Anyone using the new Google Chrome OS?

[TomKroscavage]

I think you can download it Here. Any Linux folks out there to verify this? If so what do you download?

[mattbiernat]

i don't really like how it looks.

[TomKroscavage]

If you needed to move this thread I think it should have been moved to the Linux category? Why off- topic?

[BillMorrow]

i don't know but my guess is that its about google chrome and not linux..

the GENERAL Thinkpad News etc. might be a better place..

[GomJabbar]

Well, I haven't really been following Google Chrome, but it is linux-based - at least according to Reuters.

Google Chrome OS: Everything You Need to Know

Introducing the Google Chrome OS

[BillMorrow]

obviously, neither have i..
i don't plan to use online apps..

off to the linux confrence..

[kiwipad]

Tom

This page may help explain what you need to build the OS. Yes, "build" - not available e.g. as an installable iso...I guess that's sort of the point of it?

Personally I haven't tried it. Nor will I. If I want a configurable "pure" Linux I'll use Slackware !

IG

[TomKroscavage]

Thanks kiwipad that does help I'd like to try it on an x22

[ajkula66]

kiwipad wrote:

Personally I haven't tried it. Nor will I. If I want a configurable "pure" Linux I'll use Slackware !

+ 1 and then some...

[TomKroscavage]

I'm installing ubuntu now I'm going to give it a go.

[kiwipad]

Tom
Before you rush off and try to build a Chrome OS, have a look at this. It gives a better idea of the philosophy & current status of the project. It really isn't another Linux distro (and to be fair I don't think was ever envisioned as such)

IG

[Volker]

Chrome OS is probably closer to TiVo than a full Linux distribution. All three run on top of the linux kernel, but thats about it. I think all three are good at their intended purpose, but definitely not interchangeable

[Temetka]

I barely trust google now.

Let's just say that since they do not believe in personal privacy and I do that I will not be using their OS.

[Volker]

I barely trust google now.
Vista Ultimate

You don't trust an open source OS in favor of a binary-only DRM-laden force-activation OS?

There are certainly privacy issues when using Google's services, but I think you are missing the elephant in the room.

[Temetka]

Possibly.

However let me put it to you this way:

Are you willing to trust an operating system written by an advertising agency?

I know I'm not.

They have come out and stated publicly that internet privacy does not exist anymore. If that is true (I think internet privacy is alive and well much to their chagrin), then I can hardly trust any security sub-system in an OS designed by a corporation who does not believe in privacy.

[Volker]

I can hardly trust any security sub-system in an OS designed by a corporation who does not believe in privacy.

If it doesn't come with source code then you don't own it and you can't trust it.

The name of the company that puts it together or what their CEO says is secondary. And while I agree with you that you should think very hard about whom you are trusting your data, at least Google will not send the BSA to your doorstep to rifle through your license paperwork.

[AMATX]

I barely trust google now.

Let's just say that since they do not believe in personal privacy and I do that I will not be using their OS.

+1 Got that right.

[Temetka]

If it doesn't come with source code then you don't own it and you can't trust it.

The name of the company that puts it together or what their CEO says is secondary. And while I agree with you that you should think very hard about whom you are trusting your data, at least Google will not send the BSA to your doorstep to rifle through your license paperwork.

The BSA goes after companies and organizations in violation of licensing agreements. In my 20+ years of using computers and dealing with software licenses I have never, ever heard of 1 incident or case involving them and a private citizen or them going to someones house.

What google will do instead is data mine every little bit of info and serve targeted ads to me as well as selling that information to their 'strategic partners'. That being said it is one step from there, to sharing all of this info with the gov't so they can track anyone who might have search terms, or documents containing flagged keywords.

Google is just as corrupt as the rest of the multi-billion dollar corporations and I trust them about as far as I can punt their CEO. Do I trust Microsoft? To a point. Until I hear (confirmed) stories of Windows sifting through people stuff, indexing it, then storing that index on a cloud server somewhere then using that information to profile me and my habits, I will worry about them less than Google.

When that day comes (if it ever does) I will move on to another OS. I'm totally comfortable using pretty much any workstation class OS on the market today so it's not a big deal for me. However since Microsoft's OS runs the majority of PC's and servers world wide they have a lot more to lose by 'Being Evil' than does Google. Nor has Bill or Steve come out and said that their company does not believe in privacy.

[Volker]

You can delete google's browser cookie at the end of each session and they won't have any usable data on you even if you use their search engine.

If you change your windows serial number it'll stop working.

Both google and microsoft routinely hand over their data to law enforcement. They have no choice but to comply with court orders.

[Temetka]

I don't recall mentioning the word cookie.

No what I was referring to is their keeping of search details on their servers, associating that with an IP address, doing some data mining maybe a little algorithmic tomfoolery and BAM! They have what I like, don't like, search terms, dates, times and so on.

Furthermore if you want to use their OS, no one is stopping you.

However that being said I eagerly await the first reports (either here or elsewhere) of Google abusing their power yet again. Maybe in the form of push advertising. Maybe making users store docs in google format. Who knows what evil lies in the hearts of men?

What I fail to see is how you consistently defend a company whose motto is "Do No Evil", yet whose CEO blatantly stated that internet privacy does exist. I don't know of any utopian world in which a total lack of privacy can also be similarly conjoined in a world where evil does not exist.

People by nature are private creatures. Private thoughts that they would admit to no one else, maybe a fetish or two, maybe a secret. Who know. However they may search for it. If they do, bets are they will use Google to assist them. Chances are that if they do then Google will retain that information.

I was also referring to a Global Panopticon in which Google and "them" stroll down the street taking pictures, taking notes, maybe advertising a product or 3 but always watching, always knowing.

That thought makes me angry. Angry that it is allowed to happen and even angrier that we have allowed it to happen. Google may not be the Anti-Christ, but they sure as hell will run his ads.

Still trust them do you?

[Volker]

What I fail to see is how you consistently defend a company whose motto is "Do No Evil", yet whose CEO blatantly stated that internet privacy does exist.

Since you keep reiterating this supposed "quote", are you referring to the line "Complete privacy does not exist in this world except in a desert, and anyone who is not a hermit must expect and endure the ordinary incidents of the community life of which he is a part."? That line is from a reference book on US tort law which one of their lawyers quoted in a court case. Thats a long shot from an official statement of the CEO

[ajkula66]

Temetka wrote:

What google will do instead is data mine every little bit of info and serve targeted ads to me as well as selling that information to their 'strategic partners'. That being said it is one step from there, to sharing all of this info with the gov't so they can track anyone who might have search terms, or documents containing flagged keywords.

Google is just as corrupt as the rest of the multi-billion dollar corporations and I trust them about as far as I can punt their CEO.

You've hit the nail on the head with this one, at least in my opinion.

With that said, I don't trust Microsoft. It is unfortunate that there are still quite a few bits of software that will not run on anything but Windows.

Now, the topic of Internet privacy - or lack thereof - is a whole another bowl of wax. I'm far more concerned about where we're headed in that respect than you are, but to each his/hers own...

Regardless of which side of the fence one might be sitting on, I found this interview with Yevgeny (Eugene) Kaspersky to be very interesting...

http://www.zdnetasia.com/microsoft-onec ... 058697.htm

[Temetka]

Since you keep reiterating this supposed "quote", are you referring to the line "Complete privacy does not exist in this world except in a desert, and anyone who is not a hermit must expect and endure the ordinary incidents of the community life of which he is a part."? That line is from a reference book on US tort law which one of their lawyers quoted in a court case. Thats a long shot from an official statement of the CEO

Your correct I mis-quoted him. Here's a few links though to point out that I only misquoted his words, not his intent or opinion.

http://boingboing.net/2009/12/09/google ... -priv.html

http://gawker.com/5419271/google-ceo-se ... thy-people

http://blogs.computerworld.com/15234/go ... ng_to_hide

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/12/07 ... n_privacy/

You trust them why?

[Temetka]

You've hit the nail on the head with this one, at least in my opinion.

With that said, I don't trust Microsoft. It is unfortunate that there are still quite a few bits of software that will not run on anything but Windows.

Now, the topic of Internet privacy - or lack thereof - is a whole another bowl of wax. I'm far more concerned about where we're headed in that respect than you are, but to each his/hers own...

Regardless of which side of the fence one might be sitting on, I found this interview with Yevgeny (Eugene) Kaspersky to be very interesting...

http://www.zdnetasia.com/microsoft-onec ... 058697.htm

Thanks for the article. People like Eugene bother me deeply.

You are of course correct that the topic of internet privacy is a whole different ball of wax.

Trust me I am just as concerned as to what direction we are headed as you are. I spend a good deal of time thinking about this subject a lot. However those thoughts are beyond the purview of this thread. That being said I am pretty sure that the direction we both fear is coming harder and quicker than we both realize.