GOS (operating system)

Infobox OS
name = gOS 3.0 gadgets


caption = Current Distribution, gOS 3.0, is based off Ubuntu 8.04 LTS (Hardy Heron)
website = [http://www.thinkgos.com/ www.thinkgos.com]
developer = Good OS LLC
family = Linux
latest_release_version = 3.0 "Gadgets"
latest_release_date = release date|2008|09|23
latest_test_version =
latest_test_date =
Preview_release =
kernel_type = Ubuntu/Debian, (Linux)
ui = GNOME + LXDE
license =
working_state = Current
supported_platforms = x86, Netbooks

gOS or "good OS" is an operating system created by 'Good OS LLC', a Los Angeles-based corporation. The company initially advertised it as "An alternative OS with Google Apps and other Web 2.0 apps for the modern user." This first version gOS (1.0.1_386) was based on Ubuntu 7.10 and the Enlightenment window manager E17. [cite web
title = gOS 1 at linuxquestions.org
url =http://iso.linuxquestions.org/gos/gos-1.0.1/ ]

On January 7, 2008, a test version (2.0.0-beta1) of gOS, intended to demonstrate the Everex CloudBook at the 2008 Consumer Electronics Show, and named "gOS Rocket", was released. This version was also E17 based. [cite web
last = Babcock
first = Charles
title = Rocket Linux To Launch At CES
publisher = InformationWeek
date = 2008-01-03
url = http://www.informationweek.com/news/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=205208008
accessdate = 2008-01-10 ] The definitive second version of gOS debuted at the end February 2008,together with the launch of Everex's new CloudBook, the gBook laptop, and a new, second version of the gPC, the "encore". [ [http://www.everex.com/products/gpc2/gpc2.htm the gPC2 at Everex] ] This version was called gOS V2 Rocket, and was completely rewritten and now based on the GNOME window manager, Compiz fusion, and the Avant Window Navigator [ [http://www.insidesocal.com/click/2008/02/heard_at_scale_6x_the_everex_c.html announcement that gOS rocket will be based on Gnome, not E17] ] .

On April 6, 2008, Good OS launched a publicly available version of gOS, called gOS 2.9 "Space", intended for the gPC mini, [ [http://www.everex.com/products/gpc_mini/gpc_mini.htm the gPC mini at Everex] ] This version is based on Compiz fusion, Gnome, and the Avant Window Navigator dock manager, but also uses E17 code. It has a Dock with a "stack" very much like the "fan view" of Mac OS X v10.5. [ [http://blogs.techrepublic.com.com/opensource/?p=237 gOS space at techrepublic.com] ]

On September 23, 2008 Good OS launched gOS 3 Gadgets, which is described by Good OS, as "The third and best version of gOS to date, Perfect for Netbooks". It is still based on GNOME but uses a new dock called the Wbar. It introduces the full support for Wine 1.0, and Google Gadgets.

Design

gOS is based on the Ubuntu 7.10 distribution and a GUI largely imitative of Mac OS X Leopard. The earlier versions (1 and 2-beta) used the Enlightenment 17 window manager instead of the usual GNOME or KDE desktops, to create a desktop that had similar usability to Mac OS X. Enlightenment acts both as an X window manager, and as a desktop environment. Therefore early versions of gOS worked on systems as low end as a 350 MHz Pentium II with 196 MB of RAM, [ 196 MB was needed to install gOS through the Live CD, but it ran on as little RAM as 128MB when installed, or when running from the Live CD] but a typical gOS system would have used as a minimum a 1 GHz Pentium III with 256 MB RAM. After gOS2-beta the later versions of gOS abandoned the use as Enlightenment as desktop manager (although some E17 code still seems to be used), in favour of using GNOME, with Compiz Fusion and the Avant Window Navigator. This increased the need for memory to values similar to normal Ubuntu.

Based on the idea of cloud computing, all versions of gOS lean heavily on on-line applications built on Web 2.0 and AJAX technology so they also do not use much hard disk space for applications. The whole gOS-1 system fits comfortably in less than 2 GB. Also many of the documents created with gOS, such as Google Docs documents, can be saved on Google servers instead of on the local hard disk, so gOS can work with very small hard disks. In gOS V2 Rocket, Good OS introduced the use of Google's "Google Gears" technology which promises to make Google's web applications usable without an internet connection. [ [http://www.linuxelectrons.com/news/linux/15642/linux-based-gos-2-0-will-debut-monday Linux Based gOS 2.0 Will Debut on Monday | LinuxElectrons ] ] Currently, Google Reader and Google Docs are the only supported Google applications, though other web applications such as Remember the Milk have added Google Gears functionality.

gOS Rocket's primary features include a Mac OS X-like Dock called iTask-NG (also called'the Launcher'), containing icons to launch prams like the Firefox web browser, Rhythmbox audio player, Xine video player and Skype for Internet telephony. there are also options to open many Google- based web application like Google Mail,Google Docs,Google Calendar,Google Maps. Other programs can be added to the Launcher as well. The first E17 based version of gOS used another Dock-style interface called the iBar.

Other installed programs can be started through menus, among the most important is the photo and picture editing program the GIMP, the document viewer Evince, and the OpenOffice.org office suite. More programs can be installed using the built-in Synaptic Package Manager.gOS 1.0.1 had Ubuntu's easy to use "add/remove" application installer, but was missing in gOS 2-beta. However the synaptic package manager is available in both versions.]

Versions

gOS 1.0.1

gOS 1.0.1 was introduced on November 1, 2007, preinstalled on the Everex Green gPC TC2502 sold at Wal-Mart. [cite web
last=Needleman
first=Rafe
date=2007-10-31
title=Almost the Google PC: Everex gPC available at Wal-Mart
url=http://www.webware.com/8301-1_109-9807133-2.html?tag=cnetfd.mt
accessdate=2008-01-10] gOS 1.0.1 fully supported the advanced Power management capabilities of the gPC TC2502, so the system could be put in suspend mode and after turning on again was ready in a few seconds.

In December 2007, PC Club followed suit and reintroduced their Enpower Fuzion desktop [cite web
title = ENFZ07 ENPOWER FUZION07
publisher = PC Club
url = http://www.enpower.com/showSystemSpec.cfm?id=ENFZ07
accessdate = 2008-01-10 ] for sale with gOS installed for $189, which is their second system to include a Linux distribution since their controversial temporary inclusion of Linspire (then LindowsOS) in late 2003/early 2004 [cite web
date=2003-09-03
location=San Diego
publisher=Lindows.com Inc
url=http://www.linspire.com/lindows_news_pressreleases_archives.php?id=64
title=PC Club Announces Largest Linux Launch With More Than 50 Retail Stores Now Carrying LindowsOS Computers
accessdate=2008-01-10] and the sale of the Empower Essence system with Ubuntu during the month of June 2007.

Everex followed on by creating the CloudBook, a laptop based on the VIA NanoBook reference. The CloudBook was bundled with gOS Rocket with a hint that later versions would include a touchscreen. At an RRP of $400, it was to compete with the ASUS Eee PC in the cheap miniature Laptop space. [ [http://clumpc.com/?p=9 Walmart takes on the EeePC with Cloudbook » CLUMPC ] ] [cite web
last= Shah
first= Agam
url=http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/139196/everex_readies_sub300_linux_notebooks.html
title=Everex Readies Sub-$300 Linux Notebooks
accessdate=2007-11-08 |date=2007-11-02
publisher=pcworld] Less well known is the fact that Everex simultaneously also worked on a more classic notebook, called the gBook, and on the Mac mini like gPC mini all designed to run gOS v2. [ [http://cafelinux.org/gosforum/index.php/topic,341.0.html gBook details on the official gOS forum] ]

Online vendor ClubIT.com offered a RoHS-compliant VIA C7 developer board bundled with gOS. [cite web
title=VIA Motherboard Bundle
url=http://clubit.com/product_detail.cfm?itemno=A4842001
accessdate=2008-01-10]

gOS 2-beta (gOS Rocket E)

On 2008-01-07, Good OS LLC released a beta of the second version of gOS, called "gOS-live-2.0.0-beta1" and nicknamed "Rocket". However this version did not seem to be a valid replacement for rev 1.0.1 as it was missing some essential functions, such as hardware and system administration tools, and the easy to use application installer "Add/Remove". It also missed the capability to access CDs and hard-disk partitions other than its own. The demo version status of this version became extra apparent when the new Everex CloudBook which was due to debut January 25, 2008 was delayed for a month to allow Good OS time to re-write this second version of gOS for the CloudBook ,gBook. and second version of the gPC [ [http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&taxonomyName=networking_and_internet&articleId=9059060&taxonomyId=16 Software 'tweaks,' Chinese new year delay Everex CloudBook] ] On April 11, 2008, Good OS released an updated version of gOS Rocket E. [ [http://dev.thinkgos.com/blog/gos-rocket-e-and-g-are-online gOS - Discover a Good OS ] ] In addition, a fan of gOS has also released an unauthorized remaster of gOS Rocket E which includes the aforementioned system administration tools and drive mounting as well as the Thunar file manager [ [http://darthchaosofrspw.wordpress.com/2008/06/15/gos-ultimate-e-now-available-for-download/ gOS Ultimate E now available for download] ] .

gOS V2 Rocket (gOS Rocket G)

Later it became apparent that the month was needed because Everex had decided that future versions of gOS for the Cloudbook, gBook and gPC2, would use the GNOME desktop environment, instead of E17. It was announced that this version would also be called "Rocket", to be precise gOS V2 "Rocket", (this version would also be offered to new gPC2 users) [ [http://www.tuxmachines.org/node/24070 gOS for the Cloudbook to use GNOME] ] [http://cafelinux.org/gosforum/index.php/topic,308.msg1351/topicseen.html#msg1351 conformation by development team that the CloudBook will use a GNOME based gOS] [http://blog.laptopmag.com/category/cloudbook first unwrapping of an early CloudBook] and would use the Avant Window Navigator system to create a dock to resemble the older gOS versions in looks and functionality. Until the launch of gOS 2.9 this version was not available as a Live CD, but only to CloudBook owners. But after the launch of 2.9 it has now also become available as a Live_CD download from one of the mirrors as found on the Good OS web-site. This version is now referenced to as "gOS rocket G" ("G" for Gnome) to distinguish it from the older beta version now called "gOS rocket E", which is also still available for download. [ [http://dev.thinkgos.com/downloads/gos-rocketG gOS - Discover a Good OS ] ]

gOS 2.9 Space

gOS 2.9 Space became available as a generic Linux distribution on April 7, 2008, and is a debugged and extended version of the older gOS V2 Rocket G. It can be downloaded as an .ISO [ [http://dev.thinkgos.com/downloads gOS - Discover a Good OS ] ] that can be burned on a DVD (it's slightly too large for a CD), or can be put on another external bootable medium such as a memory stick or Secure Digital card reader acting as an external USB drive, with enough capacity. A gOS 2.9 DVD was also announced to be sold from The Good OS store on their website, but until now has not become available. [ [http://dev.thinkgos.com/store gOS - Discover a Good OS ] ] gOS Space is loaded with new MySpace features, but all the existing Google applications can still be used. As a Linux distribution, 2.9 is much more complete than 2.0-beta and is also less buggy. gOS Space is less "light" (using a small amount of memory) than older, publicly-available versions, as it's based on a combination of Ubuntu 7.10, the Gnome windows manager enhanced with Compiz fusion, and the Avant Window Navigator, a Dock-like launcher that has been enhanced with Stacks. According to Good OS, there is also Enlightenment code used, but its exact purpose is still unknown. In any case gOS Space needs about 384MB of RAM to work reasonably, the same amount as straight Ubuntu 7.10. When Ubuntu 8.04 (Hardy Heron) became available on April 24, 2008 it became obvious that trying to upgrade gOS 2.9 to the new Ubuntu renders it without any working kernels, leaving a non-working system, so upgrading gOS has been disabled by Good OS. It is not expected that this will be fixed, but that instead a new gOS (rev 3.0) will be released, based on Ubuntu 8.04.

gOS 2.9M Escape Pod

As of July 2, 2008 "Good OS" together with Osram Sylvania launched the Sylvania g netbook. Its similar to the original Everex CloudBook with more memory, and the trackpad and buttons have moved to the front of the device. the new system runs gOS 2.9M, a specially modified version of gOS 2.9 "space" based on Ubuntu 8.04 [ [http://www.thinkgos.com/ gOS - Discover a Good OS ] ] [ [http://sylvaniacomputers.com/ SYLVANIA G Netbook Computer ] ]

gOS 3.0 Gadgets

About a month after a first beta version, the final version of gOS 3.0 was released on the gOS website on September 23, 2008. It features integrated Google Gadgets, and includes Wine 1.0 and Mozilla Prism, and is based on the newer Ubuntu 8.04.1. This version goes "back to its roots", as it is intended for netbooks. The Avant Window Navigator's (abbreviated AWN or Awn) dock-like bar has been removed again in favor of a more "lightweight" version based on LXDE and renamed the "Wbar". [http://www.desktoplinux.com/news/NS7428727466.html?kc=rss] It is similar to the one used in the first Enlightenment-based gOS version. Currently only the main GNOME based version is available; the "Community Versions", that use other window managers like LXDE, XFCE, or Enlightenment (E17) are scheduled for release by the end of the year. The gOS 3.0 Gadgets Live CD can be downloaded from the thinkgos site. [http://www.thinkgos.com/dgadgets.php]

Upgrade problem

When Ubuntu released version 8.04 ("Hardy Heron") on April 24, 2008, it became apparent that gOS (versions before gOS 2.9M Escape pod) could no longer use the update/upgrade facilities that Ubuntu offered. Any attempt to upgrade any version of gOS before version 2.9M will either fail with an "incompatible windows manager" error, or will remove all kernels from the system. Version 3.0 of gOS solves the problem, as it is actually based on Ubuntu 8.04. Good OS claims new versions of gOS won't use Ubuntu's upgrading repositories, to prevent the problem from happening again. [ [http://groups.google.com/group/goslinux/browse_frm/thread/67296373f8b0ff3d/e33f1431121b610e?lnk=gst&q=upgrade#e33f1431121b610e gOS upgrading problem] ]

Version history table

Live USB

A Live USB of gOS can be created manually or with UNetbootin [ [http://unetbootin.wiki.sourceforge.net/supported-distributions] ] Or by following the instructions here [http://www.linux-tip.net/cms/content/view/352/1/] .

See also

* Elive - visually somewhat similar to gOS
* Everex green computers
* Zonbu
* Goobuntu
* LXDE

References

External links

* [http://www.thinkgos.com/ gOS home page]
* [http://gosforums.org/ gOS forums]
* [http://gosportal.wordpress.com/ gOS community portal]
* [http://gosuniverse.ning.com/ gOS Universe - Community Dv and Help]
* [http://www.fsckin.com/2007/11/03/interview-with-gos-founder-linux-for-human-beings-who-shop-at-walmart/ Interview with David Liu, founder of Good OS LLC.]
* [http://groups.google.com/group/goslinux Official gOS Community Support Group and Help Forums]
* [http://www.tuxsoftware.com/home/ Linux Software Search - Online gOS Software Installations]