Google Chrome OS Browser Leaked and Available for Download

Google Chrome OS joins the likes of Microsoft’s Windows 7 and Apple’s Mac OS X Snow Leopard when it comes down to operating system development projects that make it into the wild from various sources except the companies actually building the platforms. Bits from an early development milestone of the Google Chrome OS operating system have been leaked and are currently available for download in the wild. The download doesn’t actually offer the fully fledged open-source platform from the Mountain View-based company, but rather the Google Chrome OS Browser. This means that users who want to jump the gun and get a taste of Google Chrome OS ahead of any official release from the search giant, will in fact need an operating system on top of which to install the leaked copy of the Google Chrome OS Browser.

Specifically, users will have to turn to a distribution of Linux in order to install and test drive Google Chrome OS Browser version 4.0.222.6, which apparently has been stripped from Google Chrome OS Build 28902. Jonathan Frederickson underlined that Google Chrome OS Browser version 4.0.222.6 was not the full operating system from Google, but rather just the default browser. However, a quick look at the graphical user interface indicates that the Linux-based open source Google Chrome OS will act as the underlining architecture for the Google Chrome OS Browser shell.

Indicative of this is the fact that the Google Chrome OS Browser features in the title bar a variety of information including time and battery power data. These details point out that the browser window will also act as the main GUI window allowing end users to interact with the operating system itself. Of course, this is all speculation at this point in time, with no official word from Google.

Still, the Mountain View-based search giant is not that far from revealing Google Chrome OS to the world. Once the company will start opening up on its open-source operating system, early adopters are bound to get their hands on the first official Build of Google Chrome OS. In fact, today, October 15th, Google will host an event dubbed Front End Engineering Open House, which will be focused on Google Maps (presented by engineering manager Paul Rademacher) and Chrome OS (presented by Google UI designer Ben Goodger) (via PCWorld).