Project “Fuchsia”: Google Is Quietly Working on a Successor to Android

Megalith

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The existence of Google’s Fuchsia project is nothing new, but Bloomberg has managed to squeeze new details out of the team responsible for the secretive OS. One discovery is that Fuchsia will be capable of running all of Google’s in-house gadgets (e.g., Pixel phones and smart speakers), as well as third-party Android or Chrome OS devices. If all goes to plan, Fuchsia will replace Android entirely.

According to one of the people, engineers have said they want to embed Fuchsia on connected home devices, such as voice-controlled speakers, within three years, then move on to larger machines such as laptops. Ultimately the team aspires to swap in their system for Android, the software that powers more than three quarters of the world's smartphones, said the people, who asked not to be identified discussing internal matters.
 
God I hope that when they decide to allow third-parties to work with it that they don't allow them to change core code, that's the main reason why Android is such a clusterfuck. You can make Windows do all sorts of stuff with shell extensions, you can make both Firefox and Google Chrome do all sorts of cool stuff with extensions but why in God's name didn't they make a plugin/extension architecture for Android I have no idea. Hell, you can make Windows look completely different with things like WindowBlinds. You can even load third-party drivers on Windows without having to deal with the kernel. Why didn't they think of this crap when they released Android on the world?
 
God I hope that when they decide to allow third-parties to work with it that they don't allow them to change core code, that's the main reason why Android is such a clusterfuck. You can make Windows do all sorts of stuff with shell extensions, you can make both Firefox and Google Chrome do all sorts of cool stuff with extensions but why in God's name didn't they make a plugin/extension architecture for Android I have no idea. Hell, you can make Windows look completely different with things like WindowBlinds. You can even load third-party drivers on Windows without having to deal with the kernel. Why didn't they think of this crap when they released Android on the world?
So you mean no custom builds? I guess allowing custom builds is the trade off they made for it to spread like a virus everywhere?.. well that and it being free. I get what you say though.... Android trebble if i understand it correctly cures a lot of what you say i think...
 
So you mean no custom builds?
Custom builds, as nice as they are, is the exact reason why Android is such a clusterfuck when it comes to updates across the ecosystem. You can't just drop new Android code into a custom build and expect it to work, more than likely something will break and it's not going to be nice. I used to be really into the rooting and ROM scene back before I got an iPhone and every time Google came out with a new version of Android the ROM team that maintained my ROM of choice had to go completely back to the drawing board; they had to start completely from scratch. No wonder why it takes Samsung and others (what seems like) ages to come out with updates, because oh yeah... they too had to start from scratch.

Who the hell thought that this was a good idea? Idiots, that's who!!! There's a reason why modular operating systems are easier to maintain and customize. Windows is very much a modular OS, you just plug stuff in and it works.
 
OMG, 'Fuchsia' is my meterosexual trigger word. I'm off to buy scatter cushions.


P.S. And white wine. And maybe I'll buy one of those Martha Stewart wall tragedies like you find at craft fairs, where someone takes a bunch of potpourri and mounts it in a picture frame.

P.P.S. Why couldn't they name it 'Nachos' or 'Bore Scope'?
 
OMG, 'Fuchsia' is my meterosexual trigger word. I'm off to buy scatter cushions.


P.S. And white wine. And maybe I'll buy one of those Martha Stewart wall tragedies like you find at craft fairs, where someone takes a bunch of potpourri and mounts it in a picture frame.

P.P.S. Why couldn't they name it 'Nachos' or 'Bore Scope'?

Cause "Android B.S." probably doesn't have the mental imagery they are looking for.
 
Cause "Android B.S." probably doesn't have the mental imagery they are looking for.

Fair point. How about 'Android Gigawatt'? And then they could start the version numbering with 1.21. That would be awesomeness.


P.S. If I hear 'fuchsia' again I'm gonna saw down the trees on my boulevard and replace them with a river rock garden and scattered clumps of wild wheat. And then I'm gonna order some neo-Victorian porch mouldings where the fleurs have been replaced by chickens and bunnies.

P.P.S. I was overseas for three weeks, and before I returned home my girlfriend told me she was buying a bustier, and should it be in teal or fuchsia? I said black. She said black wasn't very exciting, and I said black is much more exciting than me bundling you into a kimono and both of us going to Bed, Bath and Beyond for scented candles, 'cause a fuchsia bustier, it, like, needs ... scented candles.

P.P.P.S. The bustier she picked out was really cool, 'cause it had these breakaway snaps down the front. I had to re-dress her a few times, because when you're at the carnival and you find a ride you like, you have to buy another ticket.

P.P.P.P.S. So, sooooo far off topic ....
 
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Custom builds, as nice as they are, is the exact reason why Android is such a clusterfuck when it comes to updates across the ecosystem. You can't just drop new Android code into a custom build and expect it to work, more than likely something will break and it's not going to be nice. I used to be really into the rooting and ROM scene back before I got an iPhone and every time Google came out with a new version of Android the ROM team that maintained my ROM of choice had to go completely back to the drawing board; they had to start completely from scratch. No wonder why it takes Samsung and others (what seems like) ages to come out with updates, because oh yeah... they too had to start from scratch.

Who the hell thought that this was a good idea? Idiots, that's who!!! There's a reason why modular operating systems are easier to maintain and customize. Windows is very much a modular OS, you just plug stuff in and it works.
Seems to work fine with my Nexus 6. Don't see how that has anything to do with the rom that comes on the phone, though. Google does all (or most of) the development on AOSP, then vendors plug in the drivers and customize it to work on their phone. I don't see how this will be any different, except maybe non-vendors won't be able to make their own roms for devices...doesn't seem to change anything wrt the junk they'll inevitably install on there in the first place.
 
Looking at the unofficial wiki page, it looks like the core components are "free" licensed - BSD, Apache, MIT, etc. This will allow google to have more control over the final product, and I can imagine goes into this push.

If Fuchsia does completely replace Android, where will that put the Linux people, being unable to claim Linux dominance in the smartphone arena?
 
Seems to work fine with my Nexus 6. Don't see how that has anything to do with the rom that comes on the phone, though. Google does all (or most of) the development on AOSP, then vendors plug in the drivers and customize it to work on their phone. I don't see how this will be any different, except maybe non-vendors won't be able to make their own roms for devices...doesn't seem to change anything wrt the junk they'll inevitably install on there in the first place.
Yes but if you want to customize anything, even the littlest thing (like menus, settings additions, etc.), you have to change core Android code to do so (think Samsung TouchWiz). And anytime you do that you run into the potential that future Android code is going to completely break what you already have in place thus you have to go back to the drawing board and re-implement stuff from the very beginning. Again... Who the hell thought that this was a good idea? Idiots, that's who!!!

Google seriously needs to compartmentalize Android so that if you want to add stuff to it, it's done seamlessly much like how Windows shell extensions are done. You can load Windows shell extensions, context menu additions, and file properties tabs all without modifying core Windows code; all you have to do is add some Registry entries and you're pretty much done. Simple. Easy. Android? Good God.
 
Yes but if you want to customize anything, even the littlest thing (like menus, settings additions, etc.), you have to change core Android code to do so (think Samsung TouchWiz). And anytime you do that you run into the potential that future Android code is going to completely break what you already have in place thus you have to go back to the drawing board and re-implement stuff from the very beginning. Again... Who the hell thought that this was a good idea? Idiots, that's who!!!

Google seriously needs to compartmentalize Android so that if you want to add stuff to it, it's done seamlessly much like how Windows shell extensions are done. You can load Windows shell extensions, context menu additions, and file properties tabs all without modifying core Windows code; all you have to do is add some Registry entries and you're pretty much done. Simple. Easy. Android? Good God.
That's still a hack, and may break without warning any time there is an update. It's just easier because Windows doesn't block you from overloading/replacing dlls if you're an administrator. Technically, android doesn't either (if rooted), but if an update relies on the (pre-)modified behavior, then whatever happens is on you.

The problem is core libraries are updated in incompatible (abi breaking) ways more often on android, which leads to more problems if you aren't using bog-standard aosp. If windows updated the shell code more often you'd have just as many problems with litestep windowblinds.
 
I think they were worried about running out of letters of the alphabet for release names.
 
That's still a hack, and may break without warning any time there is an update. It's just easier because Windows doesn't block you from overloading/replacing dlls if you're an administrator.
Yes, things can still get broken on Windows when you add stuff to it but a lot of Windows code is set in stone. Explorer, the graphical shell of Windows, has pretty much stayed the same since... Windows 7. Yes, it's been given a coat of paint but it really hasn't changed where it really matters, the API. A developer that creates a shell extension for Windows 7 can be reasonably sure that it will work on Windows 10. Meanwhile on Android? Um... nope.

From a purely architectural point of view, Windows looks like a far more polished and adaptable operating system than Android is.
 
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