Google Fuchsia: What is it?
Fuchsia is an evolving pile
of code. You can find it on
the search giant's code
depository and on GitHub.
The code is supposedly the
early beginnings of an
entirely new operating
system, though Google has
yet to confirm those details.
Interestingly, it's not based
on Linux Kernel - the core
underpinnings of both
Android (Google's mobile
OS) and Chrome OS
(Google's
desktop
and
laptop OS).
Here's what Dave Burke,
Google's VP of Android
engineering, told Android
Police about Fuchsia in May
2017: "Fuchsia is an early-
stage experimental project.
We, you know, we actually
have lots of cool early
projects at Google. I think
what’s interesting here is its
open source, so people can
see it and comment on it.
Like lots of early-stage
projects,
it’s
gonna
probably pivot and morph."
Google Fuchsia: What does
it look like?
Fuchsia has already been
given an early user interface
with a card-based design,
according to Ars Technica,
which posted a video and
images of the yet-to-be-
announced software. The
interface
is
reportedly
called
Armadillo. It was actually
first discovered by Kyle
Bradshaw at Hotfix.
Unlike Android OS or
Chrome OS, both of which
are based on Linux, Fuchsia
is built on Zircon (formerly
Magenta), a new kernel
created
by
Google.
Meanwhile, Armadillo is
built in Google’s Flutter
SDK, which is used to
create cross-platform code
capable of running on
multiple operating systems.
With Armadillo, different
cards can be dragged
around for use in a split-
screen or tabbed interface.
The cards even appear to
offer up Google Now-like
suggestions. Unfortunately,
there's not much else to go
on.
Google Fuchsia: What's it
for?
The current school of
thought is that Fuchsia is a
new OS that could unify
Chrome OS and Android
into a single operating
system (something that's
been heavily speculated
since 2015). Reports have
claimed that OS will release
in 2017. That said, Google's
own
documentation
describes the software as
targeting "modern phones
and
modern
personal
computers"
with
"fast
processors" and "non-trivial
amounts of RAM."
Fuchsia is also built on
Zircon, a "medium-sized
microkernel" based on a
project
called
LittleKernel, which is
meant for embedded
systems, such as a device
that has a specific
purpose but doesn't
require a whole OS, like
a router or watch. Also,
the two developers listed
on Fuchsia's GitHub
page - a senior software
engineer at Google and a
former engineer
on
Android TV and Nexus
Q - are well-known
experts in embedded
systems.
Furthermore, Google's
documentation
notes
Zircon supports user
modes,
graphics
rendering,
and
a
"capability-based
security
model".
Although all this points
to Fuchsia being an OS
for Wi-Fi connected
gadgets, Google already
has an IoT platform
called Android Things.
Also, Ars Technica has
compiled the Armadillo
system UI, and it seems
like Fuchsia is intended
to be a smartphone or
tablet OS.
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