The release of the Chrome OS 96 operating system based on the Linux kernel, the upstart system manager, the ebuild / portage assembly toolkit, open components and the Chrome 96 web browser has been published. 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. The Chrome OS 96 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 96:
- The capabilities of the application for working with the camera have been significantly expanded. The program has a separate mode for scanning documents, which allows you to use the front or rear camera instead of a scanner. During the scanning process, the program automatically determines the boundaries of the document to trim the excess background. The received document can be saved in PDF or JPEG format, sent to a social network or Gmail, transferred to a smartphone using the Nearby Share function.
When connecting an external camera to a Chromebook, added support for adjusting the angle of inclination and zooming in / out using the βPan-Tilt-Zoomβ settings block to select the visible area of ββββthe image.
The program for working with the camera also offers a "video" mode for quick video recording, the ability to create a snapshot by a timer, and a QR code scanning mode. All pictures and videos are automatically saved to the "Camera" directory and are available from the file manager. Next year, we plan to add the ability to create animated GIFs and implement voice control of the camera through Google Assistant (for example, to take a picture, it will be enough to say βtake a photoβ).
- A new sidebar has been proposed that makes it easier to compare data from pages on different sites in the browser, for example, when working with a search engine, you can open the page of interest without closing the list with search results - if the information does not match your expectations, you can immediately open another page without going back and without losing searching results.
- Added the ability to use the Nearby Share feature from ARC++ (App Runtime for Chrome), a layer for running Android apps on Chrome OS. Nearby Share allows you to quickly and securely transfer files to nearby devices running Chrome Browser. Previously, Nearby Share could be used from the file manager, web apps, and Chrome OS system apps. The feature is now available for Android apps as well.
- A setting has been added to allow applications to be used as default handlers for various types of links. For example, you can set up a call to the Zoom PWA app to handle clicking on links to zoom.us.
- Added a prompt to the on-screen keyboard for pasting data that was added to the clipboard within the last two minutes. If you place the data on the clipboard and open the virtual keyboard, then the added data will be shown in the top line and one click is enough to paste them into the text.
- Improved interface for setting desktop wallpapers.
- A separate section with settings for displaying notifications has been added to the configurator (previously, notifications were configured only through the Quick Settings menu).
- The Chrome OS 96 branch will be maintained for 8 weeks as part of the LTS (Long-term support) cycle.
Source: opennet.ru