Google Chrome goes native client

Google has a new ace up its sleeve with the release of the newest developer preview version of its Chrome web browser, unveiled last Friday. Called Native Client (NaCl), it represents an ambitious project that will allow programmers to write x86 software run by the browser.

A list of examples and tests can be found here, they range from the requisite "Hello world" example to rotating ray-traced globes. In fact, the first-person shooter computer game, Quake, can also be found there.

According to The Register, the idea behind this project is for Google to "more closely align web apps with those that run natively on a computer's operating system." While it is a near certainty that this must be part of Google's strategy to release a Chrome operating system next year, exactly how it fits into the picture is not yet known.

For now though, Native Client is available only on the Windows platform. In addition, as it is disabled by default, a manually entered command-line switch is required to enable it.

For more on this story:
- check out this article at The Register
- check out this page that shows various examples and tests

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