Chrome OS now a Desktop Operating System

We all know that Chrome OS from Google is a Linux based operating system with Google chrome browser as a operating system. But things are now changing and Chrome OS is moving from a browser only operating system to a more traditional operating system with a full fledged Window Manger called Aura, a shell and a File manager.

The browser as operating system is apparently not working out for Google. I mean, have you ever thought of ditching your favorite operating system in favor of a browser only Chrome OS? Or purchasing a Chrome Book for that matter ?

Google seems to acknowledge that, and has just pushed out a pretty significant update to the Dev channel, which basically turns Chrome OS into a desktop operating system. The Aura window manager and shell adds a desktop, overlapping windows, a taskbar, and is fully hardware accelerated with fancy transitions and all that.

Aura is a hardware-accelerated "user interface framework for Chrome UI" that offers "rich visuals, large-scale animated transitions and effects that can be produced only with the assistance of hardware acceleration". Aura is cross-platform and should "provide the foundation of a flexible windowing system and shell for Chrome and ChromeOS on a variety of form factors".

The latest Chrome OS release is only available for Samsung and Acer Chromebooks as Cr-48 Chromebooks will skip Chrome 19.

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Enable WebGL in Google Chrome

For those who doesn't know what WebGL is:

WebGL (Web-based Graphics Library) is a software library that extends the capability of the JavaScript programming language to allow it to generate interactive 3D graphics within any compatible web browser. WebGL code executes on a computer display card's Graphics Processing Unit (GPU), which must support shader rendering.

WebGL is a context of the canvas HTML element that provides a 3D computer graphics API without the use of plug-ins.[2] The specification was released as version 1.0 on March 3, 2011.[1] WebGL is managed by the non-profit Khronos Group.

via: Wikipedia

WebGL is required to play some games or run some applications on Google Chrome e.g. SKID Racer game on Chrome Web Store. WebGL should be activated by default in Google Chrome, if you are unsure about it, please check the WebGL capability by visiting this site and choose whatever test you want. If your Google Chrome supports WebGL, the above picture should appear on your browser.

In case, Google Chrome doesn't activate WebGL capability because unsupported graphics card (such as Intel GMA), you can force it to enable WebGL by executing Google Chrome with "--ignore-gpu-blacklist" argument. Here's is the example:

• google-chrome --ignore-gpu-blacklist

If you want to add the "--ignore-gpu-blacklist" argument to Google Chrome shortcut on menu or launcher, please open file "/usr/share/applications/google-chrome.desktop" with your favorite text editor (root privileges needed) and change the "Exec" value with the following:

• /opt/google/chrome/google-chrome --ignore-gpu-blacklist %U

Please see the figure below for more details:

Once edited, save the changes and do a WebGL test.

Regards :)

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