Hackers Dual-Boot Chrome OS With Ubuntu Linux on CR-48

jbrodkin writes "Google's Chrome OS makes Web surfing an incredibly pleasant and secure experience, but most of the knocks against it relate to what it can't do — namely, nearly everything traditional desktop operating systems like Windows, Mac and Linux can. The easiest solution might be dual-booting, allowing users to choose either Chrome OS or a Linux distro at startup. Google's Chromium project site is now hosting instructions for booting Ubuntu Linux alongside Chrome OS. The process is cumbersome but indicates that dual-booting Chrome OS should be possible — and hopefully a bit simpler — once Google releases commercially available netbooks in mid-2011."

Wow, really?

[LordLimecat]

People are being given free ChromeOS laptops for the purpose of testing ChromeOS, and theyre going to throw Ubuntu on there (and thus presumably stop testing ChromeOS)?

Seems kind of cheap, why dont you just buy your own laptop, or actually TEST the one youve been given?

Re:This is hacking now?

[metrometro]

Following fairly simple instructions posted on the official chromium site is now hacking?

If by hacking, you mean adapting a technology to the needs of the users, rather than the stated purposes of the creator, then yes, that's in the finest hacking tradition.

How is that a solution?

[markdavis]

>"The easiest solution might be dual-booting"

How is "dual booting" a solution? If I load Linux on a machine, then I already have access to web surfing under Chrome/Chromium, Firefox, or whatever.... in addition to anything else I want to do. I think if one finds they want to load Linux "dual boot" on a machine running Chrome OS, that makes Chrome OS a "FAIL" because the user really doesn't want to just run a web browser.

I agree with the other articles- there is no need or demand for "Chrome OS". If you want open, fast, free, flexible, use Linux on the machine. If you want to run lots of commercial software, games, etc, run MS-Windows on the machine. If you want both, run Linux and load MS-Windows in Virtualbox, or dual boot the two. Otherwise, Android seems like the best "solution".

Re:How is that a solution?

[KublaiKhan]

Because for some usage you may not -need- full functionality, and could benefit from the very-fast boot time and snap resume that the chrome iteration offers.

Can't see this standing

[alvinrod]

I imagine that by the time the final hardware is ready, it's going to be a lot more locked down. There's always been some speculation that Google may subsidize the cost of these devices and make it up on ad revenue. If that's the case, they're not going to want people to supplant ChromeOS in favor of something else.

If they're unsubsidized, why bother buying a ChromeOS device? Just install ChromeOS on a netbook/notebook that you already have.

Re:Why dual-boot Chrome OS and traditional Linux?

[Lennie]

The whole idea of ChromeOS is that it is automatically updates OS, with your settings and everything saved 'in the cloud' and the only personal things that are saved locally are cache files (as I understand it, what is locally saved is encrypted and what is replicated to the cloud is just the encrypted data. So there is nothing for anyone else to see. So you need to use your username and passprase to decrypt it). The 'web apps' from the 'app store' are connected to your account.

If the hardware breaks you just login to an new device and everything should be 'there', ready to use.

I think that is something else then what Ubuntu is.