gOS or "good OS" is an Ubuntu-based Linux distribution created by 'Good OS LLC', a Los Angeles-based corporation. Its CIO Dave Liu described that after meeting Enlightenment and open source people he realized that his dream to bring Web 2.0 applications into mainstream use could be realized by creating a Linux distribution that made it easy for users to access Google and other Web 2.0 applications.
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History
The company initially advertised gOS 1.0 as "An alternative OS with Google Apps and other Web 2.0 apps for the modern user." This first version gOS (1.0.1_386) was based on Ubuntu 7.10 and the Enlightenment window manager E17.
On January 7, 2008, a test version (2.0.0-beta1) of gOS, intended to demonstrate the Everex CloudBook at the 2008 Consumer Electronics Show, and named "gOS Rocket", was released. This version was also E17 based. The definitive second version of gOS debuted at the end February 2008, together with the launch of Everex's new CloudBook, the gBook laptop, and a new, second version of the gPC, the "encore". This version was called gOS V2 Rocket, and was completely rewritten and now based on the GNOME window manager, a built in Compositing window manager, and the Avant Window Navigator.
On April 6, 2008, Good OS launched a publicly available version of gOS, called gOS 2.9 "Space", intended for the gPC mini, This version is based on Compiz fusion, Gnome, and the Avant Window Navigator dock manager, but also uses E17 code. It has a Dock with a "stack" very much like the "fan view" of Mac OS X v10.5.
On September 23, 2008 Good OS launched gOS 3 Gadgets, which is described by Good OS, as "The third and best version of gOS to date, Perfect for Netbooks". It is still based on GNOME but has replaced AWN with yet another launcher called Wbar, and introduces the full support for Wine 1.0, Picasa (using the Wine libraries) and Google Gadgets.
On December 1, 2008 Good OS announced its next operating system, Cloud. Cloud can be described as an "instant on browser based application environment". With Cloud users can browse the Internet seconds after turning on their computer, and can also use it to run applications, like Skype, or a media player. Cloud shows a Dock similar to gOS 3 in the browser window, and will keep loading the main operating system (Windows, Linux, OSX) in the background. An icon in the Dock will tell the user when the main OS has finished booting in the background, and can be used to switch instantly to the main OS, when tasks not (yet) supported under Cloud are needed. A beta test program for Cloud version 1.0 was announced January 30, 2009.
On January 3, 2009 Good OS released gOS 3.1 Gadgets (SP1), or Service pack 1, a bug-fixed version of gOS 3.0. Simultaneously they also launched a new official forum, as a replacement for the google discussion group used previously, and faqly, which is now defunct.
Faqly was a cross between an Internet forum and a FAQ where gOS users could ask questions, and browse for answers. Other gOS users, or Linux experts, could then provide answers to the questions. But Faqly had some large usability problems, notably the fact that users had problems deciding when the system was searching for an answer, or entering a new question. Additionally, questions and answers could not be edited or deleted.
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