Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

The Pixelbook is being used to test Google's Fuchsia OS

androidpolice.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

1–10 of 109 posts

Re: The Pixelbook is being used to test Google's Fuchsia OS

#2

Post by jkmcf »

Aside from control, what does this provide over Linux?

IMO, the Linux desktop problem is due partially to relying on the antiquated X Windows system, but mostly a lack of funding a good vision, e.g. Unity.

After growing up with OpenLook, then Motif, the plethora of Linux window managers, and unhappy years with Windows, I noticed most of the elegant apps were being written for OSX. I’m not sure how much of this is due to the devs or the OS/libraries, but probably both.

The solution I want is a Linux OS, a WM with a good, cohesive, long term vision, and an easy way to build apps within at vision — something like a native Electron minus the memory and CPU overhead. I believe Google could do this.

Re: The Pixelbook is being used to test Google's Fuchsia OS

#3

Post by mtgx »

jkmcf wrote: post #2

Aside from control, what does this provide over Linux? IMO, the Linux desktop problem is due partially to relying on the antiquated X Windows system, but mostly a lack of funding a good vision, e.g. Unity. After growing up with OpenLook, then Motif, the plethora of Linux window managers, and unhappy years with Windows, I noticed most of the elegant apps were being written for OSX. I’m not sure how much of this is due…

It's uses a microkernel so probably around 100x-1,000x fewer lines of code, which should improve security.

Smartphones are one thing, but I think the recent trend of using the Linux kernel in self-driving cars is a terrible idea that we'll only start regretting 10-15 years from now.

Re: The Pixelbook is being used to test Google's Fuchsia OS

#4

Post by aceofspad3s »

mtgx wrote: post #3
jkmcf wrote: post #2

Aside from control, what does this provide over Linux? IMO, the Linux desktop problem is due partially to relying on the antiquated X Windows system, but mostly a lack of funding a good vision, e.g. Unity. After growing up with OpenLook, then Motif, the plethora of Linux window managers, and unhappy years with Windows, I noticed most of the elegant apps were being written for OSX. I’m not sure how much of this is due…

It's uses a microkernel so probably around 100x-1,000x fewer lines of code, which should improve security. Smartphones are one thing, but I think the recent trend of using the Linux kernel in self-driving cars is a terrible idea that we'll only start regretting 10-15 years from now.

Using a microkernel just pushes the vulnerabilities to the userspace.

Re: The Pixelbook is being used to test Google's Fuchsia OS

#5

Post by digi_owl »

jkmcf wrote: post #2

Aside from control, what does this provide over Linux? IMO, the Linux desktop problem is due partially to relying on the antiquated X Windows system, but mostly a lack of funding a good vision, e.g. Unity. After growing up with OpenLook, then Motif, the plethora of Linux window managers, and unhappy years with Windows, I noticed most of the elegant apps were being written for OSX. I’m not sure how much of this is due…

> IMO, the Linux desktop problem is due partially to relying on the antiquated X Windows system, but mostly a lack of funding a good vision, e.g. Unity.

What is funny is that Linux on the desktop was closest to actually happen when KDE was happy emulating Windows rather than being its own thing, and doing so quite well on top of X.

As for X being antiquated, F that.

Re: The Pixelbook is being used to test Google's Fuchsia OS

#7

Post by krylon »

aceofspad3s wrote: post #4
mtgx wrote: post #3

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's uses a microkernel so probably around 100x-1,000x fewer lines of code, which should improve security. Smartphones are one thing, but I think the recent trend of using the Linux kernel in self-driving cars is a terrible idea that we'll only start regretting 10-15 years from now.

Using a microkernel just pushes the vulnerabilities to the userspace.

Yes. That is part of the idea. So the vulnerability is isolated and does not automatically compromise the entire system.

Re: The Pixelbook is being used to test Google's Fuchsia OS

#8

Post by openfuture »

jkmcf wrote: post #2

Aside from control, what does this provide over Linux? IMO, the Linux desktop problem is due partially to relying on the antiquated X Windows system, but mostly a lack of funding a good vision, e.g. Unity. After growing up with OpenLook, then Motif, the plethora of Linux window managers, and unhappy years with Windows, I noticed most of the elegant apps were being written for OSX. I’m not sure how much of this is due…

Capability based security and microkernel, both pretty substantial differences.

Re: The Pixelbook is being used to test Google's Fuchsia OS

#9

Post by cbhl »

jkmcf wrote: post #2

Aside from control, what does this provide over Linux? IMO, the Linux desktop problem is due partially to relying on the antiquated X Windows system, but mostly a lack of funding a good vision, e.g. Unity. After growing up with OpenLook, then Motif, the plethora of Linux window managers, and unhappy years with Windows, I noticed most of the elegant apps were being written for OSX. I’m not sure how much of this is due…

Control is all of it.

Security on Android is a joke for 80%+ of users. They can't run on the latest version of Android, because various vendors' drivers are in out-of-tree kernel patches that are un-upstreamable for non-technical reasons.

(By comparison, Chrome OS is also Linux-based, but, IIRC, it requires all shipping devices to have drivers upstreamed.)

Owning an OS with a stable device driver ABI would allow Google to fix the Android fragmentation problem, and make sure all devices stay up-to-date ala Chrome OS.

Post reply on HN