Review of Just enough OS(JeOS)

What is JeOS?

There are a lot of services and programs started to run at the very first second you turn the computer on. However, some of them are not necessary for the users and then these services will cause unwanted memory consumption. The best way to solve this problem is to have a customized operation system, so that just-enough OS (JeOS) was introduced.

  The definition of the JeOS an OS that provided services to the specific user, and almost all the services are necessary to the user. And the “just enough” is understood to be no extra unwanted tools are installed compulsorily. The JeOS are customized operation system that minimized into the smallest memory consumption software.  As to reduce the size of the system, only basic tools and drivers that maintain operation of the computer are installed. The basic services included in JeOS are login-system, core of OS and some hardware drivers. They are packed in a package and we can have a small size of memory OS.

While it can only provide limited service, we should pick the service packets up by ourselves when we install the OS. Usually, the OS install interface will let customers to select their own order list of service and install in the OS. User can also modify the purpose of the use of the operation system by add and reduce services. Also, after we install the JeOS, we can add service just as same as traditional computer OS. Thus it will not be too hard to accept for popular use.

  To realize the JeOS in domestic, we should get help from the third-party software such as virtual machine. By the help of virtual machine tools, JeOS can work in parallel with our main OS.  As the JeOS is lightened, the demand of hardware is not that hash, so it is fit to run on the virtual machine. And also because of the small size, it is possible to run on the cloud system to provide online OS service.

  Moreover, JeOS can provide customized OS to business need. A company can install this OS to receive a specific service from the OS for specific need. One example of the application in company is server system. Server systems don’t need a lot of services and JeOS can help to reduce the size of OS and increase the working efficiency of computer.

Advantage and disadvantage of JeOS

JeOS has a few advantages. First, the major advantage is reducing the memory size and improves the performance. It can cut the appliance size. The appliances and devices are increasing now a day, the traditional general purpose operating systems has a large size and complex architecture. This is because it has the extra interface, libraries, and support function of the application and device, According to these things, it will load the useless service into the memory. It increases the memory size.

It also cuts the operating system size. Because of it just loads the need of the application to run, it will decrease memory usage, guarantee the small footprint and it will have a better performance.

Second, JeOS has better security various. It removes the useless packages to decrease the weakness part and cut the patch of the part. It can avoid the attack to aim of the vulnerabilities. It can cut the support cost because it is a small operating system by comparison with the general operating system. Therefore, it has the less of the package and patch and it will more secure to protect the system.

Third, JeOS can increase productivity. It is a part of the virtual appliance. It focuses on the main business activity. It does not waste the memory usage. Virtual appliance is a pre-configured operating system environment. It can run the application in the visualization platform. JeOS will communicate with the application by virtual machine. It has better manage and deploy the OS.

Although it has a few advantages, it also has disadvantage. The main disadvantage is some components no need to compel to install, but if you lack of the knowledge of the component. It will make the application unable to work or cannot use the basic features. JeOS has better perform in some process such as one server runs on one application. When it works on a few applications at the same time, traditional operating system is better than JeOS.

Application of JeSO

Since JeOS only install the kernal of operation system to minimalize the size of memory in the computer, it will need original OS, such as Window, to run this. So, there have two main applications, software appliances and embedded operating systems.

 Software appliances is a software application that combined with JeOS to run on hardware or in a virtual machine.[1] Virtual application is a virtual machine that designed to run on a virtualization platform, such as VMware, with physical machines or multiple types of virtual machines to give a several space to work and do not affect the data of the original.[2]

Ubuntu JeOS 8.04.3[3]

 In example, Ubuntu JeOS is a popular virtual appliance with JeOS. The lasted version of Ubuntu JeOS is Ubuntu JeOS 8.10. The advantage is only need 128MB minimum memory and less than 380 MB installed footprint, also have server kernel and no graphical environment preloaded.[4] This remix of reduced size and optimized performance ensures that Ubuntu JeOS Edition delivers a highly efficient user-friendly in large virtual deployments.[5]

OpenSolaris 2008.11[7]

Another example of JeOS is OpenSolaris. It is an open source computer operating system based on Solaris created by Sun Microsystems, subsidiary of Oracle Corporation. It enables some of the popular features available in mainstream Linux distributions, such as live CD install, automatic network configuration and a user-friendly package manager.[6] But unfortunately, base of several problems, this software were be ended in 2014.





The third example is OpenELEC (Open Embedded Linux Entertainment Center). It is a Linux distribution designed for home theater PCs. OpenELEC is a media player software appliance and it give extremely small and very fast booting Linux based distribution, primarily designed to be booted from flash memory card, but specifically targeted to a minimum set-top box hardware setup based on Intel x86 processor and graphics.[8] 

OpenELEC[9]

Summary

JeOS is a operation system that only installed basic tools and drivers to minimized the size of OS into the memory. Based on this aim, it should help from virtual machine and can work in parallel with our main OS.
The main applicances of JeOS are Ubuntu JeOS, OpenSolaris, and OpenELEC. The advantage of JeOS is reducing the memory size and improves the performance. And the disadvantage is some components no need to install and fail some functions.

Q & A
(Please highlight the area with mouse below the question to show the answers)

Q.1 Are JeOS suitable for using in mobile devices?

Ans. Yes. It is because the memory size of the JeOS are small and they don't need to require a very strong hardware condition.

Q.2 What is the major advantage of JeOS?

 Ans. It reduce the appliance size and improve performance. 

Q.3 Name three of virtual appliances with JeOS system.

Ans. Ubuntu JeOS, OpenSolaris, and OpenELEC

Q.4 What are the difference between JeOS and original OS?

Ans. JeOS only install kernal of operation system, some other software can change whether you want to install, such as browser, printer. But in original operation system, it will install all of thing they need.


 Reference

 Jeff Hawn, Jennifer Guild, Felix Imendörffer (2014). JeOS (Just Enough Operating System). [ONLINE] Available at: https://www.suse.com/products/susestudio/features/jeos.html.

Margaret Rouse (2011). JeOS (just enough operating system). [ONLINE] Available at: http://whatis.techtarget.com/definition/JeOS-just-enough-operating-system.

Pros & Cons of Just Enough Operating Systems (JeOS). Retrieve Oct 10, 2010, from http://www.brighthub.com/environment/green-computing/articles/90383.aspx

SUSE Linux Enterprises. Just Enough Operating System (JeOS). http://www.novell.com/products/jeos/. Retrieved 05 October 2010.

Open Solaris. Just Enough Operating System. http://hub.opensolaris.org/bin/view/Project+jeos/WebHome. Retrieved 05 October 2010.

Krishnamurthi, Srinivas. Get Juiced! http://blogs.vmware.com/console/2007/07/get-juiced.html. Retrieved 05 October 2010

 [1] Software appliance. (2006). Retrieved March 18, 2014, from http://www.pcmag.com/encyclopedia/term/58661/software-appliance

 [2] Margaret Rouse. (n.d.). What is Virtual appliance. Retrieved March 18, 2014, from http://searchservervirtualization.techtarget.com/definition/virtual-appliance

 [3] [Ubuntu JeOS 8.04.3]. (2013). Retrieved March 18, 2014, from http://img.brothersoft.com/s_screenshot/softimage/u/ubuntu_jeos-69628-1238748601.jpeg

 [4] Ubuntu 8.10 Server Edition delivers sigb features to innovative user base. (2008). Retrieved March 18, 2014, from http://www.ubuntu.com/news/ubuntu-8.10-server

 [5] JeOS and vmbuilder. (n.d.). Retrieved March 18, 2014, from https://help.ubuntu.com/10.04/serverguide/jeos-and-vmbuilder.html

 [6] Ivan Jelic. (2009.). OpenSolaris 2008.11. Retrieved March 18, 2014, from https://lwn.net/Articles/314939/

 [7] [OpenSolaris 2008.11]. (2009). Retrieved March 18, 2014, from https://lwn.net/images/opensolaris/opensolaris2008.11.png

 [8] What is OpenELEC. (n.d.). Retrieved March 18, 2014, from http://forum.xtreamer.net/Support/questions/1205/What+is+OpenELEC%3F

 [9] [OpenELEC]. (n.d.). Retrieved March 18, 2014, from http://xbmc.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/NewConfluence.jpg