Doing so will erase all local data on your Chromebook (in the unlikely event that you have any locally stored data on a cloud-focused device, granted). Enter developer mode on your Chromebook, which for most users means holding down the Esc and Refresh keys while tapping the power button. Trying out Crouton is easy, and worth an evening’s tinkering. The project name is an acronym for 'ChRomium Os Universal chrooT envirONment,' according to the witty GitHub README, and currently supports Debian Linux and derivatives like Ubuntu and Kali Linux. Crouton: Linux crunch for your Chrome saladĬrouton installed in less than half an hour on our 2016-era Acer Chromebook ( buy here), and runs in a chroot side-by-side with Chrome OS.

Geeky users willing to engage in some entry-level hackery, however, can install Linux on their Chromebook and unleash the Power of Torvalds™. Obviously, a 64-bit processor is also required, since support for 32-bit ones was dropped with the arrival of Linux Mint 20.Chromebooks are one of the most secure devices you can give a non-technical end user, and at a price point few can argue with, but that security comes with a privacy trade off: you have to trust Google, which is part of the NSA's Prism programme, with your data in the cloud.Įven those who put their faith in the company's rusty 'don’t be evil' mantra may find Chromebook functionality limiting-if you want more than Google services, Netflix, some other Web apps, and maybe the Android app store, then you're out of luck. The system requirements have been pushed up by quite a bit when talking about memory and storage, all the way to 2GB RAM (4GB recommended for a comfortable usage), 20 GB of disk space (100 GB recommended), while the minimum recommended resolution remains at 1024 X 768 pixels. The list of bundled software includes LibreOffice 7.3, Thunderbird 91, Mozilla Firefox 103, and more. All Linux Mint 21 versions are based on the Linux kernel 5.15. In addition to all the above, the updated collection of background images should also be mentioned.

Linux Mint 21 MATE: Comes with MATE 1.26 and the list of changes above.

Linux Mint 21 Xfce: Features Xfce 4.16, alongside the other changes mentioned above.

Linux Mint 21 Cinnamon: Ships with Cinnamon 5.4, Blueman instead of Blueberry, Sticky Notes with the ability to duplicate notes, a process monitor that detects automated updates and system snapshots, Driveless Printing and Scanning via IPP, and more.

Unsurprisingly, there are three flavors of this Linux distro that can be downloaded:

The new version is based on Ubuntu 22.04 LTS, will get updates until 2027, and comes with a wide range of visual changes, as well as improvements in performance, compatibility, and stability. Although Linux Mint 21 'Vanessa' was released yesterday, the previous long-term release, namely Linux Mint 20 'Ulyana,' will continue to receive support until 2025.

How to install linux mint on chromebook