wants. And they don't have to: Google has their own capabilities to edit the kernel the way they want (they have done it before) or make their whole own kernel.

I don't think they're trying to push Linux anywhere.

Maybe they're trying to win over users from Linux, giving them some power in the software market & free contributions.

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