Converting a Chromebook to run Linux - any snags?

fwor

I'm hoping to get a laptop for a family member who is a typical day-to-day Linux user (i.e. not a technical Linux user). Her typical use is mainly browsers - Firefox and Chrome both open with (usually) lots of concurrent tabs, plus Google Earth and the occasional spreadsheet or two.

At the moment the best value for money 14" laptops almost all seem to be Chromebooks rather than Windows based, so I'm thinking that rather than my previous route of buying a Windows based machine and ditching the Win install I could just convert a Chromebook instead.

Should I expect there to be any snags in doing it? I don't have any need to dual-boot into ChromeOS - neither she nor I have any previous experience of that, so there doesn't seem to be any point.

The thing I have slight doubts about is that some of the Chromebooks are based on MediaTek Kompanio chipsets. Would it be best to avoid those? Intel hardware has always (for me) worked best under Linux, with typically no driver issues at all.

rollingmoon

Chromebooks are hopeless devices, if you want something to put Linux on that's actually usable I recommend an Intel Mac. Apple are great at obsoleting perfectly good computers by withdrawing security updates in an attempt to force the gullible buy the latest model, which means that there are bargains aplenty to be had out there.

I'm typing this on a 2013 iMac 27" running Linux Mint; it runs two external monitors with no problem and does everything else I need. My laptop is a 2009 Macbook Pro running the same OS. These are both worlds away from Chromebooks and probably cheaper too - I paid £180 for the iMac and £50 for the Macbook (admittedly I spent £15 on a charger and another £20 getting the RAM to 16Gb, but still hardly breaking the bank).

There's loads of info out there on running Linux on Intel Macs... check it out and see how you can save some money and end up with something that'll blow a Chromebook out of the water.

fwor

Interesting - I hadn't expected that recommendation! But unfortunately size is a critical issue - I know I didn't say that in the original post, but if you try to say everything the post ends up too long. 

It can't be any bigger than 14" - it has to fit into a limited space when not in use, and hence that's why a Chromebook is one option.

BFBW

fwor said:

Interesting - I hadn't expected that recommendation! But unfortunately size is a critical issue - I know I didn't say that in the original post, but if you try to say everything the post ends up too long. 

It can't be any bigger than 14" - it has to fit into a limited space when not in use, and hence that's why a Chromebook is one option.

I cannot see that they wrote that the MacBook Pro wasn't the 13" model. Can you?
CeX (UK) : Stock search

fwor

BFBW said:

I cannot see that they wrote that the MacBook Pro wasn't the 13" model. Can you?

I cannot see that it wasn't either. 

But I am looking to buy a new laptop for someone else. Hence my question about whether I could expect any complications (odd disk structure, unexpected hardware combinations) that would make converting a Chromebook to Linux in any way difficult.

The one thing that troubles me a bit is that most seem to use soldered-down memory, so whatever you buy is what you get - there is no upgrading. I have concerns about running Linux (Mint) in 4GB of memory these days...

flaneurs_lobster

Might help if you say why you are using/want to use Linux rather than a Windows machine?

fwor

flaneurs_lobster said:

Might help if you say why you are using/want to use Linux rather than a Windows machine?

Because the person I'm buying for is already a Linux user - it's what they already know.

BFBW

fwor said:

BFBW said:

I cannot see that they wrote that the MacBook Pro wasn't the 13" model. Can you?

I cannot see that it wasn't either. 

But I am looking to buy a new laptop for someone else. Hence my question about whether I could expect any complications (odd disk structure, unexpected hardware combinations) that would make converting a Chromebook to Linux in any way difficult.

The one thing that troubles me a bit is that most seem to use soldered-down memory, so whatever you buy is what you get - there is no upgrading. I have concerns about running Linux (Mint) in 4GB of memory these days...

I think you need to do a bit of research beforehand. You might not be too keen on Bricking a new device:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z6oyqrrXTLM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LY11WTKE6m0 is the safest way.

Eyeful

1. There are many different versions of Linux operating systems. 
(a) What version of Linux is she use to ?
(b) What computer is this version of Linux running on? 

2. Do you know that the Chromebook operating system is one version of Linux?

3. I have an old reconditioned Dell Latitude computer that I bought for £169 seven years ago.
It came with Windows 10, i5 processor and 4GB of Ram.. It now dual boots with Linux Mint and Windows 10.

4. Have you considered buying a reconditioned Windows computer and just replacing Windows with say
Linux Mint, Zorin or even
ChromeOS Flex, (which is the official lightweight version of ChromeOS made by Google for older PCs and Macs) 

5. I understand the following computer manufacturers support Linux:
Lenovo Thinkpad X1 Carbon
Asus Zenbook 14
Dell XPS 13. (Get those with Core i5 or i7 processors)
(Do not get a model that comes with Snap Dragon X Elite)

fwor

1a) Mint

1b) I want buy a new laptop - it's not running on anything. Her existing desktop machine is an Intel i3 based Lenovo SFF Thinkcentre running Mint, but the laptop won't be replacing that.

2. Yes

3. I have four different types of computer, all of which run Linux and some of which dual-boot into Windows, but I want to buy a new laptop for someone else. They won't care about dual-booting as they don't need Windows for anything.

4. That's fine, but it doesn't answer what I asked.

Eyeful

When perplexity.ai, ws asked
"are there any problems in converting a Chromebook to run Linux"

It came up with a number of potential problem. Perhaps that will answer  the question you asked.