Same scenario here. I use the Chromebook for its standard features: browsing, email, chat, music. I use the Linux VM ( container? ) with Debian to do some light work in the shell or in a Docker container. For heavier loads, I use the cloud ( AWS, GCP, Azure, etc. ). I have Docker containers that have the corresponding CLI tools for working with those APIs. I just pass in my credential and run with it. For example, I recently had to do some work in Windows 11. I fired up an instance on Azure via the API and connected to it using the RDP client on the Chromebook.
One feature I really like about the Chromebook is the Powerwash. If I mess things up too badly, I can restore to factory defaults really quickly. Chrome OS reinstalls my apps and some settings. The only manual steps are to enable Linux and a few other items. I then have scripts that configure my Linux environment and install my favorite packages. For example, one script creates symlinks to my Google Drive. I can access all my remote files as if they were local at ~/GoogleDrive. I’m not sure how Chrome OS mounts the remote file store but sshfs might be the way ( just a guess. ) All the normal tools work just fine on them: cat, grep, sed, awk, find, etc. Talking about things I have not figured out, Chrome OS seems to be running an X-server since GUI programs like xterm and ImageMagick run just fine. One item that is missing is a configuration manager for Chrome OS settings. For example, whenever I Powerwash, I have to configure manually my mouse and touchpad settings in addition to enabling Linux. It would be really nice to have Ansible, Salt, Puppet, Chef, or similar tool to configure those. Haven’t found anything, yet. Given that all that is done through the browser, I’m wondering if Tampermonkey might be the appropriate tool. Chrome reinstalls it after every Powerwash. Regards, - Robert On Thu, Jan 20, 2022 at 2:03 PM Timothy Scoppetta <[email protected]> wrote: > My only experience with running linux (ubuntu) natively was with the > original CR-48 prototype devices. On those linux ran like a dream but the > touchpad was a nightmare with no drivers to tweak. The installation process > was a breeze even back when chromebooks were new . My plan has always been > to reinstall when I ran into something that needed "real" linux. I'm still > waiting for that something. > > Anything I can't do locally I do in GCP where I keep a few systems powered > down. I mount my homedir from a synology NAS in the closet. It's a workflow > that works very well for me. There's even a globalprotect client for > ChromeOS for those stodgy work connections. > > Tim > > On Thu, Jan 20, 2022 at 7:35 AM Robert Citek <[email protected]> > wrote: > > > Thanks for your post, Timothy. > > > > I have almost the same environment here: read/listen to books on > smartphone > > or tablet or Kindle, otherwise use a Chromebook ( rarely, I'll use my > > MacBookPro). In fact, if I need a "real" linux ( or Windows ) > environment, > > I just create one in the cloud and then ssh/RDP into it from the > > Chromebook. I can even do that from my tablets which have Bluetooth > > keyboards. > > > > Have you ( or anyone else ) tried the dev_install script in the crosh > shell > > to then use emerge to install software in Chrome OS? I've been able to > > install some things ( like tcpdump ), but not other things ( like gcc ). > > > > Have you ( or anyone else ) tried booting a different distro from either > a > > USB or SD card? If so, how did that go? I have not, yet, but that's in > my > > queue. > > > > Regards, > > - Robert > > > > On Wed, Jan 19, 2022 at 12:40 PM Timothy Scoppetta <[email protected] > > > > wrote: > > > > > I use a kindle for the original use case described but my Pixelbook Go > is > > > the best linux netbook (does that term still exist?) I've ever owned. I > > run > > > a full debian install in a container and have yet to find any app or > tool > > > (GUI or command line) that I can't get working locally. I haven't tried > > > heavyweights like gimp or bitwig and I definitely wouldn't suggest > > > compiling on it. > > > > > > Happy to answer any questions about existing in the ecosystem, I use it > > > daily and for me it works great. > > > > > > This is the one I've had for a little under a year: > > > https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07YMGQYP6/ > > > -- > > > Timothy Scoppetta > > > > > > > > -- > Timothy Scoppetta > > P: 845-459-3002 > E: [email protected] >
