RevLin news & blog site

We are pleased to announce the launch of the new Company site for RevLin Software, http://RevLin.org . Head over and take a peak !

Many of you have asked what exactly RevLin OS is. RevLin OS is a lightweight yet (very much) fully featured desktop operating system which uses web languages such as Javascript, Html5 and CSS3 for it desktop environment which we have named RaVe and a Kernel (which is the core of the OS) based and the Linux kernel.The OS does not require connection to Internet to have access to the desktop as the desktop and applications are stored locally (on your computers hard disk rather than on the web like google chrome OS  ). Lets take an in dept look into why lightweight doesn't always mean less.

Desktop Environment:

The desktop environment (RaVe) is a sleek yet uncluttered place for a user to perform their daily tasks cleanly and efficiently. It blurs the lines between cloud and client (desktop) computing with full integration with the web and web services. Applications and media content are quick moving to the online world ( examples of this are Microsoft word 2010, Google docs, Hulu and pandora  ) and it would be an ill fated act for an OS vendor to ignore this. Google have made an attempt to tackle this issue with its browser based operating system chromeOS. Although an obvious step in the right the direction there are some very fundamental issues with the model it uses. Constant Internet connectivity is required to access multimedia, documentation, games and other content that under the normal operating system model would usually be in front of you. There in lies the problem. We would love to have constant access to a super fast connection all of the time, everywhere we go, but sadly we don't and even if we where to have this in the future we would run into serious lag and latency issues not to mention the inherit security risks of  having all of you're personal and private information on some server in an unknown country, out of your control. With the RevLin OS modal your files live side by side with web content meaning when you're on the bus or train or sitting in a park with your laptop finishing of that report, listening to your favourite tunes or even just reading your favourite ebook or epaper, you just can.It is very true to say that we, more so now than ever before, live in a Web 2.0 world but we don't need to totally change how we have been doing things in order to live in it, just enhance and integrate what we know.

Kernel :

The Kernel (PopCorn) is the core of the operating system, it is also the part that most users care about the least. They just expect it to work, no questions asked. and it just should. Linux has the advantage of support an incredible amount of different platforms and hardware types ( More so off the bat than windows 7 i may add from personal experience) and also has the potential to be amazingly fast small and flexible (examples of this can be found in intel's moblin OS for net books and Google's chrome OS ) this is why we chose to base PopCorn on it. Coupled with technologies such as KMS, OpenCL/GL, Gallium3D and Grand Central dispatch (of OS X Snow leopard 10.6 fame) PopCorn will give the user an overall smooth and hassle free experience, the only thing that should be acceptable to a user.

Applications :

Applications are the area where RevLin really excels. No other platform has as bigger a developer base than the web does, there for there are thousands of developers ready to developer apps for RevLin for the get go (if you though making an iphone app was easy, just wait). If you can build a web site or web app then you can build a app for Revlin just like that. Have native programming skills as well? no problem! you can simply code a simple front end for you native application using the built in functions and widget in RevLin, or going forward into the future the drag and drop RaVen interface builder. RevLin being open source you can use any element of the built in suite off applications, such as a slider from the media player (Which is a itunes-esque css, javascript and html5 coded interface for the VLC media player one of the most powerful media players on the planet ) in your application without worrying about patent restrictions! When your application is complete it upload it to the build in media network market place (aptly dubbed), Rstore and get it out to the people.

This is just a brief overview of the Ins and Outs of the system and I hope it gives people who were unsure of what the OS was a better idea of how everything fits in place and the benefits an OS like this holds.

Regards
Patrick Q

A big welcome to our two new contributors to the RevLin Project , Ulrich and Myrtle. 

Both are working to improve and enhance the RevLin user interface  (Known as RaVe) and have extensive web and native skills. 

We are very glad to have them onboard and look forward to working with them all down the line.

So to Myrtle and Ulrich, Welcome.

Patrick Q

RevLin Development team

We here at the RevLin blog are very proud to present RevLin's desktop environment. Here is some information about RevLin's RaVe (RevLin advanced virtualized environment) desktop environment testing framework along with the first screenshots of it in action.

The desktop environment is based on css3 html5 and a customized version of the ExtJs library with a brand  new widget set, and allows for applications to have backends coded in languages such a C, C++ and java and simple porting of already existant applications with great ease. Unlike other interfaces coded in the web trinity (css3, html5 and js) this will not be stored  in the cloud but locally, on your pc with a high level of integration with the cloud. This means you will have full have access to your desktop from any web browser anywhere in the world but are not reliant on having an active network connection for access to your files and personal data.

We are also very proud to announce the RStore which is a desktop market place  giving you access to all installed and available applications, Ebooks, games, multimedia content , as well as suggested items and the apps we are using on our RevLin desktop (thats right we do eat our own dog food! ). stay tuned for more information and screen shots of both RaVe and the RStore!

please feel free to contact us or send your feed back in the form of a comment below.

[update] We are currently looking for developers with web development and/or native coding skills who have an intrest in the OS and OS development in general to get in contact with the team as we are always in need of people to help out.

Regards

The RevLin Development Team.