Pure JavaScript Unix-Like Web Based OS

slummy writes " JS/UIX 'is an UNIX-like OS for standard web-browsers, written entirely in JavaScript (no plug-ins used). It comprises a virtual machine, shell, virtual file-system, process-management, and brings its own terminal with screen- and keyboard-mapping.' If only you didn't need an OS to run the web browser on."

Comments

No comments and site dead.

[Anonymous Coward]

A mirror would be nice

Re:No comments and site dead.

[Anonymous Coward]

what more do you need? mirrordot.org

Re:No comments and site dead.

[AnonymousCowheart]

The correct URLs:
mirror.dot
google cache

Re:No comments and site dead.

[Waltre]

since the google cache site has been slashdotted, we now need a cache of the google cache page.

So its true!

[kevin_conaway]

People DO read the comments on Slashdot

Re:So its true!

[autocracy]

It was a fluke. None of us are reading your post. You didn't see anything...

Re:So its true!

[Anonymous Coward]

No, but it is true that people repost stuff from OSNews, almost word for word.

Re:So its true!

[Anonymous Coward]

The comments yes, but TFA? Not likely...

Re:So its true!

[imr]

The fact that it is slashdotted now and not when the comment was published (i knwow, i went there then, and on robin too) show, on the contrary, that most people don't.

Re:So its true!

[Jozer99]

Someone write a UNIX in flash and I will be impressed.

Re:So its true!

[SpaceLifeForm]

Check out Linux in flash (OpenWrt).

Re:So its true!

[Jozer99]

Har har har... I meant macromedia flash, for all of you literalists out there.

Re:So its true!

[NickFitz]

Flash has ActionScript, which is a nearly-complete implementation of ECMAScript, which is the standard version of JavaScript (ECMA-262). So porting it shouldn't be too difficult, unless it uses a lot of nasty browser-dependent stuff.

Re:So its true!

[wed128]

yup, totally played with this yesterday before the rush...

Next up

[tqft]

From TFA:
"The only application for now is a simple implementation of vi"

How long before emacs is ported?

Re:Next up

[MROD]

Well, that reminds me of the old emacs joke:-

--:-- *scratch* (Lisp Interaction)--L5--All--
Loading vmunix.el... Done.

It is rather impressive to have an OS in a web browser though.. even if it's not exactly that useful.

Re:Next up

[Ingolfke]

Wow, that boggles the mind. A web-based OS running an editor-based OS. Holy virtualization Batman!

Re:Next up

[makapuf]

How long before emacs is ported? ... or a web browser ?

Re:Next up

[blackmonday]

VI works! I saved a text file to my home directory. Pretty neat.

Re:Next up

[hardaker]

Here's code to to implement that joke. To get it right and be truly funny, you have to use realistic timing of course. Snicker: (defun load-vmunix () "Loads the vmunix OS into 'the' Emacs." (interactive) (message "loading vmunix.el...") (sleep-for 65535) (message "loading vmunix.el...done") )

Re:Next up

[hardaker]

Hey... why did it strip my <pre tags out? sigh.

Re:Next up

[johnw]

Surely a more compelling application would be a small web *server*?

Then you can use your web browser to access the web server running in your web browser... shortly before it all disappears in a puff of logic.

John

Re:Next up

[learn fast]

More like:

How long before this is ported to emacs?

Re:Next up

[absinthminded64]

Let's hope Daryl hasn't figured out how to get the JVM installed on his own machine yet. "UNIX-like" might give him some new bad ideas!

Re:Next up

[tiluki]

What? You mean it has "ex"?

Sorted.

Re:Next up

[tepples]

The slashcode version of <pre> is <ecode>.

(No bonus.)

Re:Next up

[dodobh]

How long before a Javascript interpreter is coded into emacs?

Re:Next up

[DeafByBeheading]

More accurately, /. does not allow <pre>, but gives you <ecode> instead. The <pre> tags preserve spacing and other formatting ('pre' standing for 'pre-formatted'), whereas <ecode> seems to be /.'s version of <code>, which is just a logical character highlighting. Most browsers render this in a fixed-width font.

Re:Next up

[Anonymous Coward]

JaveSCRIPT, not Java!!! Javascript does NOT use the Java Virtual Machine.

Re:Next up

[Mercano]

Vi? Why not port lynx to the thing? Or, better yet, get X and Firefox running then go visit the website. A recursion of JavaScript OSs.

The sites /.ed already...

[sandstorming]

It obviously isn't an OS made for web hosting ;)

Re:The sites /.ed already...

[alapalaya]

No, but it might be the first OS web-hosted! :)

Re:The sites /.ed already...

[AKAImBatman]

No, but it might be the first OS web-hosted!

Technically speaking, it's a web hosted *shell*. The full OS is what you're using right now. ;-)

Re:The sites /.ed already...

[Anonymous Coward]

Wouldn't 668 be the neighbor of the beast? 667 should be across the street.

Re:The sites /.ed already...

[Anonymous Coward]

Hehe I'm actually going to reply to this... Even if 667 is across the street, it's still the neighbor of 666. They're just not next-door neighbors.

Uses?

[AKAImBatman]

That's kind of neat, but I am having some difficulty in deciding what it's useful for. Perhaps teaching Unix to new users? It is, after all, a "fake" environment that looks like the real thing.

Related to this (but much cooler), there used to be a site at WebOS.com where the site lauched a full-screen browser window and allowed you to interact with an entirely HTML desktop. Even the applications were downloaded on the fly, and the files were saved on the server.

Re:Uses?

[AnObfuscator]

Usefull? Usefull??!! Dude, it's a Unix OS written in JavaScript that runs on a web browser... the nerdiness is off the charts! Who cares about usefull?!

Re:Uses?

[rjamestaylor]

If your browser is sufficiently tabbed you can run multiple sessions and create a Beowolf Cluster from them -- BeoFox? Beafari?

Re:Uses?

[fyonn]

I am having some difficulty in deciding what it's useful for

well, that deopends how it works. the site is under some load at the moment so I can't read it. is the OS running locally in your web browser? or are you getting a shell to a web-based OS on the web-server?

if the latter then it could be very useful, esp if they can port ssh across. then users inside a corporate firewall can use it to get a shell outside the company that they can ssh from, when they may not have ssh access fgrom inside. and as it all runs in a browser, it should be sandboxed from the rest of the OS, and thus not be considered a security problem as such.

one wonders if you can run a webserver from a web based os? :) and host that OS inside itself...

dave

Re:Uses?

[compass46]

Perhaps teaching Unix to new users? It is, after all, a "fake" environment that looks like the real thing.

Ummmm, looks like the real thing? Wouldn't a shell server be more appropriate for teaching Unix to new users? Something like SDF? A freaking Putty window looks more like "the real thing".

Re:Uses?

[AKAImBatman]

It's a shell and an in-memory file system running in the browser. As a result, it's able to present working versions of most Unix utilities (e.g. vi, cd, ls, cat, etc.) but doesn't actually let you *do* anything to interact with other environments. :-)

Re:Uses?

[compass46]

Screwed up the link, for SDF. Here

Re:Uses?

[kin_korn_karn]

It's a geek-penis compensation device.

Re:Uses?

[Goaway]

Related to this (but much cooler), there used to be a site at WebOS.com where the site lauched a full-screen browser window and allowed you to interact with an entirely HTML desktop. Even the applications were downloaded on the fly, and the files were saved on the server.

Shameless plug: I've made something similar here: http://wakaba.c3.cx/desktop-test/desktop.pl
Log in as test:test. It's fairly useful for doing management of a web server. Try not to Slashdot it too badly, OK?

Mor information here: http://wakaba.c3.cx/sup/kareha.pl/1116806324

Re:Uses?

[pzampino]

Putty is great, but if your employer won't allow SSH through the firewall, then a web-based remote shell could be a nice solution. Of course, security is obviously a concern.

Re:Uses?

[pzampino]

test:test no workee :(

Re:Uses?

[caino59]

I imagine it would be useful for doing things that are blocked at work ;oP

Re:Uses?

[kevcol]

"Putty is great, but if your employer won't allow SSH through the firewall"

Of course, you are speaking about those employers who lock their employees in a building 24/7 and never let them go home to study or do other things on their own, right?

Re:Uses?

[AKAImBatman]

I imagine it would be useful for doing things that are blocked at work ;oP

Umm... like what? Using vi? Cause those vi hackers are pretty evil, you know. :-P

Re:Uses?

[gstoddart]

That's kind of neat, but I am having some difficulty in deciding what it's useful for. Perhaps teaching Unix to new users? It is, after all, a "fake" environment that looks like the real thing.

I've truly stopped looking for the 'why' and just accepting it was because someone thought it would be shiney and cool to do.

Increasingly, it's quite obvious some of this is just simply because it can be done.

Re:Uses?

[DrSkwid]

Corkscrew is a tool for tunneling SSH through HTTP proxies.

those crazy firewall admins and their rules !

Re:Uses?

[caino59]

haha. erm...yea.

sorry, the site is down, so i can't really go to it and see whats available to me

for example, theres a lot of things I'm able to from work using a remote machine...through ssh.

now, it would be nice to have a gui for some things...

oh, and before you say "tunnerl vnc!"

yea - would be great - if we could install vnc at work there...

this could be a nice alternative to that.

i imagine that it could also be implemented on a secure server...

Re:Uses?

[AKAImBatman]

Just so you're aware, this only emulates the Unix shell, not the entire Unix OS. So you can see a file system in memory, run vi, cat, ls, etc, but you can't actually interact with any environments.

The MirrorDot mirror is here so that you can try for yourself. :-)

Re:Uses?

[caino59]

hey, thanks ;o)

Re:Uses?

[AKAImBatman]

You're welcome. BTW, most VNC servers now come with an optional Java applet interface. If you enable the applet and two tunnels (one for HTTP and one for VNC) you should be able to punch through your machine's security, no problem.

Also, a great trick for rewriting the restrictions in the registry (use at your own risk!) is to download a freeware registry editor such as Registry Commander. The file can be run without installation, so you can happily open the registry and delete restrictions to your heart's content.

Just beware! I don't know the situation in your IT department, but that may be a terminatable offsene in your company. Ususally when I pull a stunt like that it's because my machine is configured as a standard user desktop, I need developer permissions, and I don't want to bug IT. (Faster to do it myself.) If they *intend* for you to have those restrictions, though, they may not appreciate you breaking them. :-)

Re:Uses?

[Goaway]

Fixed.

Re:Uses?

[Anonymous Coward]

yea, my supervisors manager kinda didn't like it when he saw me ssh'd into my box at home, one for irc, another for a torrent, and then on instant messaging (aim express is blocked, full client is blocked from being installed, but alas trillian isnt) and that i was using firefox from a usb key

oh yea, the usb key didnt thrill him either..

he just kinda shook his head and said IT would flip if they knew....

that was a few weeks ago...

Re:Uses?

[elliam]

With Second Life having an embedded version of Firefox, could this be used in-game to avoid having to unplug to do other tasks?

Re:Uses?

[davide marney]

Very interesting!

Re:Uses?

[cgreuter]

Something like this would be a great way to have access to a decent computing environment from a restricted Internet connection. Things like kiosks and Internet cafes tend to only give you a web browser. An OS written in JavaScript would work there and give you the chance to do something useful.

Well, at least until someone comes up with a way to boot Linux through an IE exploit.

(Disclaimer: I haven't been able to read the article or try it so I don't know if it can actually do anything interesting.)

Re:Uses?

[AKAImBatman]

I love it! That's a great interface! Can I ask you a question, though? Where did you get the icons?

Re:Uses?

[AKAImBatman]

*sigh* If you'd read the five hundred posts before you, you'd know that this environment has no network caps. So it's only useful for terminals where users want to run VI. Sorry, please drive through.

Re:Uses?

[Goaway]

As I mentioned in the thread the second link goes to: David Vigoni's Nuvola icon set: http://www.icon-king.com/

Re:Uses?

[cgreuter]

Feh! Who has time to read postings. Uninformed spouting is what Slashdot is all about!

Also, I managed to get a look at the site documentation and there's some talk about persistent storage using server-side CGI and encryption. That's not implemented yet (according to the docs), but it appears to be pretty straightforward. That lets you store your work on a remote server and lets the remote server interact with your data.

That's useful for writing and editing text, and doing JS/UIX development (which you'll need to do if you want to do anything else useful).

With a bit of server-side help, you could also read and send email or maintain a small website. It's all a matter of getting the server to do a few things on filesystem load and save.

So it's not useful yet but it can be made to do useful things without too much extra work.

Re:Uses?

[ArbitraryConstant]

"That's kind of neat, but I am having some difficulty in deciding what it's useful for. Perhaps teaching Unix to new users? It is, after all, a "fake" environment that looks like the real thing."

It would be very useful for web applications. One of the limitations in pushing functionality out to the client are the limitations in Javascript. A fully general purpose environment makes more things possible.

Re:Uses?

[AKAImBatman]

Whoops, guess I should have paid closer attention. :-P

One last question for you, though. How do you get those icons to highlight like that? I tried replicating your "hover" code, and it simply refuses to work without an anchor tag and href! Any insight?

Re:Uses?

[flyguy79]

Putty has its own facilities for tunneling through an HTTP proxy. If you can surf the net, you can PuTTY.

Re:Uses?

[Malevolyn]

Kind of like overclocking an NES.

Re:Uses?

[Goaway]

Maybe you need to make a or that contains the , and put the :hover style on that? I think images don't have backgrounds by themselves, so you have to use a containing element.

Re:Uses?

[Goaway]

Hooray for HTML parsing.

"Maybe you need to make a <span> or <div> that contains the <img>..."

Re:Uses?

[dbIII]

Just so you're aware, this only emulates the Unix shell, not the entire Unix OS

Despite what MS and RMS say for finanacial or political reasons, the shell isn't part of the OS either. An operating system lets the applications talk to the hardware. An example of an application is a shell like bash.

A virtual OS talks to virtual hardware, a virtual environment lets you run applications on that virtual OS.

Re:Uses?

[AKAImBatman]

I actually have the tree exactly as you do (according to the DOM Browser):

<div class="icon" align="center">
<img src="icons/folder.png">
<div align="center">My Text</div>
</div>

I have an alternate solution (change the style on mouseover/mouseout), but it vexes me that the hover somehow works for you. Not a huge deal, but I can't figure out how you did it! :-)

dead

[Anonymous Coward]

Dead already.. So more like windows than unix.

Re:dead

[Anonymous Coward]

Dead... the Unix it is mimicing must be BSD.

Especially...

[nmoog]

..Especially when combined with XUL
(apologies to slashdot member CTho9305)

Re:Especially...

[xtracto]

You could had posted a link to the comment
from the original author.

You would have got your karma and you would not seem as plagiarist as you seem now.

Compiler

[derphilipp]

Is there already a customized gcc or other c-compiler available?

I wanna run doom on it!

Re:Compiler

[lxs]

I'm waiting until sun ports their java VM to it.

Re:Compiler

[Anonymous Coward]

Well, the guy has written an E.A.L (Easy Algorithmic Language) compiler in Javascript. :)

http://www.masswerk.at/demospace/eal/eal.htm

Obligatory

[Deep Fried Geekboy]

I for one welcome our new web-based OS overlor... oh, shit, look at that, it's slashdotted.

PS You do know that in Soviet Russia, your browser runs your OS, right?

Re:Obligatory

[Anonymous Coward]

i had the impression IE runs windows.

Re:Obligatory

[Anonymous Coward]

you're talking about windows when the browser runs the OS

Re:Obligatory

[Mignon]

Slashdot confirms it - JS/UIX is dying.

Re:Obligatory

[publius_ovidius]

For once, an appropriate application of the Soviet joke. Kudos.

Re:Obligatory

[Punboy]

No no no, it should be something more like.

In Soviet Russia, your browser scripts you.
In Soviet Russia, your java scripts you.

What's the use ?

[Anonymous Coward]

[guest@www.masswerk.at:2]$ rm -rf /
illegal option.

not funny

Re:What's the use ?

[REBloomfield]

Try sudo first ;)

Re:What's the use ?

[PHP Addict]

Does anyone know the root password???

Re:What's the use ?

[Candybar]

The crypted root password is '7B56B841C38BF38C'

Re:What's the use ?

[Candybar]

And the crptSalt= '0e7aff21';

Re:What's the use ?

[squiggleslash]

'7B56B841C38BF38C'? That's amazing! I've got the same thing on my luggage!

Re:What's the use ?

[andycal]

according to the docs, the root password is: machtNix

But by the time I found that they took it off line. ( probably due to the slashdotting ) so I can't test it. ;-(

Re:What's the use ?

[andycal]

Much to my shock this works from the mirror, with the root password. (machtNix )

Disbelief that it works at all, then another level of disbelief that it works from the mirror.

Screw it up as bad as you like. It all comes back when you reload ;-)

Screenshot

[md81544]

Dead already, but I managed to grab a screenshot:

[guest@www.masswerk.at:2]$

:-)

Re:Screenshot

[macaulay805]

At first I though you were joking, but after looking at this on mirrordot, I found out that you really did capture a screenshot!

Re:Screenshot

[md81544]

I really did! And they all laughed at me... should have been +5 Informative :)

fake DOS...

[wirehead78]

I remember back in the day I wrote a BASIC program that looked exactly like DOS, except it would give weird error messages any time you did anything. My parents sure loved that one.

Re:fake DOS...

[naich]

I did one too. I just did a quick check and bizarrely, it's still out there, on the net: ftp://ftp.sac.sk/pub/sac/utilmisc/panic2.zip

This internet thing sure is good at storing crap for all eternity.

Re:fake DOS...

[rayde]

did you call your creation MS-DOS?

;-)

Re:fake DOS...

[shutdown -p now]

Parents? You're supposed to run such things in the classroom!

Re:fake DOS...

[Naikrovek]

I did this in school once, and got kicked out of the computer lab for the week.

c:\> prompt "enter password:"

so then, instead of the friendly c:> prompt, this was what everyone saw:

enter password:

I still don't think they'd figure that out if presented with that prompt today.

Re:fake DOS...

[fons]

haha, downloaded and tried it.

It still works on my XP machine!

I was even worried for an instant when it was supposedly formatting my hard d^i^c^kz^z^z^^z^z^f^^ s^d^f^zêf^zê^f^sd^f s^df ^sd^f ^sd^f^s^df^s s^df ^sd^f^s^df^s^df^^s^sd^f^sd^f^^sd^f ^^sdf^^sd^f

Re:fake DOS...

[WinterSolstice]

I did that too! Wow, looks like a lot of us did stupid stuff like that.

Mine said things like "I can't find that for you. Can't you see that I'm busy?" and stuff like that.

I think I called it "sleepy" or "grumpy" or something. I tossed it into the autoexec.bat, and annoyed family and friends for ages :)

-WS

Re:fake DOS...

[Daneboy]

My favourite was always this one:

C:\> prompt "Abort, Retry, Fail: "

Abort, Retry, Fail: A

Incorrect command or file name.

Abort, Retry, Fail: ... and so on.

Re:fake DOS...

[the way, what're you]

I was even worried for an instant when it was supposedly formatting my hard d^i^c^kz^z^z^^z^z^f^^ s^d^f^zêf^zê^f^sd^f s^df ^sd^f ^sd^f^s^df^s s^df ^sd^f^s^df^s^df^^s^sd^f^sd^f^^sd^f ^^sdf^^sd^f

for those of you keeping score at home, that's (zf-c)(sd+2k-i)(f-x)(1-ê)^3, with len(d^i^c^kz) = 0

Re:fake DOS...

[Anonymous Coward]

heh... I wrote a fake DOS for my TI-81 calculator that actually ran all the other little programs I'd written for it. It also supported simple commands like "dir".

By and large a pointless project, but a fun diversion. :)

Re:fake DOS...

[uglyduckling]

Just to add to the list - I created a BASIC program on a 6502 micro (BBC Master) and convinced a friend that I had written a PC emulator. I convinced him to bring in his sytem disks so I could test it with DOS, then told him I had to have the original disks and had to have write access. He watched in horror as the machine "formatted" the 5.25" disks as part of the "autoexec.bat" script that it had loaded.

Re:fake DOS...

[Anonymous Coward]

When I was a kid, my parents were quite poor, so I didn't get a vic-20 / Specturm / C64 until time passed and a a used spectrum 48k was cheap enough.
It didn't stop me from being totally obsessed with computers. I got a C-tape full of C64 games I loaded in local supermarket demo machine (and got thrown out pretty quickly naturally).
The computer mags listed Basic programs that people used to type in (pages and pages of code and after the last line they would type 'run' and comb through the code for hours to find where they typed wrong). I just read through the code and soon even without owning a computer, I was already familiar with basic syntax of Amstrad/MSX/Spectrum/Commodore Basic and was able to write simple programs I left running in shops , amusing myself by watching people poking on the keyboard and getting unexpected results..

Re:fake DOS...

[PakProtector]

You wanna hear a really fucked up story?

Okay. It's 1993. I think. I was somewhere between 8 and 10, so maybe it was '94. Anyway, it's not important.

I was learning to program at the time, and my uncle who is four years older than me decided that since I was a rather dull child, with wit as sharp as a rubber ball, I should start with QBASIC.

So I created a grand program: A DOS Shell. It would let you look around, cd, all that fancy stuff. I added colours.

It was all good.

So, anyway, I didn't really have a good concept of exactly what an OS was, and I decided I'd written one, so, (this was back in the day you understand, and my parents really weren't too computer savvy) I got on their AOL account and uploaded it to AOL's file center, billing it as a revolutionary new operation system called DHDMP. I think. That or DHCMP. I forget.

The instructions went something along the lines of, STEP 1: Uninstall DOS.

You get the picture.

Well, after around 9 thousand downloads, my parent's AOL account was canceled.

I'd like to think I did a great deal of good via those 9 thousand downloads.

Re:fake DOS...

[Vacindak]

Heh, I think everyone's done this. I know I did, although I had the program grudgingly let a few commands through. You had like a 1/3 chance of the computer doing what you wanted.

Re:fake DOS...

[Se7enLC]

or you can just hexedit the command.com binary to do your bidding:

"Bad Command or File Name"
"We don't run that, sucka"

etc

Re:fake DOS...

[porcupine8]

This internet thing sure is good at storing crap for all eternity.

Tell me about it. I have a truly embarrassingly bad Tripod webpage I created in about 1996 that still shows up as one of the first three hits when you Google my name... And since I can't remember my old password and must have given them a fake address, they won't let me delete it. *sigh*

Re:fake DOS...

[Anonymous Coward]

10 in 94? Holy crap. Congratulations on making many of us feel old.

Re:fake DOS...

[WinterSolstice]

Heh. I remember those magazines! I used to run the code from those all the time.

There was this one where you drive an old race car across the US in some kind of race (alaska to florida or some such). It had a bug I never did find :)

Can you imagine publishing Doom/Quake that way? The poor kids would be typing for months :)

-WS

Re:fake DOS...

[dindi]

HAHA ...
in Hungary there was a TV program for teaching BASIC ...

the geekiest thing was, that after the show ended, they would TRASMIT a ZX Spectrum program thru the TV :)

so i was sitting in front of the TV with a tape recorder waiting for the BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP--kkrrrsshhrhhhssssssskrrshsh

the typing: i spent a summer holiday job at my dad's workplace once ... it was super educating ...(NOT!) I was typing in a program from a book hours long, to find out that it just did not work, and no one found out really why ....

I guess that was the first time I decided to dump computers and be a shephard or something ....
That green monitor made me suffer ... but it had a geek factor I have to admit ... now I would be happy to own one of those artifacts HT-something
HT = Hiradas Technika ... the fish is your friend

I guess sheep stank or something, because for the last 20 years I am back into computers :)

Re:fake DOS...

[jeff_bond]

I wrote a classic fake DOS prompt in quickbasic once, and installed it on a dim-witted colleage's computer at work.

It worked exactly as you would expect except for the fact that the 'm' and 'n' keys were reversed. To make things even more confusing, I prised the 'm' and 'n' key caps off the keyboard, and replaced them in the wrong positions, so that the keys would appear to generate the correct character.

The poor guy could never figure out why he kept typing 'wim' to start windows.

Re:fake DOS...

[Mr. Underbridge]

10 in 94? Holy crap. Congratulations on making many of us feel old.

Maybe that's hex. I'm 1A years old.

Re:fake DOS...

[Anonymous Coward]

At least you aren't A1 years old

Re:fake DOS...

[emurphy42]

Heh. Google "dhcmp"...

Re:fake DOS...

[silicon not in the v]

10 in 94? Holy crap. Congratulations on making many of us feel old.

And the sad part is that he has a pretty low /. ID.

Re:fake DOS...

[jaavaaguru]

You had like a 1/3 chance of the computer doing what you wanted.

Did you sell your IP to Microsoft?

Re:fake DOS...

[Mr. Underbridge]

At least you aren't A1 years old

At least I'd go great on steak.

Re:fake DOS...

[PakProtector]

What can I say? I'm old for my age.

If it's any consolation, I didn't start using C till I was 14.

Re:fake DOS...

[Vacindak]

No, they just blatantly ripped me off.

crap ..

[macaulay805]

Does this mean that Boot Managers need to be Acid2 Certified as well??!!?

If this becomes too successful...

[AtariAmarok]

If this becomes to successful, we might get lawsuits in the future to prevent a browser company from shipping a free OS add-in!

Site slashdotted

[Underholdning]

The site is already dead, so here's something else - not a complete OS, but still has a (working) browser, games etc.

Re:Site slashdotted

[Anonymous Coward]

It's a bit sad that Excel runs pacman better than xul.

Re:Site slashdotted

[Anonymous Coward]

amazing that their browser also had flashblock installed.

Yes, but . . .

[Idou]

Can it run Lynx?

Re:Yes, but . . .

[Anonymous Coward]

Can it run KDE to run WINE to run PEAR to run OS X?
Anyone got benchmarks?

Re:Yes, but . . .

[marq00z]

Why would you use Lynx, when: $ web http://www.slashdot.org/ in JS/UIX opens a much better browser (Firefox, at least for me)? ;-)

Re:Yes, but . . .

[Delirium Tremens]

As soon as it does, I'll send them my patch to enable JavaScript support in Lynx!

Re:Yes, but . . .

[Maian]

OMG it has its own built-in browser??! AWESOME!!!

If you cant reach because of the /....

[sandstorming]

JS/UIX is an UN*X-like OS for standard web-browsers, written entirely in JavaScript (no plug-ins used). It comprises a vir- tual machine, shell, virtual file-system, process-management, and brings its own terminal with screen- and keyboard-mapping.

For an overview of implemented commands have a look at the complete > JS/UIX-Manual-Pages; see also the > Version-History.

The keyboard accepts the US-ASCII character set. As key-mapping depends from your browser, you may have to use the cursor and backspace buttons at the lower right of the terminal. A complete keyboard can be accessed at the lower left.

Compatibility: Netscape 4+, MS IE 4+ and DOM-aware browsers.


Mirrordot link:
http://mirrordot.org/stories/1c1bf041ca7144dbe4b35 249a8db7dff/index.html

Re:If you cant reach because of the /....

[lasindi]

I went to the mirror. The login prompt comes up and everything, but when I try to type in a login it doesn't do anything. Any idea what's wrong?

unnecessary...

[rayde]

I've already got my browser based OS of choice. ;-)

Re:unnecessary...

[Anonymous Coward]

I've already got my browser based OS of choice.

That's not a very Windows-like OS. It boots too quickly to be believable. And btw. Clippy is immortal.

Re:unnecessary...

[FunkyRat]

Clippy is immortal.

Immortal...? or just UNDEAD!

Re:unnecessary...

[Frogbert]

Hey speaking of which, I remember a site years ago that would look and behave completely like Mac OS 9 Is that site still around?

Remote Access

[geeper]

This may be good for remote access to another computer, somthing like RAdmin or VNC.

Some people really...

[ratta]

doesn't know what to do.

Why is this in the Java topic?

[Tim C]

For the nth time, Java and Javascript have nothing at all to do with each other. The syntax is similar (both being based loosely on C), but that's it.

It might as well go in the Hardware topic too, while you're at it - after all, it must be running on some kind of hardware.

Re:Why is this in the Java topic?

[OhHellWithIt]

Please mod parent up!

Re:Why is this in the Java topic?

[rjamestaylor]

They've become accustomed to your Java/Javascript confusion posts and like to get a rise out of you. Just thought you should know.

Re:Why is this in the Java topic?

[Anonymous Coward]

For the nth time, Java and Javascript have nothing at all to do with each other. The syntax is similar (both being based loosely on C), but that's it.

Why do you call yourself Tim C? For the nth time you were not written in C, you are composed of DNA and a bunch of other chemicals. The syntax is similar (both being based on a series of instructions), but that's it.

You might as well call yourself Tim x86 Assembly - after all, there's some underlying atomic arrangement to your cell structure.

Re:Why is this in the Java topic?

[Tim C]

Because my first name is Tim, and my surname begins with C.

Nice try though :-)

Re:Why is this in the Java topic?

[allanc]

That's a stupid way to pick a username.

--AC

Re:Why is this in the Java topic?

[Jeff DeMaagd]

I would throw the blame in the direction of the person/group that called it javascript rather than come up with a better name for it.

Likewise, I think that Intel should have done better to name their new card format other than PCIe because PCI-X was available for a few years already. At least PCI-X is electrically, physically and software compatible with the PCI standards, PCIe isn't on any of these accounts.

Re:Why is this in the Java topic?

[SpaghettiPattern]

Java and Javascript have nothing at all to do with each other

Allow me for a minute to represent the ignorant mass:
Yes they have!

Re:Why is this in the Java topic?

[Tim C]

I would throw the blame in the direction of the person/group that called it javascript rather than come up with a better name for it.

That would be Netscape. The actual standard is called ECMAScript, but the JavaScript name has stuck.

Re:Why is this in the Java topic?

[mattgreen]

Maybe it is because the link posted is about as useful as Java is. :)

Re:Why is this in the Java topic?

[callipygian-showsyst]

Sorry! You lose this one.

If the pedophiles at Sun didn't want people to confuse the two, the wouldn't have changed the name of "LiveWire" to JavaScript.

They *wanted* this confusion, and /. is more than happy to give it to them!

Re:Why is this in the Java topic?

[Anonymous Coward]

I don't usually reply to sigs, but thank you for starting negative campaigning already.

It's not 'elect x because x is better' anymore. In your world, it's 'don't elect y because y sucks'.

You're no better than the ABB group. Show some maturity for once.

Re:Why is this in the Java topic?

[Anonymous Coward]

LiveScript == Netscape

FUCJUBG BUT

Re:Why is this in the Java topic?

[snorklewacker]

> For the nth time, Java and Javascript have nothing at all to do with each other. The syntax is similar (both being based loosely on C), but that's it.

Javascript was initially called LiveScript. When LiveConnect came around and let people script java applets and instantiate arbitrary java objects, they changed the name to JavaScript. I think it's still officially spelled with StudlyCaps.

For being unrelated, there's actually some pretty tight integration. Mind you, LiveConnect was (and perhaps is now) so buggy that it was unusable, but the name change came around for a good reason. And riding on the coattails of a billion dollars of hype didn't hurt either.

Re:Why is this in the Java topic?

[akzeac]

Indeed, yes.

Re:Why is this in the Java topic?

[Khakionion]

Hear, hear. (Here, here?)

Re:Why is this in the Java topic?

[RevAaron]

They also called it, iirc, LiveScript.

Re:Why is this in the Java topic?

[jafac]

I agree

Re:Why is this in the Java topic?

[cant_get_a_good_nick]

LiveScript was the first name, then Netscape called it JavaScript. ECMAScript came WAY later after MS came out with JScript, and they wanted to standardize the language, so they submitted it to ECMA. They obviously couldn't come up with a real name either, IIRC that was an interim name but no one could come up with a better one so it stuck.

Re:Why is this in the Java topic?

[MoonFog]

Oh?

The change of name from LiveScript to JavaScript happened at roughly the time that Netscape was including support for Java technology in its Netscape Navigator web browser. The choice of name proved to be a source of much confusion. There is no real relation between Java and JavaScript; their similarities are mostly in syntax (that is, both derived from C); their semantics are quite different, notably their object models are unrelated and largely incompatible.
Source. You have any links on the contrary?

Re:Why is this in the Java topic?

[Darth_Burrito]

DNA is more like machine code. He could still have been written in C and compiled to DNA. Personally, I suspect perl is involved somewhere.

Re:Why is this in the Java topic?

[Tim C]

Troll? Funny perhaps (especially for me, given how much money I'm paid to write Java, and how much more our clients pay my company for me to do it), but troll?

I dunno, mods these days, no sense of humour...

Re:Why is this in the Java topic?

[AragornSonOfArathorn]

Beer, beer. (Bier, bier?)

Re:Why is this in the Java topic?

[mattgreen]

It is because I poked fun at Java. Had I made a similar comment about C#, it would be modded up insightful most likely.

Re:Why is this in the Java topic?

[Anonymous Coward]

Okay, interesting point (although still doesn't change the fact that Java != JavaScript). Now explain what, exactly, this news item, which is filed under the Java section, has to do with Java.

Re:Why is this in the Java topic?

[hackstraw]

Java and Javascript have nothing at all to do with each other

They have everything to do with each other. Sun pressured Netscape back in the day to brand their browser clientside scripting language with the term Java in it.

The confusion was a marketing success!

Re:Why is this in the Java topic?

[Shai-kun]

Hey, it's how I picked mine too! My first name is Shai-ku, and last name starts with N... Sadly I didn't know you could have spaces in your nickname.

Re:Why is this in the Java topic?

[Anonymous Coward]

Yes, go Forth and prosper my good man.

Re:Why is this in the Java topic?

[leighklotz]

Originally it was case-insensitive but Sun made Netscape change it to match Java.

Re:Why is this in the Java topic?

[Nurgled]

I'm guessing that the reason they called it "JavaScript" was that in the early days it was used as little more than a glue language between HTML forms and embedded Java applets. JavaScript in Netscape was able to connect into the JVM and call methods on applets, and other such interesting things. The name comes from it being "a scripting language for Java", not "a scripting language based on Java".

Of course, I have no actual insider knowledge. This just seems like the most likely reason based on how JavaScript was set up back in the early implementations, before all this crazy DHTML stuff came along.

Re:fake DOS... Fake netware

[Anonymous Coward]

My buddy got kicked out of school for a similar stunt. He wrote a fake TSR that looked exactly like th e Novel NetWare login screen. It would take the username and password and give the user the standard wrong password error message that Novel would give. It would then record the username password pair to a text file, spawn the true novel login and wait for the next victim. He managed to get it installed in 3 computer labs and had over 700 passwords when he finally got busted. The kicked him out with a semester to go until graduation.

Mirror

[b0lt]

Mirror here
The terminal works, just without pictures for the buttons.

Re:This is totally OT but...

[Momoru]

It would appear you are either stupid, or lying, because I can still download things fine everywhere on microsoft's site (except for windows update).

Oh the irony....

[victorhooi]

Slashdot-syndrome strikes another victim....it'd be ironic if the server was hosted on Js/UNIx...(probly not, but a funny thought nonetheless)

Still, going to try this out to sate my uncontrollable new-OS syndrome...definitely one for the cool factor when my friends ask me how come all my windows have crashed, but I'm still working in my web browser....

No networking

[KiloByte]

Too bad, it has no networking code. And this is what we would really want. It would be possible using a hidden IFRAME. The latency would suck, though.

I happened to be reading the JS/UIX page right as the slashdotting came in. I want a JavaScript viewer for my termrec tool. My version is in very early stages, but at least it's in color :p

Webserver?

[generic]

So can I write a webserver for it and use my browser to serve webpages and look at them!

I am tempted to check it out.

Re:Webserver?

[the way, what're you]

So can I write a webserver for it and use my browser to serve webpages and look at them!

The answer is an emphatic yes? I'm just as excited as you are?

Re:Webserver?

[Exaton]

I suggest you write a Web server linked to the Zend Engine, so you can read PHP files, which would use the PHP extension that starts up and connects to a Java Virtual Machine, on which another Web server would be implemented, actually serving your files.

All of that running on this JavaScript Web-based OS, as you said.

Arg x_x *brain explodes*

nethack

[Anonymous Coward]

does it run nethack already?

Finally we can put together...

[ratta]

the ease of use of Unix with the security of Internet Explorer.

Re:Finally we can put together...

[suitepotato]

the ease of use of Unix with the security of Internet Explorer.

If this thing will work on an Amiga, the masochists will be truly happy.

The next application...

[Anonymous Coward]

Someone should write a web browser for this operating system, huh?

I tried it, very impressive - if reallly in JS

[HighOrbit]

I checked it out on Mirrordot. Very Impressive. I was able to create a directory, touch a file, and used vi to insert and save text, then copy it to another file. The shell even appears to be scriptable

"OS" is probably a misnomer, it would be probably better to call it a Write-Once/Run Anywhere Virtual Machine. A JS-based virtual machine might be kinda neat. It would probably never be as robust and general-purpose as JAVA, but could be useful for simple applications.

Re:I tried it, very impressive - if reallly in JS

[seweso]

It is faster than Java!

Re:This is totally OT but...

[Anonymous Coward]

next time take your head out of your ass before reading. OK, lets try again. DEER PARK ALPHA 1 does not download from the MS site. I have just tried both FF 1.0.4 and DP (oops, bad acronym there). DP is *not working*.

Comment removed

[account_deleted]

Comment removed based on user account deletion

SSH client?

[ahg]

An in browser SSH client in Java has been done before... but I would love one in Javascript, no extra components to install in the browser.

Re:SSH client?

[Anonymous Coward]

No. You're the second person to comment thinking this is some sort of SSH or telnet client.

JS/UIX is a UNIX-like Operating System. Running on top of a Virtual Machine. The Virtual Machine is written in Javascript.

JS/UIX implements process management, a filesystem (Complete with file permisions), a shell and some familiar UNIX applications such as vi and man. Sadly it does not (yet) feature network support nor a compiler, so it isn't useful in any real sense.

It is an Operating System running within your browser. Seriously.

Re:SSH client?

[ahg]

Thank you... I know what JS/UIX is. I would like to see an SSH app. It's one of those useful applications for a project like this. Right now it's just a technology demo without any useful apps that I've seen.

Re:SSH client?

[Shazow]

Sounds possible to me.

Take in input, relay via AJAX, get response, display, repeat.

Although might not be 100% secure though.

- shazow

Re:SSH client?

[Jerf]

An absolutely pure, portable, cross-platform Javascript SSH client is currently not possible. Javascript does not have a "socket" primitive. It only has XMLHttpRequest, which can only connect to webservers via HTTP, which is page-based protocol and you can't emulate a socket that way, either.

Of course you can build an SSH-like thing that has a server component, but that's been possible for a while. (It's not easy emulating a term, and it'd be latent as all hell, but that's what you get.)

You can hack and hack and hack, but without server support you just can't get past the fact you don't have a real socket connection in Javascript.

I added all those adjectives at the beginning because if you're willing to write and install a Mozilla XPCOM control or ActiveX or something that exposes a socket you can do it. But that is, presumably, not what you meant since you mentioned not needing to install components.

Re:SSH client?

[Anonymous Coward]

Sorry, but your post wasn't particularly clear. Not only was the title non-obvious, the body text never once mentioned running an SSH client on top of JS/UIX, just that you thought one running written in Javascript would be desirable.

On Slashdot, no one knows what you're thinking.

Re:SSH client?

[Anonymous Coward]

It exists, it's called Anyterm, and it's here:

http://anyterm.org/

It uses an Apache module to proxy XmlHttpRequest to SSH, or whatever other command-line program you want to run in it.

Don't mess the Tetris demo.

Re:SSH client?

[Anonymous Coward]

Why not use https?

Re:SSH client?

[Jerf]

Why not use https?

Learn what sockets are. Learn (It extends past a single slashdot message.) Learn SSH uses them.

Then compare with the https protocol.

Doesn't matter how clever you get; an https connection isn't an ssh connection; you've already lost before any of your JS program's input has made it onto the wire (encrypted or otherwise).

Re:SSH client?

[Kent Recal]

Well, actually you can get quite far with polling.
As you said, latency will be hell (e.g. 2 sec), but the UNIX CLI deals surprisingly well with high latency links.

Back in the day it was quite common to do stuff over 300bps links with high latency (probably rarely up to 2s but in the ballpark).

So, first of all you'll decouple Input and Output.
Instead of sending a char, waiting until the server echos it and printing it you will print the typed chars immediately and probably send the whole line on each poll (these few bytes are dwarfed by http protocol overhead anyways) so the server doesn't even need to "assemble" the line but just gets the whole thing everytime.

This will basically give you "local" feel on the CLI and latency only kicks in when you actually need the server response (e.g. cycling through the history or firing the command).

For interactive things (think: editor) it gets a bit more difficult since you actually depend on the editor telling you where to put the cursor etc.
Even for that stuff there are plenty ways to optimize cuz, as said, people have been tackling the "slow-link" problem very exhaustingly a long time ago.

Well, why anyone would want to spend all that effort when they can just use SSH is beyond me, tho... ;-)

Re:SSH client?

[Jerf]

You're not getting it. You can't open a connection to ssh in Javascript at all. Polling only enters into it if you add stuff to the server, at which point, like I said, anything is possible and it has been for a while.

XMLHttpRequest your SSH server all you want, as often as you want. You're not going to like the results.

Re:SSH client?

[Kent Recal]

Yup, I missed that part. I merely discussed the implementation of a secure remote shell with javascript via https.

Well, it's a braindead idea either way.

Uh oh...

[spiritraveller]

Hopefully they had good procedures for ensuring that none of SCO's javascript got in there.

Embedded browsers

[Anonymous Coward]

If you would happen to stumble across a browser embedded in a device without a sane operating system like Linux but with the posibility to run (custom) javascript code, you could use this code - if properly expanded with network features and compilers :) - to run custom applications.

I did not say this, I am not here.

Artificial Intelligence in JavaScript

[Mentifex]

Artificial intelligence has also been achieved -- in client-side JavaScript for MSIE 5.

Re:Artificial Intelligence in JavaScript

[PHP Addict]

Seems like that's the only intelligence in MSIE 5.

I Know!!!

[eno2001]

Let's build a kernel around the Gecko engine!!! Boot into Firefox on a framebuffer!!!! The ultimate intarweb terminal! In the process we accomplisht the following:

1. No more monolithic Linux kernel or proprietary Windows kernel!
2. No more mach kernel because they're slow dontchaknow
3. We get rid of X Windows and replace it with Gecko, Javascript, CSS and Mozilla chromes
4. No more clunky X Windows network transparency because nobody uses it anyways. Now all graphic connections will happen in memory instead of going out over the network to the router and back in to the machine they went out of!
5. No more ability to run servers (because only crackers and pirates do that)
6. Google searches become embedded in teh OS like Microsoft plans to do in Pot Noodle Hornlong!
7. A driving instructor somewhere in Johanessberg gets his job back mate!

Man am I thirsty! ;P

Re:I Know!!!

[yellowbkpk]

How do you think Google is going to do their OS? They can't rely on Firefox always being there... unless they built an OS out of it (in DHTML w/ JavaScript and AJAX) ...

Re:I Know!!!

[Anonymous Coward]

5. No more ability to run servers (because only crackers and pirates do that)

Racist!

Re:I Know!!!

[SirTalon42]

"Now all graphic connections will happen in memory instead of going out over the network to the router and back in to the machine they went out of!"

FYI Xorg generally uses Shared Memory for the connection if your running everything on your local system.

Re:I Know!!!

[Lifthrasir]

*woosh*

X11 uses UNIX domain sockets when the client & server are on the same machine.

people just see the 'network transperancy' bit and think - gee that must slow things down. There is no actual network traffic, and it is just another means of IPC.

Re:I Know!!!

[SecretAsianMan]

Great idea! Then we can keep track of all those purists who believe the WWW is hypertext documents rather than an application platform. We'll wait for these people to die, wrap wire around them as they're interred, and solve the world's energy problems by generating electricity as the dead purists turn perpetually in their graves.

Uses -- about as useful as Cygwin or Unix Svcs

[HighOrbit]

Well, maybe not as robust or developed as Cygwin or Unix Svcs, but the concept is the same. A unix environment avaiable on a non-unix platform.

I tried this out on mirrordot and was impressed (even if it is still in proof-of-concept stage). It would be neat to have a unix environment anywhere you have an internet connection. I could also see it being used as a extremely portable virtual machine for simple applications.

Countdown

[kryogen1x]

Wonder when google is going to hire the guys that made it?

Is this an original work?

[Anonymous Coward]

A guy with a russian language web site had a unix implementation in javascript a few years back.
I wonder if this is a re-emplementation, or a copy.

PS: anyone recall which guy I'm talking about? He had a bunch of other cool javascript hacks as well.

Right?

[RasendeRutje]

So need need another operating system
to run aan browser
to run javascript
to run this new operating system?
This must be useful!

but is there a browser in their OS?

[Dan9999]

Can't check now, the site is down.

But if there is a browser available in that OS, I've been looking for one now for ages to basically create an OS in Javascript. It really sounds like this is the OS that I should choose to create this... if it has a browser of course ;)

Re:but is there a browser in their OS?

[Anonymous Coward]

Notice how you didn't get any funny points? That's because it's not funny. Ass.

I can see it already...

[Anonymous Coward]

Geek 1: I installed linux on my xbox!
Geek 2: Yeah, well I installed it on my fridge!
Geek 3: That's nothing, I installed it on my web browser!
Geeks 1 & 2: Wow!

A-ha!

[Enjoi]

Since it is just javascript, would it be as easy as viewing the source and copying it to get it on my site?

it'd be interesting to have something like this on it, maybe with some nice customised commands. Maybe add user interation.

They stole MY idea !!!

[The MESMERIC]

I've been thinking about this for over 2 years.
But I've never publicized or implemented it though :(

(It would be based on FluxBox .. so all the DHTML would be there, oh and it would work on Konqueror/Opera/Firefox/IE)

The desktop menu would be translucent (perhaps use an IFrame for IE but PNG for the rest).

And you would get all the little things like calendar, notes, email, and sessions would be saved on a cookie.

When I realized the utter complexity (and in a way futility) of the task .. I just kept procrastinating.

Stuff like that is good to do if you have a LOT of free time in your hands (or people don't keep giving you deadlines).

Oh and then there was GrannyOS (another vapourware) that I sometimes dream about doing.

IF you don't act on an idea soon, the Unconscious will tip someone else.

PS: If anyone wants to have a go at the Javascript Desktop OS - contact me, 2 people are easier. I got a fake "boot-up" script working
(Detecting this .... [ok], Detecting that ... [ok] like PLD-Linux booting up)

Re:They stole MY idea !!!

[Shazow]

Yes, they stole all of OUR ideas...

I'm sure they weren't the first, nor were you. :-)

I had an idea like that a while ago, too.

I wouldn't mind contributing if you get a team going. Doubt I could get into it full-time, but I could write an app or two.

What I was thinking is having a web-based office suite. Have an option to upload a file (eg. word, or open office format), it'll parse it, format it, and load it off the server, displaying it with a nice GUI. It'll let you edit it, save it back to the server, or download it back onto your removable device.

I'm sure millions of people would find this useful. Especially if it could be portable, so other sites can use the software to manage their text-editing needs.

And the technology already exists.
For example, the blogger editor has all the formatting you need. Gmail has web-based spell-checking. There are several Word parsers out there (I'm working on a simplified one right now).

I think that would be a very reasonable project, and very useful. Especially if there's a 'convert to PDF' or something feature, too.

- shazow

Re:They stole MY idea !!!

[MajorDick]

Hmmm, maybe you stole your idea from WebOS ? Theyve been around at least 6 years

Re:They stole MY idea !!!

[The MESMERIC]

I agree it is one of those obvious things that sooner and later someone would emulate.

My idea was really purely a spoof OS 100% client-side, just for fun - it would be a "this-can-be-done" rather than "this-should-be-used" approach - for sheer curisioty.

Once the Desktop system is ready (a translucent pop-up menu a-la Fluxbox) we add items.

Calculator, Calendar, RSS news, notepad, HTML Editor .. anything that can be accomplished client-side. It will be one fat cookie!

I am playing with the UNIX/JS console.
It is very very good.
Shame it doesn't run on Konqueror, but that is KHTML fault. Probably there is a way round it somewhere (input fields?).

Also the code is not GPL,
so I won't even bother looking at the code.
If I had to implement a CLI it would be from scratch .. and obviously it would be no way as terse and good as his.

Mine would be a proof-of-concept of a "glossy" Visual Desktop; his is a proof-of-concept of a Unix Terminal.
Mine would be absolutely useless really, but hopefully intriguing and cute :)

GPL of course.

I feel tempted now .... need to find some webspace. Popping menus + PNGs transparencies will be just way too cool.

Re:They stole MY idea !!!

[SirTalon42]

Just so you know, it works on Konqueror (though you have to use it's on screen keyboard).

Have a look at http://robin.sourceforge.net/

Looks like someone is way ahead of you.

Re:They stole MY idea !!!

[The MESMERIC]

very sweet and cool.

someone had more free time

still, if i can't baske in my own glory
i have no qualms in basking on others

it is sourceforge,
i might seriously consider joining them.
thanks for the link

just coral cache it

[matgorb]

http://www.masswerk.at.nyud.net:8090/jsuix/

embed browser in firmware

[Junior J. Junior III]

If only you didn't need an OS to run the web browser on."

If this caught on, they'd probably come up with a sytem that has an embedded browser built into CMOS.

As is is, however, I think that this has to run extremely slow due to the number of layers of abstraction and emulation involved.

Re:embed browser in firmware

[Anonymous Coward]

The pheonix browser (no, not the earlier incarnation of firefox) is a web browser that can run on the BIOS.

This is the reason for the pheonix -> firebird name change incidentally.

nitpick

[Bastian]

If only you didn't need an OS to run the web browser on.

Technically, you don't.

Re:nitpick

[Lord Duran]

Someone does not understand cynicism.

download

[kwoff]

Where do you download it?

Doesn't have to be in a web browser

[Nurgled]

I've not yet looked at the code to find out if it's written cleanly enough for this, but theoretically someone could use an out-of-browser JavaScript interpreter and a replacement terminal part to make it talk over a socket, telnet-style. Then you could run it as a daemon and forget it's written in JavaScript...

If you were really crazy, you could even figure out how to make it support multiple concurrent terminals, run it as init (with an appropriate wrapper+js-interpreter written in C) on a system with the Linux kernel installed and have it bind to all of the local ttys and a provide a telnet server. You'd still have a kernel running atop a kernel, but in all other respects JS/UIX would be your operating system.

Neither of those are particularly useful, but would be kinda neat. :)

From the about page:

[Saint Aardvark]

Here's the documentation from http://www.masswerk.at/jsuix/jsuix-documentation.t xt. The lameness filter is complaining about too many junk characters, so let's see if this paragraph will be enough to get it by.

JS/UIX - A Short Documentation (based on v.0.42) by Norbert Landsteiner

[Logo removed -- attempt to defeat lameness filter]

1) What it is

JS/UIX is a virtual OS written entierly in JavaScript to be run in any standard web-browser (type 4.0 or higher). The user interface - a simple 80 colums terminal - is implemented in DHTML but could be implemented in any other JavaScript compliant application environment as p.e. Macromedia Flash(TM).

JS/UIX features a UN*X-like operating environment with no intention of any full POSIX compatibility. Some standard commands have been implemented at full range others with just simple syntax or basic functionality, while new commands have been added. The only application for now is a simple implementation of vi (visual editor).

JS/UIX is now a mere demonstration object. A serious application could be its use as an interface to a server-shell or CGI-process via a rlogin like protocoll, where any transaction data could be encrypted and stored in an additional HTML-[I]FRAME.

Fig. 1: Possible implementation of a remote interface [removed to get by lameness filter]

A second application could be an embedded service, which would be executed local to the client but would retrieve remote data from a host via HTTP and CGI.

Fig. 2: Possible implementation of a local service using remote data [removed to defeat lameness filter]

2) Features & Functions

a) Users and Files

JS/UIX accepts any valid user name as login with the exception of "exit" and "root" (or any of their derevative spellings). "exit" will close the console while "root" is a protected user showing a password prompt. (root:machtNix) (Future versions might allow password control for all users via a "passwd"- command. A practical implementation - see above, fig. 1-2 - would probably not give access to unregistrated users. This should be a demo feature only.)

A valid login triggers the following steps: - an entry in /etc/passwd is searched or generated - an entry in /etc/group is searched or generated - the home directory /home/ is generated if not found - the home directory and user-variables are set - the history file /home//.history is loaded or generated - the file /etc/profile is searched and executed

"root" has the UID 0 and is allocated to the groups 0 (system) and 1 (wheel), while a normal user acquires a UID greater than 100 and is allocated to the groups 1 (wheel) and 2 (users) with GID 2.

The same steps are taken at "su" (switch user) but the working directory will not be set to the home directory ($HOME). (See the note on "su" below.)

A typical allocation of users and groups after a login with user-id "guest" will look like the following:

$ cat /etc/passwd root:*:0:1:root:/root:/bin/sh guest:*:101:2:guest:/home/guest:/bin/sh

$ cat /etc/group system:0:root users:2:guest wheel:1:root,guest

Fig. 3: Users and groups after login with user-id "guest"

After login the user will be prompted with the default prompt:

[guest@masswerk.at:2]$ _

showing the user-name, host and PID as defined in $PS. (default value: [${USER}@${HOST}:${PID}]) A normal user's prompt will be marked with the suffix "$" while the root user's prompt is marked with the suffix "#". (Hard coded, no $PS2 by now!)

Note: Currently the prompt is not a function of the shell but of the kernel (triggered by the TTY-interface). This should be fixed in future versions.

b) Files

Files are stored virt

Re:This is totally OT but...

[Anonymous Coward]

Is their server sending a HTTP vary header? If so, write and tell them you're using nightlies and their webapp is buggy.

Better than localhost!

[mogmismo]

This beats the sending the cracker to 127.0.0.1. Now we can just honeypot them inside their browsers! M.

Alive Just

[agoodm]

Not much to see, I have managed to mirror it (not sure if mirroring it produced a woring version on my server tho... http://agoodm.plus.com/www.masswerk.at/jsuix/

Why exactly is it...

[programgeek]

Pardon my ignorance of the subject, but why is it exactly that JavaScript has no written standard/specification as we are speaking?

SCO vLawsuit

[charlieo88]

In response, SCO announced that it will be pressing new browser-based virtual lawsuits.

Wow.

[StarKruzr]

This should win "geekiest comment of the year." Bravo, monsieur.

Alive - mirror enclosed

[agoodm]

My mirror doesnt exactly work properly because it is still trying to download the java script files you can however play around with it.

woops! not that secure

[Enjoi]

var conf_rootpassskey='7B56B841C38BF38C';

Re:woops! not that secure

[Anonymous Coward]

Yeah, but how do you use it?

Re:fake DOS... Fake netware

[Anonymous Coward]

We did that at college with the VMS system, but we passed the userid/password information onto the actual login screen and signed user in after we saved them. God, I miss DCL and VMS/Basic sometimes.

To complement your BIOS based browser

[Zoxed]

> If only you didn't need an OS to run the web browser on.

How about this: http://www.phoenix.com/en/Products/Trusted+Applica tions/Phoenix+FirstWare/FirstWare+Connect/default. htm

There is.

[akozakie]

Because there were many variants before anyone thought of this (JavaScript, JScript). But there is a standard - ECMA Script. It's basically the greatest common subset of those. I know Opera usess this as a reference for scripting implementation.

"java and unix sitting in a tree"

[spac3manspiff]

Java != JavaScript

Re:"java and unix sitting in a tree"

[BigTunaCan]

If it wasn't for all those durn politics we'd still be calling it EcmaScript.

Re:fake DOS... Fake netware

[Swedentom]

I did the same thing a couple of years ago at my school, with Windows 2000. However, the ctrl-alt-delete login keystroke is protected in Windows, so I made it so that the login window was always present. It was a pretty lame imitation that didn't really look that much like the original, but just about everyone trusted it. I don't think the IT admin every figured out what it was, but he knew I was up to something...

Here's the app if anyone wants it... http://www.lightheadsw.com/~old/bdn/login.exe

Infinite loop . .

[Badgerman]

I have an OS running my browser to run an OS shell on. Now can I get a browser on this OS so I can bring up web pages inside the browser inside the OS running on my browser running on my OS?

why 127.0.0.1 ?

[ammoQ]

Every IP number with 127 in the beginning has the same effect, e.g. 127.5.4.3 or 127.98.32.119 . Try it! Some scriptkiddies might already know 127.0.0.1, but 127.76.199.20 is not so obvious.

Re:Why does my web browser need an OS....

[hey!]

Why does my hardware machine need a virtual machine?

Development Crime Against Humanity

[Anonymous Coward]

It is in these cases when we need to seriously consider corporal punishment for development crimes against humanity.

OS... built... on... JavaScript... o... m... g....

Lemmings!

[Butterspoon]

For another really cool example of what you can do with JavaScript, click here.

Hardware Impact

[kbw]

Now I'll need 512Mb on my phone.

Re:Hardware Impact

[kanweg]

512 Mb? That's 64 MB. I believe that is not uncommon, so it should work.

Bert

It's not an OS

[trailerparkcassanova]

It's an abstraction layer.

Things have certainly changed

[Anonymous Coward]

I remember when nerdiness reached its extreme when the number of software layers was reduced to one and you programmed to the bare metal. But I guess those programs were too useful to qualify today.

Re:Things have certainly changed

[ksheff]

The sad thing is that apparently many schools aren't teaching assembly or even C anymore.

Re:Things have certainly changed

[I(rispee_I(reme]

Even sadder, my math teacher told me today that the method of deriving square roots by hand is no longer taught, because calculators are a much easier method.

Re:Things have certainly changed

[JohnFluxx]

jeez who on earth would want to derive the square root of a number by hand?
Besides, just guess, see if it's too big or small, and guess again. Would get you there fairly quickly.

Re:Things have certainly changed

[Anonymous Coward]

pointing to the fact of guessing.
Guessing should not be used in education or something... I don't buy that, but it appears a lot do. Getting the wrong answer is worse than not doing it to begin with.

Re:Things have certainly changed

[Anonymous Coward]

Yeah, everything used to be better. Damn kids!

Re:Things have certainly changed

[Anonymous Coward]

Really, I wasn't taught how to derive it by hand in math but we were taught in Computer science when he taught us Recursions. That was a few years ago but it was pretty interesting to see. Yes, this was in high school. In fact once you get past the coding part of computer science it basically becomes math. In university that's all you really do in CS; logic and math.

I always find it funny how certain kids in high school would make assumptions just cause they only took the basic courses. Take some different things and you'll find that they still teach a lot, its just been classified under different things. Man I took one automotive course and our teacher had us using these machines that could cut out curves based on math equations you would put into it. These things were mechanical not electrical so they were old. It was crazy, I was one of the only ones who could do the calculus to work it. In fact all our cuts had to be based off geometry and calculus. This guy was seriously old school. He use to work as tool and dye for Fords. He was like 70 and refused to retire. I guess I was just lucky. But I do know that a lot of teachers who teach the trades are all old school. Some of the best courses I took

needs to take on lessons from gentoo

[twohorse]

Javascript unix, thats great but who's going to rewrite gcc to support native low level javascript? How long will it take to recompile gnome and kde? And which Gentoo compile flags will be supported?

oh dear god...

[Philodoxx]

Finally, the efficiency of javascript, the user friendliness of unix, and the uncompromising speed of a web based application all in one package.

Irony

[AgentSlash]

Hmm. Ironically, your post sounds an aweful lot like a "I'm not clever or imaginive enough to come up with my own innovations so I'll just ridicule someone else who is." compensation device...

Re:Irony

[kin_korn_karn]

I'm not concerned about impressing assholes on slashdot, so I don't put a lot of effort into it.

Re:Just what we need

[rajafarian]

I say Google incorporate this into their list of services and blow M$ out of the water!

ACK!

[Anonymous Coward]

[guest@www.masswerk.at.nyud.net:2]$gcc
command not found: "gcc"
[guest@www.masswerk.at.nyud.net:2]$mount
c ommand not found: "mount"
[guest@www.masswerk.at.nyud.net:2]$ time
11:31:05

What the hell!

Wait a second..

[Khyber]

An OS for a web browser? So lemme see. install windows/linux/whatever, install web browser, install ANOTHER OS to run the web-browser? I may be misunderstanding but this is what it sounds like. How many operating systems do we need any damned ways?

Re:Wait a second..

[Anonymous Coward]

Khyber, your enormous techie ego(as witnessed with the almost daily battles with Ash) seems only to be trumped by your failure to comprehend.

It's an OS that RUNS entirely within the browser, with virtualized devices and whatnot.

DHTML Implementation of MacOS Classic

[Anonymous Coward]

I'm surprised nobody has mentioned http://www.yaromat.de/macos8. Unfortunately, this DHTML is IE-only so you'll have to see it under WINE, VMWare, QEMU, or (eek!) Windows.

It supports window dragging, scaling, and even has a few games.

Too bad it needs an OS to serve it up..

[jbuilder]

Right this moment is succumbing to the /. effect...

boot sd(0,a)vmunix.el

[argent]

Once you have Emacs ported you can start implementing the frequently proposed vmunix.el.

perl?

[circusboy]

After the 'original' couple, one has to believe that there's python involved somewhere...

One word

[Krojack]

Gross...

Re:Why does my web browser need an OS....

[Anonymous Coward]

You KNOW they got it faster than HURD, right?

.Net

[sn0wflake]

I wonder when Windows built on .Net is released?

More wasted effort

[c0d3h4x0r]

For some reason, geeks seem to have this innate need to build shit that no one needs and no one asked for.

Why not spend your time doing something that's actually useful, such as, say, making Linux easier to use?

Re:More wasted effort

[DylanQuixote]

Some people play first person shooters for fun. Other people write operating systems. Me, I get my jollies by designing new programming languages.

Re:More wasted effort

[Anonymous Coward]

How about you spend some time in doing something actually useful?

Like learning Linux and contributing in making it easier to use?
It need not be just programming, it could be writing up manuals (tips and tricks), it could be artistic work: theme, icons. It could be an informative list of easy distros and Linux apps. It could be drafts of a new approach to Desktop. It could be anything that would make a positive encouragement and input but not mindless negative ranting.

Understand Linux is a community driven OS, there is no QA department for you to ring, sue or complain.

So, rise up from that rancid mediocricity, stop bickering and actually do something yourself.
That or just shut da fuck up.

Many of us sweat for free and sincerely care way more than you envisage.
You think its easy?
Still many still persevere in making the Linux experience better and "easier" for all.

Negative Mediocre Arses do fuck all but nag-nag-nag as if the world or we owed them anything.

Re:More wasted effort

[Anonymous Coward]

Linux is easy to use, the real problem is that you are too stupid.

Come on thicko - try and learn something for a change.

Hang on a moment - maybe I used some words that were too difficult for your tiny little mind to comprehend - I'll put it simpler for you.

"Linux easy. You stoopid. Ug!"

Get it? Didn't think so.

--This post was brought to you by the letter "Y" and the words "Sarcasm" and "Get a life you dork"

Re:More wasted effort

[Anonymous Coward]

Why not spend your time doing something that's actually useful, such as, say, making Linux easier to use?

Or better yet, bitching on Slashdot!

Some actual value here...

[AgentSlash]

Ok, I think it accomplishes at least a few useful things:

1. Corroborates the recent AJAX fad: establishes a very flashy metric illustrating some degree of robustness of JavaScript. If you can do an OS, you must be able to do some reasonably serious client apps, right? It's PR for "thick client" development which I happen to think we need more of and M$ thinks we need none of.
2. Might spark a lightbulb in someone's head that web-browser-side application development frameworks might be handy. (I kinda like command-line interfaces and now we can have them in web pages ;) ) Anyway, someone might try making a browser-side application development system that is easier to use than Java-Script for example.
3. Perhaps obliquely encourages the development of more refined user interfaces in web applications.

A lot of people apparently don't realize that web apps can be much more than just form submissions. This little stunt helps drive home just how powerful web apps can really be. All those middle-managers who aren't actually developers will perhaps start approving the development of more sophisticated user interfaces in web apps once they see how robust the browser environment can really be.

Java applets should have enabled this movement a long time ago, but at least people are getting a clue now.

Re:Some actual value here...

[AKAImBatman]

Corroborates the recent AJAX fad: establishes a very flashy metric illustrating some degree of robustness of JavaScript.

Well, it *would* corroborate AJAX if it actually accessed a server. Which it doesn't. *shrug*

This is really nothing new. As I said, WebOS did this half a decade ago with Internet Explorer. It's just that computers are finally getting powerful enough, browsers stable enough, and enough standards are being followed to make these cute apps work in most instances. :-)

How do you develop something this big in JS?

[AgentSlash]

I'd like to know how complex this code is... how many lines, functions, etc?

In my brief forrays into JavaScript development I have found debugging to be a serious pain because browser error messages are so information-free.

Is there such thing as a JavaScript debugger out there?

What kind of development tools would someone use for making a JavaScript app of this kind of sophistication?

Can anyone at least point the rest of us to some good freely-available JavaScript editors?

Re:How do you develop something this big in JS?

[Derek Pomery]

Clearly you've never once used the Mozilla Suite.
Or perhaps it is no longer included by default anymore in the Suite.
http://www.mozilla.org/projects/venkman/

Somebody has WAY too much time on their hands!

[Master of Transhuman]

Still, an interesting project - I'm sure the author(s) learned a lot about JavaScript doing this.

It's not so hot...

[AwenAnam]

The shell manager has no tab autocompletion.

Porting bash anyone?

another mirror

[Anonymous Coward]

I changed roots password to 'letmein' also. haha i mirrored a mirror but I'm a bit slow with html, I don't know how to remove the mirror text

OMG

[lildogie]

Imagine a beowulf cluster of these.

Reminds me of what I used to do on the Apple ][e

[Anonymous Coward]

Heh, I used to use the infamous CALL-151 to go from Apple BASIC into machine language. Then I'd type several L's to queue up a long dump listing. Then I'd use a certain escape sequence to clear the screen, and finish it all of with a fake "]" prompt in the lower left corner of the screen. The next guy to use that computer at school would type his first command for the class and get presented with a nice long dump listing that would last for a minute. The clueless teacher would blame him for messing around. Boy, I miss those days. :)

Also, I wrote a BASIC program that booby-trapped any attempted listing of my code, complete with a command interpreter of some commands. Type LIST and you'd be presented with a fake list of my code. But try to alter a line number and you'd get presented with a message saying the computer overheated, complete with bell sounds as each letter was displayed. Pressing any key would reboot the Apple. Ah, fun times. :)

gcc?

[rudydog]

Now they need to port gcc to this :)

I confess to being a total idiot.

[Anonymous Coward]

I just didn't get this one and since it feels demeaning to reveal my identity, therefore i post in a cowardly fashion.

Normally i understand all the geeky comments in here. This one, however, is seemingly well beyond my capabilities. Worst thing is that at least a couple of people must have gotten it since it's modded "Score:5, funny"?

So I demand a walkthrough to be posted.

| slashdot.org

Re:I confess to being a total idiot.

[Anonymous Coward]

Don't worry, you're not missing any references. It's a Kool Keith-esque post... abstract humor topped with an esoteric diss. Either you get it or you don't. I think I do, so let me explain.

First, the OP's lame attempt at disk corruption humor was taken in an unexpected direction (via an obviously wrong factorization), most likely because it looked a mathematical expression full of exponentiation.

Second, since said "disk corruption" text began with "d^i^c^kz", there was a golden opportunity to disrespect the OP. He chose to do so by insinuating that the length of his penis was abnormally small, and for this purpose, he chose the len() (i.e. length) function.

At least, that's how I understand it. Like I said, either you find it funny or you don't. And with that, the joke is officially dead.

"Our audience is like people who like licorice. Not everybody likes licorice, but the people who like licorice really like licorice" - Jerry Garcia

so since its an OS...

[SolusSD]

was it slashdotted or dDos'd?

i crashed it

[Anonymous Coward]

Awesome, i crashed it with a shell command that once caused a kernel panic in mac os x:

[ted@mirrordot.org:2]$ mkdir foo
[ted@mirrordot.org:2]$ cd foo
[ted@mirrordot.org:2]$ mkdir foo
[ted@mirrordot.org:2]$ mv foo ..

it just died!

Re:i crashed it

[pluggo]

Heh... I took a cursory look at the source code, and I thought it had permissions...

[guest]$ ls -l ls
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root wheel bin/n.a. 2005/06/16 22:09:14 ls
[guest]$ rm ls
[guest]$ ls
command not found: "ls"
[guest]$

It won't allow deletion of /etc/passwd, however... some kind of hardwired check I wonder?

Whatever the case may be, it's still a very cool toy to play with. What I think would be a cool next step is to use AJAX and actually store data on the server... maybe I'll hack on it a little myself. Not that I could redistribute it... (the header of the sources says all rights reserved, copyright, blahblahblah...) but it might be fun.

when people leave their computers unlocked..

[dougnaka]

I hop on WIN+R cmd (or command on win9x) prompt "operating system not found" cls ALT+ENTER

walk away... I've had almost a dozen people who rebooted and then came to me (I was the IT guy) with holy crap I think my computer's dead..

Re:SSH client? IT EXISTS - ANYTERM!

[Anonymous Coward]

Well while you lot are discussing this up at score=2 level, right below you with score=0 is a pointer to an actual implementation, using an Apache module, with an online demo where you can see exactly how latent it isn't. http://anyterm.org/. The web site discusses all the security issues and explains the implementation. And it's GPLed.

Amiga Workbench in JavaScript

[DruggedBunny]

This is very impressive too... and just as useless!

[T]he [A]miga [W]orkbench [S]imulation

your first 8 words

[Anonymous Coward]

Why all the restrictions? If you accept the single caveat that you've got an extra n hops before getting to the other end of your "socket" connection, where n = number of hops between you and your server, then you've got zero real hurdles to creating a "socket" and some sort of "socket" library that would look very similar to whatever you're trying to emulate. XMLHttpRequest is perfectly capable of presenting some encoded version of a TCP/IP packet which then web server host can then decode and send on it's way, relaying the resulting responding packets to the browser.

I actually met the guy who first did TCP/IP through the water between subs. I think he'd agree that he had a lot less to work with.

With that said, I _could_ run around dit-dah'ing everybody in an attempt to get the world around me to communicate in morse-code. But I probably won't.

XPCOM

[mewphobia]

I added all those adjectives at the beginning because if you're willing to write and install a Mozilla XPCOM control or ActiveX or something that exposes a socket you can do it. But that is, presumably, not what you meant since you mentioned not needing to install components.

AFAIK you can access sockets without installing an XPCOM component into mozilla chrome by requesting the privledge. Something like (although my example is for file access):

try {
netscape.security.PrivilegeManager.enablePrivil ege("UniversalXPConnect");
const FileFactory = new Components.Constructor("@mozilla.org/file/local;1" ,"nsILocalFile","initWithPath");
} catch(e) {
alert(e);
return false;
}

The user will get a warning dialog asking if they want to give the script the appropriate privledge, but that's all.

Alternately, ActiveX can do it without you installing a component - hence why ActiveX is a load of shit and a massive security risk.