Use your Chromebook with Linux
Chromebooks have established themselves as a low-cost alternative to conventional entry-level laptops. Devices from many manufacturers and with many display sizes are available; however, all models are tightly tied to the Chrome OS operating system by Google.
Some potential buyers, toying with the idea of investing in such a device, are discouraged by the very limited capabilities of the operating system despite what is now quite powerful hardware. And, serious privacy concerns are another drawback to the system. Google is one of the largest collectors of data worldwide and makes things easy for itself by closely tying Chrome OS to its online services to extract personal data from users and thus generate profiles.
As a US corporate group, Google is forced to hand over the data to US authorities when ordered to do so. But the close bond between the operating system, Google's services, and the hardware is not hard-wired, so resourceful minds from the free developer community have broken these restraints and customized Linux for Chromebooks. The easiest approach is to create a dual-boot system using the ChrX tools [1]. Alternatively, you can use a separate Linux derivative in a window on Chrome OS in the form of Crouton [2].
[...]
Buy this article as PDF
(incl. VAT)
Buy Linux Magazine
US / Canada
UK / Australia
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Support Our Work
Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you’ve found an article to be beneficial.
News
-
Plasma Ends LTS Releases
The KDE Plasma development team is doing away with the LTS releases for a good reason.
-
Arch Linux Available for Windows Subsystem for Linux
If you've ever wanted to use a rolling release distribution with WSL, now's your chance.
-
System76 Releases COSMIC Alpha 7
With scores of bug fixes and a really cool workspaces feature, COSMIC is looking to soon migrate from alpha to beta.
-
OpenMandriva Lx 6.0 Available for Installation
The latest release of OpenMandriva has arrived with a new kernel, an updated Plasma desktop, and a server edition.
-
TrueNAS 25.04 Arrives with Thousands of Changes
One of the most popular Linux-based NAS solutions has rolled out the latest edition, based on Ubuntu 25.04.
-
Fedora 42 Available with Two New Spins
The latest release from the Fedora Project includes the usual updates, a new kernel, an official KDE Plasma spin, and a new System76 spin.
-
So Long, ArcoLinux
The ArcoLinux distribution is the latest Linux distribution to shut down.
-
What Open Source Pros Look for in a Job Role
Learn what professionals in technical and non-technical roles say is most important when seeking a new position.
-
Asahi Linux Runs into Issues with M4 Support
Due to Apple Silicon changes, the Asahi Linux project is at odds with adding support for the M4 chips.
-
Plasma 6.3.4 Now Available
Although not a major release, Plasma 6.3.4 does fix some bugs and offer a subtle change for the Plasma sidebar.