Online OS
The Online Operating System ( shortly OOS ) is used a free and multilingual web desktop, the JavaScript and Ajax. All existing components (windows, controls, event mechanisms, etc. ) were created on the basis of Rebox frameworks ( by the Austrian company iCUBE Network Solutions ).
About the project
The OOS provides mimics an online platform that the look & feel of traditional desktops (such as Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X, KDE, GNOME) and desktop applications (Microsoft Word, Thunderbird, etc.). In addition to the basic system (desktop, user and rights management, event handling, etc.), it additionally consists of a number of applications that were developed using the Rebox frameworks.
The project is ( in part) by the Internet Foundation Austria (IPA ) financed through subsidies. On August 1, 2008, already have more than 20,000 users of the OOS community connected and about 1,500 people use the OOS regularly.
History
The development of OOS started in 2006 by iCUBE Network Solutions, followed by a first beta release in 2006. Through his early start the OOS can be viewed together with youOS and eyeos as a first application ( Webtop ) of its kind. The first full version of the OOS (including multilingualism, file system, and a basic set of applications ) was issued in March 2007 at the ITnT Austria. The beta status has been half a year later (October 2007) repealed. The first stable version (1.0.0 ) was released in July 2007. The OOS and the applications contained therein have received several awards (see). In addition to the awards, the OOS is best known for its focus on community and collaboration (see).
Although the OOS was originally developed only for the German market, three languages are already supported (English, German and Spanish). The OOS has left the German-speaking world after its first stable version ( for examples see top right).
The current version of OOS is 1.3.01 ( from 1 August 2008 )
Technological background
The OOS has been developed entirely in JavaScript and DHTML techniques used to work only to (theoretically) in any available browser ( currently Firefox and Internet Explorer 7 is supported). The system implements a state of the art web application. Communication between the client (browser) and server ( Tomcat) takes place asynchronously using Ajax. The goal is a user directly offer the options in the browser that you (to date) only known from desktop applications, what is the basic idea of all Web desktops.
Typical of this type of Web applications are the global use of javascript -on-demand techniques that allow the project to be divided into small parts to this download if necessary.
Based on the discussed technologies and opportunities Rebox is used for creating applications. Rebox is a flexible and easily expandable API (including a set of GUI components, communication mechanisms and server applications which offer various web services ).
The OOS is based on a basic framework that allows a developer to have any JavaScript application running (based on Rebox ). The graphical interface is very similar to a Windows desktop. There is a start menu, a Taskkbar and a desktop background. All applications run in this environment. Server-side Java web services are used which serve as an interface between the client and server. There comes a relational database ( MySQL) to use.
OOS provides an integrated development environment ( IDE) made available to any developer allows Rebox own applications for the OOS to develop and publish (see later in the chapter Development of applications)
License
All applications that are available in OOS, are under the EUPL license.
The Rebox IDE stands for the development of applications for the OOS for free.
Features
In addition to the possibilities of the base system (multilingualism, theme and style support, user and file management, applications, etc. ) the OOS offers other free services available.
- Integrated and flexible data storage ( up to 1 GB per user) Access to the files via HTTP and FTP
- User-based file management and sharing
- WebDAV access
- Document management (including version control and file locking )
In the coming releases, the focus is on safety. An attempt is made to ensure anonymous communication ( surf the Internet using the built- in browser OOS, get the mail, etc. ) as well as encrypted storage of private data.
Development of applications
Before the beginning of the development of the OOS, it was important for the project, a flexible and easily expandable API ( Rebox ) to provide, by means of which applications can be developed. By decoupling the API and the necessary JavaScript know-how, it is possible with Rebox to write applications that come up very close to the syntax and functionality of Java: Elements and components can be deployed and used as any other high-level object-oriented programming language without having to be familiar with divs or browser specifics. The framework also provides the functionality for asynchronous communication, multilingualism and style and theme administration.
To be able to develop applications now ( based on Rebox ) for the OOS there is a " Developer Suite " in the OOS, with the help of all it takes to fashion write applications. Each user can use it to create and manage their own programs. Currently, additional features such as auto-completion and outlining are supported. In one of the following releases plans to offer a visual GUI editor with the help of which " click together " the graphical interface of an application directly in the browser can, as we know it from Visual Studio and Eclipse.