You Can Now Run Full Linux Apps Inside A Chrome OS Window

[Guest]

New Chrome extension lets Linux apps run in a Chrome OS window.

You Can Now Run Full Linux Apps Inside A Chrome OS Window : Read more

 

[alextheblue]

At that point I'd rather just dump ChromeOS entirely and run a major Linux distro. You could still use Googleware (Chrome etc) if you want Google to make money off you.

 

[Quixit]

Kinda defeats the purpose there. I mean it's useful for ChromeOS developers but otherwise this just allows you to run linux, inside a window on terrible hardware. You could already do that pretty easy on any number of low-end platforms.

 

[fil333]

To me this wreaks of, crap we've failed... Time for plan B!

 

[MarkW]

The mainstream world is still waiting for even a single app that runs a linux based program that they need. Expanding Chrome to run Linux will please the 1% to 2% of diehard Linux evangelicals, but almost nobody else.

And I says that wishing that we were not tied down to Windows. But the reality is, most of the business programs that we need to run on a daily basis require Windows. Nearly all of the games released for PC's requires Windows. Nearly all utilities require Windows.

I was a tiny little part of the world that loved OS/2. It contained features that we still do not have in any other OS today. And in my opinion, it was so stable that no public facing Windows OS has ever been as stable as OS/2 was. In fact, when I ran Windows in OS/2 was when Windows was the most stable. But those days are long gone.

Now I know someone is going to jump on what I have written here and scream, "Steam is going to solve the lack of AAA Linux game releases". Maybe. Maybe not. We are waiting. I know some games now run on a Linux version of Steam. But still, the vast majority of games written for PC's still only run on Windows. And I do not think Steam is going to change that statement in the next 10 years.

So I sit here wondering when someone, anyone of any size, will ever break the chains of Windows. Linux needs to consolidate. And despite decades of work, Linux still cannot get enough users to run it to get mainstream software developers to release their apps for it. Its the chicken and the egg problem.

And unless Microsoft implodes, which could happen somehow, albeit pretty unlikely, we are going to remain stuck using Windows for the most part.

 

[OppenH]

As a Chromebook is little more than a thin client in laptop form-factor, the use case for installing anything on it, rather than a server, may need explaining.

 

[xaephod]

I just did this to my Chromebook and it's really cool. Linux runs very quick and it's nice to have access to libre office and other programs I can't use in Chrome os. For normal browsing I will use chrome os, but when I need something more robust, I have the option.

 

[passat31]

So what's the point really.......I don't get it .
What's even the point of chrome OS?

 

[Maxor1]

The point of having the chrome OS is to have an OS with tech support and major company updates and patch bug fixes rather than community based when we get to it like most linux distros. Its also meant to be less hardware intensive than windows. When chromebooks first came out they had a tendency to be middle of the road pentiums (Sandy bridge pentiums were not bad. especially for the time) with small hard drives 250 and 300 gb were common with for gigs of ram. ) You're still getting the ram and a haswell pentium or in some cases an I3. The fit and finish on the nicer ones has gone up quite a bit. The problem is they have very small SSD currently. Which causes issues, and forces cloud use.

 

[jeroly]

The main motivation for doing this, for me, is to obtain access to my Samba / DLNA servers to my Chromebook. It's kind of crazy that I can't use the 'thin client' chromebook as a thin client to a standard media server! Until I saw this I've had to download my .mkv files before playing them, which is a pain in the a** especially when I want to watch a video over the internet from my home media server when I'm on the road.

I hope it's not too complicated a process.

 

[CaptainTom]

We just need some company to actually make a distro of Linux that has all of the functionality and ease of use as Windows. I want to be able to download and install all of my crap without using the CMD as a crutch.

Hell charge $20 for it! We just need an alternative to Windows!!!

 

[Quixit]

I've been thinking that for years, but it won't happen. Linux is developed by highly technical people for highly technical people. They like it that way and it's not going to change. Mark Shuttleworth has spent a lot of money trying, but it hasn't happened. I don't think Linux is what you're looking for.

 

[Maxor1]

I've been thinking that for years, but it won't happen. Linux is developed by highly technical people for highly technical people. They like it that way and it's not going to change. Mark Shuttleworth has spent a lot of money trying, but it hasn't happened. I don't think Linux is what you're looking for.

I don't think that Linux is the best way to get an Alternative to Windows. However it is the best and most mature os that is being used at this point other than Windows. I don't know how to get a company to develop support and upgrade a new os capable of running legacy programs. Running on diverse and upgradable systems and be accepted by 3rd party software development. It would also be great to be inexpensive and profitable. That is the challenge to surmounting Windows dominance.