The advent of the Chromebook was a big deal for American education systems, allowing them to buy low-cost laptops for students, teachers, and administrators. Although have always run a Linux-based operating system (Chrome OS), until recently, most Linux applications could not run on them. However, that all changed when Google released - A virtual machine that allows you to run Linux OS (beta) on your Chromebook.
Most Chromebooks released after 2019, as well as some older models, are Crostini and Linux (beta) capable. To see if your Chromebook is on the list of supported devices, you can . Luckily, my Acer Chromebook 15 with 2GB RAM and an Intel Celeron processor is supported.
(Don Watkins, )
If you plan on installing a lot of Linux apps, I recommend using a Chromebook with 4 GB of RAM and more free disk space.
Linux setup (beta)
Once logged into your Chromebook, move your mouse cursor to the bottom right corner of the screen where the clock is located and left-click. A panel will open, at the top of which the options will be listed (from left to right): exit, shutdown, lock and open settings. Select the options icon (Settings).
(Don Watkins, )
On the left side of the panel Settings you will see in the list Linux (Beta).
(Don Watkins, )
Click on Linux (Beta) and the option to launch it will appear in the main panel. Click on the button Turn on.
(Don Watkins, )
This will start the process of setting up a Linux environment on your Chromebook.
(Don Watkins, )
You will then be prompted to enter Username and the desired Linux installation size.
(Don Watkins, )
It will take a few minutes to install Linux on your Chromebook.
(Don Watkins, )
After the installation is complete, you will be ready to start working with Linux on your Chromebook. There is a shortcut in the menu bar at the bottom of your Chromebook display terminal - a text interface that can be used to interact with Linux.
(Don Watkins, )
You can use Eg ls, lscpu ΠΈ topto get more information about the environment. Applications are installed by the command sudo apt install.
Installing the first Linux application
The ability to install and run free and open source software on a Chromebook allows for a wide range of possibilities.
First of all, I recommend installing the application for python. Install it by typing the following into the terminal:
$ sudo apt install mu-editorIt takes a little over five minutes to install, but you'll end up with a great Python code editor.
I have used with great success . For example, I taught my students to write code for the Python turtle module and execute it to create graphics. I was frustrated that it was not possible to use Mu with an open hardware board . Even though the Microbit connects to USB and the Chromebook's Linux virtual environment has USB support, I couldn't get it to work.
(Don Watkins, )
After installing the application, it will be displayed in a special menu LinuxApps, which is shown in the lower right corner of the screenshot.
(Don Watkins, )
Installing other applications
You can install not only a programming language with a code editor. In fact, you can install most of your favorite open source applications.
For example, you can install the LibreOffice package with this command:
$ sudo apt install libreofficeOpen source audio editor is one of my favorite learning apps. My Chromebook's microphone works with Audacity, making it easy for me to create podcasts or edit free sounds from . Installing Audacity on a Chromebook is easy - after launching the Crostini virtual environment, open a terminal and type the following:
$ sudo apt install audacityThen launch Audacity from the command line or find it under LinuxApps Chromebook menu.
(Don Watkins, )
I also easily installed ΠΈ - a couple of wonderful educational programs. I even managed to install and run the image editor . All Linux applications are taken from the Debian Linux repositories.
(Don Watkins, )
File transfer
Linux (beta) has a utility for backing up and restoring files. You can also transfer files between a Linux virtual machine (beta) and a Chromebook by opening the Chromebook app Files and right clicking on the folder you want to transfer. You can transfer all files from your Chromebook or create a dedicated folder for shared files. While in a Linux virtual machine, the folder can be accessed by navigating to /mnt/chromeos.
(Don Watkins, )
Additional Information
for Linux (beta) is very detailed, so read it carefully to learn about the possibilities. Here are some important aspects taken from the documentation:
- Cameras are not yet supported.
- Android devices are supported via USB.
- Hardware acceleration is not yet supported.
- There is access to the microphone.
Do you use Linux apps on your Chromebook? Tell us about it in the comments!
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Source: habr.com