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ChromeOS is Linux with Google’s desktop environment

aboutchromebooks.com

171–180 of 194 posts

Re: ChromeOS is Linux with Google’s desktop environment

#171
post #94

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Is this an adaptation to some past trauma? I can't imagine a good reason to do this today, certainly not with ChromeOS.

When talking about other OS, you might want to turn it off if you have your disk encrypted. So it serves its purpose.

Good point. I do indeed encrypt devices that leave the house.

Re: ChromeOS is Linux with Google’s desktop environment

#172
post #47

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Chromium OS might be a good choice for you. I ran it on my Pinebook Pro for a bit and really liked it, and it's much more open.

Thanks - I had a very brief look at Chromium OS, but couldn't spot answers to: (1) Is there a de-googled version of Chromium OS? (2) Is there a non-hacky way to install it to a Chromebook?

I haven't used it yet, but maybe openfyde.io is one of the de-googled versions of Chromium OS

Re: ChromeOS is Linux with Google’s desktop environment

#173
post #94

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Is this an adaptation to some past trauma? I can't imagine a good reason to do this today, certainly not with ChromeOS.

I used a Samsung Chromebook sometime 5 years ago, and it couldn’t handle suspend/sleep well. I could leave it overnight with 80% and find it with 0% in the morning. So I learned to turn it off each time I stop using it. It booted within seconds anyways, so the only issue was to enter my gigantic generated password. For me ChromeOS’s top UX fault is the password. You either do it with pin, or with a Bluetooth device t…

Question out of curiosity: did you happen to have some sort of USB device plugged in when you put it into suspend?

Both pin and phone unlock are supported, as of today.

Re: ChromeOS is Linux with Google’s desktop environment

#174
post #152

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You don't pay top price for Chromebooks; you can get a good one for in between 200 and 300 USD

Not in Europe, so top euro if you prefer, and still with a junk hardware configuration.

Oh interesting; given USD and Euro relative parity nowadays, I assumed they would be 200-300 Euro as well

Re: ChromeOS is Linux with Google’s desktop environment

#175

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yeah, ChromeOS uses GNU coreutils and glibc; it's a Gentoo derivative, not some alien like Android. I don't know how you define "usable", but if you switch to developer mode to let you get a shell at all then it feels about like any other GNU/Linux distro.

Normal builds of ChromeOS do not include coreutils. https://chromium.googlesource.com/chromiumos/overlays/chromi... >it's a Gentoo derivative, not some alien like Android Android is no more of an alien than Gentoo. >I don't know how you define "usable" It means when the user logs in they are given a bash shell so that they can use GNU coreutils. This is similar to UNIX in which you log in and are then able to use UNI…

> https://chromium.googlesource.com/chromiumos/overlays/chromi...

That file specifically lists bash, and strongly implies coreutils in general with things like

    # CROS_* : Dependencies for "regular" CrOS devices (coreutils, etc.)
although the actual inclusion appears to be at another layer.

> It means when the user logs in they are given a bash shell so that they can use GNU coreutils.

Okay, then by that exact definition I'd agree that ChromeOS isn't a usable GNU system until you enable developer mode.

> Developer mode is a Debian container.

No, developer mode is a mode that gives the user full control over the machine: https://chromium.googlesource.com/chromiumos/docs/+/HEAD/dev...

Once you've enabled that, you can actually just switch VTs, get a getty prompt, and log in to bash.

Re: ChromeOS is Linux with Google’s desktop environment

#176

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Normal builds of ChromeOS do not include coreutils. https://chromium.googlesource.com/chromiumos/overlays/chromi... >it's a Gentoo derivative, not some alien like Android Android is no more of an alien than Gentoo. >I don't know how you define "usable" It means when the user logs in they are given a bash shell so that they can use GNU coreutils. This is similar to UNIX in which you log in and are then able to use UNI…

> https://chromium.googlesource.com/chromiumos/overlays/chromi... That file specifically lists bash, and strongly implies coreutils in general with things like # CROS_* : Dependencies for "regular" CrOS devices (coreutils, etc.) although the actual inclusion appears to be at another layer. > It means when the user logs in they are given a bash shell so that they can use GNU coreutils. Okay, then by that exact definit…

>although the actual inclusion appears to be at another layer.

coreutils is included in dev builds of the os, /virtual/target-chromium-os-dev. That comment is also in this file too.

>No, developer mode is a mode that gives the user full control over the machine:

Cool didn't know that

Re: ChromeOS is Linux with Google’s desktop environment

#177

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Completely agree. Now if they would just add a meta key to the bottom row of the keyboard I'd be a happy user. Ctrl and Alt are not enough. And seriously, they are comically large on every chromebook I've owned. Give me a meta key in all that wasted space.

There's the button that replaced caps lock. I mean, yes, I'd still rather have another button, but it does work in my personal experience.

Oh true, I'd forgotten that. Of course the issue with it being in a different place is that many people use multiple OSs and muscle memory is a thing. I'd rather have a reprogrammable key where meta should be.

Re: ChromeOS is Linux with Google’s desktop environment

#179

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Leaving a lot of productivity on the table. Those and rest of the hotkeys allow me to duck out early at work. ;-)

Haha no. My shortcuts are just not the F keys, so I don't have to hunt-and-peck. No mouse either.

On the other hand, if the F-keys are too far away, you may be over-optimizing to the other extreme. Or have one of those abbreviated keyboards. Well into niche territory. :-D

Re: ChromeOS is Linux with Google’s desktop environment

#180
post #118

Earlier quoted context omitted.

OK, you're simply having a different argument, and I frankly don't even disagree. "Schools should let kids run stuff in Crostini" is something I think we can both get behind. But nonetheless schools don't (and never have, FWIW), and it's not the OS's fault that they use important and desirable manageability features to do it.

If schools could afford it, they would probably get value from GitHub/GitLab/Gitea for all students. And then would they get value by provisioning containers to grade students' code with Kubernetes (k8s) and GitHub/GitLab/Gitea? Internally, Google has a huge git monorepo and gn and IIRC gerrit for code review (?) and externally many repos in various orgs on GitHub (some now contributed to e.g. the Linux Foundation's…

> gerrit for code review

Gerrit was deprecated a while ago.

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