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[[File:Chrome OS screenshot.png|thumb|Chrome OS]]
[[File:Chrome OS screenshot.png|thumb|ChromeOS]]
[[File:Chromium OS screenshot.png|thumb|Chromium OS]]
[[File:Chromium OS screenshot.png|thumb|Chromium OS]]


Chrome OS 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 Chrome OS, along with a large catalog of other applications available in the Chrome Web Store. Chrome OS uses the "crosh" terminal which is browser based but can be accessed with a window with an extension, and uses Bash.
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.


Compared to the Chrome browser, Chrome OS 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 400-500 MB of RAM with 2-3 tabs open, however, more tabs or things like flash applications will increase this. With it being as lightweight and efficient as it is, the average user should have no issues with the 2 GB of RAM that many low-end Chromebooks come with.  
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 [https://www.eff.org/wp/school-issued-devices-and-student-privacy signed up for Google] on behalf of the school.


== The Chromium Project ==
==Issues==


The Chromium Project are the open source versions of the Chrome browser and Chrome OS. Chromium OS and Chrome OS were created via a collaboration of the Google development team and the Chromium Projects developers. The main differences between standard Google Chrome products and the Chromium counterparts, are that the Chromium browser and operating system have much more freedom, ease of access and customization than their original design. The Chromium browser is noted for its lack of tracking features, though not entire gone and still funded by Google, the Chromium browser is a good alternative for those who want the Chrome experience without the tracking. Chromium OS is essentially Chrome OS with the same idea, less tracking, more ability to "dig into it". Chromium comes standard with the Chromebrew package manager, while lacking in packages, is still very useful. It can be installed on Chrome OS but its still non-standard.
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.


== Issues ==
==Crostini==


Chrome OS is lacking in some features of a regular Linux distro, namely the lack of a package manager. There is a substitute called [https://skycocker.github.io/chromebrew/ Chromebrew] but it is severely lacking in packages in its repository; However, it does have the essentials such as htop, vim, and so on, so forth.
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.


Another issue is its inability to be 'riced' or customized in any way non-standard to Chrome OS. 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. Chrome OS does have its own Screenfetch ASCII art, as does ChromiumOS.
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 Chrome OS is its easy installation of a Linux partition via a program called Crouton. It can be installed with one command and 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 Chrome OS 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 Ubuntu's case, Unity.  
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:


All distro choices are 'partially-minimal', meaning they come with nothing extra than the bare essentials to get you started. There are no Amazon utilities on Ubuntu.
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.


Linux chroots are fully functional—no restrictions like Chrome OS.  
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.


They are progressively given space from your disk as they need it, with a limit of 50% of your empty space.  
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.


For example, on a 16 GB SSD a chroot will take about 3 GB 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 Chrome OS takes a portion of your disk 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 recommended 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.
==ChromeOS Flex==


== Hardware ==
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.


Chromebooks are laptops with (usually) low-end hardware, due to the lightweight nature of Chrome OS. They also contain small storage devices to encourage users to use cloud-based services.
==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
Avoid models with an Exynos CPU if you plan to run a GNU/Linux distribution. They won't be able to use most applications provided you decide to use a GNU/Linux distro on a Chromebook, and don't have the power or battery life of the regular Haswell-based models.
 
{| {{table}}
| align="center" style="background:#f0f0f0;"|'''Model Name'''
| align="center" style="background:#f0f0f0;"|''''''
| align="center" style="background:#f0f0f0;"|'''CPU'''
| align="center" style="background:#f0f0f0;"|''''''
| align="center" style="background:#f0f0f0;"|'''GPU'''
| align="center" style="background:#f0f0f0;"|''''''
| align="center" style="background:#f0f0f0;"|'''RAM'''
| align="center" style="background:#f0f0f0;"|''''''
| align="center" style="background:#f0f0f0;"|'''Battery life'''
| align="center" style="background:#f0f0f0;"|''''''
| align="center" style="background:#f0f0f0;"|'''Screen'''
| align="center" style="background:#f0f0f0;"|''''''
| align="center" style="background:#f0f0f0;"|'''Storage'''
| align="center" style="background:#f0f0f0;"|''''''
| align="center" style="background:#f0f0f0;"|'''Price (USD)'''
|-
| Chromebook 11||||Exynos 5250||||Mali-T604||||2GB||||6 hours||||11.6", 1366x768||||16GB SSD||||279
|-
| Acer C720||||Celeron 2955U||||Intel HD||||2GB||||8.5 hours||||11.6", 1366x768||||16/32GB SSD||||199/249
|-
| Acer C720P||||Celeron 2955U||||Intel HD||||2GB||||7.5 hours||||^ but with touch||||32GB SSD||||299
|-
| Chromebook 14||||Celeron 2955U||||Intel HD||||2GB||||9.5 hours||||14", 1366x768||||16GB SSD||||299
|-
| Samsung Chromebook||||Exynos 5250||||Mali-T604||||2GB||||6 hours||||11.6", 1366x768||||16GB SSD||||249
|-
| Acer C710||||Celeron 847||||Intel HD||||2GB||||3 hours||||11.6", 1366x768||||16GB SSD||||199
|-
| Pavillion Chromebook||||Celeron 847||||Intel HD||||2GB||||4.25 hr||||14", 1366x768||||16GB SSD||||329
|-
| Pixel (2015)||||i5-5200U||||HD 5500||||8GB||||12 hours||||12.85", 2560x1700||||32 SSD||||999
|-
| Pixel (LS)||||Intel Core i7-5500U ||||HD 5500||||16GB||||12 hours||||12.85", 2560x1700||||64 SSD||||1,299
|-
|}


[[Category:GNU/Linux]]
[[Category:GNU/Linux]]
[[Category:Distros]]
[[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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