That's not really "Linux on the desktop" as its advocates imagine it. For most ChromeOS users, the Linux-y parts like the shell and the GNU toolchain are largely restricted.
Not to be overly pedantic but the "shell" and "GNU toolchain" are literally not Linux.
You're right, and I didn't mean to imply those things comprise Linux. They are, however, what most people are talking about when they say they "use Linux". GNU + Linux comprise the "desktop Linux" platform.
Well, were you expecting "Linux on the desktop" to be a giant terminal shell? Of course it was going to hide all the Linux-y stuff. That's what desktop UIs are for. Windows is "DOS on the desktop" and OS X is "BSD on the desktop".
I don't expect a giant terminal shell but I do expect the GNU corelibs, shell utilities and other open source parts of the Linux ecosystem such as systemd and X11/Wayland. The kernel itself isn't the only part of "desktop Linux" in the sense that many people refer to it in.