4 ms·

This sounds a lot like Fuchsia, which is all IPC-based, has a syncable object-store[1], a physically-based renderer[2], and the UI is organized into cards and s

This sounds a lot like Fuchsia, which is all IPC-based, has a syncable object-store[1], a physically-based renderer[2], and the UI is organized into cards and stories[3] where a story is "a set of apps and/or modules that work together for the user to achieve a goal.", and can be clustered[4] and arranged in different ways[4]. [1]: https://fuchsia.googlesource.com/ledger/ https://fuchsia.googlesource.com/ledger/ [2]: https://fuchsia.googlesource.com/escher/ https://fuchsia.googlesource.com/escher/ [3]: https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2017/05/googles-fuchsia-smartphone-os-dumps-linux-has-a-wild-new-ui/ https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2017/05/googles-fuchsia-smar... [4]: https://fuchsia.googlesource.com/sysui/#important-armadillo-non_widget-classes https://fuchsia.googlesource.com/sysui/#important-armadillo-... [5]: https://fuchsia.googlesource.com/mondrian/ https://fuchsia.googlesource.com/mondrian/

enugu 9y ago
Looking at [1] and the key value database described there, it would need some key coordination mechanism to make use of the system database. For instance, a way for an app to say that a document it stores is either directly of a given type or implements the interface (ex: an email or a music data), so that other apps can use this document. So the type field would refer to a standardized type like a uuid associated with some type of data or a URI (like in RDF). Also, it can have some mechanism for other types to implement the interface or extend existing types and for users to create new types just like we can register urls today. Having a database with standardized interfaces for documents replace a filesystem is a really important feature mentioned in the article. It will allow the development of many useful apps like the itunes or email examples. Also, this is not specific to any OS can be standardized independently and implemented on current OSes we use by having some extension which stores metadata along with a file.
- joshmarinacci 9y ago
  OP here: Yes, there would need to be standards for the metadata. I suspect these would be developed over time as people use it, then later codified.
  - Damogran6 9y ago
    Look at LDAP to see where that goes. For a 'Lightweight' construct, it's not very lightweight. http://www.kouti.com/tables/userattributes.htm http://www.kouti.com/tables/userattributes.htm
joshmarinacci 9y ago
OP here: I agree. Fuchsia is very exciting. Google is one of the few companies with resources to actually build a new OS from scratch, and deal with backwards compatibility.
lsh 9y ago
I don't trust Google. I couldn't use fuchsia on principle. Ignoring the reasons why I don't trust Google, being able to trust your tools, especially your desktop, is the most important thing for me. I would love to have my emails delivered to a global document store so many smaller apps could take advantage of them, but only so long as I could guarantee there is no special 'google play services' app needing to run in the background doing who-knows-what with root.
- rocho 9y ago
  Just out of curiosity, what smartphone and OS do you use, if I may ask? iOS and Windows Phone are closed source, which I'd argue it's worse than using Google services. Android seems pretty much unusable without Google integration. So...?
  - Synaesthesia 9y ago
    So we are forced to use a major manufacturer for our smartphones. Does that mean we can’t criticize them? They’re not on our side, they’re out to make a profit. I don’t trust them either, and I use a smartphone. I do think it’s important that we create open hardware and open software. I’m realizing Richard Stallman was right all along.
  - lsh 9y ago
    GNU/Linux (Arch), and a rooted moto-g :) my desktop is notion: http://notion.sourceforge.net/ http://notion.sourceforge.net/ I took my hat out of the desktop race a long long time ago. the only thing that has really affected me recently was Mate switching entirely to GTK3. my text editor now does all sorts of things the maintainer of the editor can't change, like smooth-scrolling when using the find dialog. I really want to get behind this effort for an improved desktop, even if it means breaking everything. but I have to be able to trust each of the components.

enugu 9y ago

Looking at [1] and the key value database described there, it would need some key coordination mechanism to make use of the system database. For instance, a way for an app to say that a document it stores is either directly of a given type or implements the interface (ex: an email or a music data), so that other apps can use this document. So the type field would refer to a standardized type like a uuid associated with some type of data or a URI (like in RDF). Also, it can have some mechanism for other types to implement the interface or extend existing types and for users to create new types just like we can register urls today. Having a database with standardized interfaces for documents replace a filesystem is a really important feature mentioned in the article. It will allow the development of many useful apps like the itunes or email examples. Also, this is not specific to any OS can be standardized independently and implemented on current OSes we use by having some extension which stores metadata along with a file.

joshmarinacci 9y ago
OP here: Yes, there would need to be standards for the metadata. I suspect these would be developed over time as people use it, then later codified.
- Damogran6 9y ago
  Look at LDAP to see where that goes. For a 'Lightweight' construct, it's not very lightweight. http://www.kouti.com/tables/userattributes.htm http://www.kouti.com/tables/userattributes.htm

joshmarinacci 9y ago

OP here: I agree. Fuchsia is very exciting. Google is one of the few companies with resources to actually build a new OS from scratch, and deal with backwards compatibility.

lsh 9y ago

I don't trust Google. I couldn't use fuchsia on principle. Ignoring the reasons why I don't trust Google, being able to trust your tools, especially your desktop, is the most important thing for me. I would love to have my emails delivered to a global document store so many smaller apps could take advantage of them, but only so long as I could guarantee there is no special 'google play services' app needing to run in the background doing who-knows-what with root.

rocho 9y ago
Just out of curiosity, what smartphone and OS do you use, if I may ask? iOS and Windows Phone are closed source, which I'd argue it's worse than using Google services. Android seems pretty much unusable without Google integration. So...?
- Synaesthesia 9y ago
  So we are forced to use a major manufacturer for our smartphones. Does that mean we can’t criticize them? They’re not on our side, they’re out to make a profit. I don’t trust them either, and I use a smartphone. I do think it’s important that we create open hardware and open software. I’m realizing Richard Stallman was right all along.
- lsh 9y ago
  GNU/Linux (Arch), and a rooted moto-g :) my desktop is notion: http://notion.sourceforge.net/ http://notion.sourceforge.net/ I took my hat out of the desktop race a long long time ago. the only thing that has really affected me recently was Mate switching entirely to GTK3. my text editor now does all sorts of things the maintainer of the editor can't change, like smooth-scrolling when using the find dialog. I really want to get behind this effort for an improved desktop, even if it means breaking everything. but I have to be able to trust each of the components.