The release of the Chrome OS 90 operating system based on the Linux kernel, the upstart system manager, the ebuild / portage assembly toolkit, open components and the Chrome 90 web browser took place. The Chrome OS user environment is limited to a web browser, and web applications are used instead of standard programs, however, Chrome OS includes a full multi-window interface, desktop and taskbar. The Chrome OS 90 build is available for most current Chromebook models. Enthusiasts have formed unofficial builds for regular computers with x86, x86_64 and ARM processors. The source texts are distributed under the Apache 2.0 free license.
Key changes in Chrome OS 90:
- A new troubleshooting app is included, allowing you to run tests and check the status of your battery, processor, and memory. The results of the performed checks can be written to a file for subsequent transfer to the support service.
- Changed the design of the account manager, which is also moved to a separate section "Accounts". The identity model in Chrome OS has been made easier to understand and the distinction between device accounts and linked Google accounts has been made clearer. Changed the process for adding accounts and provided the ability to do without attaching your Google account to other people's sessions.
- The possibility of offline access to files with documents, spreadsheets and presentations stored in Google cloud services is provided. The appeal is carried out through the "My Drive" directory in the file manager. To enable access to files in offline mode, select the directories in the "My Drive" section in the file manager and activate the "Available offline" flag for them.
- Added "Live Caption" function, which allows you to automatically create subtitles on the fly when watching any video, when listening to audio recordings or when receiving video calls through the browser. To enable "Live Caption" in the "Accessibility" section, activate the "Captions" checkbox.
- Added a simple interface to inform you when updates are available for Docks and Certified Chromebook Accessories, allowing you to immediately apply available updates.
- For new users, by default, YouTube and Google Maps are launched in separate windows, stylized as separate applications, and not in browser tabs. You can change the mode through the context menu shown when you right-click on the icon of the YouTube and Maps applications.
- The interface for navigating through recently saved downloads and screenshots has been updated, which also allows you to pin important files in a visible place and perform one-click operations such as launch, copy and move.
- The universal built-in search capabilities have been expanded, which now allows you not only to search for applications, local files and files in Google Drive, but also to perform simple mathematical calculations, get weather forecasts, get stock prices and access dictionaries.
- Added support for scanning documents using MFPs that combine the functions of a printer and a scanner. Access to scanners via Wi-Fi or direct connection via USB port is supported (Bluetooth is not supported yet).
- The AMR-NB, AMR-WB and GSM audio codecs have been declared obsolete. Until the final removal, support for these codecs can be returned through the "chrome://flags/#deprecate-low-usage-codecs" parameter or a separate application with their implementation from Google Play can be installed.
Source: opennet.ru