About Linux on the Web (LOTW)

Screenshot

Try it!

Here >>> https://lotw.site

Overview

It's like Linux... on the web!

LOTW is all about porting the Linux/Unix/POSIX (*nix) text-based command and configuration ethos into the modern web platform. The desktop environment is minimal: the only visible UI element (other than the desktop itself) is the taskbar (where minimized windows go). It is essential that all tasks can be accomplished via the keyboard (e.g. resizing windows and moving icons around).

Your files are locally stored

Everything that I've ever seen that called itself a "web-based operating system" never seemed to have any real concept of persistent client-side state. With LOTW, however, persistent client-side state is really the name of the game. For example, performing the following simple operation in the terminal application indeed creates an entry at ~/file.txt, held in the browser's sandboxed local storage, accessible regardless of network status.

~$ echo "A bunch of interesting thoughts" > file.txt

Disclaimer (YMMV)

LOTW is developed in the crouton environment, which involves ChromeOS in developer mode. All development and testing is currently done on a Chromebook, using an up-to-date Chrome browser.

The system should basically work in any modern browser and host OS, but there are likely many tiny glitches that degrade the user experience in other browsers and/or operating systems.

Desktop usage

Taskbar

The visibility of the taskbar at the bottom of the screen can only be toggled via the keyboard shortcut, Toggle taskbar visibility (shortcuts are shown below). The taskbar simply exists as a placeholder for minimized windows. If the taskbar is visible, then the windows held by it are kept in the window stack, and can therefore be accessed by the Cycle window stack keyboard shortcut. If the taskbar is not visible, the windows held by it are considered to be in a "background" state, i.e., they are no longer in the window stack, and cannot be accessed via the graphical interface; to regain access, the taskbar must be brought back into view.

Icon cursor

The manipulation of icons is one of the main reasons why computer users are forced to take their hands off of the keyboard. To give power users another option, the LOTW desktop features a cursor that allows for the toggling of selection status, opening, and moving of icons. With the Move selected icons to cursor shortcut, icons on the desktop can be moved to different desktop locations, and also between the desktop and folders (changing their paths in the LOTW file system).

Keyboard shortcuts

General

• Open terminal: Alt+t
• Invoke context menu: Alt+c
• Toggle taskbar visibility: Ctrl+Alt+Shift+b
• Toggle icon cursor visibility: /

Windows

• Maximize window: Alt+m
• Minimize window: Alt+n
• Close window: Alt+x
• Fullscreen window: Alt+f
• Move window: Shift+[arrow]
• Resize window: Ctrl+Shift+[arrow]
• Toggle layout mode: Ctrl+Shift+l
• Toggle window chrome: Ctrl+Shift+w
• Cycle window stack: Alt+`

Icons

• Toggle icon selection status under cursor: Space
• Continuously toggle icon selection status under cursor: Ctrl+[arrow]
• Select/open icon under the cursor: Enter
• Open icon under cursor: Alt+Enter
• Move selected icons to cursor: Ctrl+m
• Delete selected icons: Ctrl+Backspace

Command line usage

Other than high level control flow structures (like if..then and for..in), the syntax of the POSIX Shell Command Language should mostly work. It is easiest to provide working examples that showcase the particular capabilities of the LOTW system. Those are forthcoming.

Development

Local setup

First, clone this repo!

Then, start the site server with nodejs (uses the default port, 8080):

$ node site.js

Finally, in your browser, go to: http://localhost:8080

Or if you want to use another port (e.g. 12345), start it like so:

$ LOTW_PORT=12345 node site.js

Then, go to: http://localhost:12345

To make it a "live" site, do something this (you must use sudo here because the live site binds to port 443):

$ sudo LOTW_LIVE=1 node site.js

Then, assuming that your SSL setup is working, go to: https://yourdomain.ext

Project structure

site.js: The main nodejs service for sending core system files (in root) to the client.

bin: Folder where scripts related to the development and maintenance of the project are kept.

docs: Folder where detailed instructions related to the usage of the system and the development and maintenance of the project are kept.

root: Folder where essential client-side files of the core system are kept.

svcs: Folder where any service that extends the system's core functionality (such as sending and receiving email) are kept. Each service is to be run as an independent nodejs server on an available port.

www: Folder where static assets to be used in the website (external to the LOTW system) and documentation are kept.

Viewing and editing files

vim is the recommended text editor. The instructions below are specific to vim's runtime configuration file, .vimrc.

Enabling row folding

To get row folding to work in the source code, put these lines in your .vimrc:

set foldmethod=marker
set foldmarker=«,»
set foldlevelstart=0

Toggling folds

To quickly toggle between opened and closed row folds with the Enter key, add this line:

nmap <enter> za

Inserting fold markers

These are for easily inserting fold markers into the code file (from both normal and insert mode).

To insert an open fold marker, invoked with Alt+o, add these lines:

execute "set <M-o>=\eo"
nnoremap <M-o> a//«<esc>
inoremap <M-o> //«

To insert a close fold marker, invoked with Alt+c, add these lines:

execute "set <M-c>=\ec"
nnoremap <M-c> a//»<esc>
inoremap <M-c> //»

To insert insert both an open and close fold marker, with a space in between, invoked with Alt+f, add these lines:

execute "set <M-f>=\ef"
nnoremap <M-f> a//«<enter><enter>//»<esc>
inoremap <M-f> //«<enter><enter>//»