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Submitted via IRC for AndyTheAbsurd
After unveiling plans to launch a $199 Linux laptop with a Rockchip RK3399 processor earlier this year, the folks at Pine64 have been hard at work designing the hardware and software for the upcoming Pinebook Pro.
Now the team has posted a YouTube video showing off the latest prototype, and demonstrating that it has improved hardware, and support for 4K video playback (something the company's original Pinebook couldn't handle).
Pine64 still has some kinks to work out — audio isn't working on the current motherboard, and there are problems with charging, suspend and resume. But it looks like the Pinebook Pro could be ready to ship within months.
Source: https://liliputing.com/2019/05/pinebook-pro-update-the-199-linux-laptop-is-almost-ready-to-go.html
(Score: 2) by engblom on Thursday May 09 2019, @05:12AM (3 children)
What does "Linux Ready" means when it comes to Chromebooks? Is it meaning that I can replace ChromeOS with a distro of choice?
(Score: 2) by takyon on Thursday May 09 2019, @05:22AM
You could already do that.
"Linux Ready" is referring to booting sandboxed Linux applications within ChromeOS. All of said machines also run Android apps within ChromeOS.
[SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday May 09 2019, @09:50AM
X-ready = you kind of have X through some trick
See HD-ready for TV.
(Score: 3, Informative) by DannyB on Thursday May 09 2019, @02:00PM
It specifically means what is called Crostini.
A feature in Settings that allows anyone to "turn on" Linux. A new app appears which is a terminal with a shell to a debian linux in an LXD container within a custom written secure vm ("crosvm").
Google looked at qemu, kvm and others. They had too many features google didn't need. Too much attack surface area. Google wrote crosvm in a a higher level language, with just the features it needs, and strongly focused on security from the start.
If you read up on the necessary commands, you can create your own LXD containers on this same vm (called "termina'). You can even create new vms under crosvm. You can install your own distros. If you want a full desktop, you will need to use something like VNC to get the effect of what crouton gives you today.
Personally: I'm still using crouton. Just because of inertia. I have to run the device in "developer mode". But that isn't much of a drawback since the device is always in my physical control. Or locked in hotel room safe and powered down.
Crouton: an older technique that allows you to run a chrooted jailed linux distribution, with full desktop GUI, on the same kernel as Chrome OS -- thus it is insecure. Your linux distro, which is untrusted, could compromise the entire device, including your credentials, google account, etc. I run ubuntu bionic with xfce and I love it. A desktop in a resizable window (better than vnc) and can be "full screened" with the push of one button. I can run Eclipse with java and other dev tools.
To transfer files: right-click on file, pick Copy. Unplug mouse, plug mouse into other computer. Right-click, paste.