Chrome OS is getting full-fledged Linux apps
Google Chrome is getting a big upgrade with the ability to run Linux apps, with a preview set to be released on the Google Pixelbook today before rolling out later to other models, according to a report from VentureBeat.
It's a major addition to Google's web-based operating system, which up until now has offered web-based Chrome applications and, more recently, the ability to run Android apps. But the option to run full-fledged Linux software marks the first time that real desktop applications have come to Chrome OS.
According to Chrome OS director of product management Kan Liu, users will be able to run Linux tools, editors, and integrated development environments directly on Chromebooks, installing them from their regular sources just like they would on a regular Linux machine. According to Liu, "We put the Linux app environment within a security sandbox, running inside a virtual machine," with the apps running seamlessly alongside Android and web applications on Chrome OS.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday May 10 2018, @02:48AM
Speaking for myself, I bought a couple chromebooks not because I want ChromeOS, but because I want lightweight laptops with decent battery life, which implies non-x86, which (for now) implies ARM. The whole ARM laptop market right now consists of chromebooks, locked-down winRT crap, and Android tablets with keyboards. Of these, chromebooks generally win or tie with winRT for performance, and definitely win for ability to run normal Linux stuff.