The onworks website linked to in post #1 is to a "playonline" environment in which a user can select from a few distros to run them. It's not unlike other websites like distrosea.com or instantworkstation.com in that it enables a user to experience using a linux distro without the extra work of installation, or of booting up a live disk.
There is a Samsung smart tv in use here, and so too the manual from which it's worth extracting some quotations which will hopefully clarify some points on this subject.
It sounds like you want to use the Samsung smart tv to access the internet and the cloud facility at onworks, as opposed to running a separate computer which could access the Samsung tv and basically just use it as a monitor. If this is the intention, there are considerable limitations to just using the tv to access the internet. The manual outlines them thus:
None of those limitations applies to a well configured fully-featured computer. One needs to assess whether the tv is fit for your purpose.
In relation to actually connecting a computer to the tv, the manual provides details on "Remote Desktop Connection" and on configuring the graphics card resolution, so that process may not be too onerous if that route is chosen.
For adding a cloud service, the following is relevant:
The significant aspect here is being beholden to Samsung, unlike an independent computer.
One can install apps and see the manual on the tv, so you can check the details provided here.
In relation to using the internet, the following is relevant:
Again, it seems that optimal functioning of the internet on the tv is bound up with Samsung software.
Below are some observations on my understanding of the situation, which may or may not be quite relevant.
In general it's not possible to "to gain control of the host file system and potentially install linux that way" from a "playonline" site. Such sites are generally provided to users from virtual machines (VMs) which are configured in a hypervisor on a machine that such websites run which is not accessible by online users. The hypervisor could be running the software of any of a number of virtualisation implementations, e.g. xen, kvm, gnome boxes etc which the user also doesn't normally have access to. The configurations set in the hypervisor by the website for those VMs is typically outside of the VMs and so not available within them for the user to be able to know or use.
It's possible for an astute user to read files from the virtual filesystems in the VM of /proc and /sys and reconstruct the configuration of the virtual machine, but it's a non-trivial exercise.
I haven't come across this, but if by chance, the VM installation of a distro is made available by the website to users, then one could copy it and run it in a similar virtualised environment on another machine, or clone it with some program like clonezilla, and then write it to the bare metal of another machine, but I cannot find such a provision being made by any of these "playonline" websites.
It's worth noting that, even if it could be done from this website, cloning a virtual installation onto bare metal is likely to raise a few issues with drivers which a user would need to resolve.
To conclude, as for using the Samsung smart tv, there are a number of issues that may interfere with a satisfactory operation of a cloud facility, as may be apparent from the above. Basically, just using the Samsung tv appears to lack functionality and privacy. If the tv is used simply as a monitor for a separate computer that goes online, and the tv's online connection is securely turned off, then a number of issues may not arise. Managing software tools, whether for personal projects or bigger initiatives, can sometimes feel like a juggling act. You want something reliable and easy to use, but it also has to fit your specific needs. I’ve definitely been there, especially when coordinating tools for fundraising and organizing campaigns. That’s when I came across
actblue phone number while exploring options, and reaching out really helped me understand how their platform works. It turned out to be a solid choice for streamlining tasks and keeping things running smoothly. Having the right software can seriously take a load off when you’re handling complex projects!
www.onworks.net
