Google's Fuchsia OS Magenta Becomes Zircon

[phoronix]

Phoronix: Google's Fuchsia OS Magenta Becomes Zircon

For those looking to follow the development of Google's Fuchsia operating system that is written from scratch, it's low-level Magenta core has been renamed to Zircon...

http://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=news_item&px=Fuchsia-OS-Magenta-Zircon

[birdie]

It will certainly be interesting to see what becomes of Google Fuchsia in the years ahead.

I expect it to replace the Linux kernel not only in Android but in desktop Linux as well. And after that the Linux kernel may serve the niche needs of computing devices where microkernel is not welcome.

[GreenByte]

I expect it to replace the Linux kernel not only in Android but in desktop Linux as well. And after that the Linux kernel may serve the niche needs of computing devices where microkernel is not welcome.

I don't think so. Linux is just too big. But Fuschia with it's kernel seems like the right thing for IOT and future phones. But I doubt it will run on phones that soon either, seems like a right thing for wearables first. I'm not seeing Google killing Android off when it's pretty much their primary source of money (well, it's ads, but Google supplies them through Android). It might happen, but after 5 years (best case scenario, would be gradual).

[Creak]

I expect it to replace the Linux kernel not only in Android but in desktop Linux as well. And after that the Linux kernel may serve the niche needs of computing devices where microkernel is not welcome.

Well that would be nice. But I'm pretty sure Google will do what it always does: saying it's "open source" but keeping the evolution of the project closed, so that it's difficult for others to have their improvements accepted.

I'm pretty disappointed by this news, actually. It feels like Linux failed somehow. Maybe Google didn't really want to work with the Linux devs, but they're not stupid, they must have thought before starting the Fushia OS project. You don't start to code an OS from scratch just like that, it takes enormous resources to get to the same point as Linux, but yet they preferred to do that than working with the Linux devs. They must have been really frustrated by the Linux community.

I don't know all the ins and outs of this story, but I think that what will stay written in the books is that: Linux failed to keep Android, one of its major client.

[pal666]

I expect it to replace the Linux kernel not only in Android but in desktop Linux as well.

you forgot to take your meds

[unixfan2001]

I expect it to replace the Linux kernel not only in Android but in desktop Linux as well. And after that the Linux kernel may serve the niche needs of computing devices where microkernel is not welcome.

Good luck with that!

Desktop Linux supports all sorts of hardware, this kernel here doesn't. I can't see the likes of NVIDIA, AMD and Intel invest time and money to prop up driver development for another kernel. The fact that those drivers sit in user space wouldn't decrease work, I'm afraid.

[birdie]

Good luck with that!

Desktop Linux supports all sorts of hardware, this kernel here doesn't. I can't see the likes of NVIDIA, AMD and Intel invest time and money to prop up driver development for another kernel. The fact that those drivers sit in user space wouldn't decrease work, I'm afraid.

With Zircon IHVs will have to support 1-2 versions(just like with Windows where this number is 3), while with Linux they have to support close to 12 (currently maintained versions). Guess which kernel they will support more eagerly.

[yossarianuk]

With Zircon IHVs will have to support 1-2 versions(just like with Windows where this number is 3), while with Linux they have to support close to 12 (currently maintained versions). Guess which kernel they will support more eagerly.

What do you mean ? AMD has opensourced their driver, they support 'one' version, the Linux kernel. Nvidia release a binary driver, they support 'one' version of the driver, that driver will support various versions of the kernel, some distro's package said driver, that's up to the distros

[Guest]

Looks like Google is planning for Fuchsia to replace Android (and maybe ChromeOS?) eventually, but not anytime soon - maybe after 5 years, when low end phones might have 8 GB of RAM and 128 GB storage space.

I doubt Zircon will just replace desktop Linux kernel - that requires huge user space changes, which works for Fuchsia since it's written from scratch.

And no, it's not "because Linux is bad/inferior". It looks like they're trying to use safer languages like Rust, Dart and Go to prevent developers from writing unsafe insecure code that allows buffer overflow and underflow attacks.

[wizard69]

....
And no, it's not "because Linux is bad/inferior". It looks like they're trying to use safer languages like Rust, Dart and Go to prevent developers from writing unsafe insecure code that allows buffer overflow and underflow attacks.

Actually Linux's code base being largely C does make it inferior siply due to the reasons you point out. Im sure some Linux users willl flip out over that statement but the fact remains C is a weak point in the long term viability of a operating system.

Lets face it C was a very early solution to writing OS's in assembly, it basicslly is free of sny modern principles. A fresh approach with a safer orogramming language will lead to a better OS long term. Now i kinda doubt Google can get there as they simply dont have the skills and focus but one day a new OS, built with modern tools, will pop up ushering in the end of Linux.