Linux Patch Unlocks Full Chromebook Potential

Now that users can run Linux in a Chrome window, Chromebooks are looking increasingly competitive with ultrabooks.

The Chromebook has taken one step closer to becoming a fully fledged ultrabook now that users can run Linux in a Chrome window. This development fixes a key drawback of the Chrome Operating System (OS) which until now has restricted Chromebook users to working mostly with Chrome apps.
Now, however, there’s the Crouton Chrome extension. It requires a bit of tinkering, but brave souls can put their Chromebooks into developer mode and follow a few simple steps to enable it to run Linux in a window. In a Google+ post, Chrome Happiness Evangelist François Beaufort explained exactly how users should go about running the Crouton extension.
“Thanks to a 4,471 lines patch, fearless people can now run their favorite Linux distributions on their Chrome Devices in a nice window without jumping between Virtual Terminals as before,” concluded Beaufort.
It should be noted that Chromebook users had worked out how to run Linux on their devices before Google issued this patch, but it was still a lot clunkier because it meant they had to keep swapping back and forth between the two operating systems.
Best of both worlds?
Chromebooks have proved popular since being introduced in 2011, in part because they offer a basic computer experience at a much lower price point than high-end notebooks. While the Chrome software is nimble and the machine portable, the kit is best suited to browsing the web and running simple apps. Users who mainly use their computer to check Facebook and store everything in Google Docs would find the Chromebook works absolutely fine for most of their their needs.
But while there are a lot of great Chrome apps out there, sometimes it’s good to have full desktop functions available to get things done. Users who want to run games, or hefty offline programmes such as Final Cut, would have found the Chromebook’s lack of a standard operating system limiting.
As the Chromebook relies on an internet connection to run many apps, anyone whose WiFi is patchy would quickly find the experience lacking. The reliance on WiFi for the Chromebook to run optimally has also created problems for people who want to work on their laptops while on the road, as documented by ‘PC Mag’ writer Jill Duffy: “I hit roadblocks every time I didn’t have an Internet connection, and that’s just not acceptable for me and my work. What is the point of a highly portable machine if it doesn’t work 75% of the times you remove it from your house or office?”
Issues like these are why the new capabilities afforded by the Crouton patch are so exciting: it allows users to benefit from the nimble, cheaper Chromebook that’s great for hauling around and accessing the web, but at the same time they can now also benefit from a full operating system. The patch requires a bit of tinkering to set up, but for crafty users this could be way to get the best of both worlds.