Filed under: Internet, OS Updates, Web services, Open Source, web 2.0
Set up a DIY cloud OS on your LAN with eyeOS MiniServer
It really doesn't get any easier to create a DIY server. Download and run the executable, tick a couple checkboxes, and it's ready to go. Other machines on your network can access the server by opening http://hostname:8080 in a supported browser - Firefox, IE, and Chrome all worked nicely.
The usual basic apps are available: web browser, rss reader, bulletin board, contacts, calendar, word processor, calculator, and notepad. There's even a basic chess game.
Unfortunately, the available version is a bit old. Nevertheless, it's still an incredibly easy way to set up a server to provide the system-in-a-browser experience on your own LAN or WAN. It's very light on resources all the way around: the server only used about 11mb on my Vista x64 machine, and there wasn't a significant increase in Firefox's footprint when running the OS in a tab.
If you're after a bit more information, you can check the MiniServer forum on the eyeOS site. It is, however, largely inactive at this point. Download links in this post point to Brothersoft, as I was unable to find any active links on the eyeOS web site.
At this point web-based "operating systems" have to fight seemingly insurmountable odds to really work well. There are limits in the codebase (choosing JavaScript versus Flash, or a combo of both, results in a few compromises). There are limits within the browser itself (can't save if the window gets closed, or if the connection goes south). But that's not stopping people from trying. Webby's World has a little blurb about 
EyeOS
With Halloween fast approaching, it's a great time to get in some practice defending your territory against zombies. In Graveyard Shift, you take aim at zombies and other creepy-crawlies, blasting them into splatters of cartoony green guts. It's a casual first-person shooter, and it's very easy to get the hang of - use the mouse to aim, click to fire. Graveyard Shift has at least 15 levels, and it might even have some secret stages I haven't unlocked yet.
They key to getting good at Graveyard Shift is learning to use ...
