Linux is the only way to get real programs on a Chromebook that will run without an internet connection. But the bottom line for me is that people do not have to be afraid of Linux. deb files fail on installation because of unmet dependencies for which you have to go out to the internet and find and install one by one (try installing b and you will see what I mean). Of course, this won’t work on Chromebooks that do not have Linux (Beta) available to them, which includes some very good Chromebooks like the Asus Flip C302. And you should even see a Launcher shortcut for the application installed to start up your app. Click that and you’ll see information about the application.Ĭlick the “install” button and your Linux app will install without you ever touching the Linux command line.Ĭhrome OS will also provide notifications during the installation process. You should see an “Install with Linux (beta)” option appear. Next, open the Chrome OS Files app, find the file you just downloaded and right click it. deb file, then use Chrome OS to download it, like you would for any other file. And I do mean very little, but that’s another post for another time. If it isn’t you’ll need to roll up your sleeves and learn a little Linux. There is one very large caveat: The program you want to install must be available as a. I suspect many other Chromebook users aren’t aware of this simple Linux application installation process so I’m resurfacing the method. That actually surprised me since the feature I’m talking about has been around since August of 2018. You can hear the shocked reactions when I explained the native Chrome OS install process. Here’s that particular section of the show: That’s a valid point but amazingly, none of the hosts knew that you can install certain Linux files natively in Chrome OS, without any need to be in the Linux environment. Some of the discussion led into installing Linux apps on a Chromebook, which the other hosts thought might be a barrier to entry for the many people who aren’t familiar with Linux.

And of course, whenever that happens, I use that opportunity to talk about Chromebooks, hoping to inspire a wider audience of Chrome OS users.

Earlier this week, I got the opportunity to be a guest on the This Week in Google video podcast.

Install inkscape on chromebook