Chromebooks are excellent machines, but if you need to run traditional applications, you may need a more versatile operating system. Fortunately, Google has added support for Linux applications to ChromeOS, which means that you can run many traditional GUI software and command line applications on your Chromebook. In this guide, we’ll walk you through the steps to enable Linux support on your Chromebook and install your first application.
How to enable Linux support on ChromeOS
1. Open Settings
Click the system tray, then click the gear icon in the upper-right corner.
2. Locate the Developers section
In the Settings app, scroll down until you see the Developers section.
3. Enable the Linux development environment
Click Enable Linux Development Environment. In the window that appears, click Next.
In the next window, make sure that you agree with the user name, then customize the disk size or accept the default value of 10 GB and click Install.
Once you click Install, the process begins and can take anywhere from 2 to 20 minutes, depending on the speed of your network connection and the strength of your Chromebook.
Once the installation is complete, a terminal window opens, a sign of resounding success.
How to install your first Linux app in a Chromebook
Let’s install the Geary email client. To do this, update apt with the command:
sudo apt-get updateOnce apt is updated, install Geary with:
sudo apt-get install geary -yOnce the installation is complete, you can open Geary from the ChromeOS launcher.
And that’s how easy it is to add Linux support to your Chromebook. Do this and install all the apps you need to expand ChromeOS options.
Conclusion
Enabling Linux on your Chromebook can help expand its capabilities and allow you to use traditional GUI software and command line interface. With Linux, you can install a variety of apps such as email clients, web browsers, image editors, and even a complete office suite. Adding Linux support to your Chromebook is easy, and all you need is an up-to-date Chromebook. By following the steps mentioned in this guide, you can activate Linux on your Chromebook and take advantage of all the benefits it offers.
