![]() ![]() What was attractive to me when comparing Crouton against the previous method is that everything runs under ChromeOS, which in my opinion provides a much better user experience than traditional Linux desktops. Crouton bypasses this limitation by requiring developer mode to be enabled, so once again, you are forced to downgrade the security of your laptop so that you can have a decent Linux environment in which to write code. If a virus were to infiltrate a chroot, it could potentially find its way outside of the chroot.īecause the security implications of running chroots are potentially severe, Chromebooks do not provide the ability to create chroots directly. While the chroot is sandboxed to some extent, the isolation isn't complete, so for example, chroots have direct access to the host's hardware. On the plus side, chroots use a very lightweight form of virtualization that runs code natively, with zero performance impact. CroutonĬrouton is an open source script that makes it easy to create chroots that run Linux inside ChromeOS. Of course this is my personal opinion, but I don't find standard Linux desktop environments such as Ubuntu as nice as ChromeOS. Setting aside the complication and risk of enabling developer mode, I have found that running a complete Linux distribution does not provide a great user experience. If you forget to manually bypass the warning within 30 seconds of turning it on, then the machine assumes it has been compromised and does a powerwash, which brings it back to factory settings, and of course away go all your files, from the Linux and ChromeOS sides. Also, the Chromebook gives you a loud and annoying reminder that it is in developer mode every time you turn it on. Then at boot time you select if you want to boot ChromeOS or Linux.īecause the Chromebook security strictly prohibits running non-authorized code at boot, this option is only available when the system is put in developer mode, which among other things disables the verified boot process that prevents unauthorized code such as viruses from infiltrating your system. The idea is to install a regular Linux distribution alongside ChromeOS. ![]() The second method I explored is more mainstream. The main problems I experienced were caused by weird file sharing rules between the ChromeOS and Linux file systems, and more importantly, the inability to access localhost from inside the Linux environment. While this approach sounds great on paper, the issue with Termux is the sandboxing, which often gets in the way if you try to create a streamlined coding workflow oriented towards web development. If your Chromebook model is one that supports running Android apps, then you can install this app and have access to a Linux terminal. This app runs on Android phones or tablets, and gives you a sandboxed Linux environment that you can run without the need of rooting your device. The first and most secure of the legacy methods involves the use of an Android app called Termux. Running Linux in a Chromebook: The Old Methodsīefore I describe the new thing, let me review the methods that were previously available, so that you can evaluate Crostini in the proper context. This method is based on container technology, and is known by the project name Crostini. What makes this new method interesting is that it is an officially supported feature of ChromeOS, so there is no need to activate developer mode, and no need to make concessions on the highly regarded Chromebook security model. Now there is a fourth method of running a native Linux distribution, available to most Chromebook models from the last few years. Since I wrote that article in September 2017 there's been a new development. ![]() One required running a heavily sandboxed Android app, while for the other two you had to put the machine in developer mode, which bypasses some of the security measures that make the Chromebook one of the most secure laptops you can find. These three methods were all a bit hacky. In that article, I presented three different ways to install a Linux distribution instead of, or sometimes alongside ChromeOS, the native Chromebook operating system. It's been over a year since I wrote my guide on setting up a cheap Chromebook for web development. ![]()
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