ABSTRACT

Google Chrome OS is a Linux operating system designed by Google to work exclusively

with web applications. It is intended to focus on Web applications while running a fast and
simple interface, based off Google's existing Chrome browser. Google announced the
operating system on July 7, 2009 and made it an open source project, called Chromium OS,
that November.
Unlike Chromium OS, which can be compiled from the downloaded source code, Chrome
OS will only ship on specific hardware from Google's manufacturing partners. The user
interface takes a minimalist approach, resembling that of the Chrome web browser. Because
Google Chrome OS is aimed at users who spend most of their computer time on the Internet,
the only application on the device will be a browser incorporating a media player.
Google Chrome OS is initially intended for secondary devices like netbooks, not as a user's
primary PC, and will run on hardware incorporating an x86 or ARM-based processor.
Chrome OS as a "hardened" operating system featuring auto-updating and sandbox features
that will reduce malware exposure. Google claimed that Chrome OS would be the most
secure consumer operating system due in part to a verified boot capability, in which the initial
boot code, stored in read-only memory, checks for system compromises.
Companies working with Google to develop hardware for the operating system include Acer,
Adobe, Asus, Freescale, Hewlett-Packard, Lenovo, Qualcomm, Texas Instruments, Toshiba,
Intel, Samsung, and Dell.

CHAPTER - 1
INTRODUCTION
1.1.

OVERVIEW

This Seminar on Google Chrome Operating System discusses the features, capabilities and
functioning of the Google Chrome Operating System, along with its divergence from a
typical Operating System covering its expected advantages and setbacks.
The new operating system, aptly named Google Chrome OS, will be a Linux-based, opensource operating system initially geared toward netbooks. The Chrome OS, originally
planned for release in the second half of 2010 and currently slated for release in early 2011, is
mostly just the Chrome browser running on top of a very lightweight Linux base.

It is

intended to focus on Web applications while running a fast and simple interface, based off
Google's existing Chrome browser.

Speed, simplicity and security are the key aspects of

Google Chrome OS.

Quite suitably, this Seminar involves major discussions on how it is a concept for a very
portable and low cost "cloud" terminal.

This also explains how and why the operating

system is the browser and how it behaves like a browser, in the case of this unique Operating
System.

1.2

WHAT IS GOOGLE CHROME OS

Google Chrome OS is an upcoming Linux-based, open source operatingsystem designed by

Google to work exclusively with web applications. Chrome OS will not be available as a
download to run and install. Instead, theoperating system will only ship on specific hardware
from Google's manufacturing partners.
On account of the cloud concept, the weightlessness feature is a plus under this OS, which
implies virtually no data storage hassles. Also, it is heavily web-centric, considering the fact
that the operating system uses a high speed internet connection facility. Chrome OS has a
few more unique features, the most useful of which are panels, which can be best described
as drawers that hang around the bottom of the screen.
Security maintenance is a major growing concern in every industry, and Google Chrome OS
splendidly provides a great security cover to its user. Chrome OS's security infrastructure is
so designed, that users don't have to deal with viruses, malware and security updates. Google

Chrome OS will run on both x86 as well as ARM chips and multiple OEMs are being worked
with, to bring a number of netbooks to market next year. Google offers its users, a future of
web-only computing.
Quick-booting, invisible automatic updates, incessant browsing experience, simple and
explicit downloads are among the other features that have made the Google Chrome
Operating System, an intriguing area to explore.

Google Chrome OS will run on both x86

as well as ARM chips the software architecture is simple - Google Chrome running within a
new windowing system on top of a Linux kernel. For application developers, the web is the
platform. All web-based applications will automatically work and new applications can be
written using your favorite web technologies. And of course, these apps will run not only on
Google Chrome OS, but on any standards-based browser on Windows, Mac and Linux
thereby giving developers the largest user base of any platform
In preliminary design documents, Google describes a three-tier architecture: firmware, web
browser and window manager, and system-level software and userland services.[6]

The firmware contributes to fast boot time by not probing for hardware, such as
floppy disk drives, that are no longer common on computers, especially netbooks. The
firmware also contributes to security by verifying each step in the boot process and
incorporating system recovery.

System-level software includes the Linux kernel that has been patched to improve
boot performance. Userland software has been trimmed to essentials, with
management by Upstart, which can launch services in parallel, re-spawn crashed jobs,
and defer services in the interest of faster booting.

The window manager handles user interaction with multiple client windows much
like other X window managers.

CHAPTER - 2
FEATURES EXPLORED

2.1 BASIC FEATURES

2.1.1 Speed
Speed is an unsaid feature of the Google Chrome OS. With Google Chromes tremendous
booting speed and more, users have a lot to say about experiencing
waitlessness.Waitlessness, in Googles terms, means never having to wait for the web.
Chrome notebooks boot in about 10 seconds and resume from sleep instantly. Websites load
quickly and run smoothly, with full support for the latest web standards and Adobe Flash. The
web evolves rapidly. Your Chrome notebook evolves with it. Every time you turn it on, it
upgrades itself with the latest features and fixes. Annoying update prompts not included.
The portion of the operating system needed to operate the device will reside in a read-only
section of memory. The rest of the operating system is integrated with the Chrome browser
and, like the browser, security updates require nothing more than a reboot. Chrome OS can
run multiple Web applications in multiple tabs and each one is locked down from all others,
so vulnerability in one Web app can't lead to exposure in another.
2.1.2 Quick Booting
The Chrome operating system is designed to allow computers to boot up to the Web within
seconds, onto a home screen that looks like that of a Web browser. Chrome OS boots up in
mere seconds. In these precious seconds, Chrome OS scans critical parts of the OS to make
sure they have not been modified.
2.1.3 Simplicity
Basic user interface and features lend simplicicty to the Google Chrome OS, making user
interaction easier and adaptable.

2.1.4 Ultimate Security

The most fascinating and intriguing features presented by the Google Chrome OS is Security
Maintenance. Chrome OS is the first operating system designed to counter security threats.
It uses the principle of defense in depth to provide multiple layers of protection, so if any
one layer is bypassed, others are still in effect.
2.1.5

Sandboxing

On the Chrome notebook, each web page and application visited runs in a restricted
environment called a sandbox.

So if you visit an infected page, it cant affect the other

tabs or apps on your computer, or anything else on your machine.

The threat is contained.

Google expands its security by running each tab through a dedicated sandbox. These
sandboxes have no access to hard drive. This means the browsing is separated from the other
areas of the system; this gives a total security from malware intrusion in to the hard drive.
2.1.6 Verified Boot
Even if malware manages to escape the sandbox, the Chrome notebook is still protected.
Every time the computer is booted, it does a self check called Verified Boot. If it detects
that the system has been tampered with, or corrupted in any way, typically it will repair itself.
2.1.7 Data Encryption
When you use web apps on your Chrome notebook, all the users documents are stored safely
in the cloud. But certain kinds of files, like downloads, cookies, and browser cache files, may
still be present on the computer. The Chrome notebook encrypts all this data using tamperresistant hardware, making it very difficult for anyone to access those files.
2.1.8 Continuous Update
The web evolves rapidly. Your Chrome notebook evolves with it. Every time you turn it on, it
upgrades itself with the latest features and fixes. Annoying update prompts not included.

2.1.9 Printing
Google plans to create a service called Google Cloud Print, which will help any application
on any device to print on any printer. This method of printing does not require any drivers
and therefore will be suitable for printing from Google Chrome OS.
Mike Jazayeri, Google group product manager, wrote that the service was prompted by a
paradox inherent in an operating system designed expressly for cloud computing. While the
cloud provides virtually any connected device with information access, the task of
"developing and maintaining print subsystems for every combination of hardware and
operating system-- from desktops to netbooks to mobile devices -- simply isn't feasible.
The service would entail installing a piece of software, called a proxy, as part of Chrome OS.
The proxy would register the printer with the service, manage the print jobs and give status
alerts for each job.
2.1.10 Use of Cloud
Users of devices running Chrome will have to perform all their computing online or in the
cloud, without downloading traditional software applications like iTunes and Microsoft
Office, or storing files on hard drives. Devices running Chrome will receive continuous
software updates, providing added security, and most user data will reside on Googles
servers.
User data stored on the device, which is minimal, is encrypted. User data is limited to items
such as user preferences. All other data will be stored in the cloud. User preferences will also
be synched to a cloud account, so like any thin client. should you lose the device, you would
merely log in from another one and your data and preferences should be there.
Googles Chrome OS, is designed to be a very fast, lightweight flavor of Linux that will be
available on some netbooks and other PCs by the end of the year. Google hopes to achieve
this small footprint and high performance by shipping an OS with only one installed program
their own Chrome browser. Users would work, live, and save things online, using Googles
own cloud computing services and other similar utilities, like Microsofts Office Web Apps.
This is of course a shift from todays computing environment, where most programs are
installed locally on the computers hard drive.

2.1.11 Minimal User Interface

The user interface is minimal to stay out of your way, and most of the user experience takes
place on the web. Google is going back to the basics and completely redesigning the
underlying security architecture of the OS so that users don't have to deal with viruses,
malware and security updates.
2.1.12 Same Experience Everywhere
All of the users apps, documents, and settings are stored safely in the cloud. So even if the
computer is misplaced, data can be recovered through another Chrome notebook and worked
upon as efficiently and with ease.

2.2 WHAT IS CLOUD COMPUTING

Cloud Computing is Internet-based computing, whereby shared resources, software, and
information are provided to computers and other devices on demand, like the electricity grid.
Cloud computing is a paradigm shift following the shift from mainframe to clientserver in
the early 1980s. Details are abstracted from the users, who no longer have need for expertise
in, or control over, the technology infrastructure "in the cloud" that supports them. Cloud
computing describes a new supplement, consumption, and delivery model for IT services
based

on

the

Internet,

and

it

typically

involves

over-the-Internet provision

of

dynamically scalable and often virtualized resources. It is a byproduct and consequence of

the ease-of-access to remote computing sites provided by the Internet.
The term "cloud" is used as a metaphor for the Internet, based on the cloud drawing used in
the past to represent the telephone network, and later to depict the Internet in computer
network diagrams as an abstraction of the underlying infrastructure it represents. Typical
cloud computing providers deliver common business applications online that are accessed
from another Web service or software like a Web browser, while the software and data are
stored on servers.
Most cloud computing infrastructures consist of services delivered through common centers
and built on servers. Clouds often appear as single points of access for all consumers'
computing needs.

2.3 WHAT IS A NETBOOK

Netbooks (sometimes

also

called mini

notebooks or ultra

portables)

are

branch

of subnotebooks, a rapidly evolving category of small, lightweight, and inexpensive laptop

computers suited for general computing and accessing Web-based applications; they are often
marketed as "companion devices", i.e. At their inception in late 2007 as smaller notebooks
optimized for low weight and low cost netbooks omitted certain features, featured smaller
screens and keyboards, and offered reduced specification and computing power.
Over the course of their evolution, netbooks have ranged in size from below 5" screen
diagonal to over 11.6". A typical weight is 1 kg. Often significantly less expensive than
other laptops, by mid-2009, some wireless data carriers began to offer netbooks to users "free
of charge", with an extended service contract purchase.

CHAPTER - 3
THE CHROME DESIGN AND INTERFACE
3.1 THE BASICS
Design goals for Google Chrome OS's user interface include using minimal screen space by
combining applications and standard Web pages into a single tab strip, rather than separating
the two. Designers are considering a reduced window management scheme that would
operate only in full-screen mode. Secondary tasks would be handled with "panels": floating
windows that dock to the bottom of the screen for tasks like chat and music players. Split
screens are also under consideration for viewing two pieces of content side-by-side. Google
Chrome OS will follow the Chrome browser's practice of leveraging HTML5's offline modes,
background processing, and notifications. Designers propose using search and pinned tabs as
a way to quickly locate and access applications.

Figure-1: Usage of chrome os

Design goals for Google Chrome OS's user interface include using minimal screenspace by
combining applications and standard Web pages into a single tab strip,rather than separating
the two. Designers are considering a reduced windowmanagement scheme that would operate

only in full-screen mode. Secondary taskswould be handled with "panels": floating windows
that dock to the bottom of the screen for tasks like chat and music players.
Split screens are also under consideration for viewing two pieces of content side-by-side.
Google Chrome OS will follow the Chrome browser's practice of leveraging HTML5's
offline modes, background processing, and notifications. Designers propose using search and
pinned tabs as a way to quickly locate and access applications.

3.2 WINDOWS, TABS & PANELS

The interface of Chrome is currently composed of three types of views: windows, tabs, and
panels. However, this interface is likely to change quite a bit over the coming year, as the
open source community contributes new code to the project.
Applications, which are essentially just Web pages, live in tabs, just as they do in most
browsers now. In Chrome OS, there are two kinds of tabs: page tabs and application tabs.
Application tabs are intended to give users quick access to the Web apps they use most, and
any page can be made into an application tab with one click. Application tabs remain
persistent at the left of the tabs bar, while ordinary page tabs behave just as they do in current
browsers.
Tabs live in windows, which on the Chrome OS are more similar to Linux-style virtual
workspaces. You can drag and drop page and application tabs from one window to another to
group them according to any organization scheme you like.
The final view is the panel, which is a persistent window that can contain a variety of
applications. To demonstrate this, Pichai opened up Contacts and Notepad--two apps included
with Chrome OS--in panel views, which sit in the lower-right area of the screen. This view is
intended to allow users to interact with specific files or Web content while still viewing
another page or app in the main window. Content created in panel apps is instantly shared
with the rest of the Google apps, as demonstrated by a bit of sample text being entered into
the Notepad panel, and then immediately opened in Google Docs.
Other uses for the panel view include searching for music and playing songs or videos in a
smaller view during the course of Web browsing. As with documents, these panels can be
quickly opened into a tab or full-screen mode.

The design would include the same basic layout as on netbooks, but with a touch interface; an
onscreen qwerty keyboard in different layouts; large, square icons placed above the tabs; and
panels placed along the bottom edge that could be opened with an upward dragging motion.

3.3 THE THREE TIER ARCHITECTURE

Google describes a three-tier architecture: firmware, browser and window manager, and
system-level software and user-land services.

The firmware contributes to fast boot time by not probing for hardware, such as
floppy disk drives, that are no longer common on computers, especially netbooks. The
firmware also contributes to security by verifying each step in the boot process and
incorporating system recovery.

System-level software includes the Linux kernel that has been patched to improve
boot performance. Userland software has been trimmed to essentials, with
management by Upstart, which can launch services in parallel, re-spawn crashed jobs,
and defer services in the interest of faster booting.

The window manager handles user interaction with multiple client windows much
like other X window managers.

3.4

FORM FACTORS EXPLORATION

While its primary focus is netbooks, Chrome OS could eventually scale to a wide variety of
devices. Each would have vastly different input methods, available screen space, and
processing power. Below is an illustration of the forms we are considering along with notes
for each:

Figure-2: Different types of UIs

Netbook 10-12"
Because of their small screen resolution, the netbook ui is tailored to one web page on
the screen at a time. Interaction is primarily via mouse and keyboard, and the UI is adapted to
this, with primary targets distributed along the screen edges. Panels would dock against the
bottom of the screen and could be moved to the sides as well.
o

Full Screen, Compact/Classic/Sidebar UI

Omnibox may autohide on devices with limited vertical height

Docking panels

Tabs and Windows

To demonstrate this, Pichai opened up Contacts and Notepad--two apps included with
Chrome OS--in panel views, which sit in the lower-right area of the screen. This view is
intended to allow users to interact with specific files or Web content while still viewing
another page or app in the main window.

Figure-3: Netbook 10-12"

Tablet 5-10"
On tablets, the UI would be adjusted to handle larger touch targets. Initial explorations
have maintained the same basic chrome layout, but enlarged the controls. Icons could be
placed above tabs to provide larger, square targets. Panels would be placed along the bottom
edge and could be opened with upward dragging motions.
o

Full screen, Touch UI

Docking panels

Touch panel UI

Tabs only

High-res display

Visual explorations

Figure-4: Tablet 5-10"

Laptop 15-17"
On laptop-sized devices, full screen mode is not suitable for most web pages. At this point we
would re-introduce multiple windows on screen, using either overlapping or tiling windowing
systems. Panels would now be able to dock to edges or float freely on the screen.
o

Windowed, Classic UI

Overlapping or tiled window management

Floating or docking panels

Figure-5: Laptop 15-17

Desktop 24-30":
The desktop UI is similar to the laptop UI, but benefits more from freely positioned windows
and access points near the cursor. Other potential enhancements include magnetic
windows/panels that can be moved around with each other to create workspaces.
o

Windowed, Classic UI

Overlapping window management

Floating or docking panels

Figure-6: Desktop 24-30

3.5
3.5.1

UI ELEMENTS
Form Controls

The base UI elements in Chrome OS are styled after the default form controls. Any CSS
changes are applied to this base, rather than causing a dramatic change from a native widget
to a CSS one.

Default button style is a simple white to gray gradient. Applications, which are essentially
just Web pages, live in tabs, just as they do in most browsers now. In Chrome OS, there are
two kinds of tabs: page tabs and application tabs. Application tabs are intended to give users
quick access to the Web apps they use most, and any page can be made into an application tab
with one click. Application tabs remain persistent at the left of the tabs bar, while ordinary
page tabs behave just as they do in current browsers.
Tabs live in windows, which on the Chrome OS are more similar to Linux-style virtual
workspaces. You can drag and drop page and application tabs from one window to another to
group them according to any organization scheme you like.
The final view is the panel, which is a persistent window that can contain a variety of
applications. To demonstrate this, Pichai opened up Contacts and Notepad--two apps included
with Chrome OS--in panel views, which sit in the lower-right area of the screen. This view is
intended to allow users to interact with specific files or Web content while still viewing
another page or app in the main window. Content created in panel apps is instantly shared

with the rest of the Google apps, as demonstrated by a bit of sample text being entered into
the Notepad panel, and then immediately opened in Google Docs.

Figure-7: Firm control

3.5.2 Menus

Menus use the same gradient with a stronger drop shadow. When possible, they are displayed
attached to their source.

Figure-8: Menu Items in browser

Figure-9 :Menu Items for a page

3.5.3 Scroll Bars
Scroll bar options:

Transient scroll indicators

Wave-style scroll widgets

Rollover scroll bars (when you press screen edge

Standard scroll bar

Reflective scroll bar

Figure-10: Scroll Bars

3.5.4 Cursors

Figure-11: Cursors
Future directions:

3.6

Resolution Independent cursors

Black with white outline (for contrast)

Movement in Z space when clicking

Pulse emitted when you shake

PANELS

Panels in Chromium OS are used as containers that allow a user to multitask without leaving
the view of their current application. For example, with a music player and chat in panels, a
user can control the playback of their music and chat with a friend while watching a video or
reading a long document in their main view.
This is one of Chrome OS's true innovations: For things like IM and Notifications, these
small windows remain on top of the main browsing window.
Window manager interactions
Panels are always-on-top, and are not attached to a specific window. New panels open to the
left of existing panels.
Open behavior:
Panels are minimized and maximized by clicking on their titlebar. When minimized, a panel
is shifted so that only a few pixels of its titlebar are visible on-screen (this is the 'minimized'
state).
When the user's mouse hits the bottom edge of the screen, any minimized panels slide up to
reveal the text in their titlebars (this is the 'peeking' state). Clicking on these titlebars will
restore the panel to its original size.
If a panel is restored with the mouse cursor at the bottom edge of the screen, a widget will
appear under the user's mouse cursor that will minimize the panel when clicked. The widget
disappears as soon as the user's mouse moves away from the edge. This allows users to
quickly open and close panels.

Figure-12: Demonstration of panels

Auto-arrange
Panels are right-aligned, and automatically arrange themselves in order to not overlap. If a
user drags a panel to the left away from the main group of panels, it is pushed to the left of all
auto-arranged panels until the user explicitly reorders it into the auto arranged set. It will
attempt to hold the defined position until it is pushed out of the way.

Figure-13: Auto arrangement of panels

3.7

PINNED TABS

Many users of existing browsers keep their 'primary' tabs to the left of their tab-strip. This
allows easy access to commonly used applications that users keep open all the time. Others
use bookmarks to quickly access their favorite apps without leaving them open, though
bookmarks will replace their current window which may be undesirable.
Pinned tabs are an acknowledgement of both of these behaviors:

Any tab can be converted into a 'pinned tab' where it shrinks to the size of its favicon,
and remains locked to the left of the tab-strip

Any external link opened from a pinned tab will be opened outside of the group of
pinned tabs, ensuring that the group remains consistently accessible

Applications open with the pinned tabs automatically, and pinned tabs are removed
when they are closed

Pinned tabs remain available across sessions, allowing users to always access their favorite
apps from a consistent location. Pinned tabs can be created via contextual menu, dragging a
tab to the pinned area, or opening an application.

Figure-14: Demonstration of pinned panes

3.8

CHROME AND THE WINDOW MANAGER

The window manager is responsible for handling the user's interaction with
multiple client windows. It does this in a manner similar to that of other X window
managers, by controlling window placement, assigning the input focus, and
exposing hotkeys that exist outside the scope of a single browser window. Parts of
the ICCCM (Inter-Client Communication Conventions Manual) and EWHM
(Extended Window Manager Hints) specifications are used for communication
between clients and the window manager where possible.

Figure-15: 3-tier Architecture

3.9 REMOTE APPLICATION ACCESS

In June 2010, Google software engineer Gary Kamark wrote that Chrome OS will access
remote applications through a technology unofficially called "Chromo ting", which would
resemble Microsoft's Remote Desktop Connection. The name has since been changed to
"remoting," and is "probably closer to running an application via Terminal Services or by first
connecting to a host machine by using RDP or VNC."

3.10 CHROME OS VERSUS BROWSER

Google Chrome OS is to Chromium OS what Google Chrome browser is to Chromium.
Chromium OS is the open source project, used primarily by developers, with code that is
available for anyone to checkout, modify and build their own version with. Meanwhile,
Google Chrome OS is the Google product that OEMs will ship on Netbooks next year. Panels
are minimized and maximized by clicking on their titlebar. When minimized, a panel is
shifted so that only a few pixels of its titlebar are visible on-screen (this is the 'minimized'
state).
When the user's mouse hits the bottom edge of the screen, any minimized panels slide up to
reveal the text in their titlebars (this is the 'peeking' state). Clicking on these titlebars will
restore the panel to its original size.
If a panel is restored with the mouse cursor at the bottom edge of the screen, a widget will
appear under the user's mouse cursor that will minimize the panel when clicked. The widget
disappears as soon as the user's mouse moves away from the edge. This allows users to
quickly open and close panels.
Default button style is a simple white to gray gradient. Applications, which are essentially
just Web pages, live in tabs, just as they do in most browsers now.

Chrome Features

Chrome OS Features

Window

Note: UI under development. Designs

are subject to change.

Window
Frame | Tabs | Throbber | Toolbar | Omnibox
Browsing
Bookmarks | History | New Tab Page
Additional UI
Downloads | Status Bubble | Find in
Page | Options | Incognito
Notifications | Infobars | Multiple Profiles
Appearance
Visual Design | Resolution
Independence | Themes
Accessibility
Keyboard Access | Low-Vision
Support | Screen reader support

Primary UI
Window UI Variations | Window
Management | Pinned Tabs | Apps
Menu | Panels
UI Elements | Gestures | System Status
Icons
Core Applications
Notifications | Settings | Content
Browser | Open/Save Dialogs | Shelf
Devices
Form Factors | Resolution Independence

CHAPTER - 4
HARDWARE AND COMPATIBILITY
4.1 Cr-48 PROTOTYPE HARDWARE
The Cr-48 notebook was released by Google, as a piece of reference hardware created to test
the Chrome OS operating system. The Cr-48 is the test notebook designed for the
Pilot program.
The Cr-48 is intended for testing only, and will not be sold to the general public.

Google

also addressed complaints that the operating system offers little functionality when the host
device is not connected to the Internet.

The company demonstrated an offline version of

Google Docs running on Chrome OS and announced a 3G plan that would give Chrome OS
users 100 MB of free data each month, with additional paid plans available from Verizon.
Google's Cr-48 prototype "met the basic requirements for Web surfing, gaming, and personal
productivity, but falls short for more intensive tasks".

4.2

HARDWARE SUPPORT AND COMPATIBILITY

Chrome OS is based on the open-source Chromium OS. Google Chrome OS will run on both

x86 as well as ARM chips and we are working with multiple OEMs to bring a number
of netbooks to market next year. The software architecture is simple Google
Chrome running within a new windowing system on top of a Linux kernel. For
application developers, the web is the platform. While Chrome OS will support hard
disk drives, Google has requested that its hardware partners use solid-state drives due
to their higher performance and reliability, as well as the lower capacity requirements
inherent in an operating system that accesses applications and most user data on
remote servers.
All web-based applications will automatically work and new applications can be written
using your favorite web technologies. And of course, these apps will run not only on Google

Chrome OS, but on any standards-based browser on Windows, Mac and Linux thereby giving
developers the largest user base of any platform.

4.3 GREEN FLAG FOR CHROME OS

The Google chrome OS will run on will run on hardware incorporating an x86 or ARM-based
processor. The solid-state drives are the drives primarily supported by the OS for speed and
reliability issues but hard disk drives will also be supported. It is expected to consume onesixtieth as much drive space as Windows 7.
Google Chrome OS is initially intended for secondary devices like netbooks, not a
user's primary PC, and will run on hardware incorporating an x86 or ARM
processor and a solid state drive. Google favors solid state drives over hard
disk drives because the former provide faster boot-up times and the latter's higher capacity
isn't

essential

for

an

operating

system

that

accesses

applications

and most user data on remote servers. In addition, Google Chrome OS consumes 60
times less drive space than Windows 7.

4.4 WHAT GOOGLE CHROME OS ACHIEVES

Companies developing hardware for the operating system include Hewlett-Packard, Acer,
Adobe, Asus, Lenovo, Qualcomm, Texas Instruments, Freescale and Intel.
The solid-state drives are the drives primarily supported by the OS for speed and reliability
issues but hard disk drives will also be supported. It is expected to consume one-sixtieth as
much drive space as Windows 7.
Google Chrome OS is initially intended for secondary devices like netbooks, not a
user's primary PC, and will run on hardware incorporating an x86 or ARM
processor and a solid state drive. Google favors solid state drives over hard
disk drives because the former provide faster boot-up times and the latter's higher capacity
isn't essential for an operating system that accesses applications.

CHAPTER - 5
CHROMIUM OS
5.1 THE BASICS
Google Chrome and Chromium are the same OS. Except for the fact that the Chromium
operating system can be extended by anyone. Because the official Chrome OS has not been
released, Google Chromium is basically the advanced version. This does not necessarily
mean it is the best version, it simply means that it includes the most up-to-date features and
specifications.
Because the Chromium operating system is up-to-date, it means that some of the more
important Google OS characteristics will be fixed and expanded. The Chromium OS is
basically a test environment for Google developers, which means it can be quite buggy and
problematic.

5.2 USER INTERFACE

Chromium OS uses the new new:tab page found in Google Chrome to open web apps.
Compared to prior builds, this replaces the applications page. Chromium OS provides a
clock, battery indicator and network status indicator. The F8 function key toggles a keyboard
overlay that shows the function of all the shortcut keys used in Chromium, including task and
memory managers also found in the Chrome browser, and a command-line interface that
accepts common Linux commands.

5.3 ARCHITECTURE
In preliminary design documents, Google describes a three-tier architecture: firmware, web
browser and window manager, and system-level software and userland services.[6]

The firmware contributes to fast boot time by not probing for hardware, such as
floppy disk drives, that are no longer common on computers, especially netbooks. The

firmware also contributes to security by verifying each step in the boot process and
incorporating system recovery.

System-level software includes the Linux kernel that has been patched to improve
boot performance. Userland software has been trimmed to essentials, with
management by Upstart, which can launch services in parallel, re-spawn crashed jobs,
and defer services in the interest of faster booting.

The window manager handles user interaction with multiple client windows much
like other X window managers.

5.3.1

Software Architecture

Chromium OS (the basis of Chrome OS) consists of three major components:

The Chromium-based browser and the window manager
System-level software and user-land services: the kernel, drivers, connection manager, and
so on
Firmware

Figure-16: High level design

System-level and user-land software
From here we bring in the Linux kernel, drivers, and user-land daemons. Our kernel is mostly
stock except for a handful of patches that we pull in to improve boot performance. On the
user-land side of things we have streamlined the init process so that we're only running
services that are critical. All of the user-land services are managed by Upstart. By using

Upstart we are able to start services in parallel, re-spawn jobs that crash, and defer services to
make boot faster.
The solid-state drives are the drives primarily supported by the OS for speed and reliability
issues but hard disk drives will also be supported. It is expected to consume one-sixtieth as
much drive space as Windows 7.
Google Chrome OS is initially intended for secondary devices like netbooks, not a
user's primary PC, and will run on hardware incorporating an x86 or ARM
processor and a solid state drive. Google favors solid state drives over hard
disk drives because the former provide faster boot-up times and the latter's higher capacity
isn't essential for an operating system that accesses applicationsHere's a quick list of things
that we depend on:
D-Bus:
The browser uses D-Bus to interact with the rest of the system. Examples of this include the
battery meter and network picker.
Connection Manager:
Provides a common API for interacting with the network devices, provides a DNS proxy, and
manages network services for 3G, wireless, and ethernet.
WPA Supplicant:
Used to connect to wireless networks.
Auto-update:
Our auto-update daemon silently installs new system images. Power Management: (ACPI on
Intel) Handles power management events like closing the lid or pushing the power button.
The solid-state drives are the drives primarily supported by the OS for speed and reliability
issues but hard disk drives will also be supported. It is expected to consume one-sixtieth as
much drive space as Windows 7.
Google Chrome OS is initially intended for secondary devices like netbooks, not a
user's primary PC, and will run on hardware incorporating an x86 or ARM
processor and a solid state drive. Google favors solid state drives over hard
disk drives because the former provide faster boot-up times and the latter's higher capacity

isn't essential for an operating system that accesses applicationsHandles screen locking when
the machine is idle.
Standard Linux services: NTP, syslog, and cron.

Figure-17: Standard Linux services

The solid-state drives are the drives primarily supported by the OS for speed and reliability
issues but hard disk drives will also be supported. It is expected to consume one-sixtieth as
much drive space as Windows 7.
Google Chrome OS is initially intended for secondary devices like netbooks, not a
user's primary PC, and will run on hardware incorporating an x86 or ARM
processor and a solid state drive. Google favors solid state drives over hard
disk drives because the former provide faster boot-up times and the latter's higher capacity
isn't essential for an operating system that accesses applications.
Firmware:
The firmware plays a key part to make booting the OS faster and more secure. To achieve this
goal we are removing unnecessary components and adding support for verifying each step in
the boot process. We are also adding support for system recovery into the firmware itself. We
can avoid the complexity that's in most PC irmware because we don't have to be backwards
compatible with a large amount of legacy hardware. For example, we don't have to probe for
floppy drives.

The firmware will implement the following functionality:

System recovery: The recovery firmware can re-install Chromium OS in the event that the
system has become corrupt or compromised.
Verified boot:
Each time the system boots, Chromium OS verifies that the firmware, kernel, and system
image have not been tampered with or become corrupt. This process starts in the firmware.
Fast boot:
We have improved boot performance by removing a lot of complexity that is normally found
in PC firmware.

Figure-18: Chrome and the window manager

5.4 CHROME OS VS. CHROMIUM OS

Google Chrome OS is to Chromium OS what Google Chrome browser is to Chromium.

Chromium OS is the open source project, used primarily by developers, with code
that is available for anyone to checkout, modify, and build.

Google Chrome OS is the Google product that OEMs will ship on Netbooks this
year.

Some specific differences:

The two projects fundamentally share the same code base, but Google Chrome OS has
some additional firmware features, including verified boot and easy recovery, which
require corresponding hardware changes and thus also don't work in Chromium OS
builds.

Google Chrome OS runs on specially optimized hardware in order to get enhanced

performance and security.

Chromium OS does not auto-update (so that changes you may have made to the code
are not blown away), whereas Google Chrome OS seamlessly auto-updates so that
users have the latest and greatest features and fixes.

Google Chrome OS is supported by Google and its partners; Chromium OS is

supported by the open source community.

Google Chrome and Chromium are the same OS. Except for the fact that the Chromium
operating system can be extended by anyone. Because the official Chrome OS has not been
released, Google Chromium is basically the advanced version. This does not necessarily
mean it is the best version, it simply means that it includes the most up-to-date features and
specifications.
Because the Chromium operating system is up-to-date, it means that some of the more
important Google OS characteristics will be fixed and expanded. The Chromium OS is
basically a test environment for Google developers, which means it can be quite buggy and
problematic.

CHAPTER 6
DISCUSSIONS
6.1 GREEN FLAG FOR CHROME OS
The main advantage of Chrome OS is that it is free. Microsofts Windows 7 is reported to
cost netbook makers at least $45 per computer. Even if Microsoft is forced to cut the price to
the $25 level that it has been charging netbook makers for its ancient Windows XP system, a
Chrome netbook may well be in stores for $30 to $50 less than an equivalent Windows
machine.
The price point of Chrome OS devices would be low-cost at around the same price as current
generation netbooks.
Those prices are completely determined, by the way, by the costs of the glass, the costs of the
processor and things like that, but in our case Chrome OS and Android are free so there is no
software tax associated with all of this.
Google also says that Chrome will be faster to start, easier to use and more secure than
Windows. Well have to see about that. So far the other versions of Linux sold on netbooks
have confounded users, who have largely rejected them in favor of Windows machines.
Chrome OS will be optimized for one thing: accessing the Web. But in Googles view of the
world, anything you would ever want to do reading your e-mail, writing documents,
playing games can be done through browsers. The latest browser standard, HTML 5, has
technology that allows Web sites to store information on your computer, so you can keep
writing your novel even when you are on the airplane. The premise is that in a world where
computers are connected to the Internet almost all the time, your computer doesnt need to do
that much.

6.2 GOOGLE CHROME OS ACHIEVES

This is how Google describes the experience it is trying to create:

1) People want to get to their e-mail instantly, without wasting time waiting for their
computers to boot and browsers to start up.
2) They want their computers to always run as fast as when they first bought them.
3) They want their data to be accessible to them wherever they are and not have to worry
about losing their computer or forgetting to back up files.
4) Even more importantly, they dont want to spend hours configuring their computers to
work with every new piece of hardware, or have to worry about constant software
updates.
There is a tiny little downside here: no local software. Browsers dont yet do everything, and
there are two decades of Windows applications that have been written, performing functions
that cant yet be replicated in a browser. If you want to load music onto your iPod, for
example, you need a computer that runs iTunes. Web sites often require programs to run
alongside the browser, like Adobes Acrobat viewer. Even Google writes Windows programs
for its Picasa photo editing product and Google Earth 3-D mapping system.
But over time, more and more functions can be moved onto Web sites.

CHAPTER 7
CONCLUSION

CONCLUSION
Due to the important role of operating system in the operation of any computer systems, the
security of operating system have fundamental impacts to the overall security of a computer,
including the security of all applications running within the system. In fact, the fundamental
security design of Chrome OS is solid; it is obvious that the system was designed with
security in mind. Unlike other operating systems, Chrome doesnt bombard someone with an
endless series of OS update alerts. When you connect your notebook to the internet, Googles
updates Chrome for you automatically. The whole idea is to make your computing experience
easier and more secure, with less fuss and frustration. Nevertheless, google can also improve
the security of Chrome OS to handle web attack to ensure maximum security and boost
confidence in the use of the operating system.
It is obvious that the system was designed with security in mind. Unlike other operating
systems, Chrome doesnt bombard someone with an endless series of OS update alerts. When
you connect your notebook to the internet, Googles updates Chrome for you automatically. If
you want to load music onto your iPod, for example, you need a computer that runs iTunes.
Web sites often require programs to run alongside the browser, like Adobes Acrobat viewer.

CHAPTER 8
BIBLIOGRAPHY

REFERENCES
[1]. Azad, S. (2012). Chrome OS and System Architecture. Retrieved November 3, 2014,
from http://sufianalogy.blogspot.com/
[2]. Emperador, A., & Norman, A. N. (2013). Analysing ChromeOS's Boot Performance.
Austin: The University of Texas
.
[3]. Fang, K., Hanus, D., & Zheng, Y. (2010). Security of Google Chromebook. Massachuset
Institute of Technology Cambridge.
[4]. Habib, S. M., & Zubair, S. (2009). Security Evaluation of the Windows Mobile Operating
System. Goteborg, Sweden: Chalmers University of Technology.
[5]. Kettula, A. (2009). Retrieved October 2014, from Secuirty Comparison of Mobile OSes:
http://www.tml.tkk.fi/Opinnot/Tik-110.501/2000/papers/kettula.pdf
[6]. Munsee, C. L., & Lee, C. (2002). Security Evaluation of the Linux Operating System.
Oregon: Oregon State University, Corvallis,.
[7]. Nathan, C. (2010, June 30). How the Google Chrome OS Works. Retrieved November
2014, from <http://computer.howstuffworks.com/google-chrome-os.htm>
[8]. Yang, C.-Q. (2003). Operating System Secuirty and Secure Operating System. SANS
Institute.

CHAPTER 10
APPENDIX

Habib and Zubair (2009) evaluated the security of Windows Mobile Operating System. The
researchers stated that the problem with smartphone operating system is that a known
vulnerability tends to exist for a longer time due to delayed patches, thus they can be an easy
target to exploit.
To expose the vulnerabilities on the network level, they carried out penetration testing on
Windows Mobile 6.1 operating system. They also pointed out that Windows Mobile does
offer a security infrastructure that uses security policies with code signing, but it is not
impossible to bypass the security policies. The researchers concluded by saying that while
the vendors of mobile OSes have started to pay attention to OS security, these mobile OSes
still have a long way to go in order to prove themselves truly worthy of the trust that is
invested on them by their users today (Habib and Zubair, 2009). Munsee and Lee (2002)
worked on Linux Operating System Security; Linux is an open source operating system that
has gained much popularity. More and more people are using it for a variety of tasks Since its
birth in 1991, Linux has grown to become one of the world's most popular operating systems
(Munsee and Lee, 2002).
Students like it for the price and the open source flexibility. Network administrators like it
because it can communicate with many other operating systems and run on virtually any
processor. Internet Service Providers (ISPs) like it because of the native Internet support that
it provides. Even with all the strengths of Linux, many claim that Linux isn't secure because
of its open source nature. Some feel that the open source code makes it easier for attackers to
find and exploit flaws in the operating system. Munsee and Lee (2002) pointed out some
attacks that are being used against Linux Operating System such as Worm Attacks, Trojan
Horse Programs, Direct Physical Access or Local Hacking, Buffer Overflows etc. They
narrated that attackers can easily search through the Linux code for vulnerabilities and trying
to exploit them. Other systems that don't have open source are not as easily probed for flaws
that can be exploited. When it comes to commercial operating systems, the only way
vulnerability can be found is through an attack, and the only way vulnerability can be fixed is
through the manufacturer. Linux vulnerabilities are fixed almost as quickly as they are found.

The Linux community works together, to fix problems as quickly as possible. As for other
operating systems, unless the problem is major, the fix will have to wait (Munsee and Lee,
2002). They suggested that in order to keep Linux operating system secured, we need to
continue installing patches and also configure Linux completely
Googles Chrome Operating System is a web OS which is a Linux-based, open source
operating system launched in July 2009, with the aim of building an operating system that
provides a fast, simple and more secured computing experience (Azad,2012). Traditional
operating systems such as Windows require a lot of hard drive space and demand some work
on your part (Chandler, 2010). You have to install the programs you want individually,
manage OS and security updates and also manage the device drivers.
Google Chrome OS aims to overhaul that paradigm. Security of mobile operating systems
was investigated by Kettula (2009) in the year 2000. The study showed that most of the
mobile operating systems lack important features like permission based file access control,
multi-user support and even memory protection. Mobile Operating System are used in
different types of mobile devices such as Smartphones, Tablet PCs, Mobile Phones etc..