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''PAGE REPRESENTS WORK IN PROGRESS''


ChromeOS is a Linux distribution based on Gentoo that is found native on Chromebooks. It is designed for web browsing and light office applications through Google Docs. Any standard program that can be accessed via the Chrome Browser can be used on ChromeOS, along with a large catalog of other applications available in the Chrome Web Store. ChromeOS uses the "crosh" terminal which is browser based but can be accessed with a window with an extension, and uses Bash version 4.2.48
[[File:Chrome OS screenshot.png|thumb|ChromeOS]]
Compared to the Chrome browser, ChromeOS is surprisingly lightweight, even though it has the browser running in the background 24/7 (as it is integral to the OS) it only uses on average 400-500mb of ram with 2-3 tabs open, more tabs or things like flash applications will increase this. With it being lightweight and very efficient like this, the average user should have no issues with the 2gb of ram that many low end chromebooks come with.  
[[File:Chromium OS screenshot.png|thumb|Chromium OS]]


ChromeOS is a [[GNU/Linux]] distribution based on Gentoo that is installed by default on Chromebooks. It is designed for web browsing and light office applications through web applications. Chromebooks are laptops with (usually) very cheap, low-end hardware, due to the lightweight nature of the operating system. Chromebooks also contain small quantities of onboard storage to encourage users to use cloud-based services. Any standard program that can be accessed via the [[Chromium|Chrome browser]] can be used on ChromeOS, along with a large catalog of other applications available in the Chrome Web and Google Play Store. ChromeOS includes the terminal emulator "crosh" which is browser-based.


'''Information'''
Compared to the Chrome browser itself, ChromeOS is surprisingly lightweight, despite the browser running in the background 24/7 (as it is integral to the OS), it only uses on average 400-500 MB of RAM with 2-3 tabs open, however, more tabs or things like WebGPU applications will increase this. With it being as lightweight and efficient as it is, the average user should have no issues with the 4 GB of RAM that many low-end Chromebooks come with.


The first Chromebook was called the CR-48, and sports a beautiful minimalist black design.
it is often given to public schools by Google as a part of their "Google for Education" project. Often, the student has no choice and is automatically [https://www.eff.org/wp/school-issued-devices-and-student-privacy signed up for Google] on behalf of the school.
Chromebooks and ChromeOS were announced in mid 2009.
Chromebooks were first Shipped in 2011.
ChromeOS is currently in Version 46.0.2490.82, with the beta preview available showing version 47.0.2526.69, it is a Rolling Release distribution.
ChromeOS is built upon the Chromium Project, which is an open source alternative to Google's products.
"Fresh" Chromebooks have an average boot time of 4 seconds from black screen to login.  
ChromeOS originally started as essentially a Chrome browser in a netbook, until 2012 ChromeOS did not have a taskbar, shell, applications or even a clock, it was just the browser.
Using ARC you can install many Android applications, including games like Terraria and Minecraft


==Issues==


'''Issues'''
Chromebooks, by default, only allow ChromeOS to boot, and nothing else. They ship with coreboot which has verified boot enabled, it only allows signed kernels to be booted. To install any other GNU/Linux distro, you need to re-sign the kernel every time it's changed. To avoid this, it is necessary to update the firmware contained in the SPI flash chip.


ChromeOS is lacking in some features of a regular linux distro, namely the lack of a package manager.There is a substitute called Chromebrew but it is severely lacking in packages in its repository, however it does have the essentials such as htop, vim, etc.
==Crostini==
It can be found here: https://skycocker.github.io/chromebrew/


Another issue is its inability to be "riced" or customized in any way non-standard to ChromeOS. It has its own window manager and desktop environment called chromewm and chromeosdesktop respectively, neither of which show up in screenfetch, and neither can be changed or replaced with others.
A GNU/Linux environment can be added to a ChromeOS installation through the use of a program called "crostini". It can be installed by [https://chromeos.dev/en/linux/setup toggling on the setting]. It is a Debian virtual machine not unlike the Windows Subsystem for Linux. Apps installed inside the virtual environment integrate seamlessly with native ChromeOS apps.
ChromeOS does have its own Screenfetch ASCII art, ChromiumOS does aswell.


Crostini environments are fully functional. They have far fewer restrictions than ChromeOS. They are progressively given space from your disk as they need it. You can manage the amount of disk space reserved by your virtual environment in the settings menu. It is recommended that if you are a heavy media user, you either avoid Chromebooks or get a nice portable SSD. Many Chromebooks even come with an SD card reader built in, which would also suit this need.


'''Crouton'''
==Installing other OSs natively==


The major saving grace of ChromeOS is its easily installation of a linux partition via a program called Crouton. It can be installed with one command and can create a "chroot" in another command. It works like a hybrid of a Virtual Machine and a dual boot, it is not windowed but allows you to move between ChromeOS and your choice of linux installed via a combination of keys. The standard linux choice is Ubuntu, which crouton has all options of ranging from Breezy to Wily. It also has options for vanilla Debian, Kali Linux, OpenSUSE, Gentoo, and many others. Many come with DE options aswell, including XFCE, KDE, CDE, Gnome and in the case of Ubuntu, Unity. All distro choices are "partially-minimal", meaning they come with nothing extra than the bare essentials to get you started, some include the NetSurf browser. There are no Amazon utilities on Ubuntu.
It is possible to natively install a [[GNU/Linux]] distro, [[Windows]], or even [[macOS]] on an Intel-based Chromebook, just like on any other computer, but not without some additional hoops. Chromebooks include firmware write protection in a variety of forms. It is necessary to disable write protection before flashing the chip with the full ROM and BOOT_STUB updates. The best place to acquire firmware for your device is [https://docs.mrchromebox.tech/docs/fwscript.html Matt DeVillier's site.]. As mentioned above, however, it is necessary to first flash the firmware contained in the SPI chip with a certain update. There are two kinds of updates:
Linux Chroots are fully functional, no restrictions like ChromeOS, they are progressively given space from your SSD as they need it, with a limit of 50% of your empty space. For example, on a 16gb SSD a chroot will take about 3gb of space to make a chroot of Ubuntu 12.04, very little of it is for the actual OS, when it runs out of space it will take only up to 6gb of your memory (since ChromeOS takes a portion of your SSD to start, leaving you with about 12gb of space). When it runs out of memory after that point, it tells you it can no longer expand its storage, and requires permission to do so via the Crosh terminal in Chrome. It is reccomended that if you are a heavy media user, you avoid Chromebooks or get a nice USB stick. Many chromebooks even come with an SD card reader built in which would also suit this need.
 
RW_LEGACY updates the SeaBIOS legacy boot mode included in every Chromebook by default. This permits the installation of an OS alongside ChromeOS, dual-booting between both. Constraints do exist, given that stock functionality is left intact, it is not like a regular laptop dual-booting.
 
A full ROM update enables the installation of any UEFI-compliant OS on the laptop, but it can't boot the preinstalled ChromeOS build. It includes updates for coreboot, and a UEFI boot payload, TianoCore. This update essentially turns Chromebooks into regular laptops. Ideal for forgetting about the Chrome botnet.
 
ARM-based Chromebooks do not enjoy the same level of support, but distributions such as Arch Linux ARM and postmarketOS maintain support for a selection of popular models.
 
==ChromeOS Flex==
 
There is a standalone version of ChromeOS targeted towards aging laptops and desktops called ChromeOS Flex. It offers a very similar experience to that of a Chromebook or Chromebox, but with the major caveat of not having any Android app support. ChromeOS Flex devices do not have a support timeline unlike that of officially supported models, but you will continue to recieve updates on your ChromeOS Flex devices until your hardware is totally incompatible. If you're comfortable with the limitations of ChromeOS or you're setting up a computer for someone not particularly tech-savvy, it is an acceptable alternative to Windows.
 
==External links==
https://support.google.com/chromeosflex/answer/11513094<br>https://docs.chrultrabook.com/docs/firmware/supported-devices.html<br>https://wiki.postmarketos.org/wiki/Category:ChromeOS
 
[[Category:GNU/Linux]]
[[Category:Distros]]
[[Category:Operating systems]]

Latest revision as of 21:52, 7 December 2024

ChromeOS
Chromium OS

ChromeOS is a GNU/Linux distribution based on Gentoo that is installed by default on Chromebooks. It is designed for web browsing and light office applications through web applications. Chromebooks are laptops with (usually) very cheap, low-end hardware, due to the lightweight nature of the operating system. Chromebooks also contain small quantities of onboard storage to encourage users to use cloud-based services. Any standard program that can be accessed via the Chrome browser can be used on ChromeOS, along with a large catalog of other applications available in the Chrome Web and Google Play Store. ChromeOS includes the terminal emulator "crosh" which is browser-based.

Compared to the Chrome browser itself, ChromeOS is surprisingly lightweight, despite the browser running in the background 24/7 (as it is integral to the OS), it only uses on average 400-500 MB of RAM with 2-3 tabs open, however, more tabs or things like WebGPU applications will increase this. With it being as lightweight and efficient as it is, the average user should have no issues with the 4 GB of RAM that many low-end Chromebooks come with.

it is often given to public schools by Google as a part of their "Google for Education" project. Often, the student has no choice and is automatically signed up for Google on behalf of the school.

Issues

Chromebooks, by default, only allow ChromeOS to boot, and nothing else. They ship with coreboot which has verified boot enabled, it only allows signed kernels to be booted. To install any other GNU/Linux distro, you need to re-sign the kernel every time it's changed. To avoid this, it is necessary to update the firmware contained in the SPI flash chip.

Crostini

A GNU/Linux environment can be added to a ChromeOS installation through the use of a program called "crostini". It can be installed by toggling on the setting. It is a Debian virtual machine not unlike the Windows Subsystem for Linux. Apps installed inside the virtual environment integrate seamlessly with native ChromeOS apps.

Crostini environments are fully functional. They have far fewer restrictions than ChromeOS. They are progressively given space from your disk as they need it. You can manage the amount of disk space reserved by your virtual environment in the settings menu. It is recommended that if you are a heavy media user, you either avoid Chromebooks or get a nice portable SSD. Many Chromebooks even come with an SD card reader built in, which would also suit this need.

Installing other OSs natively

It is possible to natively install a GNU/Linux distro, Windows, or even macOS on an Intel-based Chromebook, just like on any other computer, but not without some additional hoops. Chromebooks include firmware write protection in a variety of forms. It is necessary to disable write protection before flashing the chip with the full ROM and BOOT_STUB updates. The best place to acquire firmware for your device is Matt DeVillier's site.. As mentioned above, however, it is necessary to first flash the firmware contained in the SPI chip with a certain update. There are two kinds of updates:

RW_LEGACY updates the SeaBIOS legacy boot mode included in every Chromebook by default. This permits the installation of an OS alongside ChromeOS, dual-booting between both. Constraints do exist, given that stock functionality is left intact, it is not like a regular laptop dual-booting.

A full ROM update enables the installation of any UEFI-compliant OS on the laptop, but it can't boot the preinstalled ChromeOS build. It includes updates for coreboot, and a UEFI boot payload, TianoCore. This update essentially turns Chromebooks into regular laptops. Ideal for forgetting about the Chrome botnet.

ARM-based Chromebooks do not enjoy the same level of support, but distributions such as Arch Linux ARM and postmarketOS maintain support for a selection of popular models.

ChromeOS Flex

There is a standalone version of ChromeOS targeted towards aging laptops and desktops called ChromeOS Flex. It offers a very similar experience to that of a Chromebook or Chromebox, but with the major caveat of not having any Android app support. ChromeOS Flex devices do not have a support timeline unlike that of officially supported models, but you will continue to recieve updates on your ChromeOS Flex devices until your hardware is totally incompatible. If you're comfortable with the limitations of ChromeOS or you're setting up a computer for someone not particularly tech-savvy, it is an acceptable alternative to Windows.

External links

https://support.google.com/chromeosflex/answer/11513094
https://docs.chrultrabook.com/docs/firmware/supported-devices.html
https://wiki.postmarketos.org/wiki/Category:ChromeOS

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