Genode OS Live CD boots Linux as Browser Plugin Nov 22, 2010

With the November release of the Genode Live CD, we showcase a new level of integration of device drivers, Qt4, OpenGL, and virtualized Linux on our platform.

With features like running Linux as a browser plugin, 3D hardware acceleration, sound support, and a complete networking infrastructure, this year's bootable Live CD of the Genode OS Framework is a great leap forward from the past releases of the OS construction framework.

Whereas the previous release demonstrated the ability of the framework to run on multiple microkernels, this release focuses on scenarios that show Genode's progress in becoming a real general purpose environment. The Live CD boots in less than 10 seconds (on VirtualBox) to a fully functional GUI with a selection of five demo subsystems.

Each subsystem highlights a different aspect of the framework. A paravirtualized Linux, seamlessly integrated into Genode's native Nitpicker GUI, can be found right next to native Qt4/Webkit applications. The port of the Arora web browser stands out for featuring a plugin that can execute arbitrary Genode subsystems in a secure way. This tech demo features multiple browser-embedded application including a complete Linux system, streaming a disk image live over HTTP from a web server. Another subsystem runs the famous gears OpenGL demo via the native port of Gallium3D/Mesa, offering hardware support on Intel GMA GPUs.

Furthermore the CD executes a range of new drivers and features not present in the last release. As kernel OKL4 v2 was chosen.

Learn more about the Genode Live CD...