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| Splashtop | |
|---|---|
| Developer | Splashtop Inc.[1] |
| OS family | Linux (Unix-like) |
| Working state | Discontinued[citation needed] |
| Source model | Closed source[2] |
| Initial release | October 30, 2007; 18 years ago (2007-10-30)[3] |
| Update method | Manual, via PC vendor[2] |
| Supported platforms | x86 |
| Kernel type | Monolithic (Linux) |
| Default user interface | Blackbox |
| License | Open source with someclosed source components[4] |
| Official website | os |
Splashtop OS (previously known asSplashTop)[1] is a discontinuedLinux distribution intended to serve as an instant-on environment forpersonal computers. It isopen source software with someclosed source components. The original concept of Splashtop was that it was intended to be integrated on a read-only device and shipped with the hardware, rather than installed by the user. It did not prevent the installation of anotheroperating system fordual booting. It was an instant-on commercial Linux distribution targeting PC motherboard vendors and other device manufacturers. The first OEM partner for the original Splashtop was ASUS, and their first joint product was called Express Gate. Later, other computer manufacturers also built Splashtop into certain models and re-branded it under different names. The aspects below detailing these events are retained verbatim from past articles, for historical reference.
Itboots in about 5 seconds,[3] and was thus marketed as "instant-on". It usesBootsplash,[5]SquashFS,[4]Blackbox,SCIM, and theLinux kernel 2.6.[6]
Support for Splashtop OS has been withdrawn and downloads of Splashtop OS have been disabled on the Splashtop website. Its popularity quickly declined after announcing an agreement with Microsoft and most vendors who included it eventually started using a version that required a Windows installation and later simply dropped it.[7] Splashtop Inc. then focused on a remote desktop solution.[8]
Splashtop features agraphical user interface,[3] aweb browser based onMozilla Firefox 2.0[9] (later updated to Firefox 3.0), aSkypeVoIP client, a chat client based onPidgin,[3][6] and a stripped-down file manager based onPCManFM.[10][11] It also includesAdobe Flash Player 10.[12]
Splashtop OS shipping in HP, Dell, Lenovo, Acer, and other OEMs was based on Mozilla-based web browser.Google declined to be thesearch engine as Google did not want to revenue share on search traffic with DeviceVM.Despite Splashtop OS is Linux based, Splashtop closed partnership with Yahoo! andMicrosoft Bing as search engines. After assessing Splashtop OS technology, Google decided to launch its own ChromeOS and Chromebook.The online downloadable version of Splashtop OS (beta) version 0.9.8.1 uses Microsoft Bing as search engine, a Chromium-based web browser with Adobe Flash Player plug-in preinstalled. Existing Windows bookmarks and Wi-Fi settings can be imported from Windows.[13]
Most versions of Asus motherboards no longer come with Splashtop preinstalled, as the manufacturer now limits the inclusion of its built-in Express Gate flash drive to "Premium" motherboards such as the P6T Deluxe and P7P55D-E Premium. Other Asus motherboards allow installation of the compact OS via a Windows-only based installer on its support CD. Installation from CD requires a Windows partition to store 500 MB of files, which has to be a SATA drive defined as IDE (no support for AHCI).[14][self-published source]If one doesn't have a Windows-based machine, it is possible to install Splashtop on a USB hard drive, from the sources.[15][self-published source]
As of June 2010, Splashtop, as supplied for Asus motherboards, had no support for add-on wireless hardware such as PCI cards.[citation needed]
Splashtop can work with a 512 MB flash memory embedded on the PC motherboard.[16] The flash memory can be also emulated on the WindowsC: drive (see below). A proprietary core engine starts at theBIOS boot and loads a specialized Linux distribution called aVirtual Appliance Environment (VAE). While running this VAE, the user can launchVirtual Appliances (VA) or container. Skype is a VA or container, for instance.[17]
TheSonyVAIO versions such as 1.3.4.3 are installed asVAIO Quick Web Access.[18] Theinstaller and the resultingSquashFS files occupy roughly 2×250 MB. The SquashFS files consist of a hiddensplash.idx and two hidden folderssplash.sys andsplash.000 in theWindowsC:-partition, wheresplash.000 corresponds tosplash.sys\persist for aDOS file system emulation of aUSB flash drive.[19][self-published source] TheMD5 checksums of the variousbootsplashbs-xxxx.sqx andVirtual Applianceva-xxxx.sqx files (including a specialFirefox configuration) are noted insplash.sys\version for a simple integrity check at the Splashtop start.[20] VAIOlaptops offer special buttonsASSIST,WEB, orVAIO depending on the model. The power button on these laptops triggers an ordinaryPC boot process, theWEB button starts Splashtop. If a Windows-version configured forVAIO is already running theWEB button only starts the default browser.[21]
The open sources used for major parts of different Splashtop versions can be downloaded.[6] Parts of Splashtop are subject to patents.[22][23][24]
DeviceVM owns various patents around instant-on techniques, including being the first OS to leverage on-board flash for enhanced performance, and intelligently cache hardware probing info so next boot will be faster. Many techniques are now incorporated by Microsoft and other modern OS for fast startup.
Asus distributed Splashtop in various motherboards and laptops, including select products fromEee family, under name "Express Gate". Splashtop was also available in netbooks and laptops from various vendors under names "Acer InstantView", "HP QuickWeb", "Dell Latitude On", "Lenovo Quick Start", "LG Smart On", "VAIO Quick Web Access" and "Voodoo IOS".[18][25][26][27][28][29][30]
Total shipment achieved over 100 million computers annually by 2009.
splashtop-support was invoked but never defined (see thehelp page).
