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Run any application on Chrome OS

By | June 12, 2010, 2:12pm PDT

Google’s idea of an operating system that consists of only a web browser sounds interesting, and unfortunately, very restrictive. There are a staggering number of applications out there that people use on Windows/Mac/Linux machines — any of which would give enough reason to avoid switching operating systems.

The fact that you cannot run these applications on Chrome could be a huge contributing factor for the failure of the operating system.

It sounds like Google thought about this, and decided that it makes sense to allow people to run their legacy applications on Chrome OS. It’s still unclear exactly how this will work architecturally, but it will be possible using a technique they have dubbed “chromoting” — a mix of the words “Chrome” and “Remoting”.

You will not be able to actually run applications, you will just use a remote desktop connection sort of thing, to connect to your Windows\Linux\Macintosh computer and use it remotely. The data will stay on the remote computer, not on the Chrome OS computer.

Semantics, but still. Native Client will not allow you to run a regular application, I believe. It will still be sandboxed, so there are a lot of limitations.

After reading this post by Gary Kačmarčík (a Google engineer), it sounds like you will be able to remote into your desktop computer to run the applications you need. Smart move.

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Garett Rogers, Microsoft Windows, Operating Systems, Software

Garett Rogers has always had a deep interest in computers and the Internet, which led him to a degree in Computer Information Systems. He is currently employed as a programmer for iQmetrix.

Disclosure

Garett Rogers

Garett Rogers is employed as a programmer for iQmetrix, which specializes in retail management software for the wireless industry. He has no other formal associations with any software or hardware companies.

Biography

Garett Rogers

Garett Rogers has always had a deep interest in computers and the Internet, which led him to a degree in Computer Information Systems. He is currently employed as a programmer for iQmetrix, which specializes in retail management software designed specifically for the cellular and electronics industry.

Garett's journey into Google started with his employer asking him to "get a better rank on Google." Diving into search engine optimization sparked his curiosity for how things work and led him to create a blog dedicated to what interests him most--Google.

Talkback Most Recent of 61 Talkback(s)

  • RE: Run any application on Chrome OS
    Hey Garrett,
    Google have been working on NeatX, a variant of NX thin client. Also, it would be a safe bet that with Chrome you'll also have equivalents to VNC, NX, rdesktop (rdp) and the like to enable remoting apps.

    --Dietrich
    ZDNet Gravatar
    Dietrich T. Schmitz, ~ Your Linux Advocate
    12th Jun 2010
  • In other words ...
    I need two computers, one running Windows or OS/X while the other doing ChokemOS, and then have to remote from ChokemOS onto the other desktop to be able run all their APPs.

    Great. Everyday looks like April 1st in Googleland.
    ZDNet Gravatar
    LBiege
    13th Jun 2010
  • Well, I think that Google should have a Win32 store that only requires
    them to recompile and test for WineLib. Then, Google can run them off of a server, or locally with special sandboxing.

    But, the Win32 api is rather nasty, and they would have to use extreme care.
    ZDNet Gravatar
    DonnieBoy
    13th Jun 2010
  • RE: Run any application on Chrome OS
    @LBiege

    This is a big deal. By the way, Google won't offer you legacy Windows applications. This is a way for a Chrome OS user to access his/her home home PC remotely, or for business users to use Chrome OS as their only device both in the office and out of it, and run the few specialized Windows legacy apps that they might need on a virtualized desktop on the corporate server - a big advance over the "sit in front of one desktop PC in one office" approach to Windows. Chrome OS is just a thin client used to display the Windows session or Windows application.

    It will work without a hitch on a corporate wlan/lan network (just as good as sitting in front on one Windows PC). It will also work on reasonably fast broadband connections at least for stuff that doesn't require 3D.

    Despite the Windows fanboy rants, there really aren't very many applications types that don't run on Chrome OS - for example Chrome OS users can run MS Office online. The few applications types that don't run on Chrome OS yet are specialized applications like AutoCAD, Sage Accounts and Photoshop which really do need a fast desktop and a large screen and which you would't really want to run on a netbook or a portable device.
    ZDNet Gravatar
    Mah
    13th Jun 2010
  • Wine is an alternative to run a windows APP
    It currently would only take extending MONO to Chrome so that IL could be used under Chrome would not be perfect and run all of Windows apps, but the differences between .NET 1/2/3.5/4 have the same problem. So as long as Chrome makes it faster than Windows, they could easily whoo people over. Same principle that made Chrome the fastest growing Browser in the World.
    ZDNet Gravatar
    Uralbas
    13th Jun 2010
  • This is how to make Chokem OS instantly 100 times more attractive
    Add a SilverLight plug-in to it and then you immediately have a platform capable of running many applications.
    ZDNet Gravatar
    LBiege
    13th Jun 2010
  • DonnieBoy, still clueless as ever
    but it doesn't stop you from trying. Please enlighten us as to why Win32 api is so nasty?

    What, you can't? So you're just blowin' smoke as usuall.

    So let us know how I can buy a program, stick it on a google server, and run it from ChromeOS? Does the EULA of that software package give me the right?

    How do I recompile proprietary software? What happens to my access with no access to the server?

    The sad thing is, as the world moves forward, people like you are allways left behind. wink
    ZDNet Gravatar
    John Zern
    14th Jun 2010
  • RE: Run any application on Chrome OS
    @LBiege Yeah but don't all of us already have the "first" computer? So isn't this actually a really elegant migration strategy for people where they keep their current box and stage it at home and then use the Chrome OS "laptop/netbook" to reach it from remote locations. Sort of your own "personal cloud computing" infrastructure.
    ZDNet Gravatar
    roger_tee
    14th Jun 2010
  • RE: Run any application on Chrome OS
    @John Zern Why ask a question directed at DonnieBoy and then answer yourself in the same post? When/if someone replies with one a several reasons why the Win32 api could be classified as "nasty", you'll just look more the fool. The fact is the Win32api is not universally coded to a specific standard, programmers have to accommodate Win3.1, WinXP, Win Vista, and later, they are expected to code for 32bit and 64bit versions, plan around various versions of .Net, and certain older libraries, some new ones, create dependencies on specific versions of IE. While this is something developers have come to expect, I could see it being described as "Nasty" in terms of porting applications to a non-Windows environment.
    ZDNet Gravatar
    Socratesfoot
    31st May
  • So...
    ...with two computers can use all the functions of one? OK....
    ZDNet Gravatar
    Bill4
    12th Jun 2010
  • My thoughts as well.
    @Bill4
    And without a network connection. Still almost useless.

    I simply do not get Chrome OS when you have Android as a great light weight, flexible OS designed for small portable devices as an option.
    ZDNet Gravatar
    Bruizer
    12th Jun 2010
  • RE: Run any application on Chrome OS
    @Bill4 Google is starting to realize now that web apps is not enough.
    ZDNet Gravatar
    silent.griffin
    12th Jun 2010
  • No, they are just working on the transition. They do need to have
    a transition. But for the long term, there will be desktops in the clouds that you can access from anywhere. A cloud desktop, you can close, and leave everything as it was, applications opened, etc, and then pick up from where you left off, later, from a different computer.
    ZDNet Gravatar
    DonnieBoy
    13th Jun 2010
  • This is the future of mobile computing
    Just make your netbook a 'thin client'-like device that just connects you remotely to your desktop PC. As remote access technologies improve and connectivity improves (like, built-in 3G and soon 4G), this is the ideal way to work. Now all we need is absolute 'native' remote connectivity, where even a video can be directly streamed over the web, and the only thing that matters is bandwith - which will also be provided then. You'll need to deal with hardware integration (integrating the netbook's hardware into the desktop's OS), but I'm sure it can be done. Working like this has numerous advantages: use the full horsepower of your main PC from anywhere you are, access your files from anywhere...
    ZDNet Gravatar
    Daniel Breslauer
    12th Jun 2010
  • I see a security nightmare (nt)
    nt
    ZDNet Gravatar
    Economister
    12th Jun 2010
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