We don’t get too many details when it comes to Google’s Chrome OS, but this tiny little tidbit dug up by The Register is certainly quite interesting. It looks as if Google is working on implementing remote desktop-like functionality into Chrome OS so you can directly control applications running on other computers within the browser.
The hints are hidden within messages on a public mailing list about Chrome OS (a message to this mailing list quotes another message originally not posted to the public list). Basically, it appears as if Google is working on technology which would allow you to control applications running on other computers from within the browser itself. They jokingly refer to the functionality as “Chromoting”.
“We’re adding new capabilities all the time,” writes Gary KaÄmarÄÃk, software engineer at Google, “With this functionality (unofficially named ‘chromoting’), Chrome OS will not only be [a] great platform for running modern web apps, but will also enable you to access legacy PC applications right within the browser. We’ll have more details to share on chromoting in the coming months.”
Obviously, there’s nothing new about this kind of technology, but it’s interesting Google is building this into Chrome OS. I can see how it would be very handy to be able to use your Chrome OS laptop to access applications running on your main desktop. Hopefully, the technology is smart enough to dedicate a browser tab to each application – instead of just bluntly showing you the entire remote desktop.
Little else is known about the technology, other than mentions of it in Chromium’s source code and some IRC logs. I have to say I am interested just how well-integrated this stuff is going to be.
Stop making up stupid names for existing things.
Remote desktop access is nothing new, so it doesn’t need a new name.
And it’s not rocket science to make this happen. The NX Client has a java version that runs in the browser. We use this all the time for staff/students that have issues installing the full NX Client on their Windows/Mac/Linux computer.
There are java versions of rdesktop and VNC as well.
There’s nothing new here. So it doesn’t need a new name.
We don’t know it yet.
BTW, handy tip for citrix users – if you can open msoffice documents on your citrix server, you can embed an OLE object that opens cmd.exe. After that, you’ll get a somewhat more flexible citrix environment ;-).
Using anything else with Windows makes zero sense.
They’re just going to stick rdesktop in their browser and act like they created something new.
Maybe they will also include OpenSSH and call it ChromeShellMagic.
That’s a stupid tip I’m sorry. I’m a Citrix engineer and we hate user’s like you trying to get around system security and screw up our servers
Command prompt is easy to block with a group policy though, every admin does that so you shouldn’t even be able to run commands like regedit, cmd etc. so I don’t know what kind of sysop you got there but he must be really incompetent
that’s what we like, cmd access from MS office documents. I like to lock my remote users out of stuff, not give them the ability to run commands.
I’m pretty sure we call that marketing.
…and it was one of those days where we pretty much agreed on a subject…
Google, just nuke ChromeOS. Now. It’s almost certainly made to fail, and it will hurt both you and all other alternative OSs…
It’s for admin access in a corporate setting. Remember that Google plan to eventually have their regular non-engineering staff use ChromeOS and to do that, remote access is a must for troubleshooting.
Could be, but I think Google is the kind of company that thinks big. So I think Google wants to virtualize everything that might be crucial from our “old” desktops.
You want to print?
Install our cloud print server and you can do it.
You want to run that one special windows application that you really really need and can’t live without?
Install our chromotion server and select that app to be available to your ChromeOS device.(Chromotion server scans the application and reject things like DirectX games etc.) Easy.
Those two things alone ease the migration to ChromeOS a lot.
You have it backwards. This isn’t about remote access to a system running ChromeOS. This is an app that runs on ChromeOS that allows you to remotely access anything system to run a “legacy” app (as in, anything not running on ChromeOS).
Remote access to ChromeOS is called OpenSSH and X.
The link to chromoting.gyp does not work.
Seeing
http://src.chromium.org/svn/trunk/src/remoting/
I’d say now is
http://src.chromium.org/svn/trunk/src/remoting/remoting.gyp
Ok glad to hear it. Does that mean we can expect some fixes to the NeatX server code ? Please
I am sure that Google does not intend users to remote desktop into their Windows PCs, but rather that they use full desktop apps that run on Google servers but display on the user screen via internet-optimized X.
An instance of OpenOffice running on their servers would be enough for hundreds or thousands of users, and these users would perceive it to be as fast as it would be on a fast desktop PC, although they would be using a cheap netbook with a low-power ARM device.
I think of OpenOffice because GoogleDocs is hardly a powerhouse office suite; and why spend time and money turning it into one, when the added complesity might be undesirable for its intended users, and when there is an alternative for power users available today, for free?
Of course, the same stands for many other Linux desktop apps, maybe after passing some sort of quality assurance by Google.
Desktop applications are not legacy applications. In fact, it can be argued that your data is safer with desktop applications then the “cloud” where its open to any kind of corrupt/criminal government agencies/courts/judges.
So the point is Google recognizes that running baby versions of productivity apps in a browser is cute and all, but when serious works needs to be done, remote access to your real OS is available. So, just skip the middleman then and don’t bother with ChromeOS.