A release of the Chrome OS 102 operating system is available, based on the Linux kernel, the upstart system manager, the ebuild / portage assembly tool, open components and the Chrome 102 web browser. The Chrome OS user environment is limited to a web browser, and instead of standard programs, web applications are involved, however, Chrome OS includes a full multi-window interface, desktop and taskbar. Chrome OS build 102 is available for most current Chromebook models. The source texts are distributed under the Apache 2.0 free license. In addition, testing of Chrome OS Flex, an edition for Chrome OS for use on desktops, continues. Enthusiasts also form unofficial builds for regular computers with x86, x86_64 and ARM processors.
Key changes in Chrome OS 102:
- The Chrome OS 102 branch has been declared LTS (Long-term support) and will be maintained as part of an extended support cycle until March 2023. Maintenance of the previous LTS branch of Chrome OS 96 will last until September 2022. Separately, the LTC (Long-term candidate) branch stands out, which differs from LTS by an earlier update to a branch with an extended support period (devices connected to the LTC update delivery channel will be transferred to Chrome OS 102 immediately, and those connected to the LTS channel will be upgraded in September ).
- Added a warning about cable issues when connecting external devices to your Chromebook via a USB Type-C port, if the cable used affects the device's performance and functionality (for example, when the cable does not support certain Type-C features, such as screen connection, or does not provide high data transfer modes when used on a Chromebook with USB4/Thunderbolt 3).
- Improved interface for configuring camera application settings. The left toolbar has simplified access to options and clearly shows which modes and features are currently enabled or not active. In the settings tab, the readability of the parameters has been improved and the search has been simplified.
- Started with the release of Chrome OS 100, we continue the modernization of the application panel (Launcher). The new version of Launcher implements the ability to search for tabs open in the browser. The search takes into account the URL and the title of the page in the tab. In the list with search results, the category with found browser tabs, like other categories, is ranked in relation to the frequency of user clicks on results of a certain type. Tabs that are playing audio or recently used are listed first. When the user clicks on the found tab, it opens in the browser.
- The file manager has built-in support for extracting data from ZIP archives. To expand the archive, the "Extract All" item has been added to the context menu.
- The operating system integrates a VPN client with support for the IKEv2 protocol. The configuration is carried out through the standard configurator, similar to the previously available L2TP/IPsec and OpenVPN VPN clients.
- Improved interface zoom in certain areas of the screen. Expanded split-screen zoom mode, where the bottom half shows the existing content and the top half shows a larger version of it. In the new version, the user can arbitrarily resize the top and bottom parts, giving more space to the content or enlargement results.
- Added support for continuous panning of content - as the cursor moves, the rest of the screen moves with it. You can also control panning with the keyboard shortcut ctrl + alt + cursor arrows.
- Cursive is included for taking handwritten notes, organizing ideas, and creating simple drawings. Notes and drawings can be grouped together into projects that can be shared with users, transferred to other applications, and exported to PDF. This app was previously tested on individual users and is now enabled by default on all devices that support a stylus.
Source: opennet.ru