Transcript Web-Based_Operating_Systems_mjv2123x

Can a Web Desktop Environment dethrone the current status-quo
Desktop?
It’s time for a change…
Main point of OS is to create the interface applications need to
run on a given hardware set, in addition to their other uses of
device, storage, memory management.
 Software development is increasingly moving away from
hardware dependence and being hosted on multiplatform
browsers (FireFox), RIA’s (Adobe Flex, Silverlight), and AJAX
(Google Calandar).
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“As cross-platform browsers like Firefox proliferate, reliance on
the operating system become less important. The operating
system is increasingly relegated to handling low-level function,
like writing data to the hard disk.”
 “The problem of operating system vendors like Microsoft and
Apple is that nobody buys an operating system because of how
it writes data to the hard disk.” [1]
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-Steven Adler
What is a Web Operating System
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Primary Interface = Browser.
 Browser will conduct OS “functions”
○ File Access
○ Init Preferences
Utilizes a multitude of application servers,
databases and storage servers to hold the
users applications, preferences and
personal files to provide illusion of one
cohesive system.
 Not just a service but a platform.
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 Open Source-Open API
 Truly “Write Once – Run Anywhere”.
Many try to replicate the Windows/Linux look and feel
blueprint:
Purist Repercussions
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Many OS purists see this as an insult to
have the name Operating System.
 Operating systems consist of a complex and
intertwined set of abstractions that make it what
it is, from not only the user interface prospective
as the Web OS claims, but also in areas of
processor management and also device
management in addition to others.

Many implementations require a host OS to
run on top of.
 Is a VM not an OS then?
Web OS Terminology

Source of many forum arguments.
 Another buzz techword misnomer of a long
line.
 Web 2.0
 Web Service
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Better terminology
 Web Desktop: “Webtop”
Components
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Thin Client- Preferably a thin multiplatform browser (i.e.
Firefox). – Presentation.
Application Servers- Manage and maintain the execution of
the user’s applications.
Extensive set of Web Based Applications- These can be
popular widely used applications such as Gmail, Scribd, Flickr,
or those made by developers (user community or in-house
professionals).
Data Servers- Servers dedicated to acting as the user’s virtual
hard drives. Provider hosted or third party (i.e. Amazon Web
Services).
File Explorer- Used analogously to the desktop’s file explorer.
 User has no idea where data is physically located.
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Centralized Virtual Desktop- “Webtop” acting as a container to
the users specific web apps, file system, “system”preferences.
App Nuts & Bolts
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There are two main technologies that are thoroughly
utilized when it comes to the creation of a Web OS:
Adobe Flash and Asynchronous JavaScript and XML
(AJAX).
AJAX- Highly touted by Google (Calendar & Gmail
services)
Flash – More than 98% of all machines connected to
internet have a flash player installed.
-Jonathan Strickland
The widespread familiarity with these technologies is
one of the primary reasons why there are so many
implementations of them.
Primary Implementations
(for now)
Web OS vs. Web OS

eyeOS
 Open Source / API
○ Developers drive progress
 Built entirely using PHP and AJAX
 Claim to Fame: Excellent API / Toolkit
○ Strongly encourage you to work directly with the
source of the system to test your applications and
system extensions on. Found on Source Forge.
 Provides users with their own server if they
desire.
○ No sharing resources with the community.
○ Used for testing/educational purposes or simply
small group network.
Web OS vs. Web OS
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G.ho.st
 Best Name! – also doubles as URL
 Flash and AJAX based system
 Not a downloadable project yet developed entirely on an
Open Source software stack and according to them they
have been “moving in the direction of opening our entire
web operating system to the community via a
comprehensive stack of open REST APIs”[2]
 Uniquely do not develop applications in-house nor rely on
community developers (yet).
○ Rely heavily on 3rd party existing and established apps.
 These apps are thus “ho.st”ed by them.
 Interesting Implementation Story: Palestinian–Israeli team
span 400 miles of a 20 foot concrete barrier along the
West Bank.
Web OS vs. Web OS
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G.ho.st apps:
 Meebo’s multi-protocol instant messenger Internet
radios Last.fm & Pandora
 Google Docs, Zoho and ThinkFree for office
applications
 G.ho.st keeps track of your external 3rd party
accounts and automatically logs you into each
subsequent application’s system when you access
your G.ho.st account, thus creating a single point of
entry.
 Realize importance of well established data server
market. Don’t enter it from scratch!
○ Amazon Web Services-infamous for its service promise
of 99.99% availability, scalability, and most important for
potential users of a Web OS, security
Collective Strengths
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Ideal System
 In addition to the baseline of office,
entertainment, and other common utilities
○ Open source basis for development
○ Strong community backing the development of
potential applications
○ Ability to port the implementation to a personal
server
○ Incorporate external 3rd party applications and
service management.
Web OS vs. Desktop OS
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Web OS advantages
 Runs within browser, thus we now have applications
as well as a familiar environment that travels with us
○ User Perspective (Student/Business Person)
○ Developmental POV
○ Mobile browser proliferation (No Flash)
 No longer have to worry about the hassle of backing
up their disks, no worries of updates.
 Costs of hardware would decrease due to the fact
that a lot of the processing takes place on the hosts
machine
○ Netbooks - Good OS’s implementation of ‘Cloud’
 Works alongside Windows/Linux
Web OS vs. Desktop OS
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Web OS disadvantages as compared to
Desktop
 Lack of depth of the products that serve as
desktop replacement software in the form of
web services
 Comfort the user has of where their sensitive
data is at all times.
○ “Most Web OS providers are small companies and
corporations might be reluctant to trust their
sensitive data to such firms” [3]
 Not at the point of ubiquitous internet.
○ Many implementations are only usable if
physically connected via CAT5.
Conclusions
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If a provider were to take the basic web OS
architecture that has been replicated many
times and add:
 Reliable 3rd party data center
 Uniform multiplatform programming facility and
community
 IF (big IF) the internet’s availability and speed
are fully realized we would have without
question a new status quo.
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More useful as a machine independent
tool.
 Utilizing the breadth of the tools of the web OS
with the depth of desktop applications.
References
[1] “WebOS: Say goodbye to desktop
applications”,
Steven Adler
networker Magazine, Vol. 9, No. 4.
 [2] “G.ho.st White Paper”,
Zvi Schreiber
November 2006, Revised August 2007
 [3] “Moving the OS to the Web”,
Lawton, G.
Computer Magazine, March 2008 Volume:
41, Issue: 3
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