Sometimes I need to look before I leap. A few minutes ago I posted a blog pointing out the pros/cons of Google Chrome OS to Canonical and Ubuntu. But I overlooked the biggest fact of all. Google has contracted with Canonical to help develop Chrome OS.

Some people may see Google's Chrome operating system as competing with existing Linux desktop distributions. Canonical, the company behind popular Linux distribution Ubuntu, isn't one of them. They're working with Google to make Chrome.

This is something I have never heard of. I was trying to install Google Chrome in Ubuntu and in the download page a small note came into my notice. It goes something like this "Installing Google Chrome will add the Google repository so your system will automatically keep Google Chrome up to date".

Google, as expected, has taken its Chrome OS effort and offered it up as an open source project called Chromium OS. As you may recall Chrome OS will target netbooks and other thin mobile devices - core markets that  Canonical is pursuing with Ubuntu. Should Canonical be worried?

...the tech world is rocked with the latest announcement made by Google: "...today, we're announcing a new project that's a natural extension of Google Chrome — the Google Chrome Operating System. It's our attempt to re-think what operating systems should be."Google Chrome OS is aimed at people who spend most of their time on the web and will initially be targeted at netbooks.

The Chromium Daily Builds PPA has been keeping me up to date with the latest version of Chromium, the open source browser behind Google Chrome. Google recently released the first official Google Chrome for Linux beta. When I did a fresh install of Ubuntu 9.10, I switched from Chromium to the Chrome beta.

So for those who are wondering what Chromium Web Browser is all about, this is the original project from where Google Chrome draws its source code. I would personally prefer Chromium over Google Chrome, because Chromium is devoid of any kind of tracking by Google of different usage statistics, which I think is a breach of privacy.

Reports of the popular Linux distro ditching Firefox get clarified.

The next edition of the Ubuntu Linux distribution could come with added Google, with rumours circulating that Canonical is looking to replace Mozilla's Firefox with Google's Chrome browser.