Chromebook Linux Options?

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Acps87

Acps87

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Feb 22, 2015
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I am looking to upgrade my Chromebook to something I can dual boot linux easily. I currently have an Acer C670, however I believe I am limited by the bios unable to boot another OS aside from Chromium, and possible hardware/hdd limitations.

So I want to upgrade to something with some more CPU power and larger hard drive, with the possibility to boot from USB/SD card. I would like to run some sort of flavor of Linux, whether it is Ubuntu, Arch, or ElementaryOS. The issue is I do not want to limit myself by the hardware from the Chromebook I will purchase. The lightweight and portability of a 2lb chromebook makes it very appealing as a Computer Science major.

So what models of Chromebook are going to leave me wide open in terms of what I may want to do with it in the future? Of course able to run Linux, and some programming, SSH, some RDP. I am not looking for "gaming" on steam or minecraft, or worried about transcoding or video editing. Although some PDF editing would not be out of the question, and ability to watch some video's for educational purposes.

The Chromebook Pixel seems like it would be way overpriced, but I wouldn't be ready to write it off just yet. My main concerns are lightweight and portability of course, with Linux being dual-booted or primary OS. I have been running Crouton on my Acer C670, however it is limited in the small hard drive space, 16gb, and must run with chrome.

Any suggestions of which models I should be looking at would be awesome!

Thanks in advance for the help!
 
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dark_lord69

dark_lord69

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Jun 6, 2006
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"I do not want to limit myself by the hardware from the Chromebook"
Then don't get a Chromebook.

Get a ultrabook or macbook air. They are thin, light and you can load different OSes (or have the option to dual boot).
Not 100% sure on the macbook air but I've heard macs can indeed run different OSes.

Although if I were you i'd get an ultrabook.
This one is small, thin, light, can load different OSes and do the things you want to do.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834232393&ignorebbr=1&cm_re=PPSSVOTEVOQSRN-_-34-232-393-_-Product
 
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Acps87

Acps87

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Awesome, that is exactly the direction I wanted to be pointed to. You are right, I didn't want to pigeon hole myself into just a Chromebook. The Ultrabook is the type of device I am looking for, so now I can poke around that niche.

Is there any manufacturer that makes better Ultrabooks then another? I noticed you linked an Asus, and I have used their motherboards with positive satisfaction for years. My Chromebook was an Acer, which I have been thrilled with so far. But I am open to any recommendations.

While I do have an iPhone and an iPad, I don't think I want to go with a Macbook Air. I am fairly certain I want to run Linux. Specifically for Jupyter/iNotebook. I am a Computer Science major, and my primary need is for programming in multiple languages. And ability to SSH and use VM.

Thanks again for the advice!
 
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skittle

skittle

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If you are serious about getting a laptop for CS studies I highly suggest you look into getting a refurbished Lenovo X200/X210/X220. These models support linux out of the box and are cheap because big business buy them in bulk then dump them for next years model. The x220 is the last model that still has the old (good) keyboard before Lenovo switched to chicklet style keys.
 
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Acps87

Acps87

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In terms of Linux of support, is there any reason why a modern Intel Haswell/Broadwell CPU would have issues with running Linux after formatting and installing it on the hard drive?

While I do like Lenovo products, I have always been leery of buying anything secondhand/refurbished. Although I like the fact they come standard with the i5, however it looks like they do not come with a SSD, and they have an optical drive installed, which adds more weight. And also the 768 resolution seems low.

The Acer C670 I am using right now weighs only 2.4 lbs, and screen size is 11.6. While I don't need a larger screen, I wouldn't mind it, especially to get a better resolution up to 1920x1080. But this will be something I have to carry everyday for class, so weight will be a factor. 2-3lbs is ideal, and a long battery charge is important as well.

On a side note, something else I would like to have but not necessarily a deal breaker, is a back-lit keyboard and touchscreen. The back-lit keyboard being more important, but not a huge concern, as I do not have either on my current Acer, but would be a nice upgrade if possible.

Any other ideas? Thanks again for all the great information so far!!!
 
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skittle

skittle

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I understand where you come from but honestly if you are doing lots of coding the best reason to get an older ThinkPad is the keyboard. It's so much better for long typing sessions than cheap chicklet keys on other laptops.

The other reason think pads are great us that they are easily serviceable (unlike a mac you dont need any special tools to open one) and easy to upgrade to any ssd you want. Also the market is absolutely flooded with lightly/used/refurbished models for really cheap. You can pick up an X200 for less than $100 or a X220 + an ssd for less than $300.

I can also say that the acer c720 (by far the most popular chromebook for gnu/linux) runs linux just fine (I use arch) but the build quality is no where near as nice as a thinkpad

In terms of Linux of support, is there any reason why a modern Intel Haswell/Broadwell CPU would have issues with running Linux after formatting and installing it on the hard drive?
Click to expand...

Not necessarily the CPU but certainly for the wireless card and GPU you need to pick component that are well supported. None of which you have to worry about with thinkpads.
 
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