Mozilla is working on a new mobile-centric OS via its Boot to Gecko Boot to Gecko (B2G) project with the aim of developing an operating system that emphasizes standards-based Web technologies..
The group outlined a project called Boot to Gecko on its Wiki page:
“Mozilla believes that the web can displace proprietary, single-vendor stacks for application development. To make open web technologies a better basis for future applications on mobile and desktop alike, we need to keep pushing the envelope of the web to include — and in places exceed — the capabilities of the competing stacks in question”.
The initial focus will be on delivering a software environment for handheld devices such as smartphones.The new OS is designed to take on Google’s Android, Apple iOS and Microsoft’s Windows Phone operating system, according to the team behind it.
The project is still at the earliest stages of planning. Mozilla has some ideas about how it wants to proceed, but seemingly few concrete decisions have been made about where to start and what existing technologies to use. The project was announced now despite the lack of clarity so that contributors will be able to participate in the planning process.
Building an operating system seems like an excessive approach to fulfilling the stated goals of the B2G project. It would be simpler and much more straightforward to focus on building a standalone Web application runtime—like an open alternative to Adobe AIR—rather than building a complete operating system from the bottom up.
In a forum post yesterday, ironically on Google Groups, Mozilla researcher Andreas Gal announced: “We propose a project we’re calling “Boot to Gecko” (B2G) to pursue the goal of building a complete, standalone operating system for the open web. It’s going to require work in a number of areas.”
Mr. Gal continued: “We will do this work in the open, we will release the source in real-time, we will take all successful additions to an appropriate standards group, and we will track changes that come out of that process. We aren’t trying to have these native-grade apps just run on Firefox, we’re trying to have them run on the web. “
In a forum post yesterday, ironically on Google Groups, Mozilla researcher Andreas Gal announced: “We propose a project we’re calling “Boot to Gecko” (B2G) to pursue the goal of building a complete, standalone operating system for the open web. It’s going to require work in a number of areas.”
Mr. Gal continued: “We will do this work in the open, we will release the source in real-time, we will take all successful additions to an appropriate standards group, and we will track changes that come out of that process. We aren’t trying to have these native-grade apps just run on Firefox, we’re trying to have them run on the web. “
Mr. Gal also identified four areas for development. One is new Web APIs, which means building "prototype APIs for exposing device and OS capabilities to content." This is how the operating system would support current essential mobile features such as telephony, SMS, cameras, USB, Bluetooth, and near-field chips. A second area for development is to build a privilege model, which is a key security feature for ensuring that new features are "safely exposed to pages and applications," he said.
Boot to Gecko will include some low-level Android code for kernel and driver support so that it can run on Android devices.
Of course, Mozilla is also interested in tackling some the issues relating to security and privilege management that are implied by giving Web applications such deep access to underlying platform components. Those areas are, perhaps, where building the whole operating system becomes advantageous.
Of course, Mozilla is also interested in tackling some the issues relating to security and privilege management that are implied by giving Web applications such deep access to underlying platform components. Those areas are, perhaps, where building the whole operating system becomes advantageous.
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