Linux programs on Chrome OS

Is a Chromebook running Linux tools a mixed blessing?

Fans of Chromebooks who aren’t too keen on the limitations of Chrome OS will be pleased to hear that Chrome OS may soon get the ability to run Linux applications.

While Chrome OS is based on Gentoo Linux, it’s limited to running apps from the Chrome web store. The operating system had a recent boost with the ability to run Android apps, but with full Linux applications apparently coming, our Chromebooks could become even more useful.

A new commit on the Chromium Gerrit (a web-based code collaboration tool for the operating system that can be found at https://chromium-review.googlesource. com/q/status:open), has been discovered. It’s called “New device policy to allow Linux VMs on Chrome OS,” which adds a new menu, called Better Together. This looks like it’ll enable Linux containers to be run in Chrome OS.

Code found in the commit hints at it arriving in Chrome OS 66, which is expected to land on 24 April, while rumours are swirling that Google will officially announce support for containerised Linux applications in Chrome OS at this year’s Google I/O conference in early May.

The prospect of operating Linux applications in Chrome OS is an exciting one. However, some may argue that running these programs will defeat the purpose of Chromebooks, which is to offer a simple and refined web-based experience that doesn’t demand too much processing power, resulting in longer battery life.