Native Support For Windows File Sharing Coming To Chrome OS (arstechnica.com)

Chrome OS 70, which Google plans to release in the second half of next month, will include native support for SMB file shares, giving it built-in access to files stored on Windows servers. With this, Chrome OS users can add SMB file shares to the Files app and use them to store and load documents. From a report: Currently, using these network resources requires the use of an extension that adds a similar ability to add file shares to the Files app. Google has been working to make Files a more capable application. As well as integrating support for networked files, the company is also experimenting with giving it more access to Android files, something that will streamline the use of Android applications by exposing their data files to Chrome OS apps. The SMB support helps smooth a pain point when mixing Chromebooks with other systems: it makes it easier to use Chrome OS with corporate file servers, home networked storage devices, and of course, Windows PCs. Instead of needing the extra extension to be installed, these things will just work out of the box.

Comments

Lets get IE 5 and Active X again.

[jellomizer]

I am all for new features. But giving the browser more access to the file structure and networked files, reminds me of the Windows 98 Lets integrate the browser in the OS and the old Netscape, Lets make the browser the OS methodology.

If your browser can do it natively, then you are opening the door for outside sites that use the browser to do it as well. It reminds me of when Active X came out to compete with Java Applets. One of its big selling points was the ability to open and save files. And used a do you trust this Active X as its only security measure. This turned IE into a security nightmare.

Having this feature, even with a lot of safeguards, being native means you may be a single security flaw away from a major problem. Besides unlike 20 years ago, system files are not the big problem, it is what is in your document folders and shared is where all the valuable stuff is.