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Comment by Touche | Hacker News Reader

I don't understand why people run Linux on a Chromebook. The point of a Chromebook is ChromeOS. If you're running Linux it's just another Linux computer.

I develop on a Chromebook some times. I use a DigitalOcean VPS, using tmux + vim to code and ChromeOS to debug.

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Because i wanted a cheap ($250) semi-disposable laptop to use when travelling. Has 1080p screen; great battery life; HDMI output (to present at conferences). I use it mainly on long plane flights (3-23 hours), in hotel rooms and at conferences.

Why shouldn't I buy a chromebook and put linux on it?

It's totally fine if you use Linux with whatever hardware you want. It's just a bit frustrating for a Chromebook user when discussion of Chromebooks is dominated by people who don't use ChromeOS. As though the hardware is the thing, but it's not the thing.

I guess it is the thing though if that's the dominating motivation?

Which Chromebook model are you using? That does sound good for $250

Acer Chromebook 14 http://amzn.to/2oICxpa I bought it last year

Thanks!

Because there are Linux sellers selling laptops on that price range.

I got an Asus delivered with Linux for 300 €.

I couldn't find any at the time; especially ones with long battery life and a 1080p screen. Also 300 euro is more than $250.

Do you have links to models you'd recommend?

I got the Eee 1512B with 8GB and is still able to hold about 6h working time, which is plenty of time for my plane travels.

Sure it doesn't have 1080p, but most apps aren't able to use it anyway.

I use the C201 because it's a cheap computer that supports Libreboot and, using ARM, avoids issues with Intel ME:

https://libreboot.org/faq.html#intel

I replaced ChromeOS with a fully free Debian system.

I'm still flabbergasted by how we (all) could let Intel ME happen. It's, imo, one of the real Damocles' swords above our heads.

This in itself proves one of my previous points, Intel has no serious competition, even the big industrial players can't bend Intel.

When I did develop on a Chromebook (I switched to a Dell XPS 13), crouton was an attractive option since it let you stay in ChromeOS most of the time, while popping out a lightweight Linux environment when you needed it. It got even better when it supported xiwi running in a window, so that the chroot could look just like another Chrome tab. You could even run just one app out of the chroot in its own window, so it was not uncommon that I'd have all of my other stuff in Chrome windows, with SublimeText from the linux chroot running in its own window as my code editor.

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