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I want to try Linux on my wife's Toshiba 13" Chromebook. I'd prefer not to alter anything on the Chromebook itself (as she'll kill me if I mess it up:)

  • Can I install and use Ubuntu onto a 32GB USB and then use it on the Chromebook?
  • Can the Chromebook be left unaltered ie I pull out the USB and it's back to being a Chromebook?
  • Are there special versions of Ubuntu that work with the touchpad, wifi and shut down of a Chromebook?
  • Do I need to alter anything in Ubuntu to get it working ok (I've heard swap space on USB is problematic)?
  • Would the performance be OK? I'll be using it for simple Java dev work while I'm on holiday?
  • How do I do it?

Obviously it would be better if everything was installed on the SSD but I'm currently waiting for the new i3 based Chromebooks with 4GB RAM and then I'm aiming to install a 120GB SSD.

Mike

PS I'm familiar with Unix shell and a little with Linux but any admin commands tend to go over my head.

Kristopher Ives
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user72727
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2 Answers2

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I know this isn′t the most helpful of answers, but you could always try installing Ubuntu on a USB drive from your regular PC, plugging the drive into your Chromebook and see what happens.

Here′s the step−by−step: How do I install Ubuntu to a USB key? (without using Startup Disk Creator)

I don′t know if the machine in question is supported or needs special tricks, sorry.

It should be noted that some (most?) Chromebooks have boot from USB disabled by default.

Community
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Tobia Tesan
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The best way to do this would be to follow my answer here, load Ubuntu onto a flash drive from another PC (listed in the answer; it's not possible with a Chromebook), and also load ChromeOS to a flash drive using this software. This is their home page and gives you more information about what it is.

If you do end up following my answer, please don't forget to leave an upvote; the answer above mine (dealing with Chrubuntu) is deprecated and dangerous to follow so I'm hoping to get enough upvotes to surpass it.

Note

This is incredibly hard to reverse if at all possible. I would only do it if she's ok with it. Otherwise, you can try Ubuntu using a crouton; that's what I did but, ultimately, if you enjoy Ubuntu, I think it's worth removing Chrome and replacing it with Ubuntu.

Here is the tutorial I think I used. Just to be safe, make sure you read everything on the page before you start making changes to your system.

Amolith
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