Install Linux On Chromebook
- How To Install Linux On Chromebook Lifehacker
- Why Install Linux On Chromebook
- Install Linux On Chromebook
- Best Chromebook To Run Linux
- How To Install Linux On Chromebook Dave Bennett
So, you want to learn how to install Linux on your Chromebook via USB drive.
There are many ways to install a Linux-based OS on your Chromebook. For this tutorial I have chosen Crouton (aka Chromium OS Universal Chroot Environment), which is a set of scripts that bundle up into an easy-to-use, Chromium OS-centric chroot generator. Today I will show you how to install Linux on your Chromebook so you can start running a full desktop operating system on your Chromebook. A Distribution for the Task Now I will tell you that as of right now it’s not as easy as you think to install whatever version of Linux you choose on your Chromebook. Kali Linux – HP Chromebook / 04. Kali Linux on ARM / Kali Linux – HP Chromebook. Kali Linux on ARM. If all you want to do is install Kali on your HP ARM Chromebook, follow these instructions: Get a nice fast 8 GB USB stick. Put your Chromebook in developer mode, and enable USB boot.
Given that the majority of entry-level Chromebooks only have a mere 16GB of SSD storage, there’s not much space to allocate for Linux and Chrome OS on the machine- let alone install additional programs, games, and applications on Linux!
Learn how to install Ubuntu 16.04 LTS in a chroot on Chromebooks, using the third-party crouton tool. Learn how to install Ubuntu 16.04 LTS in a chroot on Chromebooks, using the third-party crouton tool. Install A Linux Software Center On Your Chromebook August 20, 2018 By Gabriel Brangers Leave a Comment So, you’ve got a Chromebook and you’re ready to give Linux Apps a try.
Models without Legacy Boot Mode/SeaBIOS. Take the ChrUbuntu approach which uses the Chrome OS kernel and modules. Build and sign your own kernel, see [1] [2] [3]. The Installation process described on this page tries to cover the method of installing Arch Linux on models without SeaBIOS by flashing a custom firmware. You're now in Linux on your Chromebook! You can move between Chrome OS and Linux with Ctrl+Alt+Shift+Back and Ctrl+Alt+Shift+Forward.
Thus, the next best thing to do is to simply use an external USB drive instead. This way you can dual-boot both Linux and Chrome OS on the same device and have plenty of storage space to utilize given that you use a sufficiently-sized thumb drive.
Ready to roll? Let’s go!
Last updated: 1/1/19.
Required materials
Things you’ll need to get this thing up and running:
- A USB 3.0 thumb/flash drive (64GB or more)
- A USB 2.0 or 3.0 flash drive with live Linux pre-installed
- A Chromebook with USB 3.0 ports
- Patience of steel
By the end of this guide, you’ll have Chrome OS on your Chromebook (obviously) and Ubuntu on a USB drive. It must be always plugged in if you want to access both operating systems (Linux is actually a kernel, but let’s be casual here).
You’ll still be able to disconnect and unmount the drive if you need to, but it’s strongly recommended to just leave it plugged in. So choose a drive you’re fine with dedicating to this little setup.
USB 3.0 is recommended
A USB 3.0 drive is recommended. Although you could use 2.0, it’s not worth it when USB 3.0 is only slightly more expensive and just as accessible. The faster read/write speeds of 3.0 over 2.0 will save you a lot of time waiting for programs to launch and applications to load. Just go for it. It’s worth it.
You’ll be leaving it plugged in – all the time!
Another note is that since you’re always leaving this drive plugged into your Chromebook’s USB port, it’s wise to choose a slim and compact drive. There are many different USB drives in all shapes and sizes. Think about practicality.
If you’re going to leave this thing plugged in all the time, it’s useful to choose something slim and out-of-the-way so you don’t accidentally break it off or damage it. And who’d want a thumb driving sticking 2’’ out the side of your workstation anyway? Unless you plan to leave your Chromebook stationary, go for a slimmer form factor.
Size matters
Lastly, we need to talk about size.
I’d suggest getting either a 64GB or 128GB thumb drive. There are plenty of popular ones you can snag for under $40 with slim builds. I’ll be using the SanDisk 128GB flash drive for this tutorial. Don’t have a Chromebook-compatible drive? Check out a list of the best flash drive for Chromebooks!
Rainbow web game free download full version. Note: If you don’t have a spare USB drive or you want to install both operating systems on the same device- you can. Even with 16GB of space. You may want to read this tutorial on installing Linux the regular way.
Anyway, let’s dive into it!
Gameplan
Here’s a brief overview of what we’ll be doing in this tutorial:
- Enabling Developer Mode
- Modifying the Chromebook’s BIOS (this won’t void your warranty and can easily be reverted to factory settings via Powerwash)
- Adjust to proper boot order
- Create a bootable USB
- Installing Ubuntu via USB with a Live Linux installation
That’s about it. Sounds easy enough, right?
It’s written in an easy to understand instruction format a with step-by-step layout so that anyone can follow along. And don’t worry if you break your Chromebook- you won’t. If you get stuck, just leave a comment and I’ll help you out or someone else may chime in to help you instead!
You can easily rest it at any time if you screw it up, or if you decide that you don’t want to use Linux anymore and you want it to go back to normal. All you need to do is a Powerwash and that’s it. I have a tutorial for that too. So don’t fret and just try it out already.
Sound good?
Let’s roll.
Turn on Developer Mode
Okay, so the first thing we need to do is enable Developer Mode.
If you don’t know what this is, it’s basically a special login that’ll allow you access to the command prompt and allow you to input commands. In other words, it “unlocks” your Chromebook- to put it very, very generally. You’ll need this in order to proceed so let’s start with enabling it.
Note that this step will delete and erase everything on your Chromebook’s internal disk because it’ll go through a forced Powerwash. There’s no way around this and you need to backup your data before proceeding. Remember what I said earlier? A Powerwash will revert your laptop back to factory settings. So it’s imperative that you back up your stuff that you care about. If you don’t know how, just keep reading!
What’ll be erased during a Powerwash?
Everything will be wiped, including the following:
- Chromebook settings
- Chromebook customizations (zoom level, wallpaper, etc.
- Everything in your Downloads folder
- Everything in any custom folders/directories you’ve created
- Play Store apps
How do I back up my stuff?
So if you have anything you want to save, do it now. There are two ways to backup your Chromebook:
- Back it up to a physical drive (external drive, thumb drive, SD card)
- Back it up to a cloud server (Google Drive, Dropbox)
If you have a spare drive, I suggest using that because it’s a lot faster than uploading everything to a cloud provider. Be sure that this drive isn’t the same one you’re planning to use for Linux or else you may encounter some issues!
If you don’t have an extra drive, use a cloud provider. You can use Google Drive since it’s already integrated to your Chromebook and makes it easy to use- and it’s free. You can read about how to back up your Chromebook– it covers both methods.
Okay, so now that you’ve backed up your stuff, let’s move on!
Enable Developer Mode
Here’s how to enable Developer Mode:
Step 1: Press “ESC + Refresh + Power Button” until your Chromebook restarts itself
Step 2: You’ll see a warning screen show up after it boots up. Read it over and then press “CTRL + D” to proceed.
Step 3: You’ll see some more information. Read it over. Press the Enter key.
Step 4: Another screen with some information. Read it over again. Press “CTRL + D” again to proceed.
Step 5: Wait patiently. Your Chromebook will enter Dev Mode.
Step 6: Your Chromebook will reboot again and then will ask to you connect your Google Account. Log in. You’re now in Developer Mode. Congrats!
Notes:
Some Chromebooks have an actual physical switch you need to toggle before you can enable Dev Mode. Be sure to look up your model online if you’re having trouble.
If you can’t get past Step 1, try it with your Chromebook powered off and press the Power Button twice instead of once.
After you’re in Dev Mode, the next time you turn it on or when you wake it up from sleep/hibernate, you need to be sure to press the right key combination at the warning screen or else it’ll revert out of Dev Mode automatically as a security measure. Read the prompt the next time you start it up again!
Okay, so now you should have it in Dev Mode. We can now go on to the next step!
I’ve written a tutorial on this in complete detail if you get stuck during this step. You can read through it here.
Change BIOS settings
So you should have your Chromebook in Developer Mode now. Let’s now go directly to the BIOS and make some adjustments in order to get it working.
What we’re doing specifically is changing the BIOS boot order. We want it to boot from a USB drive instead of the internal drive. If you’ve messed around with BIOS settings before, you may already be familiar with this- especially if you’ve done a Windows recovery.
Thankfully, it’s super easy!
Here’s how to do it:
Pre-setup: Turn on your Chromebook if you haven’t already and read over the warning screen. And then press “CTRL + D” to continue. If you haven’t set up your Google Account and all the settings yet, do it first.
Step 1: Launch the command prompt by pressing “CTRL + ALT + T” and you’ll see a black-and-white widow. It’s time to code! Don’t be afraid if you don’t know how- I’ve got you covered!
Step 2: We’re going to use a script by MrChromebox that allows us to modify the BIOS. To install it, simply type the following command exactly as shown in the command prompt:
“cd; curl -LO https://mrchromebox.tech/firmware-util.sh && sudo bash firmware-util.sh”
Remember to type it without quotes (“) and type it exactly as shown. Feel free to copy/paste it directly into the command prompt (highlight the command then press “CTRL + C” then “CTRL + V” in the command prompt application).
If you get an error, double-check your spelling. Also be sure that you’re in Developer Mode. An easy way to check is to type “shell” and hit Enter. If you get an error like this:
- ERROR: unknown command: “shell”
It means you’re not in Dev Mode. It may have reset or something. You’ll have to start over from Step 1.
I suggest for you to check out this FAQ page about the script if you get stuck.
Step 3: Wait patiently for it to install. After the script is done installing, you’re ready to go!
Step 4: After it’s done installing, you’ll see a list of options. Look for “Modify my Chromebook’s RW_LEGACY slot” and select it. You’ll have to use the keyboard commands in order to navigate the command prompt. This is done with numerical commands. Just punch in the number of the command you want to be executed.
Step 5: Follow the instructions and finish the process.
Step 6: After the installation is finished, your Chromebook will restart automatically. If not, restart it.
Step 7: When it boots up again, press “CTRL + D” at the warning screen once again.
Step 8: Wait for it to load up the login screen. When it’s done, press “CTRL + ALT + F2” at the login screen instead of using your Google Account credentials.
Step 9: You’ll be prompted for a password. Use the password “chronos” and hit Enter to login.
Step 10: After you’re logged in, launch the command prompt by pressing “CTRL + ALT + T.”
Step 11: Type “sudo crossystem dev_boot_usb=1 dev_boot_legacy=1” and hit Enter. Again, type it exactly as shown without the quotes.
Step 12: Your Chromebook is now configured to boot from your USB drive instead of the system’s internal SSD. Type “sudo poweroff” to shut down the Chromebook. Then turn it back on once again.
Step 13: Boot up your Chromebook once again.
Step 14: When it’s starting up, immediately press “CTRL + L” and you’ll be posted to the BIOS.
So now you should be sitting comfortably in your Chromebook’s BIOS. It may be a bit overwhelming with all the unfamiliar settings, but it’s okay. We only need to perform a few steps to get it ready for Linux via USB.
Let’s install Linux via USB
You need to get a copy of live Linux loaded onto a USB if you haven’t already. You can download it here. Just save it to your flash drive. This drive can be either USB 2.0 or 3.0. It doesn’t matter. Just be sure that there are NO other files on the drive or else this may not work!
Also, power down your Chromebook if you haven’t already. This will make the process easier.
And one more thing- be sure you have an Internet connection if possible. Chromebook don’t have Ethernet ports by default, so if you have a USB to Ethernet adapter, use it! If you only have WiFi, you may have to install wireless drivers to get access to the Internet by using another drive to install it.
How To Install Linux On Chromebook Lifehacker
It’s a catch-22: You’ll need Internet access in order to download the drivers, but you’ll need the drivers to access the Internet. Therefore, you need to download the drivers for on another computer, save it to a drive, and insert into your Chromebook after you install Linux! I suggest trying to without any active connection first and seeing if you can get WiFi. Your Driver may already be up-to-date!
Step 1: Insert your spare USB drive to your Chromebook. Be sure you’re using a USB 3.0 drive and that you’re inserting it into the USB 3.0 port. If you don’t know how to tell, USB 3.0 ports usually blue or labeled. Look it up if you can’t figure it out- it’s not hard!
Step 2: Insert your live Linux USB drive into another USB port. This one doesn’t matter whether you’re using 2.0 or 3.0. Just plug it in!
Step 3: Turn on your Chromebook. Wait for it to boot up.
Step 4: Press “CTRL + L” when it boots up to go to BIOS.
Step 5: When you get to the BIOS, press “ESC” when it prompts you. You’ll see a list of drives that it can detect. It should be listed as follows:
- The spare USB 3.0 flash drive
- The live Linux USB drive
- Your Chromebook’s internal SSD
Go ahead and select the live Linux USB drive and confirm it.
Step 6: You’ll then see other options show up. Look for “Try Ubuntu without installing” and select it. It’ll then load up the USB copy of Ubuntu. You’ll then boot into the Ubuntu desktop and you’ll see only a single program on your computer. It should be called “Install Ubuntu 16.04 LTS.”
Step 7: Double-click on it and start installing Linux. You’ll see a bunch of questions show up. I use the following settings:
- Language: English
- Download updates while installing Ubuntu
- Install the third-party software
Step 8: Follow the on-screen prompts until it asks you for the installation type. Choose “something else,” it should be the last option. Hit “Continue.”
Step 9: You’ll see a list of partitions in a scary-looking chart. Don’t fret. First, delete the existing partition. Look for “/dev/sda1.” Select it and hit the “-” button to delete it.
Step 10: Scroll down to the bottom of the list and click on “free space” and then create a new partition by double-clicking on it or clicking the “+” button.
Use the following settings when creating the partition for Linux on your Chromebook:
- Size: 4000MB
- Type for the new partition: Logical
Location for the new partition: Beginning of this space - Use as: Swap area
- Mount point: /
Then click “OK” and it’ll create it.
Step 11: Look for “Device for bootloader installation” at the bottom of the window. Click on the drop-down bar and then change the boot loader location to “/dev/sda” which should be your USB 3.0 drive. The name of the drive should show up in the list next to the location.
Step 12: Continue with the installation. You’ll have a little summary screen to review all your partition information before you confirm it. Read over and proceed.
Step 13: Follow the on-screen prompts. It should be a piece of cake from this point on. Note that at this point on, Linux has been copied to your USB 3.0 drive. You shouldn’t remove it from now on if you wish to continue using Ubuntu Linux via USB on your Chromebook.
Step 14: When it’s done installing, you’ll be forced to restart the Chromebook. Let it restart. When it boots up, remove the USB drive with live Linux (not the USB 3.0). Press “CTRL + L” once again when it’s starting up.
Congrats. You’ve successfully installed Linux on your Chromebook inside a USB drive while using a USB drive!
Why Install Linux On Chromebook
If you get stuck at any point, you may want to refer to this guide on installing Linux to get help.
Did you get Ubuntu Linux installed?
If you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment.
If you’ve found this tutorial to be hopeful, let me know as well! This is a pretty simple and straightforward way to get Linux on your Chromebook without having it take up any valuable space on your hard disk given that it’s already so limited for the majority of Chromebooks.
Tell a friend about this guide if you think they’ll find it cool!
Thanks for reading!
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Chromebook and Linux both are the popular and versatile OS. Initially, the Chromebook was made keeping in mind of the students, but now it becomes a full-fledged OS after joining the Android Play Store. Millions of Android apps can be installed and used in the Chromebook to do a lot more productive task.
On the other hand, Linux offers some powerful and useful alternative software for users who have come from the Windows or any other system. GIMP ( the alternative of adobe photoshop), Darktable, (a Lightroom alternative) and lots of software out there in the various Linux software repositories, which can help the users to adopt the open-source system instead of Windows or Mac OS.
So if you are a Chromebook user and want to have dual OS side by side with the Linux system for the more productive job or want to get a different flavor, then this is the right place for you to know how to install Linux on Chromebook to unlock its full potentiality. Here I will be proceeding with natural step by step tutorial on How to easily install Linux on Chromebook.
Here I will be using Crouton to install Linux on Chromebook, which uses the chroot command to run the Linux distros on top of the Chrome OS, another derivative of the Linux kernel. This is just like dual booting without rebooting the system instead of opening both the OS side by side in a Chrome, Window manager. This is amazingly easy to use and powerful of having both the system alongside.
But if you like to install Linux on Chromebook as a traditional dual boot, I would like to recommend you to see ChrUbuntu instead. Using Crouton is much more comfortable to follow and works on almost all types of Chromebook.
Before going to follow these tips and tutorials, you must take a full backup of your all the files on google drive and make a Chrome OS restore an image. So that if any unwanted things happen during the process, you can restore your full effective system of the Chromebook.
# Steps to Getting Started
- Backup all the user’s files into google drive.
- Make a Chrome OS recovery image and learn how to recover the chrome os.
- After making a Chrome OS restore an image, learn how to write it on SD card or flash drive for later use.
- Learn how to get into the developer mode for your specific Chromebook model using google search.
Don’t skip any of those noted steps. Though installing Linux on the Chromebook is easy and straightforward but it always good to have all the necessary tools before factory flash of the Chromebook. When you take your Chromebook into developer mode for the first time, it will remove all the system data and files from the system. That means you have to start from scratch. Don’t get afraid, follow the instruction and have fun.
Step 1: Enable Developer Mode
As I have said earlier, it will wipe your all the data. And I believe you have followed “Steps Before Getting Started.” This is some general information about putting the Chromebook into developer mode. But it is wise to have google search with your Chromebook specific model.
- First of all, you have to take your Chromebook into recovery mode by pressing and holding the Esc, Refresh keys, and the Power button altogether.
- When the recovery mode comes up, press Ctrl+D to turn on Developer Mode.
- Now press Enter and wait a minimum 15 minutes and so. It will reboot and go through a process of enabling developer mode.
- During the enabling process, it will wipe out all the local information.
- After the completion of the process, it will come up with a red exclamation screen. Don’t do anything until it reboots into Chrome OS.
Step 2: Install Crouton
Install Linux On Chromebook
Before going to install Crouton, let us know what it is? Crouton is a piece of software as chroot kind, developed by Google hardware engineer who loves Chromebook, which is used to create an environment on Chromebook, like android and google play on Chromebook, to install Linux based OS like Ubuntu, Linux Mint, and others using the same hardware specification as used by Chrome OS. Though there are many other ways available to install Linux on Chromebook this one is easy and straightforward to install, uninstall or modify. Now it’s time to go to step 2 to install Linux on Chromebook.
- Download Crouton from the official Github Page and save it to download folder.
- Open the Terminal by pressing Ctrl+Alt+T on your Chromebook.
- Run the following command into Terminal to enter the Ubuntu shell :
- Run the following command into the Terminal to install Crouton :
Best Chromebook To Run Linux
OR
If you are using the Crouton Integration extension, run the following command :
- If you’re doing this on a Chromebook Pixel, Asus flipbook or any touchscreen Chromebook then change it to :
- As the developer mode increases the security vulnerability of the system, you can encrypt the desktop password for extra security measurement by using -e flag. You can get more information regarding this from the official GitHub page.
- It will take some time for installing Crouton. When it is completed, it will prompt for new username and password for new Ubuntu installation. To enter the user credentials as it asked.
- After finishing the installation, run the following command to start the Ubuntu Linux desktop environment :
- Up to this time, I have shown how to install the Ubuntu Xfce desktop environment. But if you want to install the Unity desktop environment, just replace “xfce” with the “unity” without the quote in the above command. And while starting the desktop environment replace with “startunity” without the quote. Moreover, if you like to install KDE, LXDE, and any other Linux desktop environment, See the Crouton GitHub page for more information.
Step 3: Optimize The Linux Desktop Environment
- You can switch back and forward between chrome os and ubuntu by using Ctrl+Alt+Shift+Back and Ctrl+Alt+Shift+Forward for ARM-based Chromebook, and Ctrl+Alt+Back and Ctrl+Alt+Forward for an Intel-based Chromebook. For the latter command, you have to press Ctrl+Alt+Refresh to bring up the desktop.
- Just log out as standard PC if you want to exit the Ubuntu Linux desktop. Again run sudo startxfce4 to start the Linux desktop environment.
- This version of Ubuntu Linux desktop does not come with lots of software. Even some of the essential apps, you will not find here. So you have to install all those vital software manually by using specific command into the Terminal.
- Disable the screensaver if you are using XFCE to avoid graphics issues in Chrome OS.
- Use the Download folder as it is shareable for both the system.
- It will take more 30 seconds to boot up as it’s in a developer mode. You can skip the developer mode message by pressing Ctrl+D.
Remove the Linux Desktop Environment
If you want to remove the Ubuntu Linux desktop environment and go back into the regular chrome OS, press spacebar while rebooting the system and when to re-enable OS verification prompt up. This will uninstall Crouton and restore your Chrome OS.
Some alternative way to remove the Linux. Run the following command into the Terminal:
- Type cd /usr/local/chroots and press Enter
- Type sudo delete-chroot * and press Enter
- Type rm -rf /usr/local/bin and press Enter
So that’s it. Now you have a fully functional and effective Ubuntu Linux desktop along with Chrome OS. You can switch back or forward to the different system by using keystroke.
What method did you follow to install Linux on Chromebook? Do you like this tutorial? If you face any problem during this process, please let me know in the comment section and feel free to share your experience also.
The Last Words
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