Sound support is still in the works for Linux apps on Chromebooks, but the first function will simply be that: Sound playback. Audio recording is slated to follow and camera access — needed for Skype video — isn’t even on the roadmap yet.
Browsing: Crostini
After adding access in Project Crostini to share Chrome OS folders with Linux, the next function in the works is to bring shared Play Files to Linux from the Android implementation on Chromebooks.
USB support for Project Crostini is finally here, enabling read & write access to a memory card from the Linux Terminal app. Here’s how to enable and use it. Oh, and Android 9 comes along for the ride on Chromebooks.
No, there’s no official release date for GPU hardware acceleration in Project Crostini. But if Google is going to officially support Android Studio on Chromebooks in early 2019, that feature should arrive at the same time.
Project Crostini is here for one of the ARM-powered Chromebooks, the Acer R13 but you’ll need to brave an early version Chrome OS 72 on the Dev Channel to start using Linux apps.
Building off the upcoming “Share with Linux” functionality in the Chrome OS Files app, a new feature will allow you to install Debian packages on a Chromebook without having to first copy them over to Linux.
Of the three main missing features in Project Crostini, one is moving forward now: USB support is in the works for the Linux container on Chromebooks.
The Linux container on Chromebooks is getting a broad range of shared access to data on your Google Drive and removable media directly through the Chrome OS Files app.
A few tweaks make it easier to share Chrome OS files and folders with the Linux VM in Project Crostini or close down the VM with a click, and you can now see VM resources usage in the Task Manager on your Chromebook.
Chrome OS will make it easy to uninstall Linux apps from a Crostini container with a new right-click option on the application launcher icon. Of course, you’ll still have the ability to use the CLI for package uninstalls as well.
The native Chrome OS Files app makes it easy to install Linux packages but it’s a little bare-bones. A helpful new feature will show package information on your Chromebook before clicking that Install button.