A question that often comes up when talking about Chromebooks is whether they behave like a typical laptop running Windows, macOS, or Linux.
To answer this, a Chromebook is a type of laptop designed to run ChromeOS, a lightweight operating system that uses the Google Chrome web browser as its main user interface.
ChromeOS uses Google APIs and integrates with Google applications. ChromeOS also supports Android apps.
Chromebooks don’t look or feel much different than other laptops, but they don’t have the most powerful hardware. This is because ChromeOS is designed to leverage cloud-based services and cloud computing, rather than locally installed software like Windows, Linux, or macOS.
Chromebooks have the advantage of being budget-friendly due to their less powerful hardware. Top-of-the-line laptops cost more than $1,000 at launch, but top-of-the-line Chromebooks cost less than $500, and most Chromebooks cost less than $300.
Chromebooks can be used for web browsing, gaming, watching or streaming media, distance learning, basic photo and video editing, and using web-based applications. If you typically perform these tasks on a laptop and have little need for locally available software, a Chromebook may be sufficient.
Interestingly, ChromeOS itself is a Linux-based operating system, as it uses the Linux kernel, which acts as an intermediary between the hardware and software on your computer. The kernel enables communication between hardware and software. ChromeOS is built on top of the Gentoo Linux distribution.
However, it is important to note that ChromeOS does not adhere to the values of GNU, the free software movement that provides free software, which is a key component of Linux distributions.
ChromeOS is closed code, neither free nor open source. It is also not compatible with GNU software. The Linux operating system is based on the Linux kernel and uses GNU software to provide free and open source software to users.
Since then, the Linux operating system has gained a large user community. This is because the open source nature of the operating system allows for continuous development and improvement by the user community.
The Linux operating system is secure, lightweight, flexible, and highly customizable, with a wide range of distributions to choose from.
Benefits of running Linux on your Chromebook
Chromebooks are designed to run ChromeOS, but it’s possible to install Linux on a Chromebook. Installing Linux on your Chromebook has the following benefits:
- Access to a wide range of software – The Linux operating system has a large amount of free and open source software with advanced features. Such software can perform functions such as photo and video editing, programming, and even document editing. Locally installed software often has more functionality than web-based software. Installing the software locally allows you to take advantage of all these advanced features.
- Improved security and stability – Linux operating systems are known to be very stable, secure, and less susceptible to malware. ChromeOS has security built in, but if that version is no longer supported by Google, users could be left at risk. In these cases, installing Linux will keep your Chromebook safe.
- Use Chromebooks without Internet – Chromebooks are great for web applications. Chromebooks can be very limited if you don’t have a constant internet connection. However, installing Linux on your Chromebook allows you to get the most out of your device without having to connect to the internet.
- Make your Chromebook customizable – There is a very limited level of customization available to users using Chrome OS on their Chromebooks. The Linux operating system, on the other hand, allows users to tweak and customize the operating system to suit their needs. This allows users to create a better user experience that is tailored to them. Installing Linux on a Chromebook allows users to take advantage of the customization features that come with Linux.
Users who are simply interested in learning Linux may find installing Linux on a Chromebook to be a cheaper alternative. Programmers also benefit from installing Linux by gaining access to more software needed for software development.
Dual boot Linux with ChromeOS
Dual booting refers to two operating systems installed on a device, and the user selects which operating system to use at boot time. In this case, your Chromebook will have both Linux and ChomeOS installed.
Chromebooks aren’t designed to handle dual booting, Google doesn’t support dual booting, and neither do Chromebook hardware manufacturers.
If you try to dual-boot ChromeOS with another operating system, your microphone or keyboard won’t work, your device will be very slow, your warranty will be voided, and community support will be limited among those who still do this. Problems arise, including the risk of bricking. your device.
Dual-booting a Chromebook with ChromeOS is also difficult, as the nature of ChromeOS means that attempting to dual-boot with another operating system will take up the entire hard drive space.
However, dual booting was still possible through projects like Chrx and GalliumOS, a Linux distribution for Chromebooks. However, these projects have since been abandoned, and the closest and better option is to use croutons.
Although it doesn’t create a true dual-boot environment, you can use Linux within ChromeOS and switch between Ubuntu and ChromeOS whenever you want.
To do this, you must first enable developer mode on your Chromebook. Developer mode gives you root access to your Chromebook, allows you to install apps from other sources besides the Play Store, and even allows you to dual-boot your Chromebook.
However, it’s important to note that enabling developer mode makes your Chromebook less secure and also erases all data on your Chromebook. Therefore, back up any data you don’t want to lose. To turn on developer mode on your Chromebook:
1. Press ESC + Refresh + Power keys . This can be done whether the Chromebook is on or off, and a recovery screen will appear.
2. On the recovery screen that appears, press CTRL + D.
3. Press Enter to turn off OS verification
4. Turn off OS verification and press CTRL+D on the next screen.
5. Your Chromebook will begin the process of turning on developer mode. Transitioning to developer mode will take some time. Please wait while your Chromebook enters developer mode.
6. Once the transition to developer mode is complete, click Start to begin setting up your Chromebook and run through the setup process.
Once developer mode is enabled, the next step is to install Ubuntu using Crouton. Do this:
1. Go to the Crouton GitHub page and click the download link to download Crouton. You can also download croutons directly by clicking here. The downloaded script should be in your Downloads folder.
2. Press CTRL + ALT + T to open the ChromeOS shell. Type the following command in your shell and press Enter.
shell3. Copy the Crouton installer to an executable location by typing the following command:
sudo install -Dt /usr/local/bin -m 755 ~/Downloads/crouton4. To run the Crouton installer, type the following line and press Enter :
sudo crouton -t xfceWait until the download and installation is complete, then enter your username and password when prompted.
5. To start using Ubuntu, type the following line and press Enter :
sudo startxfce4Now that Ubuntu is installed alongside ChromeOS, you can switch between the two operating systems by pressing CTRL + ALT + Shift + Back or CTRL + ALT + Shift+Forward .
Remove Chrome OS and install Linux
To do this, first make sure developer mode is enabled on your Chromebook. Similar to dual boot, this process works on Intel-based Chromebooks with SSD storage and at least 64 GB of free storage space. You’ll also need a flash disk with a bootable Linux distribution (preferably Ubuntu 18.04 or a later version).
Again, this is something Chromebooks aren’t designed to do, and you run the risk of them bricking or having to iterate through different Linux distributions to find one that works for you.
1. Press CTRL + ALT + T to open the ChromeOS shell, also known as crosh.
2. Type the following line and press Enter to start a shell.
shell3. Type the following command and press Enter . This command downloads a script that allows you to modify your Chromebook firmware.
cd;bash ˂(curl https://johnlewis.ie/flash_cb_fw.sh)4. Once the download is complete, a screen like this will appear. Press Enter to continue
5. Type 1 and press Enter to select the option to change Chromebook RW_LEGACY.
6. Retype the displayed text and press Enter . This is to ensure that if something goes wrong and your Chromebook stops working, you are solely responsible for it. After pressing Enter, wait until the process completes, then shut down your Chromebook and turn it back on.
7. Once your Chromebook powers on, press CTRL + D to get past the recovery screen and load Chrome OS.
8. Press CTRL + ALT + F2 to display the login screen. Type the following command and press Enter to log in
chronos9. Type the following command to enable booting from the USB device.
sudo crossystem dev_boot_usb=1 dev_boot_legacy=110. Shut down your Chromebook by typing the following command and pressing Enter:
sudo poweroff11. Connect the USB drive to the bootable Ubuntu OS, turn on your Chromebook, and the recovery screen will appear.
12. Press CTRL + L on the recovery screen to enter BIOS instead of booting into Chrome OS.
13. Press ESC to display the boot menu.
14. Your Chromebook will show you where it can boot. Select the USB drive containing the bootable Ubuntu OS and press Enter. In this case, type 2 and press Enter.
15. Press Enter on the next screen to start Ubuntu.
16. Wait until Ubuntu finishes booting to set up and start using it
Install Linux within Chrome OS
All Chromebooks released since 2019 support Linux (Beta), also known as Crostini. However, certain Chromebooks released before 2019 support this feature. You can see a list of such Chromebooks here .
Crostini is especially useful for developers using Chromebooks. This feature allows users to install and run development Linux apps, such as Linux code editors, IDEs, and Linux command-line tools, on Chromebooks. This allows users to run Linux apps within ChromeOS.
Compared to the other methods mentioned earlier, this is a much more secure way to use Linux on Chrome OS, and Google offers support for Crostini as a feature that allows users to use Linux on Chromebooks. I am.
To install Linux within ChromeOS:
1. Click the time in the bottom right corner of your Chromebook.
2. Click on the gear icon to open the settings window
3. On the Settings page, click Advanced Settings.
4. Click Developer and select Enable .
5. A window will appear to set up your Linux development environment, click Next .
6. Enter the username you want to use and click Install . By default, this page selects the recommended disk size. You can customize this size if you want, but you don’t have to.
7. Wait until the installation process is completed. Then a terminal window will open.
8. Pin the Linux terminal to the shelf by right-clicking the terminal window on the shelf and selecting Pin . This will allow you to easily access your Linux terminal in the future.
Once the terminal opens, you can start using Linux within ChromeOS.
conclusion
Chromebooks are a great budget-friendly alternative to traditional laptops. Chromebooks are packed with features that make them especially suitable for users who connect to the Internet and use web applications without having to install software locally.
Installing Linux on your Chromebook not only allows you to extend the capabilities of an already powerful device, but it could also breathe new life into your device in case Google ends support for Chromebooks.
Additionally, developers can benefit from installing Linux on their Chromebooks by giving them access to the software they need to program.
You may also want to consider some of the best Chromebook VPNs.
