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Comment by nickjj | Hacker News Reader

If anyone wants to run Linux apps on their Chromebook right now, you can just install GalliumOS.

I think it's better than the VM solution that's mentioned in the article because GalliumOS gets installed natively, so there's no VM. You can choose to dual boot it with ChromeOS.

It runs really well, and it's hyper optimized for Chromebooks. It's just a fork of xubuntu.

I've been running it on my Chromebook for 2 years and I use it as a portable development machine. It's nice having a $350 laptop with a 1080p IPS screen, SD ports, enough computing power to run Dockerized web apps and weighs under 3 pounds.

Details on how I set it all up can be found at https://nickjanetakis.com/blog/transform-a-toshiba-chromeboo....

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I've also been using GalliumOS, for 2 years as well, as my only OS. (On an Acer 15[0]) It has been pretty fantastic, aside from a few small issues. (Sometimes I have to boot into ChromeOS and reinstall GRUB, 32gb storage for 2 operating systems and all my files isn't a ton, 4gb RAM gets in the way.)

The battery lasts a long time, the screen is very nice, and it is quite lightweight.

For general programming, web browsing, word processing, etc it does everything I need it to. I don't feel the need to "upgrade" to a real laptop, except for the hardware concerns and that I can't dual boot into Windows or MacOS to run non-Linux apps.

I can highly recommend GalliumOS.

[0] https://www.amazon.com/Acer-Chromebook-CB5-571-C09S-15-6-Inc...

You lose the security when using GalliumOS. Used all the methods to use GNU/Linux on a CB. From using Crouton, Gallium, GNURoot, Termux and now using this as have a PixelBook.

In the US so our school uses Chromebooks which replaced all the Macs. Had to hack together a way to use the CBs for AP CS 1 and 2. But now it will have support built in.

By far the best approach is what Google is doing here. Keep all the security and no need to dual boot or put in developer mode.

Plus this makes GNU/Linux far more approachable. Will also be able to walk into a BestBuy and chose between a bunch of different machines depending on your requirements.

We also have five new higher end CBs in development and would guess partially because of this new functionality.

This is ideal as you can use the hook if a power user to basically do anything you want. Run Wine or Steam or Docker or pretty much anything as you have the vector you needed. But then also can be used by a new user as the approach is basically just a click. Also we should get instant GNU/Linux applications. Container comes down, spins up, do what you need, goes away.

"Here are five high-end Chromebooks in development to challenge the Pixelbook"

https://www.xda-developers.com/google-pixelbook-alternative-...

> You lose the security when using GalliumOS.

Depends on who is using it. For me (and I imagine most developers), it's not losing security. It's allowing us to set up a proper Linux development environment with no wasted resources or hacks.

It's no less secure than installing xubuntu or Ubuntu on a different device.

Every user losses the security. Difference is some are more careful than others. But I am old, and should know better, but still run into things and much prefer something that has first class security.

But then also to get to do whatever I want on a machine AND have the security to me is ideal.

I have used Crouton for years and this will be far better.

Love the approach Google has taken and keeping security first and center.

BTW, what I like about this approach is the hacks are no longer necessary. No need to use Termux or GNURoot with a fake chroot. No need to put in developer mode any longer to use Crouton.

This is ideal for our High school for teaching AP CS 1 and 2.

You know what is a huge security loss? Being forced to use your email password to log into your computer. Your stinking email account! The keys to the kingdom these days. Responses from google forum - “google is really good at protecting your account”, “oh just use two factor or yubikey” and other stuff that the average joe is NOT going to do. How many chromebook users out there probably have 4 letter passwords?

Incentivizing people to use crappy passwords for their email and making it harder to use password managers sucks. Saying that it doesn’t matter because Google thinks it is pretty good at protecting my account(because they constantly monitor me) also sucks.

I would much rather run gallium OS on my chromebook.

Your email address password is not passing unencrypted so no problem. But key is ChromeOS is going to be far more secure. Plus supports 2FA.

Gallium is going to be far less secure. Better to use Crouton.

But this new functionality is ideal. Just love it. Get the most secure GNU/Linux solution you can get.

Looks like someone's been training an AI to shill on HN. Please post your code, I have ideas for fixes.

Sorry not following? "post your code"? What code?

I think you probably did follow, but just didn't like it. I thought your post just read like technobabble and I was being stupid and snide and implying it had been written by a bot with some commercial agenda.

I thought that might be it but did not seem to make any sense to say "post your code".

But what was inaccurate with my post? Or is this attack the poster?

Your claims all seem to be vague or opinion, so they can't be factually inaccurate. I'm a native English speaker and hard a very hard time understanding what you were trying to say. I don't mean to attack you, but I didn't think it was a good post, because it didn't make any clear or substantiated claims and so was not informative to me.

Vague? Then ask questions and can explain.

Opinion? What is opinion?

"so they can't be factually inaccurate. "

What is factually inaccurate specifically?

Do you not understand why what Google has done is more secure than Gallium? That one is easy.

Inaccurate you can now walk into a Best Buy and buy a machine that supports GNU/Linux out of the box? Also an easy one. I purchased my PB from Bestbuy.

Hilariously your replies would be great bot replies to start comment thread fights.

agree with you, i have put gallium os as a dual boot on my Acer r11 chromebook and the laptop has become my primary computing device.

basically have three environments on it:

1 chrome with chromebrew shell and android apps

2 crouton for most linux needs

3 gallium for when i need VMs and other more finicky os interactions

if i could get some wifi drivers working under crouton and also sync with appropriate os header files each google sw update in order to install virtualbox i could forego galliumos.

under crouton was able to do a lot:

1 natively compile with gcc

2 cross compile for kindle paperwhite

3 cross compile for windows ce

4 cross compile for esp8266

5 cross compile for garmin connectiq

the author of the original article is funny about using a linux vm to compile apps for android and run in chromeos. because today i can use the android app named aide to build an android app on my chromebook and immediately execute it. no need for linux, vm, or crouton.

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