One of the best things that have ever happened to Chrome OS is the ability to install Linux on it. Not only does this expand the user-base of the OS, but the user also gets access to the world of free and open-source Linux apps that are powerful and feature-rich. Without much further ado, let’s show you how to install Linux apps and configure it to install your first Linux App.
Installing Linux on Chrome OS
Step 1) Head over to the Settings from the System Tray menu.
Launch Settings Chrome OS
Step 2) Click “Linux (Beta)” on the left pane of the “Settings” menu and then click “Turn on.”
Settings – Linux Apps
Step 3) Click “Install.”
Linux Setup Chromebook
Step 4) Wait for the installation process to finish.
Installing Linux
Step 6) After the installation is complete, a Terminal window should open automatically.
Linux Terminal
Step 7) Click on the “Launcher icon” and then on “App launcher.”
App Launcher
Step 6) You should see the “Linux Apps” folder where all the Linux apps you shall install in the future will be grouped.
Linux Apps Group
Congratulations, you have completed the setup of Linux on your Chromebook. Let’s go ahead and get you started to install your first Linux App!
Setting up and Installing Linux Apps
Installing apps on Linux is done using command-lines on the Terminal. Although it might sound scary, it’s simple enough to install the apps, at least. Learning it is entirely worth it. For the sake of illustrations, let’s install one of the most used Linux apps for image and graphic editing – GIMP.
Installing GIMP on Chromebook
Step 1) Launch Terminal from the Linux Apps.
Launch Terminal
Step 2) Before installing GIMP, let’s update the Linux repository database. Enter the following command and hit enter.
sudo apt update
Update Linux Repository
Step 3) Upgrade your Linux system by entering the following command:
sudo apt upgrade
Pay attention to the progress in the Terminal and make sure to enter ‘y’ when prompted.
Upgrade Linux Apps
Step 4) Chrome OS is nothing but Chromium OS + Google’s proprietary apps. Chromium OS is an open-source OS built on the Debian system. In Debian and Ubuntu Linux, we use sudo apt command to install apps. So, enter the following command to download and install GIMP. You must enter ‘y’ when prompted.
sudo apt install gimp
Installing GIMP
Step 5) After the installation is complete, close the Terminal and head back to the Linux apps folder. If everything went well, you should see the GNU Image Manipulation Program (GIMP) in the Linux apps folder.
GIMP installed
Congratulations! You have just installed your first Linux app on your Chromebook.
GIMP 2.8 on Chrome OS
