You Can Now Run Linux Apps On Chrome OS (venturebeat.com) 106
Google today announced Chrome OS is getting Linux support. "As a result, Chromebooks will soon be able to run Linux apps and execute Linux commands," reports VentureBeat. "A preview of Linux on the Pixelbook will be released first, with support for more devices coming soon." From the report: "Just go to wherever you normally get those apps, whether it's on the websites or through apt-get in the Linux terminal, and seamless get those apps like any other Linux distribution," Chrome OS director of product management Kan Liu told VentureBeat.
Support for Linux apps means developers will finally be able to use a Google device to develop for Google's platforms, rather than having to depend on Windows, Mac, or Linux machines. And because Chrome OS doesn't just run Chrome OS-specific apps anymore, developers will be able to create, test, and run any Android or web app for phones, tablets, and laptops all on their Chromebooks. Without having to switch devices, you can run your favorite IDE -- as long as there is a Debian Linux version (for the curious, Google is specifically using Debian Stretch here -- code in your favorite language and launch projects to Google Cloud with the command line.
Support for Linux apps means developers will finally be able to use a Google device to develop for Google's platforms, rather than having to depend on Windows, Mac, or Linux machines. And because Chrome OS doesn't just run Chrome OS-specific apps anymore, developers will be able to create, test, and run any Android or web app for phones, tablets, and laptops all on their Chromebooks. Without having to switch devices, you can run your favorite IDE -- as long as there is a Debian Linux version (for the curious, Google is specifically using Debian Stretch here -- code in your favorite language and launch projects to Google Cloud with the command line.
Important to note: not actually a new feature (Score:5, Insightful)
It's only "new" in the sense that they stopped forcibly blocking this functionality. Probably because Windows 10 can run Linux apps finally so now Chrome OS was the only major one left that couldn't.
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I was about to ask, but you sorta got there first... How is this different than developer mode which gives you full access to the system?
I haven't used Chromebooks in a while; did they take that out?
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What I had gathered previously was that it was something that not many vendors had left access to. (On purpose, anyway.)
Re: Important to note: not actually a new feature (Score:5, Informative)
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How is this different than developer mode which gives you full access to the system?
Developer mode self-destructs [slashdot.org] if someone turns on a Chromebook and looks at it funny. Verified mode does not.
Re: Important to note: not actually a new feature (Score:2)
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So in other words, this is a solution to a problem that Google themselves created. And not even the easy solution which would be to quit putting up stupid screens that allow people to wipe the machine by pressing the spacebar!
The only thing that's "insecure" about developer mode is that one stupid screen. I wish companies would stop this war against their end users and allow people to have some control over their own devices without such stupid shenanigans!
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Developer mode however is an insecure system. It doesn't sandbox anything. When you're in developer mode, you literally have control over the entire workings of your Chromebook. You can even overwrite the BIOS.
Since when did the definition of "insecure" change to mean "the customer has control of the device they bought and paid for"? This is a complete re-definition of the word, and is entirely in the favor of the corporations fighting against the end users.
What this article is about is the ability to run arbitrary GNU/Linux applications in a sandbox. It will not give you, or those applications, control over the Chromebook. Your data will remain safe.
The only threat to your data in developer mode was Google themselves with the moronic decision to allow anyone to wipe your device by pressing the spacebar at the big scary security screen. THAT is what is talked about when people talk about google preventing
Comment removed (Score:4, Informative)
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The new part is the ability for your Chromebrew installation and unpushed changes to survive someone turning on your Chromebook and following the prompts. A developer mode Chromebook prompts the user to press Space then Enter to perform a factory reset, and your non-technical roommate or children just might follow them.
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So the new part is a way to not be screwed over by Google just because you want to pretend you own your hardware....
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You appear to be referring to "Developer mode". Developer mode is available in all Chromebooks, and they've always made it easy to get into. It's off by default, because the entire point of the Chromebook is to be a secure platform, and giving people access outside of the sandbox is risky.
When did we re-define "secure" to mean "the end user isn't allowed to choose what to do with their hardware"? That's not security, that's oppression. Blocking the end user from running apps, does not stop hackers from accessing your data, or running their own apps. It only means that you don't actually own the hardware you bought and paid for.
They've never "blocked" this functionality. They implemented the functionality.
Debatable. By putting up so many barriers (including making sure that any passer-by can wipe your drive clean just by pressing the largest key on the keyboard) They ha
Re: WOW!!!!!!! (Score:1)
ChromeOS is a prison compound built on a cement slab that is made out of Linux. The kernal, not the OS.
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An old Commodore OS. [wikipedia.org]
Re: WOW!!!!!!! (Score:1)
I can never spell that right. Maybe we can get you a job proofreading for me.
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All I really want is developer mode that doesn't have the obnoxious screen allowing any passer-by to wipe your machine by pressing the spacebar.
The only thing "insecure" about developer mode is that stupid boot screen!
Linux Apps? (Score:5, Insightful)
I can run Linux programs on my Linux machine. I've been able to do that for decades.
Linux based machines that hide the underlying functionality are simply stupid.
Re: Linux Apps? (Score:2)
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components and license (Score:2)
p.s. I thought it was a GPLv3 violation to "TiVoize" Linux. Does this mean Chrome OS was using GPLv2?
The Linux kernel (the thing written by Linus Torvalds) is still GPLv2 because:
- Linus doesn't want to enforce anti-TiVoization (he's more on the programatic vs. ideological scale than RMS. He's fine with locked devices that still provide source code for curious users. RMS is the one who doesn't like something that can be considered as "someone else's computer")
- The current kernel license is litterally "GPLv2 only", not "GPLv2 or any future version". All the authors that have contributed to
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I can run Linux programs on my Linux machine. I've been able to do that for decades.
But for what fraction of those "decades" have you been able to buy a compact GNU/Linux laptop in major electronics store chains?
compact GNU/Linux in major electronics store (Score:2)
But for what fraction of those "decades" have you been able to buy a compact GNU/Linux laptop in major electronics store chains?
Approximately since the ASUS eeePC started the "sub-notebook with Linux in your local store" craze (followed imediatly by Acer. And then countless no-name Asian manufacturer spitting crappier machines) , that subsequently jump-started the whole wave of Chromebooks, once google decided to address the "userfriendly so even your grandma can use it" part and the "minimal quality so the machine isn't full crap".
So since slightly more than 1 decade.
Re: compact GNU/Linux in major electronics store (Score:2)
heh, flashbacks.
we still use the archos 101 i got in 2011. never did get round to installing linux on it though.
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But for what fraction of those "decades" have you been able to buy a compact GNU/Linux laptop in major electronics store chains?
Approximately since the ASUS eeePC started the "sub-notebook with Linux in your local store" craze
That craze covers fourth quarter 2007 through roughly fourth quarter 2012 [slashdot.org].
that subsequently jump-started the whole wave of Chromebooks
Chromebooks run Linux as their kernel, I'm aware. But until now, they haven't given the user ability to run GNU outside the self-destructing developer mode. Straight from the horse's mouth [chromium.org], with emphasis in the original:
So from first quarter 2013 through second quarter 2018, compact laptops usable as general-purpose GNU/Linux laptops were not widely available with a warranty in s
Consoles closer to identical than vintage laptops (Score:2)
I imagine that there are far fewer of any single model of netbook than for the NES. This diversity makes it harder for people like me to find a community of other people knowledgeable enough to perform component-level repair on a particular model of netbook than for the NES.
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This could finally be the year of the Linux desktop. A decent desktop, decent hardware and drivers supported by the manufacturer, and Linux apps...
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Unfortunately it will be the year of commands under someone else's crappy desktop.
The beauty of the Linux desktop is you can run whatever window manager you like. Don't like the latest offering from Ubuntu or GNOME? KDE, XFCE, LXDE, FVWM, Ratpoision or Xmonad and many others will all work perfectly depenging on your tastes.
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That sounds nice, but I find that the practical result is that many apps don't work well with more than just the one the primary developer used. Scroll wheel and trackpad support is the classic example, but also high DPI.
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Linux based machines that hide the underlying functionality are simply stupid.
Tens (hundreds?) of millions of Chromebook users disagree with you. Many of them very strongly.
The fact is that between 95 and 100% of most people's laptop usage these days is in a browser. Having a system that is nothing but a browser turns out to be quite useful, and to have some big advantages in terms of simplicity, reliability and security. ChromeOS is by about any metric you might name, the most secure consumer operating system ever built. This is at the expense of flexibility since (until recently)
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I can run Linux programs on my Linux machine. I've been able to do that for decades.
Linux based machines that hide the underlying functionality are simply stupid.
One question will be if this feature survives a Google transition from Linux to Fuschia/Zircon...
Re: I can run Chrome on Linux (Score:1)
Yes, but some of us would like to buy one of those under $200 chromebooks, wipe it and run a freenix on it. I would choose NetBSD, with the tab window manager (twm) and build the stuff I wanted out of pkgsrc. It wouldn't include a lot of the bloated shit people call a 'modern desktop' and it would run hella fast on that light inexpensive hardware.
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Lots of people run Linux on their Chromebooks, it's a very open platform. Just need to take out the write protect screw and you can modify the open source bootloader to load a different OS.
But Why? (Score:2)
Why would anyone even want to run Linux in a VM under Chrome instead of just running Linux natively?
Security, reliability. With today's CPUs it's free (Score:5, Interesting)
The CPUs do virtualization in hardware these days, so VMs are essentially free. The performance difference is less than 5%, often closer to 1%.
What you get for that is clear separation, in terms of security, stability, etc. No one application can cause problems for the system.
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Re:Security, reliability. With today's CPUs it's f (Score:5, Interesting)
Well, it was 1% before Meltdown. Now if you have an Intel CPU it's quite a lot worse than that.
Fortunately most Chromebooks are ARM based.
Probably not even virtualization (Score:2)
ChromeOS uses the Linux kernel (and very often a modern one, thanks to Google putting some efforts with hardware manufacturer).
Debian GNU/Linux also relies on a Linux kernel, hence the name.
Linux has been having containerization capabilities for quite some time (back when LXC started the whole craze that lead to modern-day Docker).
The "sandboxing" is probably just a different container running from the same kernel, with no ressource costs at all.
They're probably doing the same kind of things that crouton ha
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Why would anyone even want to run Linux in a VM under Chrome instead of just running Linux natively?
So Google can keep spying on you even when running Linux.
Re:But Why? (Score:5, Interesting)
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I would. This makes Chrome laptops more appealing to me. When you want to run Linux on laptops you always have to be careful to select the right laptop which is compatible enough to make it worth buying.
I mean I get it, but you're solving it by finding a laptop which is supported out of the box by the manufacturer which is fine and all, but there are others already that do that. There's System76 for example. But also Dell and Lenovo offer Linux preinstalled on quite a few models. Lenovo even have a certific
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- Chromebooks are more secure. The proposal from Google involves sandboxing GNU/Linux applications so they're effectively as secure as the existing Webapp/NaCl/Android applications that Chromebooks currently support.
How do the applications communicate with one another?
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Remove the adware system down to the hardware and start with a real OS.
While on topic (Score:3)
How good is ARM Linux battery life on a Chromebook, if I replace the Chrome OS completely?
Is it comparable or is it much lower?
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Having used linux natively on ARM chromebook, I found battery llife comparable. There were so many glitches and hurdles, though, that I have mostly abandoned that machine. Everything almost works perfectly, but I got tired of chasing down corner cases. I let it idle (~2W), though, and uptimes average about a year, before I forget to reconnect the charger to it after playing around with it.
My current go-to machine is a 2013 version of chromebook pixel which I boot from a Mint or Ubuntu iso image. Works d
Re: While on topic (Score:1)
Same and sometimes better.
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(aforementioned easy-wipe boot screen aside.)
It's really hard to ignore a massive warning with loud audible beep that begs anyone nearby to please destroy all your data....
If Google really wanted to fix the problem, they didn't need to go to all this work, they just needed to remove that one huge threat!
ChromeOS (Score:5, Interesting)
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What was stopping them before?
Google.
More specifically that if they dared run the applications they want to on the machine Google would throw up a big scary warning screen with loud audible beep that begs anyone nearby to please wipe your data. But other than that, sure, it was actually easy to run any app you want. As long as you are willing to risk all your data.
Fake (Score:1)
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Since when does Gentoo not support running Debian's userspace in a chroot?
This is really news (Score:2)
I can run Linux programs inside an operating system based on ... Linux.
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Just use GalliumOS (Score:1)
The article mentions that it runs Linux through a VM but that's not going to be very good in terms of performance.
GalliumOS has been around for years. It's a fork of xubuntu that's optimized for Chromebooks.
I've been running it on my Chromebook for 2 years. It's something you boot into directly, so no VMs are required (and you can choose to dual boot into ChromeOS if you want to keep it around).
Details on how to set it all up can be found at https://nickjanetakis.com/blog... [nickjanetakis.com].
I run all sorts of real developm
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VMs use memory for an entire OS. That includes duplicating the software (shared libraries no longer sharing code), management code (scheduler, etc.), services (all the RAM being used when you bring up to multi-user text console, no X).
I had argued the first step should be a .NET environment for ChromeOS. It would be relatively-simple to integrate: the .NET installation would include the base mounted under each container along with a resolver built into the Mono or .NET Core system. When you run a .NE
oh (Score:2)
Chrome OS [wikipedia.org] is an operating system designed by Google that is based on the Linux kernel
So they're finally letting Linux programs run on Linux?
Website? (Score:4, Informative)
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Unfortunately there's a new movement (or more properly a neo-movement) that seeks to allow distribution-agnostic packages to be installed. Among these are Flatpak, Snap (in theory, once you have installed the necessary backend, which is readily available in Ubuntu/Debian based distributions), and AppImage
I forgot about those abominations. I guess I'm showing my age.
And Android (Score:2)
You get to run Linux AND Android applications on your chromebook.
Suddenly this little laptop of little interest is getting very interesting.
apps glitch (Score:1)
I am part of a team currently redubbing "the matrix". We hope to release this new version with every instance of the word "program" replaced by the word "apps". People in the future will thus have some underestanding of what is going on.