I really don't get the appeal of higher-end models of devices like this. If you're going to spend that kind of money, get a proper laptop with a full-fledged OS so you're not tied to an appstore,...
I really don't get the appeal of higher-end models of devices like this. If you're going to spend that kind of money, get a proper laptop with a full-fledged OS so you're not tied to an appstore, limited functionality, etc. I'm a programmer and there's no way in hell I could write code on these devices. No VMs, no popular IDEs, lack of or limited command line, etc.
The only professions I can really think of that may not be limited by the OS would do fine on a less powerful and cheaper Chromebook. Am I missing something? Who are these for? Gullible heads of IT with a budget to blow?
According to this page [1], it runs Debian apps by default. Google provides a Debian-based image that runs in a container. [1] https://ubuntu.com/blog/using-lxd-on-your-chromebook
According to this page [1], it runs Debian apps by default. Google provides a Debian-based image that runs in a container.
I believe you just have to enable it in settings, but as I don't have a Chromebook I can't speak to whether that works or if you need to mess around for some apps.
I believe you just have to enable it in settings, but as I don't have a Chromebook I can't speak to whether that works or if you need to mess around for some apps.
Confirming what /u/beewall said, enable it in the settings, and it's all ready to go. In the future this will be enabled automatically. You can also change the distro, but that's a bit more advanced.
Confirming what /u/beewall said, enable it in the settings, and it's all ready to go. In the future this will be enabled automatically.
You can also change the distro, but that's a bit more advanced.
I'm not sure how you even use a terabyte of storage on a Chromebook...
Businesses will be able to choose from Dell’s 14-inch Latitude 5400 ($699) or the 13-inch Latitude 5300 2-in-1 ($819). Both can be configured with up to Intel’s 8th Gen Core i7 processors, up to 32GB of RAM, and even up to 1TB of SSD storage.
I'm not sure how you even use a terabyte of storage on a Chromebook...
Right? For a position that would have a legitimate reason to have that type of stuff, like a video or photo editor, you'd never be using a Chromebook anyway.
Right? For a position that would have a legitimate reason to have that type of stuff, like a video or photo editor, you'd never be using a Chromebook anyway.
I could see Google wanting this for their own employees since they are strict about security and have a lot of developers. Most developer tools run well on Linux. Running Linux apps in containers...
I could see Google wanting this for their own employees since they are strict about security and have a lot of developers. Most developer tools run well on Linux. Running Linux apps in containers seems like it would be easier to manage, since Chrome OS gets automatic, frequent updates on Chrome's release schedule and the Linux side can be upgraded as needed for development, without worrying about device drivers.
Having a secure, lightweight OS and putting heavyweight OS stuff in containers seems like an interesting model. It's hard to say if it will become popular, though.
At least in the old days, it was harder to get Linux working smoothly on laptops, due to things like device drivers not working out of the box on new hardware. Even if it mostly works, there might...
At least in the old days, it was harder to get Linux working smoothly on laptops, due to things like device drivers not working out of the box on new hardware. Even if it mostly works, there might be minor issues with some devices not working quite right, or sleep mode not working as well as it could.
Mac laptops became popular with developers who didn't want to deal with it anymore, but still wanted Unix.
Chromebooks would seem to offer a similar advantage where you know the hardware and base OS are fully supported. It could be done with another Linux distro in theory, but in practice, hardware manufacturers like to make Chromebooks, which are an easier sell for non-technical users.
The other benefit (in my eyes) is that if the hardware works on a chromebook it's reasonable to assume it'd work on another linux distro (i.e. the hardware inside is supported by the kernel) so it...
The other benefit (in my eyes) is that if the hardware works on a chromebook it's reasonable to assume it'd work on another linux distro (i.e. the hardware inside is supported by the kernel) so it should be possible to install any distro you'd want on it - granted though, my only experience with chromebooks were a couple I got/installed ubuntu on for family members who needed a cheap laptop with good battery for school (originally they were fine with chromeOS but wanted a more traditional office suite & a couple simple games)
I really don't get the appeal of higher-end models of devices like this. If you're going to spend that kind of money, get a proper laptop with a full-fledged OS so you're not tied to an appstore, limited functionality, etc. I'm a programmer and there's no way in hell I could write code on these devices. No VMs, no popular IDEs, lack of or limited command line, etc.
The only professions I can really think of that may not be limited by the OS would do fine on a less powerful and cheaper Chromebook. Am I missing something? Who are these for? Gullible heads of IT with a budget to blow?
I believe Chromebooks now support Android and Debian apps.
Does it support Debian apps out of the box, or does it require some tinkering?
According to this page [1], it runs Debian apps by default. Google provides a Debian-based image that runs in a container.
[1] https://ubuntu.com/blog/using-lxd-on-your-chromebook
I believe you just have to enable it in settings, but as I don't have a Chromebook I can't speak to whether that works or if you need to mess around for some apps.
Confirming what /u/beewall said, enable it in the settings, and it's all ready to go. In the future this will be enabled automatically.
You can also change the distro, but that's a bit more advanced.
I'm not sure how you even use a terabyte of storage on a Chromebook...
If you're running a Linux instance underneath or hosting a website, maybe? Granted, kinda defeats the purpose of a light os.
Not to mention the question of why an enterprise customer would use storage-heavy formats like photos / videos on a work machine in the first place.
Right? For a position that would have a legitimate reason to have that type of stuff, like a video or photo editor, you'd never be using a Chromebook anyway.
I could see Google wanting this for their own employees since they are strict about security and have a lot of developers. Most developer tools run well on Linux. Running Linux apps in containers seems like it would be easier to manage, since Chrome OS gets automatic, frequent updates on Chrome's release schedule and the Linux side can be upgraded as needed for development, without worrying about device drivers.
Having a secure, lightweight OS and putting heavyweight OS stuff in containers seems like an interesting model. It's hard to say if it will become popular, though.
How is it any better than just running any other Linux distro and then using containers?
At least in the old days, it was harder to get Linux working smoothly on laptops, due to things like device drivers not working out of the box on new hardware. Even if it mostly works, there might be minor issues with some devices not working quite right, or sleep mode not working as well as it could.
Mac laptops became popular with developers who didn't want to deal with it anymore, but still wanted Unix.
Chromebooks would seem to offer a similar advantage where you know the hardware and base OS are fully supported. It could be done with another Linux distro in theory, but in practice, hardware manufacturers like to make Chromebooks, which are an easier sell for non-technical users.
The other benefit (in my eyes) is that if the hardware works on a chromebook it's reasonable to assume it'd work on another linux distro (i.e. the hardware inside is supported by the kernel) so it should be possible to install any distro you'd want on it - granted though, my only experience with chromebooks were a couple I got/installed ubuntu on for family members who needed a cheap laptop with good battery for school (originally they were fine with chromeOS but wanted a more traditional office suite & a couple simple games)