Fuchsia: how are things with Google’s operating system for all devices

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Fuchsia: how are things with Google's operating system for all devices

Fuchsia: how are things with Google’s operating system for all devices

I’ll start with a little insight into history. Back in 2016 or not, Google created an operating system called Fuchsia. The whole point of this act was that all previous operating systems from the search giant (Chrome OS, Android, the operating system for Chromecast gadgets) were based on the Linux OS. It was convenient for Google, since Linux is a free distribution system, and Google has already adapted to building its own OS based on it. Along with all the advantages, Linux also had its drawbacks – for example, the inability to create on its base a functional operating system for the on-board computer of the car or for GPS. Realizing how much this limits it, Google decided to create its own OS that can be installed on any device, and called it Fuchsia.

The new Fuchsia operating system was created based on the Magenta kernel, as Android OS was once created based on the Linux kernel. Magenta itself was also created precisely in order to be able to function equally on any device, be it a computer or a smartphone. Fuchsia was written in Flutter SDK using Dart as the main programming language. The system also declared support for both 32-bit and 64-bit mobile ARM processors, as well as desktop 64-bit processors.

For a long time, the Fuchsia operating system did not have any friendly visual interface and all interaction with it occurred through the command line. Then, Google introduced its new OS interface and called it Armadillo. The system involved Escher, a special interface drawing tool that supports light scattering, soft shadows, smooth gradients, and other visual effects that are available using OpenGL or Vulkan. In terms of design, Fuchsia is very much like modern Material Design.

Launched on a Fuchsia smartphone with interface Armadillo, with many of its functions, the experience of interacting with the system resembled Android. The main screen is a vertical list with a profile image, time, and a battery indicator in the center. When you click on the profile image, something similar to the shutter appeared in Android, where there are switches for automatic rotation, Do Not Disturb mode, Flight mode and so on.

Above the profile image was the so-called “History”, which was analogous to the multitasking window in Android and other mobile operating systems. If in the ìHistoryî you move one application thumbnail to another, the split-screen mode opens and the user could see two running applications on the screen at the same time. If you reopen history and transfer to the first two applications the third, that they already occupied approximately 33% of the entire screen. There was also a special panel with Google Now in the interface of the system, and all the main Fuchsia visual chips ended there.

Now, after a lot of time has expired, a new information has appeared on the Internet about what seems to be a forgotten operating system for the Internet of things called Fuchsia. It took the company three years to give its creation at least some sane form and assign a destination, and it still has not finished. Judging by the information published the other day, the JavaScript language Dart and Swift from Apple are already supporting the operating system.

The developer of the Node.js framework team, which is meant specifically for the JavaScript language, Yang Guo posted in his Twitter account a post saying that their team is looking for a full-time developer who will port Node.js to the OS Fuchsia.

Now it is difficult to say what all this means for Fuchsia. Adding Node.js can be the first step to porting Electron to Fuchsia, which will be a plus for potential desktop users, as well as for a company creating IoT devices (ìInternet of Thingsî). If Fuchsia has deep support for the JavaScript language, it will greatly facilitate the development of applications for it. It is clear that Google does not stop and continues to develop its cross-platform operating system, but unfortunately it happens very, very slowly.

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