Sculpt OS release 20.08 Sep 17, 2020

Version 20.08 of the Sculpt operating system refines the user experience and becomes able to host the Chromium-based Falkon web browser.

The new version of Sculpt OS is based on the latest Genode release 20.08. In particular, it incorporates the redesigned GUI stack to the benefit of quicker boot times, improved interactive responsiveness, and better pixel output quality. It also removes the last traces of the noux runtime. Fortunately, these massive under-the-hood changes do not disrupt the user-visible surface of Sculpt. Most users will feel right at home.

Upon closer inspection, there are couple of new features to appreciate. The CPU-affinity of each component can now be restricted interactively by the user, components can be easily restarted via a click on a button, font-size changes have an immediate effect now, and the VESA driver (used when running Sculpt in a virtual machine) can dynamically change the screen resolution.

Thanks to our continuous efforts of strengthening of the base system, Sculpt OS has become able to host a first version of the Chromium-based Falkon web browser from an installable package. Even though this version is still rough around the edges and unoptimized, it already enables Sculpt users to casually browse the modern web without the need for a virtual machine.

The updated manual goes into detail about the use of the new system.

The ready-to-use system image for version 20.08 is available at the Sculpt download page.