Unlocking True Power: Installing Ubuntu on Your Chromebook for Full Linux Flexibility

Browser-centric operating systems have a purpose, but for developers and engineers, Chrome OS’s restrictions are quickly apparent. Standard development toolchains, persistent shell environments, and non-trivial customization hit a wall—until you layer in a complete Linux distribution like Ubuntu.

Here’s a direct approach to running Ubuntu (currently, focal or trusty releases) on Chromebook hardware, without discarding Chrome OS. This method leverages Crouton chroots—a practical option balancing usability, performance, and reversibility. Alternative strategies exist (Crosh/Crostini VMs, full dual-boot with chrx), but Crouton’s tradeoffs are generally favorable for most use cases.

Requirements and Caveats

Minimum specs:

• Intel or recent ARM-based Chromebook (tested on devices from 2017 onward)
• 4 GB RAM recommended; 16 GB free storage is a practical lower bound
• Reliable connectivity during installation
• USB mouse/keyboard—useful, but not mandatory
• Plan for ~30–45 minutes

Note: Switching to Developer Mode disables Verified Boot and may erase local user data. Some institutions disable Developer Mode entirely.

Step 0: Backup and Sanity Check

Back up any critical work. Developer Mode re-initializes the device, erasing local storage on most models. Google Drive sync might not capture app-specific data.

Step 1: Enable Developer Mode

1. Shut down the Chromebook completely.
2. Hold ESC + Refresh (F3), then tap Power.
3. At the “Chrome OS is missing or damaged” recovery prompt, press Ctrl + D.
4. Confirm with Enter. Device will reboot—expect 7–10 minutes for initial reconfiguration.

Gotcha: Device reboots into a warning screen at each startup. Press Ctrl + D to continue past it.

Step 2: Download Crouton

Open a Chrome browser window:

curl -L https://goo.gl/fd3zc -o ~/Downloads/crouton
# or
wget https://github.com/dnschneid/crouton/raw/master/installer/crouton -O ~/Downloads/crouton

Check the hash for integrity if desired:

sha256sum ~/Downloads/crouton
# Compare to latest SHA from the project repo

Step 3: Open Crosh and Gain a Real Shell

Ctrl + Alt + T starts Crosh (Chrome Shell). Then:

shell

If you see ERROR: unknown command: shell, Developer Mode wasn’t enabled or device restrictions are in place.

Step 4: Install Ubuntu (XFCE Example)

XFCE strikes a balance between resources and usability. KDE or GNOME are possible with appropriate targets but can stress entry-level Chromebooks.

sudo sh ~/Downloads/crouton -r focal -t xfce,xorg,keyboard,audio,core

• -r focal pulls Ubuntu 20.04 LTS (as of early 2024, Crouton supports focal and earlier).
• Add xiwi if you prefer running X sessions inside Chrome tabs (latency trade-off).
• Additional targets (e.g. cli-extra, touch) depend on hardware and use case.

Typical install duration: 20–40 minutes (downloads exceed 1 GB; check bandwidth).

Step 5: Launch Ubuntu Desktop

After install:

sudo startxfce4

If you included xiwi as a target:

sudo startxfce4 -X xiwi

Certain models require specifying the chroot name (default: focal, or user-defined via -n). Example:

sudo enter-chroot -n mychroot
sudo startxfce4

Practically: Expect functional audio, basic hardware acceleration, and working network out of the box. Touchpads and function keys may require tweaks.

Managing the Crouton Environment

Switch between environments:

• Ctrl + Alt + Shift + Back (F1) | Forward (F2), or
• Function keys may be remapped; on ARM devices, hotkeys can break.

To update Ubuntu packages:

sudo enter-chroot
sudo apt update && sudo apt full-upgrade

Remove a chroot:

sudo delete-chroot focal

Known Issue: Running GPU-intensive apps exposes limitations; Crostini (native VM) now outperforms Crouton for hardware-accelerated workloads, but Crouton still delivers superior integration for some desktop applications.

Side Notes and Recommendations

• NetworkManager sometimes conflicts with Chrome OS’s default networking stack—diagnose with nmcli if Wi-Fi fails inside Ubuntu.
• Subpixel font rendering and HiDPI scaling require manual configuration in XFCE’s settings.
• Sound output might default to “Dummy Output”—resolve with pavucontrol or ALSA tweaks.

Error Example

Install often fails for lack of space:

P: Configuring package libc6:amd64
E: Write error - write (28: No space left on device)

Clean Chrome OS’s Downloads and check partition size (df -h inside chroot).

Alternative Paths

• Crostini (Linux (Beta)): Native containerized Linux. Enabled in Settings—now mainline on most x86 Chromebooks from 2019 onward. Access to pseudo-hardware, USB, GPU-accelerated containers improving each release.
• chrx: True dual-boot. More invasive, enables UEFI boot and installs Ubuntu natively. Data wipe is non-optional; only recommended for specific hardware (some older Chromebooks).

A Real-World Setup: Summary Table

No “perfect” solution—a chroot is quick to deploy and remove, but future-proofing against security updates or kernel changes is limited.

Conclusion (Such As It Is)

For most development and customization tasks, Crouton remains a viable method to unlock genuine Linux capability on Chromebook hardware. While Crostini is quickly catching up, especially for container-based workflows, the chroot/Crouton path still delivers more of a classic desktop Linux experience, with direct root-level filesystem access and broader package support.

If you outgrow Crouton’s limitations or need low-level hardware control, revisit dual-boot with full disk encryption or build out Crostini-based containers. For now, installing Ubuntu via Crouton offers a pragmatic, minimally intrusive path for leveraging Chromebook flexibility.

Questions, deployment quirks, or unexpected errors deserve troubleshooting—see official forums or the Crouton repo for device-specific nuances.