How to run a full linux desktop in a browser tab on your chromebook

Crouton is the best way to run Linux alongside Chrome OS on your Chromebook. Now it’s even better — you can run that Linux desktop in a browser tab.

This isn’t official Google software, but the extension itself was created by David Schneider, Crouton developer and Google employee. It’s as close as you’re going to get!

How It Works

This method requires a full Crouton installation. The Linux system isn’t actually running in a browser tab. It’s running on your Chromebook’s system as it is with Crouton. The browser tab just provides a “window” to that Linux desktop so you don’t have to switch back and forth with keyboard shortcuts.

It’s a bit like VNC or another remote-desktop solution — but better. The browser tab runs software that connects to the desktop Linux system running in the background and makes it available to you in a typical Chrome OS window.

This still requires the usual Crouton installation process — it just means that Linux system can be used much more easily and in a more integrated way afterwards.

This method also adds a few more bonuses. Your Chrome OS clipboard will synchronize back and forth with your Linux system (known as a “chroot”) and links you click in the Linux environment can be loaded in standard Chrome OS browser tabs.

Install Crouton on Your Chromebook

First, you’ll need to have Crouton installed. This involves enabling Developer Mode on your Chromebook and then running the appropriate command to download and install the Linux desktop software you want to use.

Follow our guide to installing Linux on your Chromebook with Crouton if you need more details. Be sure to install the “xiwi” or “extension” target of Crouton. For example, run the following command to install the Ubuntu 14.04 (Trusty) Linux system with the Xfce desktop and support for running in a browser tab:

/Downloads/crouton -r trusty -t xfce,xiwi

Wait a while for the script to download and install the Linux software after running the command. Provide a username and password when prompted, and check the official documentation if you need help with anything else.

Install the Browser Extension

Your Crouton Linux system should now be installed. Typically, you’d launch it from the terminal and then switch between it and your Chrome OS desktop with specific keyboard shortcuts. That’s more convenient than rebooting to switch between the two environments, but the browser extension here makes it even more convenient.

Install the Crouton Integration extension from the Chrome Web Store on your Chromebook. Next, start the Linux system by opening a shell and running the appropriate command. For example, if you installed the Xfce desktop, you could press Ctrl+Alt+T, type shell and press Enter, and then type sudo startxfce4 and press Enter.

Do whatever you like with the Crouton tab or window. You can have the Linux system in a full-screen browser tab, or put it in a window and move it wherever you want on your screen. The Linux desktop can be resized on the fly — just by resizing the window

If you have a large enough screen, you could even use split-screen mode, viewing your Linux desktop on one half of the screen and Chrome OS applications and browser windows on the other half.

Full desktop Linux systems open up a lot of possibilities, from using powerful developer tools and standard UNIX commands to playing games like Minecraft and the many games available on Steam for Linux. Web developers could even use this trick to run Firefox directly on their Chromebooks in a browser tab so they can see how their websites render in a different browser. Now all of it can be done right on the Chrome OS desktop without all the switching back and forth.

Chris Hoffman is Editor-in-Chief of How-To Geek. He’s written about technology for over a decade and was a PCWorld columnist for two years. Chris has written for The New York Times and Reader’s Digest, been interviewed as a technology expert on TV stations like Miami’s NBC 6, and had his work covered by news outlets like the BBC. Since 2011, Chris has written over 2,000 articles that have been read nearly one billion times—and that’s just here at How-To Geek. Read more.

Crouton is the best way to run Linux alongside Chrome OS on your Chromebook. Now it’s even better — you can run that Linux desktop in a browser tab.

This isn’t official Google software, but the extension itself was created by David Schneider, Crouton developer and Google employee. It’s as close as you’re going to get!

How It Works

This method requires a full Crouton installation. The Linux system isn’t actually running in a browser tab. It’s running on your Chromebook’s system as it is with Crouton. The browser tab just provides a “window” to that Linux desktop so you don’t have to switch back and forth with keyboard shortcuts.

It’s a bit like VNC or another remote-desktop solution — but better. The browser tab runs software that connects to the desktop Linux system running in the background and makes it available to you in a typical Chrome OS window.

This still requires the usual Crouton installation process — it just means that Linux system can be used much more easily and in a more integrated way afterwards.

This method also adds a few more bonuses. Your Chrome OS clipboard will synchronize back and forth with your Linux system (known as a “chroot”) and links you click in the Linux environment can be loaded in standard Chrome OS browser tabs.

Install Crouton on Your Chromebook

First, you’ll need to have Crouton installed. This involves enabling Developer Mode on your Chromebook and then running the appropriate command to download and install the Linux desktop software you want to use.

Follow our guide to installing Linux on your Chromebook with Crouton if you need more details. Be sure to install the “xiwi” or “extension” target of Crouton. For example, run the following command to install the Ubuntu 14.04 (Trusty) Linux system with the Xfce desktop and support for running in a browser tab:

/Downloads/crouton -r trusty -t xfce,xiwi

Wait a while for the script to download and install the Linux software after running the command. Provide a username and password when prompted, and check the official documentation if you need help with anything else.

Install the Browser Extension

Your Crouton Linux system should now be installed. Typically, you’d launch it from the terminal and then switch between it and your Chrome OS desktop with specific keyboard shortcuts. That’s more convenient than rebooting to switch between the two environments, but the browser extension here makes it even more convenient.

Install the Crouton Integration extension from the Chrome Web Store on your Chromebook. Next, start the Linux system by opening a shell and running the appropriate command. For example, if you installed the Xfce desktop, you could press Ctrl+Alt+T, type shell and press Enter, and then type sudo startxfce4 and press Enter.

Do whatever you like with the Crouton tab or window. You can have the Linux system in a full-screen browser tab, or put it in a window and move it wherever you want on your screen. The Linux desktop can be resized on the fly — just by resizing the window

If you have a large enough screen, you could even use split-screen mode, viewing your Linux desktop on one half of the screen and Chrome OS applications and browser windows on the other half.

Full desktop Linux systems open up a lot of possibilities, from using powerful developer tools and standard UNIX commands to playing games like Minecraft and the many games available on Steam for Linux. Web developers could even use this trick to run Firefox directly on their Chromebooks in a browser tab so they can see how their websites render in a different browser. Now all of it can be done right on the Chrome OS desktop without all the switching back and forth.

Crouton is the best way to run Linux alongside Chrome OS on your Chromebook. Now it’s even better — you can run that Linux desktop in a browser tab.

This isn’t official Google software, but the extension itself was created by David Schneider, Crouton developer and Google employee. It’s as close as you’re going to get!

How It Works

This method requires a full Crouton installation. The Linux system isn’t actually running in a browser tab. It’s running on your Chromebook’s system as it is with Crouton. The browser tab just provides a “window” to that Linux desktop so you don’t have to switch back and forth with keyboard shortcuts.

It’s a bit like VNC or another remote-desktop solution — but better. The browser tab runs software that connects to the desktop Linux system running in the background and makes it available to you in a typical Chrome OS window.

This still requires the usual Crouton installation process — it just means that Linux system can be used much more easily and in a more integrated way afterwards.

This method also adds a few more bonuses. Your Chrome OS clipboard will synchronize back and forth with your Linux system (known as a “chroot”) and links you click in the Linux environment can be loaded in standard Chrome OS browser tabs.

Install Crouton on Your Chromebook

First, you’ll need to have Crouton installed. This involves enabling Developer Mode on your Chromebook and then running the appropriate command to download and install the Linux desktop software you want to use.

Follow our guide to installing Linux on your Chromebook with Crouton if you need more details. Be sure to install the “xiwi” or “extension” target of Crouton. For example, run the following command to install the Ubuntu 14.04 (Trusty) Linux system with the Xfce desktop and support for running in a browser tab:

/Downloads/crouton -r trusty -t xfce,xiwi

Wait a while for the script to download and install the Linux software after running the command. Provide a username and password when prompted, and check the official documentation if you need help with anything else.

Install the Browser Extension

Your Crouton Linux system should now be installed. Typically, you’d launch it from the terminal and then switch between it and your Chrome OS desktop with specific keyboard shortcuts. That’s more convenient than rebooting to switch between the two environments, but the browser extension here makes it even more convenient.

Install the Crouton Integration extension from the Chrome Web Store on your Chromebook. Next, start the Linux system by opening a shell and running the appropriate command. For example, if you installed the Xfce desktop, you could press Ctrl+Alt+T, type shell and press Enter, and then type sudo startxfce4 and press Enter.

Do whatever you like with the Crouton tab or window. You can have the Linux system in a full-screen browser tab, or put it in a window and move it wherever you want on your screen. The Linux desktop can be resized on the fly — just by resizing the window

If you have a large enough screen, you could even use split-screen mode, viewing your Linux desktop on one half of the screen and Chrome OS applications and browser windows on the other half.

Full desktop Linux systems open up a lot of possibilities, from using powerful developer tools and standard UNIX commands to playing games like Minecraft and the many games available on Steam for Linux. Web developers could even use this trick to run Firefox directly on their Chromebooks in a browser tab so they can see how their websites render in a different browser. Now all of it can be done right on the Chrome OS desktop without all the switching back and forth.

Chromebooks may have started life as very basic laptops that were useless without an internet connection, but they’ve become more powerful and more useful with each passing year. Now, not only is it possible to run Linux on your Chromebook, you can access the operating system through a browser window.

The tool you need to get familiar with is Crouton , which installs a version of Ubuntu right on your Chromebook alongside Chrome OS. Before you get started, you should probably create a recovery image of your Chromebook, but if you’re careful, there shouldn’t be any problems during installation.

Next, put your Chromebook into developer mode. You’ll need to run a web search for instructions on how to do this as it varies from Chromebook to Chromebook (there’s often a physical switch somewhere). All the data on your Chromebook will be wiped, but it’s all in the cloud, right? You might want to check the local SSD anyway, just to be sure.

You’ll see a rather scary-looking warning message every time you boot up into developer mode, but it’s really just explaining that some of the usual Chrome OS security features have been disabled so you can access the deeper layers of the operating system. Just be careful what you choose to install.

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Installing and running Linux

With that done, you’re ready to install Linux. On your developer mode Chromebook, go through the Chrome OS setup process, then head to the Crouton page on GitHub and download the Chromium OS Universal Chroot Environment from the link at the top. Open up a terminal window with Ctrl+Alt+T and type “shell” then Enter.

Now, you get a choice of desktop environments. Unity is the most user-friendly for newcomers to Linux, but also the bulkiest, and you really need a Chromebook with a newer Intel chipset to run it. Xfce is the most lightweight and least user-friendly, whereas KDE is somewhere in the middle. This official guide on Linux.com has some useful extra info on your choices.

/Downloads/crouton -t unity,xiwi” then Enter, replacing “unity” with “xfce” or “kde” if you feel the need (you can also add an “-e” flag to add encryption for extra security). For touchscreen Chromebooks, add the touch flag and a comma to the string, so the last variable would be “touch,unity,xiwi”. The “xiwi” target is important for running Ubuntu in a browser window.

Crouton downloads and installs your choice of Ubuntu Linux, then prompts you for a username and password. Finally type “sudo startunity” (and Enter) to launch the OS you’ve installed. You can switch OSes with Ctrl+Alt+Back and Ctrl+Alt+Forward on Intel Chromebooks (add Shift if you’re on an older ARM-powered Chromebook).

For the ultimate in convenience, install the Crouton Integration extension from the Chrome Web Store, which lets you run Linux inside a browser tab. You still need to launch the alternative OS first: Alt+Shift+T, then “shell” (Enter), then “sudo startunity” (Enter), but it then launches in a floating window and you can have it open right alongside Facebook and Gmail . Your Chromebook is now ready for any Linux desktop applications.

The Developer Mode splash screen will appear every time you boot up Chrome OS (though your local data isn’t wiped except for the first time). To go back to normal, press Space on the splash screen, then confirm your choice. Chrome OS wipes the Chromebook, deleting Linux, and starts up the system as normal.

Croton It is a tool that can easily install Ubuntu or Debian in the chroot environment of any Chromebook model. This article explains how to run Linux applications on Chrome OS (using Crouton) without running the entire Linux desktop.
Following the instructions in this article, you will be able to open Linux applications in the Chrome OS window or in the new Chrome browser tab.
It should be noted that Linux applications running in Chrome OS windows or tabs via Crouton are not GPU accelerated.
In addition, it is best to exit the application from the application File > Quit Menu item instead of closing the window by clicking the X Window button. by using Quit Menu item, the chroot exists correctly, and you do n’t have to worry about losing any settings that may have been changed in the application you are using.

In order to be able to launch Linux applications in the window at the top of the Chrome OS or in the Chrome browser tab, if you have not installed the xiwi target, you need to install the xiwi target. You also need Breadcrumb integration Chrome browser extension 1. Install xiwi crouton target
If you have installed Ubuntu on a Chromebook using Crouton, you can add the xiwi target to an existing chroot by opening crosh on the Chrome OS Ctrl + Alt + T To open it), and then type:

Where chrootname Yes … chroot name. Usually the codename of the Ubuntu version- xenial By default (Ubuntu 16.04), unless you specify another Ubuntu version (for example bionic For example, corresponding to Ubuntu 18.04 LTS).
If you do n’t know the chroot name, you can use the following command to list all the chroots installed with Crouton on your Chromebook:

If you only intend to use Crouton to launch a single application and do not want a full desktop, you can avoid installing the desktop environment and only use the Crouton install command to install the xiwi target. So you can download Croton, Using Ctrl + Alt + T And then run the following command to install only the xiwi target:

More information on how to install Crouton (and some basic adjustments) on a Chromebook in this article: How to install Ubuntu Linux on any Chromebook model without replacing Chrome OS (Crouton) 2. Install Crouton integration extension for Google Chrome
You must have the Crouton integrated extension for Google Chrome to use the “xiwi” Crouton target. You can choose from Chrome Web Store.3. Run Linux application in Chrome OS window or tab

PyCharm running in the Chrome OS window

After installing the chroot of the xiwi target, you can start the Linux application in the Chrome OS window. Press to open crosh on Chromebook Ctrl + Alt + T And then enter:

Where executable Is the executable file of the application you want to start. For example, you can start GIMP using the following command:

If you have multiple chroots, you can specify in which chroot to start the application by adding the following -n :

The chroot name is the Ubuntu version code, with xenial (Ubuntu 16.04 Xenial Xerus) is the default setting. Once again, if you do n’t know the chroot name, you can use the following command to list all chroots installed on the Chromebook via Crouton:

GIMP running in the Chrome browser tab

If you want to start the Linux application in the new Chrome tab, use -T xiwi options, like this:

But how to install the application when running Crouton xiwi target without desktop environment? In this case, press Ctrl + Alt + T In Chrome OS, then type:

If you have multiple chroots, please specify the chroot name:

Then, use the same commands as used in Ubuntu to install the application, add PPA, etc. (but the snapshot package cannot be installed). For example, use the following command to install GIMP:

Just open the Chrome OS app switcher by pressing the Search/Launcher key and then type “Terminal”. This launches the Termina VM, which will start running a Debian 9.0 Stretch Linux container. Congratulations! You’re now running Debian Linux on your Chromebook.

Índice de contenidos

How do I change my Chromebook to Linux?

You can switch between Chrome OS and Ubuntu using the key combinations Ctrl+Alt+Shift+Back and Ctrl+Alt+Shift+Forward.

Can you reformat a Chromebook to Linux?

You can cycle between the Chrome OS and Linux desktops with Ctrl+Alt+Shift+Back and Ctrl+Alt+Shift+Forward on your keyboard—no rebooting required. … If you ever want to go back to a pure Chrome OS setup, turn off your Chromebook and start it back up by holding down Esc and Refresh while tapping the Power button.

Can I install Linux on a Chromebook 2020?

Once you are in the Developers menu, click on “Turn on” next to the “Linux development environment (Beta)” section. … It will take a few minutes to install Linux on your Chromebook. After the installation is done, you can run Linux and start using the Linux Terminal on your Chromebook.

Why doesn’t my Chromebook have Linux?

If you experience issues with Linux or Linux apps, try the following steps: Restart your Chromebook. Check that your virtual machine is up-to-date. … Open the Terminal app , and then run this command: sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get dist-upgrade.

Why can’t I find Linux on my Chromebook?

If you don’t see the feature, you may have to update your Chromebook to the latest version of Chrome. Update: The majority of devices out there now support Linux (Beta). But if you’re using a school or work managed Chromebook, this feature will be disabled by default.

Which Linux is best for Chromebook?

7 Best Linux Distros for Chromebook and Other Chrome OS Devices

1. Gallium OS. Created specifically for Chromebooks. …
2. Void Linux. Based on the monolithic Linux kernel. …
3. Arch Linux. Great choice for developers and programmers. …
4. Lubuntu. Lightweight version of Ubuntu Stable. …
5. Solus OS. …
6. NayuOS. …
7. Phoenix Linux. …
8. 2 Comments.

Can I get Linux on my Chromebook?

It’s long been possible to run Linux on a Chromebook. … Today, with a properly-equipped Chromebook and the bravery to run canary code, you can run Debian Linux on your Chromebook. Here’s how to do it. This new Chromebook Linux feature is Crostini, the umbrella technology for getting Linux running with Chrome OS.

Should I install Linux on my Chromebook?

It is somewhat similar to running Android apps on your Chromebook, but the Linux connection is far less forgiving. If it works in your Chromebook’s flavor, though, the computer becomes much more useful with more flexible options. Still, running Linux apps on a Chromebook will not replace the Chrome OS.

Why don’t I have Linux Beta on my Chromebook?

If Linux Beta, however, doesn’t show up in your Settings menu, please go and check to see if there is an update available for your Chrome OS (Step 1). If Linux Beta option is indeed available, simply click on it and then select the Turn On option.

Can you put Windows on a Chromebook?

Installing Windows on Chromebook devices is possible, but it is no easy feat. Chromebooks were not made to run Windows, and if you really want a full desktop OS, they are more compatible with Linux. We suggest that if you really want to use Windows, it’s better to simply get a Windows computer.

How do I enable Linux on my managed Chromebook?

The button to enable Linux on a Chromebook is found under the Developer tab in the settings menu. After logging out and back in, I found that launching the terminal app from the app launcher was the quickest path to start the setup flow and start the Linux container.

Can Acer Chromebook 15 run Linux?

Most Chromebooks released after 2019 and some earlier models can run Crostini and Linux (Beta). … Fortunately, my Acer Chromebook 15 with 2GB RAM and an Intel Celeron processor is supported.

If you’ve visited the Chrome OS subReddit, you’ve surely seen posts by Mr. Chromebox there. For several years, he’s been the go-to authority for doing major operating system and firmware changes to dozens of Chromebook models so you can natively install Windows or Linux on your device.

I haven’t delved into this type of esoteric but useful project in a while but a CompSci classmate is thinking about switching from Windows 10 to Linux. So I dug around the closet where good Chromebooks go to collect dust and found the 2013 Chromebook Pixel I bought new seven years ago.

This is a perfect candidate for a Linux installation because the last software update pushed to it was Chrome OS 69. So it’s not the most secure device for browsing at the moment.

Disable any write-protection

Before installing any firmware updates to support a different operating system, I had to crack open the Chromebook Pixel. Google put a physical write-protect screw on the motherboard and as long as that screw is in place, Chrome OS is the only game in town.

To open the laptop, I turned it over and carefully removed the four rubber pads that act as the “feet” of the Chromebook Pixel. They’re stuck on with some light glue and are pretty easy to remove.

And they hide four screws that attach the bottom of the laptop to the chassis. It took all of ten minutes to remove the feet and the four screws, leaving me with this:

At that point, it took less than another minute to remove the write-protect screw. It would have gone quicker but that sucker was on super tight. Not all Chromebooks have one of these and use another method for protection, so if you ever go down this route, check Mr. Chromebox’s page listing of supported models and see which your device uses.

For the 2013 Chromebook Pixel, it’s this screw here, next to the USB Type-A ports:

With that screw removed, I simply reversed the disassembly steps: Put the cover back on the device, replace the four screws and finally, the four feet. I didn’t even reglue them because they were still quick tacky.

Enable Developer Mode

Next was to put the Chromebook Pixel in Developer Mode. Note this is very different than switching to the Dev Channel of Chrome OS.

Developer Mode removes some boot security features and I wouldn’t recommend using it for Chrome OS. However, to flash the BIOS and install another operating system, it’s required in this case.

After I rebooted into Developer Mode and logged in to Chrome OS, the next step was to open up the old crosh shell with the CTRL+ALT+T keyboard shortcut.

Download and upgrade the firmware

That brings up a terminal-like browser tab, where you then execute the shell command. From here, it’s a command to download and install Mr. Chromebox’s Chrome OS Utility Script:

cd; curl -LO && sudo bash firmware-util.sh

A few minutes after the download and install, I rebooted the Chromebook Pixel and was greeted by a menu similar to this:

From here, it’s just a matter of choosing which firmware options you want to be installed. I opted for choice 3, was asked if I wanted my Chrome OS image backed up (I said no but you should probably say yes!) and the install begins.

After a reboot, I was greeted with a traditional BIOS settings screen: success!

Install Linux!

At this point, the device is ready for an OS installation just like nearly any other computer! You’re not limited to Chrome OS any longer.

Using another computer, I downloaded the latest Ubuntu LTS image on to an SD card since the 2013 Chromebook Pixel actually has a memory card slot. I changed the Boot Device options in the BIOS and restarted the Chromebook to boot from the memory card.

After that, it was a typical Ubuntu install. And if I had chosen Windows, I’d be off to the races with Microsoft’s software from here on out.

Given that the 2013 Chromebook Pixel only came with 4 GB of memory and uses a third-generation Intel Core 5 processor, this won’t be a performance powerhouse by any means. Just for kicks after installing Ubuntu, I ran an Octane 2.0 benchmark test and got a score of 9,379. That’s probably about the same as or even a little lower than what a modern $250 Chromebook would score today.

But that’s OK. This won’t likely be a fulltime device for my classmate. She’s just curious about the development experience on Linux as compared to Windows. And this will let her see the difference while also giving my trusty Chromebook Pixel a new purpose in life.

Looking for an answer to the question: Should i install linux on my chromebook 2? On this page, we have gathered for you the most accurate and comprehensive information that will fully answer the question: Should i install linux on my chromebook 2?

While the Linux project on Chrome OS is still in beta, the results are quite promising. If you are an IT administrator or a software developer or studying computer programming, the addition of Linux on Chromebook can be a boon for you. So, let’s go ahead and learn how to use Linux on a Chromebook right from the setup to package installation.

Chrome OS is based on desktop Linux, so a Chromebook’s hardware will definitely work well with Linux. A Chromebook can make a solid, cheap Linux laptop. If you plan on using your Chromebook for Linux, you shouldn’t just go pick up any Chromebook. From ARM vs. Intel hardware to storage space, there are some things you’ll need to keep in mind.

If you’re like most Chrome OS users, a Chromebook is perfectly fine for you as-is – and Linux apps are part of a virtual Bizarro World, with foreign-seeming titles and interfaces just different enough from familiar terrain to require a learning curve.

Can I remove Linux from my Chromebook?

The quickest way to remove one of these applications is to simply right-click on the icon and select “uninstall.” Linux will now run the uninstall process in the background and there is no need to even open the terminal.

Is Linux better than Chromebook?

Chrome OS is by far an easier way to access and use the Internet. . Linux gives you a virus-free (currently) operating system with many useful, free programs, just like with Chrome OS. Unlike Chrome OS, there are many good applications that work offline. Plus you have offline access to most if not all of your data.

Is it safe to install Linux on Chromebook?

It’s long been possible to install Linux on a Chromebook, but it used to require overriding some of the device’s security features, which could make your Chromebook less safe. It also took a bit of tinkering. With Crostini, Google makes it possible to easily run Linux apps without compromising your Chromebook.

What happens when you install Linux on Chromebook?

Linux is a feature that lets you develop software using your Chromebook. You can install Linux command line tools, code editors, and IDEs (integrated development environments) on your Chromebook. These can be used to write code, create apps, and more.

Is Linux safe to use?

“Linux is the most secure OS, as its source is open. Anyone can review it and make sure there are no bugs or back doors.” Wilkinson elaborates that “Linux and Unix-based operating systems have less exploitable security flaws known to the information security world.

Which OS is easiest to hack?

1) Kali Linux It is one of the best hacking OS which has over 600 preinstalled penetration-testing applications (cyber-attack performs against computer vulnerability). This OS can be run on Windows as well as Mac OS. Features: It can be used for penetration testing.

Can Linux be hacked?

Linux is an extremely popular operating system for hackers. . Malicious actors use Linux hacking tools to exploit vulnerabilities in Linux applications, software, and networks. This type of Linux hacking is done in order to gain unauthorized access to systems and steal data.

How do I install Linux on a Chromebook?

1:3713:00How to get Linux App Store on Chromebook – YouTubeYouTube

Is Chrome OS better than Linux?

Chrome OS is a Linux kernel based operating system which is provided by Google. Difference between Linux and Chrome OS.LINUXCHROME OSIts target system types are embedded systems, mobile devices, personal computers, servers, mainframe computers and supercomputers.Its target system types are Chromebook, Chromebox, Chromebase and tablets.•Jul 7, 2020

How do I delete apps on my Chromebook Linux?

Fortunately, many of the packages that you install on your Chromebook place a desktop icon in your Linux folder, which you can find in your App Launcher. The quickest way to remove any of these applications is to simply right-click the icon and select “Uninstall”.

How do I uninstall Chrome OS?

Uninstall Google ChromeOn your computer, close all Chrome windows and tabs.Click the Start menu. . Click Apps.Under “Apps & features,” find and click Google Chrome.Click Uninstall.Confirm by clicking Uninstall.To delete your profile information, like bookmarks and history, check “Also delete your browsing data.”

Can I uninstall Linux from my Chromebook?

The quickest way to remove one of these applications is to simply right-click on the icon and select “uninstall.” Linux will now run the uninstall process in the background and there is no need to even open the terminal.

Is Linux safe for banking?

Linux os are always safe for banking as theres not any virus or ransomware exists for linux. Possibility of being hacked is less. So, go ahead. It is much safer that many other options as long as you are using modern distributions and are keeping them up to date.

Can Linux get viruses?

Linux malware includes viruses, Trojans, worms and other types of malware that affect the Linux family of operating systems. Linux, Unix and other Unix-like computer operating systems are generally regarded as very well-protected against, but not immune to, computer viruses.

Can I wipe a Chromebook and install Linux?

First and foremost: Installing Linux directly on a Chromebook and wiping out ChromeOS. This is, by far, the most complicated approach to running a Linux distro on your Chromebook Pixel. It basically involves installing a custom BIOS (SeaBIOS) that will allow the laptop to boot a traditional OS.

How much RAM do I need for Linux?

Linux requires very little memory to run compared to other advanced operating systems. You should have at the very least 8 MB of RAM; however, it’s strongly suggested that you have at least 16 MB. The more memory you have, the faster the system will run.

Which Linux is best for Chromebook?

Here is the list of the best Linux Distro for Chromebooks.Gallium OS.Lubuntu.Bunsenlabs Linux.Arch Linux.Phoenix Linux.Void Linux.Solus OS.NayuOS.Sep 30, 2021

Can I replace Chrome OS with Linux?

You can either perform the chromeos rom backup or not as the option presents itself (your choice). You will need that extra USB stick if you choose to backup the original rom. . At that point you can insert your new linux boot/install USB stick. From there you simply install like you would on any typical laptop.

Índice de contenidos

How do I get to the BIOS on a Chromebook?

Power on the Chromebook and press Ctrl + L to get to the BIOS screen.

Can you install Windows on a Chromebook?

Installing Windows on Chromebook devices is possible, but it is no easy feat. Chromebooks were not made to run Windows, and if you really want a full desktop OS, they are more compatible with Linux. We suggest that if you really want to use Windows, it’s better to simply get a Windows computer.

How do I restore my bios?

How to reset BIOS settings on Windows PCs

1. Navigate to the Settings tab under your Start menu by clicking the gear icon.
2. Click the Update & Security option and select Recovery from the left sidebar.
3. You should see a Restart now option below the Advanced Setup heading, click this whenever you’re ready.

What is Alt F4?

What do Alt and F4 do? Pressing the Alt and F4 keys together is a keyboard shortcut to close the currently active window. For example, if you press this keyboard shortcut while playing a game, the game window will close immediately.

How do I turn on Fn key on Chromebook?

Turning Chromebook’s Shortcut Keys into Function Keys

1. Click the Settings panel in the bottom right corner of your Chromebook screen.
2. In the resulting Settings menu, choose Settings. …
3. Scroll down to the Device section and click Keyboard Settings. …
4. Check the Treat Top-Row Keys as Function Keys checkbox.
5. Click OK.

What does the F7 key do?

Commonly used to spell check and grammar check a document in Microsoft programs such as Microsoft Outlook, Word etc. Shift+F7 runs a Thesaurus check on word highlighted.

Where is Chromebook settings?

On a Chromebook, you’ll find all of these options in Settings, which can be accessed in the bottom right of your screen.

• Click the time in the bottom right corner of your screen. …
• Click the gear/settings icon in the top right.
• Scroll down to the setting options that interest you and make sure they match your needs.

What does Ctrl w do on a Chromebook?

What is the Option key on a Chromebook?

Keyboard. Notice that its keyboard is quite simple; while it has the standard Ctrl and Alt keys that both Windows computers and Macs have, there is no Option key, Fn key, or other special (Windows/Mac logo) keys. There are no function keys along the top (F1-F12).

Can I put Windows 10 on a Chromebook?

Dubbed Parallels Desktop for Chromebook Enterprise, the software will allow selected, high-powered Chromebooks to run the full version of Windows 10 and associated Windows apps, as if they were using a regular Windows laptop. … One other benefit is that Windows can run offline on the Chromebook.

How do I open Windows on Chromebook?

Install Windows Programs on Chromebooks

1. Run CrossOver for Chrome OS.
2. Start typing the name of your desired app in the Search Applications box. …
3. Depending on the program, CrossOver will now fetch the correct files online to install it.
4. Go through the installation procedure as you would with any Windows program.

It’s that time again. The time where we tinker with Linux on Chrome OS to explore what can be done for one simple reason. WE CAN! Yesterday’s Command Line article focused on adding the ability to print from your Crostini Linux apps. That feature is a much-needed resource for many Chrome OS users that have adopted Linux apps for finances, productivity and education but today, we’re going to install a third-party browser just for the fun of it.

We’ve already covered how to install Firefox and the Brave browser on Chrome OS using Linux. Today, we’re going to look at another browser that’s popular among many users because it is highly customizable and like Brave, you can control the amount of tracking that’s allowed when you’re surfing the web. The Vivaldi browser was created, in part, by the former CEO and founder of more well-known Opera Software that created the Opera browser that has been on the scene since the mid-90s. Vivaldi implements some unique features such as customizable tab management and resizable UI elements that have made the browser the choice of more than 1 million active monthly users.

Installing Vivaldi on Chrome OS is fairly straightforward so long as you have a Chromebook that has Linux support via the Crostini project. The installation files for Vivaldi are available as one-click installs for Windows, macOS and a variety of Linux flavors. For our purposes, we will need the 64-bit Linux DEB package. If you are using an ARM-based Chromebook, there is an ARM-specific package as well. To download the file, head over to the Vivaldi download page here and grab the 64-bit DEB package.

Once you have that downloaded, open your Files app and double-click the .deb package for Vivaldi and wait for the install process to complete. Once that’s finished you should be able to launch Vivaldi from your app launcher but there are a couple of housekeeping items that you need to take care of to get the most out of the browser. The second time I installed Vivaldi I did not have to do this step but the browser requires proprietary support for certain types of embedded media. To ensure that the support is installed, execute the following two commands in the Linux terminal.

Now you’re all set. When you launch the browser, you will be prompted to import any bookmarks from other browsers and you will walk through the process of customizing your tab layout, theme and more. The browser is very versatile and I can see why users like it but I am a Chrome purest at heart and am perfectly content using the native browser on Chrome OS. Still, to each their own. If you like Vivaldi, now you can have it on your Chromebook. Enjoy and stay tuned for more the Command Line this week. Vivaldi browser on Chrome OS

There are some Chromebooks with awesome hardware out there, like the beautiful Chromebook Pixel , but they don’t quite hit their full potential with Chrome OS. Here’s how to install Ubuntu and get more out of your Chromebook.

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Chrome OS isn’t bad, and you can actually do a lot of work with the great Chrome apps out there . But sometimes, you just need a full desktop to get things done. Enter Ubuntu: with just a few minutes of work, you can get a full-fledged Linux desktop up and running on some solid Chromebook hardware, making for a pretty great laptop.

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The Chrome app store has seen a lot of improvements lately, but a lot of the apps that work inside…

We’re going to use a tool called Crouton to install Ubuntu (hat tip to our friends at the How-To Geek ), which uses the chroot command to run Ubuntu on top of Chrome OS, which is already based on Linux. Unlike dual-booting, that means you can switch between Chrome OS and Ubuntu with a quick keyboard shortcut, no reboots necessary, which is awesome. It’s speedy, powerful, and there only when you need it. If you prefer a more traditional dual-boot environment, check out ChrUbuntu instead, but we’ll be using Crouton today. We tested this on a Chromebook Pixel, but it should work on any Chromebook.

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Step One: Enable Developer Mode

This will wipe your local data, so make sure to back anything up that you don’t have stored in the cloud. To put your Chromebook in Developer Mode:

1. Press and hold the Esc and Refresh keys together, then press the Power button (while still holding the other two keys). This will reboot your Chromebook into Recovery Mode.
2. As soon as you see Recovery Mode pop up—the screen with the yellow exclamation point—press Ctrl+D. This will bring up a prompt asking if you want to turn on Developer Mode.
3. Press Enter to continue, then give it some time. It’ll pop up with a new screen for a few moments, then reboot and go through the process of enabling Developer Mode. This may take a little while (about 15 minutes or so), and will wipe your local information.
4. When it’s done, it will return to the screen with the red exclamation point. Leave it alone until it reboots into Chrome OS.

Note that some older Chromebooks have a physical switch that you’ll have to flip in order to turn on Developer Mode. If you aren’t sure, look up instructions for your specific device on enabling Developer Mode.

Step Two: Install Crouton

Next, we’re going to install Crouton and get Ubuntu up and running. To do so, follow these instructions:

Download Crouton from the top of this page (or by clicking here ) and save it in your Downloads folder.

Press Ctrl+Alt+T to bring up a terminal on your Chromebook.

At the Terminal, run the following command to enter a Ubuntu shell:

Next, run the following command to install Crouton:

If you’re doing this on a Chromebook Pixel, change it to:

to get touch screen support. Optional: You can also encrypt your new desktop with a password for extra security using the -e flag (since Developer Mode inherently decreases the security of your machine). You can read more about that here .

Let your computer install Crouton. This might be a good time to grab a cup of tea. When it’s done it’ll ask you for a username and password for your new Ubuntu installation, so enter them when prompted.

After it’s finished installing, run the following command to start your new desktop environment:

If you want Ubuntu’s Unity interface instead of the XFCE desktop environment, you’d change instances of “xfce” to “unity” (no quotes) in the above commands, including the last command (which would become “startunity”). You can also install LXDE or KDE if you prefer. See the Crouton GitHub page for more info on what you can do, and our guide to desktop environments for the difference between each one.

Step Three: Optimize Your Linux Desktop for Your Chromebook

Now, you can switch back and forth between Chrome OS and Ubuntu using Ctrl+Alt+Shift+Back and Ctrl+Alt+Shift+Forward (if you’re on an ARM-based Chromebook) or Ctrl+Alt+Back and Ctrl+Alt+Forward (If you’re on an Intel-based Chromebook). In the latter case, you will also need to press Ctrl+Alt+Refresh after pressing Ctrl+Alt+Forward to bring up the desktop. To exit the Linux desktop, just log out of it like you would on a normal PC—you’ll close it completely and go back to Chrome OS (after which you can run sudo startxfce4 again to go back).

Now that you’re on the Desktop, here are some things you may want to know to optimize your experience:

• Your desktop won’t come with very many programs installed. You’ll find that even a lot of default Ubuntu tools are left out, so you’ll have to install them yourself using apt-get. If you’re on an ARM-based Chromebook, not all apps will be compatible. Intel users will be much better off.
• If you’re using XFCE, you should disable the screensaver, which can cause graphics issues in Chrome OS.
• The Downloads folder in Chrome OS is the same as the Downloads folder on the Linux desktop, so if you download or create a file in one environment, you can put it in the Downloads folder to make it available in the other as well.
• If you’re on a high resolution display like the Chromebook Pixel, your icons will be very, very tiny. The Crouton wiki has a few options for fixing this, though none are quite perfect. You either deal with a few tinier buttons or you go to a more standard resolution.
• Since your Chromebook is in Developer Mode, it will take an extra 30 seconds to boot up, since it shows you the Developer Mode message. You can skip this by pressing Ctrl+D.
• Lastly, if you want to remove your Linux desktop and go back to regular ol’ Chrome OS, you can just reboot your Chromebook and press spacebar when it prompts you to re-enable OS verification. This will remove Crouton and restore Chrome OS in its original state.

That’s it! Now you have a fully working Linux desktop on top of Chrome OS, and you can switch between them whenever you want with a quick keystroke. This makes those great but seemingly dumbed-down Chromebooks a lot more useful (not to mention tempting).

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How to Install Linux on a Chromebook

The Linux operating system is free, open source, and known for the features it delivers without using a lot of RAM and other resources. Chromebooks – built on Google’s stripped down, Linux-based Chrome OS – are prized for their light weight, long battery life, and affordability. So how about a Chromebook running a full-fledged Linux distribution? To many users, it’s the best of both worlds.

We’ll give some tips about activating or installing Linux on a Chromebook in the sections that follow. But first, you may be asking a question. If the Chrome operating system is based on the Linux OS kernel, why would you want to run Linux itself on your Chromebook? After all, Chromebooks are simple to set up and use. And compared to Chrome, Linux requires more user input to set up and maintain.

First, Linux does most of its work locally on your machine versus using cloud-based apps and services. This allows the best Linux distros offer a wider variety of basic OS-level capabilities than Chrome. For example, managing files is said to be far easier with a Linux OS than with Chrome. Linux is also said to be better at connecting to peripheral devices.

Second, there’s a big collection of Linux apps that many users prefer. Some consider them superior to Microsoft Windows-based apps. Plus, unlike most Chrome apps, you can use locally installed Linux apps without a live internet connection.

IMPORTANT: The instructions presented here are high-level and abbreviated compared to those provided by each Linux distributor. They’re meant only to help you decide if you’re capable of using/installing Linux on your Chromebook. If you proceed, use the instructions provided by your Linux distributor. Lenovo is not responsible for any problems that occur if/when you activate/install Linux.

Using built-in Linux (Beta) features on a Chromebook

Most Chromebooks built since 2019 have a built-in Linux environment called Linux (Beta) that you can easily switch to and from within the Chrome OS. It runs in Chrome’s Beta channel, versus the Stable channel used for most activities. So Google calls it a work in progress. But it’s a great option for using Linux apps and features without installing a Linux distro on your own.

Here’s how to activate Linux (Beta) on Chromebooks where it’s available:

1. Go to Settings
2. Find Linux (Beta)
3. Select “Turn On”
4. Allow a few minutes for the Linux (Beta) files to download and install.

When complete, you’ll get a Linux (Beta) Terminal window. You can type Linux commands, install tools using a package manager, and more. The latest versions of Linux (Beta) even allow you to install the KDE desktop for a more traditional user experience. However, that’s beyond the scope of this article.

For more on Linux (Beta), visit

Installing a Linux distro on a Chromebook

Some users want to run Linux apps but not through the Chrome OS and Linux (Beta). They prefer to use a Linux distro of their own choosing. Fortunately, it’s easy to install a Linux OS on your Chromebook – whether for dual booting alongside Chrome or to replace the Chrome OS entirely.

One of the most recommended Linux distros for Chromebooks is Gallium OS (galliumos.org). Gallium was purpose-built for Chromebooks. Reviewers say it’s fast, demands few system resources, and comes with several helpful bundled apps. Other Linux distros touted for use on Chromebooks include Solus OS, Arch Linux, MX Linux, and others.

Here’s a high-level look at installing Gallium OS on your Chromebook. Use these details to decide if you’ve got the skills and desire to install Gallium. If you opt to proceed, we recommend following the detailed instructions posted at the Gallium website.

NOTE: Chromebooks made by different companies may or may not support the steps shown here. Consult the website of your selected Linux distro for details on which Chromebooks support it.

Installing Gallium Linux on a Chromebook from an ISO image

The Gallium OS can be installed in the “traditional” way. That is, from an ISO image you save on a flash drive or SD card. This method replaces the original Chrome OS with Gallium. [You can dual boot with other OSes, such as Microsoft Windows or other Linux distros. But we don’t explain that here. Also, you can’t use this ISO install method to dual boot Gallium and the original Chrome OS. For that, use the command line method described later.]

NOTE: BACK UP YOUR LOCAL USER DATA AND PERSONAL FILES before you begin. Gallium warns users that installing it on your Chromebook requires entering Chrome’s Developer Mode, which erases all local user data on the machine (cloud-stored files will be unaffected). Consult your Chromebook’s Help files to learn how to enable Developer Mode and the factors you should consider before doing so.

The Gallium website gives full details about installing the OS from the ISO file. For now, here’s a high-level look at the steps you’ll follow:

1. Go to galliumos.org to download the latest Gallium ISO file.
2. Burn or image the ISO file on a flash drive or SD card, creating “bootable” media. See How to Install Linux for more on this process.
3. Enable booting from the appropriate drive. That is, set your system to boot from a USB port or card slot. *

*This is where Developer Mode is required.

Your Chromebook should now boot up using the Gallium OS files it finds on the inserted media. You’ll have the option of running Gallium directly from the media (a great way to test it). Or you can install it permanently on internal storage to replace the original Chrome OS.

Installing Gallium Linux on a Chromebook from the command line

Another method of installing Gallium on a Chromebook involves using Chrome’s chrx command. It’s specialized code that can install another Linux distro alongside the Chrome OS in a dual boot scenario. Before starting, confirm your Chromebook supports chrx and take any preparatory steps that are advised.

NOTE: BACK UP YOUR LOCAL USER DATA AND PERSONAL FILES before starting. As with the ISO method described above, enabling chrx requires you to enter Developer Mode, which can erase local data.

The Gallium website has complete instructions for installing the OS from the command line. For now, here’s a high-level look at the procedure:

1. Start your Chromebook with networking enabled.
2. Switch to Virtual Terminal mode and log in as user Chronos.
3. Initiate chrx using the command:

cd ; curl -O && sh go

Prompts will guide you through the process of partitioning your internal storage. This is necessary to preserve the existing Chrome OS and install Gallium Linux separately. From now on, when you start your Chromebook, you’ll choose either CRTL + L to launch Gallium or CTRL + D to run Chrome.

I talk a lot about turning any website on your Chromebook into an icon so it can be easily accessed via your shelf or launcher with the ‘Everything button‘, and have even written a full tutorial on doing so, including the benefits that process offers. However, some of you may work a lot like I do – always trying to find the best way to maximize productivity on your device all whilst staying organized.

Having many icons on your shelf for each experience you’re running – be it Youtube, Gmail, etc. – can unlock a new level of excitement as it truly feels as though you’re running ‘software’ or ‘programs’ like back when you used a Windows machine as your daily driver as opposed to a bunch of disorganized, less visual browser tabs on your Chromebook. Even still, having multiple instances of one web application running means you’re forced to click on it and select which one you’d like to bring to the forefront at any given time.

Chrome’s Tab Strips have been a thing for a while now in the operating system’s developer mode, but for those running their Chromebooks in the Stable out-of-the-box mode who may not yet know, you also have the ability to use them. By toggling a few developer flags on our device, Tab Strips let you open multiple instances of a web application in one window. The benefit here is that you can swap between several sessions of a website all in one window. Let me show you what I mean.

First, visit chrome://flags and enable the ‘Desktop PWA tab strips settings’ flag. Then, restart your device. Right-click any web app icon on your shelf or in your launcher and hover over the arrow next to ‘New window’. Then, instead of seeing only ‘New tab’ and ‘New window’, a ‘New tabbed window’ option will appear. Once you’ve selected it, just click on the web app icon and launch it.

Desktop PWA tab strips settings

Experimental UI for selecting whether a PWA should open in tabbed mode. – Mac, Windows, Linux, Chrome OS

Now, you’ll have a beautiful tab strip up top. Normally, you’d have only one instance of the web app to work with unless you launched the icon again (let’s say Youtube in this example), and clicking the icon on your shelf would reveal a pop up asking you to choose between them which is both messy and less informative, but now, the top of the window should resemble something more like the standard Chrome browser. This time, however, everything found here is specific to that web app you’ve opened!

What are some use cases for Tab Strips within PWAs though? Well, Youtube is definitely one. I often find myself clicking multiple videos to watch later when I find time, and I don’t necessarily want to add them to my Watch Later list (since it’s full!). Another use is if you’re editing multiple Google Keep notes and you don’t want to continue jumping back and forth between them. Google Docs, Sheets, Slides, and so on work great for tab strips too. Really, anything where you’re consuming or creating with a multitasking mindset.

Here’s a bonus tip – You can use Desktop PWA Tab Strips in conjunction with Google’s new Tab Groups for maximum productivity! Just right-click any tab in your PWA and add it to a group. You can then color-code them, name them and so on. All of these tools work great in conjunction with one another, and you can navigate between projects right in their respective shelf icon instead of having a bajillion Chrome tabs open and all housed under the generic browser logo. Let me know if this interests you, and have fun!

Since the release of Chromebooks, many people are wondering how to use Internet Explorer on their Chromebooks. The answer lies in using the Google Chrome web browser. There is an app for IE that you can download from Google’s App Store called “Internet Explorer.” This will allow you to browse the internet just as if you were using a standard laptop or desktop computer and not a Chromebook! It doesn’t matter if you’re looking for directions, checking your email, or shopping online- this app will help make everything easier while still giving you all of the benefits of having a Chromebook.

Steps To Download Internet Explorer For Chromebook

Step One: Click “Settings” from the Chrome browser and select “More Tools.”

The tab menu will open up.

Step Two: Select “Add to shelf.” A window pops-up with a list of all of your apps on it – this is where you’ll install IE for Chromebooks.

Select “Internet Explorer” and click add to put it on your desktop or laptop screen, just like any other app in Windows! You’re now ready to browse the internet using Internet Explorer instead of Google’s Chrome web browser. No need to flip back and forth between windows anymore which can be confusing when switching contexts so often while browsing different websites at once!

Features Of Internet Explorer For Chromebook

* It is fast and easy to install.

* You can’t drag the tabs around, it’s just a bit annoying when a new tab pops up and you have no idea which one it is because they are all hidden in that little space on your screen. * The search bar doesn’t show as well either, so if you don’t know what word you’re looking for, then there goes another frustrating time-wasting moment.

Internet Explorer For Chromebook – Pros:

It really does make switching contexts easier by having two web browsers at once! Plus with Internet Explorer installed on my Chromebook, I’m able to access websites like Facebook or Youtube that may not be available through Google Chrome (for example). To summarize, installing IE

Internet Explorer For Chromebook – Cons:

There are some problems with Internet Explorer that I’ve come across, such as the inability to drag tabs around. It’s just a bit annoying when a new tab pops up and you have no idea which one it is because they’re all hidden in that little space on your screen. The search bar also doesn’t show well either, so if you don’t know what word you’re looking for then there goes another frustrating time-wasting moment.

The only other con about IE would be how slow it can run at times (especially with videos).

Overall, I find installing Internet Explorer on my Chromebook to be helpful but not necessary.

Why You Should Update Internet Explorer To Latest Version

If you want to update Internet Explorer from version 11.0.9600.16521, in turn updating it to the latest one available (11.0.9600.17436), there are a few new features and bug fixes that come with this newest release:

* Enhanced ActiveX Filtering – The ability for IE to better control what types of content can be loaded via ActiveX controls is now possible due to these enhancements which will help protect your computer from malicious software

* Improved Address Bar Suggestions – Improving on its address bar suggestions by adding more information based on web page addresses or search engine results when typing in an address field *Performance Enhancements- Better performance because of some improvements made during the development process.

List Of Supportive Browsers For Chromebook

* Google Chrome – the browser is available on Windows, OS X, and Linux operating systems. It offers a clean interface with an intuitive design for fast browsing, syncing your bookmarks across devices and has built-in protection from malware

* Mozilla Firefox – The browser is available on many different platforms including Windows, MacOSX, iOS and Android operating systems. While not as user-friendly as Chrome or Safari it does offer some nice features such as tabbed browsing to allow you to open multiple web pages at once

* Apple Safari – Available only for Macs but also includes additional features that are unavailable elsewhere like Reader View

Microsoft Internet Explorer 11 (IE) – Microsoft’s latest version of IE provides security enhancements by blocking Active Malware, protecting your identity, and preventing phishing scams.

* Avant Browser – This browser is a free download that has many of the features needed for a superior browsing experience on every device. The interface can be customized to suit your needs with tabbed browsing, customizing toolbars, auto form fillings, screen capturing among other great features

If you’re using Windows or MacOSX then Mozilla Firefox should work just fine as it’s available across multiple platforms. If you have an iOS or Android phone (or tablet) then Safari would also do nicely but if you were looking for something more robust with additional security then IE 11 might be worth checking out since Microsoft has been known to provide quality software that isn’t always flashy in appearance and phishing scams.

Conclusion: You may want to install this browser extension depending on who needs access!

In March, Google put an end to its attempted invasion of the Windows desktop by killing the Chrome Apps Launcher for Windows, Mac, and Linux. The company said at the time it would remove the launcher in July.

The app launcher was an icon on the Windows taskbar that contained links to all your installed Chrome apps. The feature made it easier to get at your installed Chrome apps— say, Google Drive, Maps, or Gmail—without launching the full Chrome browser. Google said it decided to give up on the feature because most users prefer to launch Chrome apps from the browser anyway.

If you’re not clear on the difference, Chrome apps are not the same as browser extensions. Chrome apps are designed to function as stand-alone programs. They are built on the Chrome platform, but exist in their own window separate from the Chrome browser.

Now that July is here, it’s time to figure out how to maintain easy access to Chrome apps.

Chrome has a built-in bookmarks bar shortcut for apps.

First, you want to make sure it’s easy to access your Chrome apps inside Chrome. By default, Google puts a shortcut called Apps in Chrome’s bookmarks bar. If you got rid of that bookmark because you were using the app launcher, it’s easy to get the shortcut back.

First, hover your mouse over your bookmarks bar and then right-click. Next, select the Show apps shortcut option from the context menu.

The Apps shortcut should now be on the far left of your bookmarks bar. Whenever you need an app just click that icon and Chrome will open a new tab at chrome://apps where all your Chrome apps are listed.

Chrome apps and the taskbar

You can still put Chrome apps on your taskbar.

Returning the apps shortcut makes it easy to access your Chrome apps in one place, but what about putting Chrome apps in the Windows taskbar? That’s still possible on an à la carte basis.

Let’s say you want to have Google Keep on your taskbar. Open a new tab in Chrome and navigate to chrome://apps or click the Apps shortcut. Next, right-click on Google Keep and select Create shortcuts… from the context menu. Now click Create in the pop-up window that appears.

You now have a Google Keep shortcut on the desktop, but we need to get it onto the taskbar by dragging it there with your mouse. Once that’s done, Google Keep will be accessible from the taskbar with no need to open Chrome first. If you want to keep your desktop tidy, just delete that shortcut—removing the shortcut from your desktop will not affect its usability on the taskbar.

Those are just two basic ways to get easy access to Chrome apps in a post-launcher world.

[h/t to How To Geek for the remainder]

Most of the time we focus on helpful tips for Windows users, but today’s article will also appeal to anyone with a Chromebook. A company named Cameyo is known for its software that lets you run Windows program from a USB stick, but it also offers a virtualization service that lets you run full-blown Windows desktop programs in a browser for free.

Cameyo offers a number of open source programs by default, and if you don’t find what you need you can also upload your own EXE files. Cameyo isn’t perfect. Virtual programs tend to run slowly, some don’t work at all, and using personal files with the apps is not as obvious as it could be.

Nevertheless, Cameyo can come in handy in a pinch when you’re away from your primary PC. Here’s how it works.

Getting started

The first thing you need to do is sign-up for a Cameyo account and then link your Dropbox account to Cameyo. Once that’s done you’ll be able to access files that are saved in your Dropbox folder under AppsCameyoDesktop while you’re inside virtualized Cameyo apps. Any files you create while using Cameyo will also be saved back to this location.

In the virtual programs themselves, you’ll find your files as though you were navigating through a regular Windows system. In my tests, my files were either under RemoteUser1 or RemoteUser2.

Start a program

Irfanview running in Cameyo.

Firing up a virtual program is simple. Just hover over the program name and click the small play button that appears. The program will start and you can use it as you would on a Windows desktop.

Just remember that when you navigate the file system inside a Cameyo browser program you do not have access to your local files. It’s as though you are running a separate Windows system inside your browser. The only way to access or store files is via the desktop for RemoteUser1 or RemoteUser2, which is connected to your Dropbox account if you set things up properly in the previous step.

Cameyo’s programs

You’ll find a ton of programs you can try out in the browser window, but truth be told only a few truly make sense for casual users. VLC, for example, wasn’t worth it in my tests. Any videos I tried to play were choppy and didn’t have sound since the virtual app is in its own sandbox with no access to my PC’s native audio capability. Plus, if you have a video online that you’d like to watch, it makes more sense to try and view it in a cloud service that offers video streaming for saved files.

Program’s I’d recommend trying out in Cameyo are Irfanview for photo editing, 7Zip for compressing files into a zipped format, and Audacity for working with audio files.

Have a look around and you may find other programs that suit your needs. Cameyo is also an excellent place to just try out software without having to download it. And remember you can always try uploading your own EXE files to access specific programs you need.

I wouldn’t recommend relying on Cameyo as an everyday solution, but for those times you need quick access to a desktop program from a Chromebook or browser, it’s a useful service to know about.

In today’s open source roundup: Open a site as an app on your Chromebook. Plus: Why didn’t Google use Chrome OS in the Pixel C tablet? And Ubuntu 15.10 has been released

How to open a site as an app on your Chromebook

Chromebooks have long been popular on Amazon’s bestseller lists, and many users have made the jump from Windows and OS X. But even the most experienced Chrome OS users can still learn a new trick now and then.

Did you know that there’s an easy way to open a site in a new window instead of a new tab on your Chromebook? TechRepublic has a helpful guide on how to do it.

Jack Wallen reports for TechRepublic:

Chromebook lovers tend to spend the majority of their work day (or personal computing time) stuck within a browser window. Tab after tab is added to that window, until it becomes impossible to know which tab is which. Fortunately, there’s a way around this.

Say, for example, you have a webmail site you visit throughout the day and would rather relegate the site to it’s own window (but don’t need the standard browser controls that normally appear when you open a page in a new window). Believe it or not, this is actually quite simple; and once you know how to do it, you’ll be “rolling your own apps” for that chromebook to make your life a bit more efficient.

1.Visit the site you want to add as an “app”
2. Click the menu button in Chrome (three horizontal lines)
3. Click More Tools | Add to shelf.
4. Give the “app” a name
5. Check to enable Open as window (Figure A)
6. Click Add

Why didn’t Google use Chrome OS in the Pixel C tablet?

The Pixel C is the latest tablet announced by Google. But it doesn’t run Chrome OS, it runs Android. A Chrome OS redditor worried that this might mean that Google is moving away from Chrome OS.

Glacier1 asked his question in the Chrome OS subreddit:

Google is marketing the pixel c as a “productivity” hybrid device but here is the thing, chrome OS does that much better than android with having a desktop class browser, floating windows, true multitasking, full version of google office apps ect. So why didn’t google use chrome OS?

This has me worried that google is slowly giving up on chrome. If anything the asus flip is better at the “hybrid” productivity device running a google OS thing than the pixel C. I’m sure the pixel C is a solid android tablet but it’s not there yet for what google tries to market it as.

His fellow Chrome OS redditors responded with their thoughts:

Lokothodida: ”I wouldn’t be too worried. The Pixel C seems to be Google’s version of the Microsoft Surface (tablet), and a “halo” device for Android tablets (i.e. it will be a premium standard piece of hardware to help inspire quality in other Android tablet manufacturers as the 2013 and 2015 Pixels did for the Chromebook). It’s a device that serves a particular purpose, and isn’t likely to undercut Chrome OS any time soon.

Google don’t seem to be eliminating Chrome OS, and it would be an awful decision to make when there are educational institutions that rely on it. It appears to me that they are trying to gradually do a soft-merge of the platforms from either end, synchronizing the Material Design look across them and improving app compatibility.”

DanReck: ”The Pixel C should make you more worried about the state of Android tablets than about Chromebooks. The market is basically disappearing. Fewer and fewer releases aside from the over prized Samsung junk and the very expensive Sony Z4 and Pixel C. Moreover, there is still no word on the Pixel C release date. With 5.5 inch smartphones becoming the norm on Android, the tablet the market is just gone.”

ClairelyClaire: ”I think the last thing we need is another Android tablet that tries to pretend to be a laptop with traditional input devices (keyboard and mouse). I love my ASUS Transformer TF300, and I still use it to mess around with Android, but Android makes for a crap desktop operating system.”

Booleanerror: ”I see it more as Google pushing the Pixel line as their premium line, which they failed to do with the Nexus line. Many perceived both the Nexus 6 and 9 to be overpriced, so I think they’re moving their premium efforts to the Pixel label.”

Baseballandfreedom: ”If you believe Android Police and their “sources”, the Pixel C was supposed to run ChromeOS, but Google changed their mind and made it an Android tablet. ”

Ubuntu 15.10 released

The wait is over for Ubuntu fans, version 15.10 has finally been released. And all of the usual Ubuntu spins such as Kubuntu, Xubuntu, etc. have also been released.

Adam Conrad made the announcement on the Ubuntu mailing list:

Codenamed “Wily Werewolf”, 15.10 continues Ubuntu’s proud tradition of integrating the latest and greatest open source technologies into a high-quality, easy-to-use Linux distribution. The team has been hard at work through this cycle, introducing new features and fixing bugs.

Under the hood, there have been updates to many core packages, including a new 4.2-based kernel, a switch to gcc-5, and much more. Ubuntu Desktop has seen incremental improvements, with newer versions of GTK and Qt, updates to major packages like Firefox and LibreOffice, and stability improvements to Unity.

Ubuntu Server 15.10 includes the Liberty release of OpenStack, alongside deployment and management tools that save devops teams time when deploying distributed applications – whether on private clouds, public clouds, x86, ARM, or POWER servers, or on developer laptops. Several key server technologies, from MAAS to juju, have been updated to new upstream versions with a variety of new features.

The newest Kubuntu, Lubuntu, Ubuntu GNOME, Ubuntu Kylin, Ubuntu MATE, Ubuntu Studio, and Xubuntu are also being released today.

Did you miss a roundup? Check the Eye On Open home page to get caught up with the latest news about open source and Linux.

Jim Lynch is a technology analyst and online community manager who has also written for many leading industry publications over the years, including ITworld, InfoWorld, CIO, PCMag, ExtremeTech, and numerous others.

The opinions expressed in this blog are those of Jim Lynch and do not necessarily represent those of IDG Communications, Inc., its parent, subsidiary or affiliated companies.

Chrome OS has become a viable alternative to Windows and macOS, especially on the lower end of the market. Now, Google is giving us all an option to install Chrome OS on PC and Mac devices. Called Chrome OS Flex, this operating system allows Windows and Mac users to test out Chrome OS on their systems, or even install it. Want to give it a spin?

QUICK ANSWER

To install Chrome OS Flex, you need to install the Chromebook Recovery Utility extension in your Google Chrome browser and follow the steps to create a bootable USB drive. Boot into the bootable drive on your target system to install Chrome OS Flex.

JUMP TO KEY SECTIONS

What is Chrome OS Flex?

Chrome OS Flex is a new version of Chrome OS. Google acquired Neverware in 2020, the company that built CloudReady. CloudReady is a Chromium OS-based operating system that lets you turn a regular computer into a Chrome OS device. Chrome OS Flex is essentially the next version of CloudReady, with Google integrating CloudReady into its Chrome OS software suite.

All of that means that Chrome OS Flex is set to be the go-to way to install Chrome OS on a PC or a Mac. Google is targeting businesses and schools with this version since it’s built for easy mass deployment and management. However, regardless of that, it’s still a great way for many people to get Chrome OS on their existing devices.

Which devices can you install Chrome OS Flex on?

Chrome OS Flex runs on Windows, Mac, and Linux devices. Google says most devices launched in the last ten or more years should work just fine. While Google only guarantees the functionality of this operating system on certified models, it is possible to install Chrome OS Flex on other devices. Here are the minimum system requirements to install Chrome OS Flex from Google.

• Intel or AMD x86-64-bit compatible device
• 4 GB of RAM
• 16 GB of internal storage
• Bootable from USB drive
• BIOS with full administrator access

Google notes that processors and graphics from before 2010 might result in a poor experience. Additionally, the Intel GMA 500, 600, 3600, and 3650 graphics hardware does not meet Chrome OS Flex performance standards.

You can check the complete list of certified models to check if your device is fully supported, and what issues it may have right now.

What you should know before installing Chrome OS Flex

While Chrome OS Flex is a version of Chrome OS, it still differs quite a lot from Chrome OS. Since Google cannot control the distribution of this version, Chrome OS Flex is missing a few features. Here are the key features that are unavailable on Chrome OS Flex.

• Verified Boot, due to a lack of a Google security chip
• Automated BIOS/UEFI firmware updates
• Google Play and Android apps
• Linux desktop environment. However, this varies by model
• Parallels desktop
• Additional hardware features, such as CD/DVD drives, fingerprint readers, FireWire ports, Infrared (IR) and face recognition cameras, proprietary connectors and docks, stylus and active pen input, and Thunderbolt.

Additionally, hardware support is only present for certified models. Google also says encrypted data may be at risk if the system in question doesn’t have a supported TPM chip. Even a certified model may not work at full capacity, with features like automatic screen rotation, Bluetooth, keyboard shortcuts, touchscreens, and SD card slots not guaranteed to work. This includes older Chromebooks as well, where the device may be able to run Chrome OS Flex, but if it’s not officially supported, Google isn’t making any promises.

Chrome OS Flex is currently in early access testing and not suited for production use, Google warns.

How to install Chrome OS Flex

To install Chrome OS Flex, you’ll need a USB drive to create a bootable device, with a capacity of at least 8GB. Some Sandisk drives may not work. To create the bootable, you’ll also need Google Chrome installed on a Chrome OS, Windows, or Mac device. Follow these steps.

Open your Chrome browser, and install the Chromebook Recovery Utility from the Chrome Web Store.

Locate the Extensions button at the top right, and click Manage extensions.

On the Chromebook Recovery Utility card, ensure the toggle is turned on, i.e., to the right.

Under the Extensions button, launch the Chrome Recovery Utility extension by clicking on it. Click Get started.

Click the Select a model from a list option.

Under Select a manufacturer, scroll to find Google Chrome OS Flex and select it. Click Select a product and scroll to find Chrome OS Flex (Developer-Unstable). Click to select it and Continue.

Insert your USB drive when prompted.

Select the USB drive from the dropdown menu. Click Continue.

Click Create now.

Remove the USB drive from the device when Chrome Recovery Utility says your recovery media is ready.

Insert the USB drive to the system you want to install Chrome OS Flex on, while the device is powered off. Power the system on by pressing the power button and immediately start hitting the boot key to access the boot menu. For a PC, the boot key is usually F1, F2, F9, F12, Delete, or Esc. For a Mac, it’s the Option key.

Select the bootable USB installer from the list as the boot device, and boot into the drive. Follow the remaining process on screen to set up Chrome OS Flex. But you can also just experience Chrome OS Flex from the USB drive itself, without installing it.

It’s no secret that I’ve fallen in love with Google Chrome’s tab groups feature. In fact, I wrote a whole article gushing about them in hopes that everyone would give them a try. I believe that they add a new layer of organization to your browsing experience, and since the day they released, I’ve used them religiously. There’s just something about having custom-named, custom-colored groups for my Chrome tabs, topically lumping a bunch of things into them for later, and even having them restore in full after I reboot my Chromebook or desktop. Anything I can do to kill the traditional bookmark functionality and lean into more modern and useful tools, I’m willing to try.

Utilizing tab groups so frequently has trained my brain to create a new tab and immediately right-click it to categorize it into a new or existing group (and to choose the color that best suits my mood!) Since I turn every website into an icon to get the most out of my Chromebook, and since I’m running Chrome OS 91 Canary with the ‘Desktop PWA tab strips’ flag enabled, I was browsing a PWA that was utilizing tab strips and attempted to place them into a tab group – something that was never a thing before for – and it worked!

Desktop PWA tab strips

Experimental UI for exploring what PWA windows would look like with a tab strip. – Mac, Windows, Linux, Chrome OS

In order to activate tab strips after enabling the flag and rebooting your Chromebook, you just need to right-click on an icon, hover over the arrow to the right of ‘New window’, select ‘New tabbed window’. This is a brand new option for the contextual menu of web apps! Prior to enabling your new flag, the only two options would have been ‘New tab’, and ‘New window’.

As you can see below, there are many use cases for this. One of my favorites is utilizing tab groups in order to load up several email accounts in the Gmail web app – no Android app needed! Since clicking the new tab icon within a PWA that’s utilizing the tab strips flag automatically loads up a duplicate instance of that app instead of a blank new tab page, you simply need to click your profile image in the top-right of the screen and sign in to another Gmail account and then place it into a new tab group named after that email account. That was a mouthful! I hope that makes sense.

Another fantastic use for this is with something like Youtube. Instead of having a bunch of Youtube apps opened (not separate tabs, but separate ‘Windowed mode’ instances) and switching between them, I can now group a bunch of Youtube videos that I intend to get back to within the day or week into topics. In the image below, I’m using this awesome feature to group different game development videos together for specific tasks I need to learn to perform in Unreal Engine, and all of this is done within one instance of the Youtube web app on my Chromebook’s shelf!

At this time, I’m unsure of when the ‘PWA tab strips’ flag will arrive on Chrome OS Stable, but when it does, using tab groups with it may not be something that many people ever think to do. However, now that you’re equipped with the knowledge of them, you can use these two neat little features in combination with one another to take your productivity to yet another level.

All of this in conjunction with my Virtual Desk naming recommendations and the ‘Limit Shelf Items to Active Desk’ flag, and you’ve got a hyper-focused and organized workspace! As the Chrome team continues to innovate, Chromebooks and the Chrome browser keep getting more useful and unique as a way to be productive like never before. Let us know in the comments how you would utilize this awesome combination of features.

Chrome OS devices are getting more powerful and capable, allowing for a pretty good, albeit simple, PC experience. If you want to go beyond the basic capabilities of your Chromebook, though, you’ll have to enable Chrome OS Developer Mode. This post will explain exactly how to do it and what to look for when you’re at it.

Warning: Remember that enabling Chrome OS Developer Mode opens up your computer to abilities that aren’t officially supported. Make sure to do your research, and keep in mind that unsupported and experimental features can cause problems. The responsibility falls only upon you if something happens to your software or hardware.

QUICK ANSWER

To enable developer mode on a Chromebook, press and hold the Esc + Refresh + power button at once. When the Chrome OS is missing or damaged message shows up, press and hold Ctrl + D simultaneously. Press Enter if asked to turn OS verification off.

JUMP TO KEY SECTIONS

What is Chrome OS Developer Mode, anyway?

Chrome OS Developer Mode is similar to gaining root access on your Android device. It gives you more control over your Chromebook and is a great option for those who love tweaking their devices.

Developer Mode isn’t for everyone and has several drawbacks, which we’ll get to later. But if you want to gain root access to the Chrome OS’s file system to do things like sideload Android apps or install an additional OS, among many other things, enabling Developer Mode is the way to go.

How to enable Chromebook Developer Mode

First, make sure you back up and save any important files stored on your device. Enabling Developer Mode wipes your login information and any locally stored data, which cannot be restored.

• Press and hold the Esc key, refresh key, and the power button simultaneously.
• When the Chrome OS is missing or damaged. Please insert a recovery USB stick or SD card message shows up, press and hold the Ctrl and D keys simultaneously.
• Some Chromebooks may require you to turn OS verification off. Press Enter (if required).
• Wait for the device to restart and go through the Chromebook setup process.
• You will get an odd screen saying that OS verification is off. Keep in mind this screen will happen every single time you boot up.
• Press Ctrl and D to restart successfully.

How to disable Chrome OS Developer mode

As easy as it is to enable Chromebook Developer Mode, it is even simpler to disable it. But remember to back up your data once again, as disabling Developer Mode also erases everything from your Chrome OS device.

• Press the spacebar when the screen that says OS verification is off shows up.
• This will perform a factory data reset and wipe the laptop clean.
• Go through the Chromebook setup process again.

Drawbacks of enabling Developer mode

There are a lot of advantages to enabling Developer Mode on your Chromebook. It gives you access to the developer shell, allows you to install a standard Linux desktop environment, and is something you will need to enable if you are a Chrome OS developer.

Developer Mode is certainly not for the average user, and some technical know-how is needed to take full advantage of this mode. It also has a few disadvantages that you need to be wary of — check them out below.

• • Google doesn’t support Developer mode, so you may be at risk of voiding your device’s warranty.
  • All the security features are disabled when Developer Mode is turned on.
  • You lose your data when enabling or disabling Developer Mode. As you can see from the steps required to disable it, an accidental press of the spacebar at the wrong time is all you need to lose all your data once again. Making continuous backups if you’re working on something important is recommended.

• Chromebooks boot up extremely fast, which is a feature you will lose when Developer mode is enabled. You’ll have to see that warning screen every time you switch on the device.

Q: Is developer mode safe on a Chromebook?
A: Developer mode requires you to turn off OS verification in most cases, making it an unsafe option. You should only turn it on if you’re sure of what you’re doing.

Q: How do I install an APK file without developer mode on a Chromebook?
A: To install an APK without developer mode, you can install Linux on your Chromebook, set up ADB, and tap on the Build number in the About device section in your Android preferences.

Q: How do you enable developer mode on a school Chromebook?
A: Enabling developer mode on a school Chromebook is tougher. You’ll have to disassemble the Chromebook, disconnect the battery from the motherboard, and press the power button for 30 seconds. Then you need to follow the method we have explained in this tutorial. Even then, you’re likely to be met with a software lock that won’t let you bypass the administrative restrictions.

Last updated May 10, 2018 By Ambarish Kumar 10 Comments

Brief: Google announced the support for Linux apps to Chromebooks in its Developer Keynote I/O event. People using Chromebooks will soon be able to run Linux apps on their systems.

In a surprising and welcome move, Google announced the support for Linux Apps in its I/O event this year. This means the Chrome OS users will soon be able to run their favorite Linux applications like GIMP, Inkscape etc seamlessly on their system.

With Linux apps, Google is trying to lure developers to Chromebooks

Chromebooks were launched as a cheap alternative to PCs with support for Web Applications through Google Chrome web browser. The Android app support was added a few years later on selected Chromebook models.

Chromebook gradually captured a good part of laptop market in developed countries like the USA. Lightweight, plenty of free cloud storage and cheap price have made Chromebook a popular choice among students.

But despite the support for Android apps, Chromebook primarily remains a limited use device with limited desktop applications. And this is what Google wants to change by bringing Linux applications to Chromebook.

The Linux apps support has just increased its importance for the Linux users, developers and in the education sector for students. There’s more to do with a Chromebook than running Android apps and using web-based services.

Tal Oppenheimer, product manager at Google was more than happy to announce for Linux apps on Chrome OS in the Developer Keynote.

We introduced Chrome OS almost seven years ago to showcase best of the web and make computing accessible to all. But It’s not about just access to technology, it’s also about access to create it. And that’s why we are expanding Chrome OS to support developers with the ability to securely run Linux apps on Chrome OS.

As she pointed out the main purpose of bringing Linux applications to Chromebooks is to allow development on the platform. Linux-based Chrome OS primarily relies on services hosted on the cloud in addition to the support for Android apps added some time back, a developer has to switch back to Windows or Mac for his development works. By supporting Linux apps, Chromebooks can overcome this shortcoming. A Chromebook owner can install an Eclipse IDE or the Android Studio for coding.

It can make things as easy as developing an Android app through Android Studio and testing it on the same machine!

[irp posts=”26895″ name=”No More Ubuntu! Debian is the New Choice For Google’s In-house Linux Distribution”]

Linux apps on Chromebook are containerized thus no compromise on Chrome OS security

The support for Linux apps has been incorporated by running Linux in a Virtual Machine designed from scratch for Chromebooks. This VM itself will run in containers and thus the integrity of the host Chrome OS will not be compromised.

The virtual machine promises to be fast and opening an app will just need a click similar to other platforms. However, the performance will also depend on the application being used, a not so powerful Chromebook might not be able to run GIMP or Eclipse smoothly.

If you are excited about the Linux app support for Chrome OS (just like me), you may have to wait for sometime. The program is currently limited to Google’s Pixelbook and one has to enable developer mode to avail it. It will be rolled out gradually to other Chromebooks in the market.

Here’s a video showcasing the experimental feature on a Pixelbook:

Things to know about Linux apps on Chromebook

• This Linux app support is different than installing Linux on Chromebook with Crouton.
• Linux application support is provided by a containerized Linux virtual machine.
• You will be able to access it from the terminal and install Linux apps using apt-get commands.
• You will be able to pin the installed Linux apps on Chrome OS taskbar and launch it in single clicks.
• This is an experimental feature and is currently available to Pixelbook in development mode.
• More Chromebooks will get it when this feature is stable. There is no timeline for that at the moment.

Conclusion

It’s an exciting news for both Chrome OS and Linux users. With a cheap and portable device that supports Android apps, the support for Linux app will mean it will be as powerful as any other Linux system. Though the wait will be a bit longer, especially if you are not a Pixelbook owner.

Are you excited about the Linux app support to Chrome OS? Let us know in the comments, we are curious to know your opinions.

Like what you read? Please share it with others.

I’ve noted before that in many cases you can actually use a Chromebook to get through a Computer Science degree. That’s mainly due to having full access to Linux where it’s easy to install and use your programming tools of choice. For me, this semester was moved to all online coursework due to the pandemic but my Chromebook is getting me through Computer Science college classes.

This semester I have a Javascript course, which technically doesn’t need any fancy programming tools.

However, I am still running Microsoft Visual Code in the Linux container, simply because it lets me focus on learning Javascript thanks to many helper tools and extensions. The ability to have custom text colors for reserved words, functions, or variables, for example, is very useful. As are automatic code completion suggestions. It just makes the experience easier so I can learn more about the important concepts.

By the way, Microsoft recently added Visual Code support for ARM-based Linux devices, so if you have one of those and need a coding environment, you’re good to go.

My biggest fear, however, was when I found out we’d be using Zoom for our weekly instruction. Earlier this year, my Zoom experience on a Chromebook was marginal at best. However, these days, I’m having no issues running Zoom in my Chromebook browser, so it’s a non-issue. The integrated microphone and camera work just fine and I can use the chat features as well.

Many of our coding assignments for this class are done in a fantastic online tool that I had never hear of before.

It’s called Repl.it and allows me to write and run my code right in the browser. Additionally, I can share my code with anyone by sending them a link and even manage or track my code changes through GitHub. This week’s JS assignment: a basic BlackJack game

We do have a physical book for class but our professor also assigns YouTube instructional videos to watch as well as coding exercises from FreeCodeCamp and other sites. Obviously, these work in any browser, so the Chromebook handles them with ease.

Am I suggesting that a Chromebook is the best device for learning how to code or actually doing programming work?

Not. At. All.

A Linux desktop or laptop is ideal and a Windows machine would do the trick just as well. Indeed, I built a powerful Windows gaming desktop with a new RTX 3080 GPU, speedy processor, and super-fast NVMe storage that I could use for coding.

However, you can use a Chromebook for these purposes. And if you only need a device to learn or code a part of the day, it’s nice to have one that you just power up quickly, get online and go.

That’s why time and again, I turn to my Chromebook for class.

It’s now standard for websites to have a mobile version. Conveniently, we can browse the web with a mostly mobile-optimized experience. But what if you want the desktop experience on mobile? If you want, you can browse the mobile web and see only the desktop version of websites on Android devices.

Browsing with the desktop version may be preferable if you have a larger device. You may also prefer the layout of a desktop browser. Some websites may prioritize the desktop web, which could make the mobile counterpart buggy, and not feature complete.

Enabling Desktop Browsing

Open the Chrome app and tap the three dots in the top-right corner. When you do this, a menu will pop up. Here, you will see the button “Desktop site” — tap on this to turn on desktop browsing. When you do this, it will make the website load like the desktop version.

Your browsing experience will no longer be optimized for mobile. You will remain on desktop browsing as long as you stay in the current tab — any sites you visit will be in desktop mode. If you leave the current tab, Chrome will return to mobile browsing. To return to mobile web browsing, you must turn this toggle off or visit a new tab in Chrome.

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· 1 February 2021 ·

(Pocket-lint) – Nvidia GeForce Now has gone from strength to strength since its launch as a full consumer service 12 months ago.

The cloud gaming platform has expanded its compatible device list greatly during that time, adding the likes of Chromebook support and Safari access for iOS users (in beta form).

Now it is available through a Chrome browser too, which opens up access to thousands more devices – including Windows and macOS users who don’t have a dedicated desktop client installed.

Here’s how to get it working.

How to play Nvidia GeForce Now games through the Chrome browser

GeForce Now version 2.0.27 adds Chrome browser support in beta form.

– First, you need to head to play.geforcenow.com using the latest version of Chrome.

– Now, click “Agree & Continue” on any version notes that appear. If there is no pop-up box, just continue to the next step.

– Click “Log In” and enter your Nvidia GeForce Now log in details (if it doesn’t log you in automatically).

– Find any of the games you have in your GeForce Now library, click on it, hit play and away you go.

– The game will ask to go full screen and you may need to input your Steam or other store account details (depending on where the original game is hosted).

– Natually, you will also need to pair a controller to your PC or Mac if the game requires one.

– You can also bookmark games to jump straight to your favourites. You can also share URLs to invite friends to play.

Please note, as this is a beta version of the feature there may be some issues when running games. It’s always best to run them through the dedicated app.

The new software version also adds support for Macs running on Apple’s M1 silicon.

PC Gaming now has a dedicated hub page!
PC Gaming Week in association with Nvidia GeForce RTX may have come to an end, but you can still find all of that great content as well as all future PC gaming news, reviews, features and more on our dedicated hub page.

The Google Chrome web browser comes with options to launch sites in borderless windows to maximize the display space for these websites.

The default version of Google Chrome displays website content and interface elements. Interface elements are the address bar and toolbar icons, and the tab bar. Chrome includes no options to display a sidebar or status bar, or any other toolbar.

You may configure specific websites to open in a borderless window when opened in Chrome. This can be useful to maximize screen estate. Chrome supports several options to display sites in an exclusive window: you may run Chrome using the –kiosk parameter to get rid of all browser chrome elements and display only the site in question on the screen. Another option that you have is to run Chrome with the -app parameter instead to only display a title bar but no address bar or tab bar.

Another difference between kiosk and app is that the former runs in full screen mode while the latter in window mode.

Kiosk Mode

You may use the –kiosk parameter to run specific sites in kiosk mode using Chrome. Kiosk mode is a fullscreen mode that displays no browser chrome; no address bar, no title bar and no tab bar. There are no buttons to close the Chrome window which means that you need to use other means such as Alt-F4 to close the browser window.

To use Chrome in Kiosk mode, run the browser with the parameter –kiosk SiteURL, e.g. –kiosk You may add the parameter to a shortcut permanently to always open the site in question in kiosk mode when executed.

The following instructions are for Windows:

1. Right-click on the Chrome shortcut in the taskbar, right-click on Google Chrome again when the menu pops up, and select properties from the second menu that opens.
2. Append –kiosk to the target field. Make sure there is a space between the existing target value and the new –kiosk value.
3. Click on ok.

Whenever you execute the shortcut now, Chrome opens the selected site in Kiosk mode.

App Mode

App mode is different from Kiosk mode: a title bar is displayed in the mode, and the site in question is displayed as a window that you may resize. To create an app version of a site in Chrome do the following:

1. Load the site in question in Google Chrome.
2. Select Menu > More Tools > Add to Desktop.
3. Type a name for the shortcut.
4. Check the “open as window” box.
5. Click on Add.

Chrome adds a shortcut to the desktop that uses the –app parameter to launch the selected site in a window. Only the title bar and window controls are displayed, the address bar and tab bar are not displayed.

One click to access your favorite sites

• Western Governors University

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What to Know

• Go to the website, select Menu (three dots) >More Tools. Choose Add to desktop, Create shortcut, or Create application shortcuts.
• Then, name the shortcut and select Create.
• You can also create shortcuts in a folder, on the desktop, or on the Taskbar.

This article explains how to create a shortcut to a website in Google Chrome and add it to your desktop, a folder, or the Taskbar.

How to Create Chrome Shortcuts on Your Desktop

When you create a shortcut to a web page, the shortcut opens the web page in a standalone window without any menus, tabs, or other browser components. A Chrome shortcut can also be configured to open as a standard web page in a new browser tab since the standalone window option isn’t available in all versions of Windows.

Open the Chrome web browser and go to a web page.

Go to the Chrome menu, located in the upper-right corner of the browser and represented by three vertically-aligned dots.

Select More tools and choose either Add to desktop, Create shortcut, or Create application shortcuts (the option you see depends on your operating system).

Type a name for the shortcut or leave the default name, which is the title of the web page.

Select Create to add the shortcut to your desktop.

More Information on Creating Chrome Shortcuts

The above method isn’t the only way to make shortcuts that open in Chrome. Here are some other ways to create a shortcut to a web page:

Create a Shortcut in a Folder

1. Highlight a URL in the address bar.
2. Drag the link to a folder on your computer.

Create a Shortcut on the Desktop

1. Right-click the desktop, go to New, and select Shortcut.
2. Enter the URL and select Next.
3. Type a name for the shortcut and select Finish.

Create a Shortcut on the Taskbar

1. Select a shortcut on the desktop.
2. Drag the shortcut to the Windows taskbar.

If none of these methods open the link in Chrome, change the default browser in Windows.

I tried to drag the Google Chrome icon onto my desktop. This didn’t work. How can I put a shortcut to Chrome on the desktop?

4 Answers 4

This worked for me on Ubuntu 17.10. Please modify the path as necessary.

All I did was, go to

and copy and paste it into the desktop

You have to basically follow the steps described by google:

1. click menu -> more tools -> create shortcut
2. your tab will close and shortcut will be put on desktop
3. RIGHT-CLICK the shortcut, and click “Allow Launching”

it should update icon and should work.

Create a desktop application launcher as explained in answers to this question.

Then right click on launcher and select Properties. Under the Basic tab enter google-chrome (verify this command by entering it in terminal) as command and close the properties. That’s all.

Not the answer you’re looking for? Browse other questions tagged google-chrome or ask your own question.

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