eyeOS

eyeOS

eyeOS logo
File:EyeOS185.png eyeOS 1.8.5 Screenshot
Initial release	1, 2005 (2005-08-01)
Stable release	1.8.7 / September 6, 2009
Preview release	2.0 technology preview / November 5, 2009
Written in	PHP, XML, JavaScript
Platform	Cross-platform
Available in	Multilingual
Development status	Active
Type	Web application
License	AGPL
Website	Official eyeOS Website

eyeOS is an open source web desktop following the cloud computing concept that leverages collaboration and communication among users. It is mainly written in PHP, XML, and JavaScript. It acts as a platform for web applications written using the eyeOS Toolkit. It includes a Desktop environment with 67 applications and system utilities. It is accessible by portable devices via its mobile front end.

History

The first publicly available eyeOS version was released on August 1, 2005 as eyeOS 0.6.0 in Barcelona (Spain). At the time, it greatly participated in creating the definition of a web operating system and acted as a concept. Quickly, a worldwide community of developers took part in the project and helped improve it by translating, testing and developing it.

After two years of development, the eyeOS Team published eyeOS 1.0 (on June 4, 2007). Compared with previous versions, eyeOS 1.0 introduced a complete reorganization of the code and some new web technologies, like eyeSoft, a portage-based web software installation system. Moreover, eyeOS also included the eyeOS Toolkit, a set of libraries allowing easy and fast development of new web Applications.

With the release of eyeOS 1.1 on July 2, 2007, eyeOS changed its license and migrated from GNU GPL Version 2 to Version 3.

Version 1.2 was released just a few months after the 1.1 version and integrated full compatibility with Microsoft Word files.

eyeOS 1.5 Gala was released on January 15, 2008. This version is the first to support both Microsoft Office and OpenOffice.org file formats for documents, presentations and spreadsheets. It also has the ability to import and export documents in both formats using server side scripting.

eyeOS 1.6 was released on April 25, 2008 and included many improvements such as synchronization with local computers, drag and drop, a mobile version and more.

eyeOS 1.8 Lars was released on January 7, 2009 and featured a completely rewritten file manager and a new sound API to develop media rich applications. Later, on April 1, 2009 1.8.5 was released with a new default theme and some rewritten apps such as the Word Processor or the Address Book. On July 13, 2009 1.8.6 was released with an interface for the iPhone and a new version of eyeMail with support for POP3 and IMAP.

Structure and API

For developers, eyeOS provides the eyeOS Toolkit, a set of libraries and functions to develop applications for eyeOS. Using the integrated Portage-based eyeSoft system, one can create their own repository for eyeOS and distribute applications through it.

Each core part of the desktop is its own application, using javascript to send server commands as the user interacts. As actions are performed using ajax (such as launching an application), it sends event information to the server. The server then sends back tasks for the client to do in XML format, such as drawing a widget.

On the server, eyeOS uses XML files to store information. This makes it simple for a user to set up on the server, as it requires zero configuration other than the account information for the first user, making it simple to deploy. To avoid bottlenecks that flat files present, each user's information and settings are stored in different files, preventing resource starvation from occurring.

Awards

• 2007 - Received the Softpedia's Pick award.
• 2007 - Finalist at the SourceForge's Community Choice Awards '07 at the "Best Project" category. The winner for that category was 7-Zip.
• 2007 - Won the Yahoo! Spain Web Revelation award in the Technology category.
• 2008 - Finalist for the Webware 100 awards by CNET, under the "Browsing" category.
• 2008 - Finalist at the SourceForge's Community Choice Awards '08 at the "Most Likely to Change the World" category. The winner for that category was Linux.
• 2009 - Selected Project of the Month (August 2009) by SourceForge.

Community

eyeOS community is formed with the eyeOS Forums , which arrived at 10.000 members at April 4th, 2008, the eyeOS Wiki and the eyeOS Application Communities, available at eyeOS-Apps website hosted and provided by openDesktop.org as well as Softpedia .

See also

• Web desktop
• Web portal
• Web Operating System
• Web 2.0
• Web application
• YouOS

External links

• eyeOS official project home page
• eyeOS official free server
• eyeOS blog