FACEBOOK OS IS COMING!!!

What is the Operating System (OS)?

An Operating System (OS) is a kind of software that acts as an interface amongst the end-user (An end-user is normally user for whom a software program or hardware device is depicted) and computer hardware. Every hardware (computer) must have a minimum of one Operating System (OS) to make other programs works properly. Applications like Chrome, MS Word, Games, etc requires some environment in which it can work and perform its task. The Operating System (OS) assists you to interface with the computer without learning how to enunciate the computer's language. It is impossible for the user to make use of any computer device or mobile device without having an operating system (OS) installed into it.

       Hardware             →        Operating System (OS)       →       End-User

(CPU, Hard Drive)            (Windows, macOS, Linux) 

What is Kernel?

The kernel is the central component of computer operating systems. The only job performed by the kernel is to manage the communication between the software and the hardware. A Kernel is situated in the brain of a computer. It makes communication between the hardware and software possible. While the Kernel is the deepest or innermost part of an OS, a shell is the outermost one.

Types of Kernels

There are two main types of kernels i.e.:- 

1.Monolithic

It's a single code or block of the program. It allows all the required services offered by the operating system (OS). It is a simplistic design that creates a distinct communication layer between the hardware and software.

2. Microkernels

Microkernel manages all system resources. In this type of kernel, services are implemented in different address spaces. The user services are reserved in user address space, and kernel services are reserved under kernel address space. So, it eases the work of decreasing the size of both the kernel and operating system.

Facebook is soon launching its own Operating System !!

For those who don't know what is facebook, Facebook (FB) is an American online social media and social networking service providing a website where users can post their comments, their views on any social topic, share their photographs or any other interesting content on the web. Users can live chat with a person or a group of persons, etc.

Your shared content can be publicly accessible, or accessible to only to your friends or family (you can maintain friends list in Facebook), or with a single person. You can also use Facebook for business and marketing purposes. 

Now Oculus powered by Facebook is an American Technology Company, founded in July 2012, as an independent company and has specialization in Virtual Reality hardware and software products. It was acquired by Facebook Inc. in 2014. 

Till now, Facebook and its hardware like oculus rely on other Operating System (OS)mainly on Windows by Microsoft and  Android by Google. 

But now Facebook is started working on its own Operating System (OS) which will minimize the reliance of the company on Google's Android. The name of this new Operating System (OS) is not disclosed yet. This is to be cleared that Facebook's smartphone applications will remain available on Google's Android environment. They have hired Mark Lucovsky, co-author of Windows NT, for the development of this new Facebook Operating System (OS)

Facebook’s vice president of hardware, Mr. Andrew Bosworth, said that “We really want to
make sure the next generation has space for us." He also said that "We don’t think we can trust the marketplace or competitors to ensure that’s the case. And so we’re gonna do it ourselves.”

Facebook’s Oculus and Portal devices currently run on an Android's modified version. Ficus Kirkpatrick (one of Facebook's AR and VR heads) says, "It's possible" that there will be no need for facebook to rely upon google for its hardware products. 

Facebook's new operating system (OS) will be based on MicroKernel.

Why companies need or thinks of its own Operating System (OS)?

• Every big company (like Samsung, Huawei or Facebook) or as an individual, privacy is a very big concern and they are always in a practice to maintain it. If any big tech company wants to make a hardware product and use the android environment into it then Google (as android is powered by Google) will eventually get to know that this company is working on this hardware or technology. And this is also the reason due to which the way of working of any company gets limited when they are using some other company's operating system (OS).
• Recently, due to a trade war between America and China, America has banned Huawei for using products by Google. Due to which other companies started to think that there may be a time in the near future, at which their company gets de-powered by Google and has to suffer from a big loss. Hence they should ready with a backup plan and has an alternative operating system (OS).   

Why Facebook needs or thinks of its own Operating System (OS)?

Two of the main reason are mentioned above. We generally use facebook.com or facebook application. But Oculus is one of the big hardware legs of Facebook Inc. works in Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality technologies. Also, they have launched a few smart devices in which there is a smart display that provides facilities various like voice-calling and in this, the interface is facebook developed to a very large extent. Now technologies like VR or AR are non-conventional or we can say that these are some technologies on which very few companies are working. Due to which these technologies are not so popular in the android environment. These technologies are not so fruitful or getting rotten in the android environment. And this the reason for thinking of facebook to have its own operating system (OS). 

Except this Distributive Computing is also one of the reasons for Facebook's new OS. In the future, Distributive Computing will make our devices smarter. And the android operating is incapable of doing this work alone. At that time, we need more advanced technology. 

In 2020 or 2021, Facebook will launch its own operating system (OS). 

We may also see some replacement for Android by Google in the coming time by Fucshia OS.