View source for Software:Chromium OS

{{Short description|Free open-source operating system designed by Google}}
{{Infobox OS
| name = Chromium&nbsp;OS
| logo = Chromium Logo.svg
| logo_size = 100px
| screenshot = ChromiumOS-desk.png
| caption = Chromium&nbsp;OS (85.0.4163.0) displaying the New Tab Page
| developer = [[Company:Google|Google]]
| family = [[Software:Linux|Linux]]
| collapsible = 
| working_state = Current
| source_model = [[Open-source software|Open source]]
| released = 
| marketing_target = 
| programmed_in = 
| language = <!-- Supported natural languages (Portuguese, French, Italian, Arabic, ...) -->
| prog_language = 
| updatemodel = [[Rolling release]]
| supported_platforms = [[X86|x86]], x64, [[ARM architecture#32-bit architecture|ARM]], ARM64<ref name="Bloomberg">{{cite web|last=Womack|first=Brian|date=2009-07-08|access-date=2009-07-08|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aTd2k.YdQZ.Y|title=Google to Challenge Microsoft With Operating System|publisher=Bloomberg.com}}</ref>
| kernel_type = [[Monolithic kernel|Monolithic]] ([[Software:Linux kernel|Linux kernel]])<ref name="Chromium OS Kernel Design">{{cite web|url=https://www.chromium.org/chromium-os/chromiumos-design-docs/chromium-os-kernel|title=Kernel Design: Background, Upgrades|access-date=September 7, 2011}}</ref>
| userland = Ozone (Display manager), X11, [[Software:GNU Core Utilities|GNU]]
| ui = [[Software:Chromium (web browser)|Chromium]], Aura Shell (Ash)
| license = Various open source licenses (mainly BSD-style licenses and [[GPL]])<ref name="license">{{Cite web |url=https://www.chromium.org/chromium-os/licenses |title=Licenses - the Chromium Projects |access-date=April 30, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180701211722/https://www.chromium.org/chromium-os/licenses |archive-date=July 1, 2018 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
| preceded_by = 
| succeeded_by = 
| website = {{URL|https://www.chromium.org/chromium-os}}
| package_manager = <!--This is plain false, this is on the development machines to develop Chrome, not in the OS itself to install programs?: [[Software:Portage|Portage]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://groups.google.com/a/chromium.org/group/chromium-os-dev/browse_thread/thread/337cca9a0da59ad6/9354a38894da5df5|title=Upcoming build system changes|last=Cairns|first=Ryan|date=2010-02-05|work=Chromium OS dev|publisher=Google Groups|access-date=2010-03-23}}</ref> -->
}}

'''Chromium OS''' is a [[Free and open-source software|free and open-source]] [[Operating system|operating system]] designed for running [[Web application|web application]]s and browsing the [[World Wide Web]]. It is the open-source version of [[Software:ChromeOS|ChromeOS]], a [[Software:Linux|Linux]]-based [[Operating system|operating system]] made by [[Company:Google|Google]].

Like ChromeOS, Chromium OS is based on the [[Software:Linux kernel|Linux kernel]], but its principal [[User interface|user interface]] is the [[Software:Chromium (web browser)|Chromium]] [[Software:Web browser|web browser]] rather than the [[Software:Google Chrome|Google Chrome]] browser. Chromium OS also includes the [[Software:Portage|Portage]] [[Package manager|package manager]], which was originally developed for [[Software:Gentoo Linux|Gentoo Linux]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.zdnet.com/article/the-secret-origins-of-googles-chrome-os/|title=The secret origins of Google's Chrome OS|last=Vaughan-Nichols|first=Steven J.|website=ZDNet|language=en|access-date=2019-03-13}}</ref> Because Chromium OS and ChromeOS use a web browser engine for the user interface, they are oriented toward [[Web application|web application]]s rather than desktop applications or [[Mobile app|mobile app]]s.<ref>{{Cite web|url = https://www.chromium.org/chromium-os/chromiumos-design-docs/chromium-os-kernel|title = Kernel Design|website = The Chromium Projects}}</ref>

Google first published the Chromium OS [[Source code|source code]] in late 2009.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://blog.chromium.org/2009/12/whats-difference-between-chromium-os.html |title=What's the Difference Between Chromium OS and Google Chrome OS? |last=Bligh |first=Martin |date=December 11, 2009 |website=Chromium Blog |access-date=2018-06-11}}</ref>

== Architecture ==
Chromium's architecture is three-tiered, consisting of "three major components":
* The Chromium-based browser and the window manager
* System-level software and user-land services: the [[Software:Linux kernel|Linux kernel]], drivers, connection manager, and so on
* [[Firmware]]<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|title = Software Architecture - The Chromium Projects|url = https://www.chromium.org/chromium-os/chromiumos-design-docs/software-architecture|website = www.chromium.org|access-date = 2016-01-25}}</ref><!--
Probably best to keep further details about running Android programs in Chromium OS or [speculation about] a folded into Android version at the [[Software:ChromeOS|ChromeOS]] article only, if not this is important (sources and full text at the other article):

The relationship between Android and ChromeOS became more substantial at Google I/O 2014, where Google developers presented a demo demonstrating native Android software running on ChromeOS through Native Client. [..]

In October 2015, {{wipe|The Wall Street Journal}} reported that ChromeOS would be folded into Android so that a single OS would result by 2017. The resulting OS will be Android, but it will be expanded to run on laptops. Google responded to this claim with a blog post, stating that "While we've been working on ways to bring together the best of both operating systems, there's no plan to phase out Chrome OS" and explaining ChromeOS has "regular six-week software cycle and guaranteed auto-updates for five years", unlike Android, where support is shorter with "[[End-of-life (product)|EOL]] dates [being..]<!- may be pushed later than the initial date published, but will never be sooner than listed, which will be-> at least 3 years [into the future] for Android tablets for education<!- and 5 years for Chrome devices from launch of the hardware.->".
-->

== Availability ==
Chromium OS was first made available in compiled form by hobbyists. More organized efforts have emerged over time, including a few manufacturers that have shipped devices with the operating system pre-installed.

=== Builds and forks ===
By May 2010, compiled versions of the work-in-progress source code had been downloaded from the Internet more than a million times. The most popular version, entitled "Chromium OS Flow", was created by Liam McLoughlin, a then 17-year-old college student in Liverpool, England, posting under the name "Hexxeh". McLoughlin's build boots from a USB memory stick and included features that Google engineers had not yet implemented, such as support for the [[Java (programming language)|Java programming language]].<ref name="NYT:Hexxeh">{{cite news|last=Stone|first=Brad|title=Test Flights Into the Google Cloud|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/09/business/09ping.html?scp=1&sq=hexxeh&st=nyt|newspaper=New York Times|date=May 7, 2010}}</ref> While Google did not expect that hobbyists would use and evaluate Chromium OS ahead of its official release, Sundar Pichai, Google's vice president of product management (now the CEO) said that "what people like Hexxeh are doing is amazing to see." Pichai said the early releases were an unintended consequence of open source development. "If you decide to do open-source projects, you have to be open all the way."<ref name="NYT:Hexxeh" />

Hexxeh's work continued into the following year. He announced "Chromium OS Lime" in December 2010,<ref>{{cite web|last=Hexxeh|title=Now with a citrus twist|url=https://hexxeh.net/?p=328117639|work=Hexxeh's Blog|access-date=30 June 2011}}</ref>  and in January 2011, released "Luigi", an application designed to "[[Privilege escalation|jailbreak]]"/"root" the [[Company:Google|Google]] Cr-48 "Mario" prototype hardware and install a generic [[BIOS]].<ref>{{cite web|last=Hexxeh|title=Your princess is in another castle…|url=https://hexxeh.net/?p=328117655|work=Hexxeh's Blog|access-date=30 June 2011}}</ref> The developer made the builds available in virtual machine format on March 13, 2011.<ref>{{cite web|last=Hexxeh|title=In my VirtualBox?|url=https://hexxeh.net/?p=328117684|work=Hexxeh's Blog|access-date=30 June 2011}}</ref> With no official build of Chromium OS forthcoming from Google, Hexxeh's "[[Vanilla software|vanilla]]" nightly builds of Chromium OS were the principal resource for people wanting to try Chromium OS. Hexxeh stopped uploading his builds on April 20, 2013.

More recent versions of Chromium OS are available from Arnoldthebat, who maintains daily and weekly builds<ref>{{cite web|url=https://chromium.arnoldthebat.co.uk/ |title=Chromium OS Builds |publisher=Chromium.arnoldthebat.co.uk |access-date=2014-07-04}}</ref> along with usage guidelines and help.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://arnoldthebat.co.uk/ |title=Home |website=arnoldthebat.co.uk}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://arnoldthebat.co.uk/wordpress/|title=ArnoldTheBats World of Whimsy|website=ArnoldTheBats}}</ref> In July 2012, Chromium Build Kit was released. It automatically compiles a developer build and installs Chromium OS on a USB drive.<ref>{{cite web |last=Chromium Build Kit |title=Chromium Build Kit-- Source Forge |url=https://sourceforge.net/projects/chromiumbuild/ |date=July 30, 2012 |access-date=30 July 2012}}</ref>

<gallery class="center">
File:ChromiumOS Cherry - on web.png| ChromiumOS Cherry <br />Now known as "Flow"<br />(4 December 2009)
File:ChromiumOS Zero - login screen.png| ChromiumOS Zero<br />Now known as "Vanilla "<br />(9 December 2009)
File:ChromiumOS Flow - login screen.png| ChromiumOS Flow<br />(15 February 2010)
<!-- Deleted image removed: File:Chromium OS Logon Screen.png| ChromiumOS Vanilla Login Screen<br />(15 March 2011) -->
</gallery>

In 2015, New York City-based Neverware produced a Chromium OS fork called CloudReady aimed at the educational market, with the intention of extending the life of older PCs and laptops.<ref>{{Cite web|title = How schools around the country are turning dead Microsoft PCs into speedy Chromebooks|url = https://www.theverge.com/2016/2/17/11030406/neverware-google-chromebook-chromium-os-education-microsoft|website = The Verge|access-date = 2016-02-22|date = February 16, 2016|last = Popper|first = Ben}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title = ChromiumOS: The Whirlwind Tour|url = https://www.neverware.com/blogcontent/2015/11/11/chromiumos-the-whirlwind-tour|website = Neverware|access-date = 2016-02-22|last = Bishop|first = Nicholas|date = November 13, 2015}}</ref> A subsequent version can [[Multi-booting|dual-boot]] Neverware and the [[Software:Microsoft Windows|Windows]] operating system (until v64).<ref>{{Cite web|title = Chrome OS distro for regular PCs can now dual-boot with Windows|url = https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2016/02/chrome-os-distro-for-regular-pcs-can-now-dual-boot-with-windows/|website = Ars Technica|access-date = 2016-02-22|date = February 17, 2016|last = Cunningham|first = Andrew}}</ref> In 2020, Neverware was acquired by Google, and a similar "Chrome OS Flex" was released into beta in February 2022.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Cunningham|first=Andrew|date=2022-02-16|title=Chrome OS Flex is an ideal off-ramp for millions of PCs that can't run Windows 11|url=https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2022/02/chromeos-flex-is-an-ideal-off-ramp-for-millions-of-pcs-that-cant-run-windows-11/|access-date=2022-02-18|website=Ars Technica|language=en-us}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Proven|first=Liam|date=2022-02-16|title=Google announces Chrome OS Flex for ordinary PCs, Macs|url=https://www.theregister.com/2022/02/16/google_chrome_os/|access-date=2022-02-20|website=The Register|language=en}}</ref>

In 2016, Nexedi released NayuOS, a fork of Chromium OS precompiled for several Chromebook computers. The operating system provides ChromeOS-like capabilities without storing data on Google servers.  It optionally removes the Google login and provides additional developer tools.<ref>{{Cite web|title = NayuOS|url = https://www.nayuos.com/|website = www.nayuos.com|access-date = 2016-02-22}}</ref>

Also in 2016, a London/Beijing-based startup produced a line of Chromium OS fork named Flint OS, targeting a wider range of platforms, including 64-bit PCs, Raspberry Pi, Tinker Board, Firefly development boards, and VMware virtual machines.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://flintos.io/download/|title=Download Flint OS images|work=Flint OS|access-date=2017-09-22|language=en-GB|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170922100339/https://flintos.io/download/|archive-date=September 22, 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref> The OS was later renamed Fyde OS.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.xda-developers.com/fydeos-chrome-os-brings-android-apps-pc/|title=FydeOS is a Chrome OS fork aimed at China, and it brings Android app support|date=2018-10-06|website=XDA Developers|access-date=2019-03-26}}</ref>

In 2020, South Korea-based Wayne Inc. started a Wayne OS [[Free and open-source software|FOSS]] project with customizable features and the Improved [[Software:Live USB|Live USB]] tech.<ref>{{Cite web|title = Wayne OS|url = https://wayne-os.com/|website = wayne-os.com|access-date = 2022-09-05}}</ref>

=== Hardware ===
Some devices have shipped with Chromium OS preinstalled.  In May 2011, [[Company:Dell|Dell]] also released a new build for the Dell Inspiron Mini 10v netbook, following up on an earlier build released almost 18 months earlier. The build did not support audio, but was bootable from a USB drive. Other devices include the Kogan Agora Chromium Laptop by the Australian company Kogan<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.kogan.com.au/shop/agora-12-ultra-portable-laptop-chromium-os/|title=Laptops - Kogan.com|author=Kogan Australia|work=Kogan Australia|access-date=June 19, 2011|archive-date=June 6, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110606061643/https://www.kogan.com.au/shop/agora-12-ultra-portable-laptop-chromium-os/|url-status=dead}}</ref> and the Xi3 Modular Computer, introduced by the company of the same name.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.engadget.com/2010/11/11/xi3-modular-computer-is-one-cool-looking-desktop-in-a-cube/|title=Xi3 Modular Computer is one cool-looking desktop in a cube|author=Joanna Stern|publisher=AOL|work=Engadget}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.engadget.com/2011/05/23/xi3-modular-pc-reborn-as-chrome-desktop-promises-independence-f/|title=Xi3 modular PC reborn as Chrome OS desktop, promises independence from local storage|author=Dana Wollman|publisher=AOL|work=Engadget}}</ref> In late 2015, a team headed by Dylan Callahan released a beta Chromium OS port to the [[Engineering:Raspberry Pi|Raspberry Pi 2]] single-board computer.<ref>{{Cite web|title = Chromium OS for Raspberry Pi 2 Gets Faster Boot Times, Download Now|url = https://linux.softpedia.com/blog/chromium-os-for-raspberry-pi-2-gets-faster-boot-times-download-now-video-497397.shtml|website = Softpedia|access-date = 2016-01-25|first = Marius|last = Nestor|date = December 9, 2015}}</ref> In 2016, Flint Innovations released a Chromium OS port for the latest Raspberry Pi 3/B model named Flint OS for RPi. Subsequently, this project has been fully open-sourced at GitHub, with all the files and detailed instructions to re-create the build.<ref>{{Citation|title=overlay-rpi: Chromium OS portage overlay for Raspberry Pi|date=2017-09-21|url=https://github.com/flintinnovations/overlay-rpi|publisher=Flint Innovations|access-date=2017-09-22}}</ref>

== Trademark dispute ==
In June 2011, ISYS Technologies, based in Salt Lake City, sued Google in a Utah district court, claiming rights to the name "Chromium" and, by default, [[Engineering:Chromebook|Chromebook]] and [[Engineering:Chromebox|Chromebox]]. The suit sought to stop Google and its hardware and marketing partners from selling Chromebooks.<ref>{{cite news|title=Chrome Turf War: Did Google abandon the Chromium Trademark?|url=https://trademarkem.com/chrome-turf-war-did-google-abandon-chromium-trademark|access-date=February 4, 2014|date=June 13, 2011}}</ref> The suit was later dismissed and, as part of an undisclosed settlement between Google and ISYS, ISYS abandoned its trademark efforts.

== See also ==

* [[Software:Android (operating system)|Android (operating system)]]
* App Runtime for Chrome
* CoreOS
* [[Software:Chromium (web browser)|Chromium (web browser)]]
* [[Software:Google Fuchsia|Google Fuchsia]]
* [[Software:Firefox OS|Firefox OS]]
* [[Software:Google Chrome|Google Chrome]]
* [[Software:ChromeOS|ChromeOS]]
* [[Software:Webconverger|Webconverger]]{{snd}} an operating system based on [[Software:Firefox|Firefox]]
* [[Software:Gentoo Linux|Gentoo Linux]]

== References ==
{{reflist|30em}}

== External links ==

{{Linux-distro}}
{{Google FOSS}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Chromium Os}}
[[Category:ARM operating systems]]
[[Category:Google software]]
[[Category:X86 operating systems]]
[[Category:Linux distributions]]

{{Sourceattribution|Chromium OS|1}}