Chromebook, ChromeOS and Google Chrome browser news
Slated for Chrome OS 74 is a new function to export and import Crostini containers on Chromebooks, allowing you to backup or restore your Linux environment as needed — handy for folks relying heavily on Linux apps within the Chrome OS platform.
After making good progress on audio support for Linux apps on Chrome OS, the feature appears to have missed the cut for Chrome OS 73: Tune in to Chrome OS 74, at the earliest, for audio playback in Project Crostini.
One of the most read posts on About Chromebooks is from last April when I detailed how I was coding with my Pixelbook. Now that Project Crostini has quickly matured, I’ve revamped my development environment on the Pixel Slate.
The Pixelbook and four other fairly new Chromebooks have the special flag to enable GPU acceleration, making these the first to get the new feature for Linux. This should bring the Android emulator and improved gaming capabilities to Project Crostini.
The Chrome OS 73 Dev Channel brings a bunch of useful features to Project Crostini on Chromebooks. You can now mount your Google Drive and Google Play files in Linux. Plus there are new flags to enable a Crostini file backup function that’s in the works.
Using a Linux app on your Chromebook and you just can’t read or use text and app controls because they’re super small? The reason may be due to display scaling and a new option is available in Chrome OS 72 to address it.
The Pixel Slate and Keyboard aren’t for everyone when there are less expensive 2-in-1 Chromebooks available. But if you want the best of both a Chrome OS desktop and a tablet mode, aside from a few minor issues, this potent package is exceptional.
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.
The detachable Chromebook known internally as Cheza and powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 should have Linux app support through Project Crostini based on a new code commit.
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.
