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I would like to use my samsung chromebook to develop for app engine using python, unfortunately now it is not possible as I only have browser there.

There are online IDE's like codule but they are not good enough yet.

So in this regards I have 3 questions:

  1. Is there a way to hack into chrome os and pull its native linux out
  2. Is there a way to install second OS on the chromebook (I have a new Samsung chromebook not the first one)
  3. Is there any chrome OS extension which can help programming in python for app engine
BanditoBunny
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    @Chris Morgan. Arguments? This *is* about programming. –  Sep 04 '11 at 16:43
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    @WTP: the question is about how to get to a non-web-based system so that he can program better; it's not a programming question, it's to do with changing the environment of a Samsung Chromebook. – Chris Morgan Sep 04 '11 at 23:22
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    @WTP What coffee helps you program best is also about programming, but doesn't belong on SO. – Nick Johnson Sep 05 '11 at 03:23
  • I believe SO is sthe right pülace to ask this questions, because people who might know an answer are more likely to be here as it is tightly related to programming – BanditoBunny Sep 06 '11 at 06:11
  • this belongs on Programmers SE – Morgan Herlocker Jul 20 '12 at 14:44
  • "software tools commonly used by programmers", "practical, answerable problems that are unique to the programming profession". Clearly on-topic. – Steve Bennett May 13 '13 at 03:58

8 Answers8

24

You can also use crouton to install a chroot jail and then you are free to apt-get install any library that's compiles to armv7.

I have a Samsung Chromebook and I have installed the GAE python sdk , emacs and clozure common lisp for development.

Its super easy to set this up:

I have blogged about my experience here

Michael Kohne
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Sandeep Chayapathi
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  • I'm kind of new to linux, what exactly would you have to do to enable the apt-get command? – Joe Feb 26 '14 at 23:22
  • on chromebook -- follow the procedure above (or any other blog posts listed here). Once you have crouton, you can access ubuntu linux inside a "chroot jail" , fancy name for a "container". Inside of this container you are free to access apt-get – Sandeep Chayapathi Feb 27 '14 at 00:25
  • Alright, I've got it where I have a chroot set up. One more question, if I wish to exit developer mode will the packages I install be removed? And if so, how do I secure chromebook in developer mode so that I'm safe within the developer mode – Joe Feb 28 '14 at 00:00
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Just enable Developer Mode, and you will get the access to the shell.

Andrejs Cainikovs
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    ...yes but it misses things such as apt-get, how do you install things? From Sources? The $HOME contains a lot of odd files, where are you going to save things? Where do you need the Secure Shell app if you have developer-mode ON? The Secure Shell app hangs up with certain Chromebooks such as Samsung OCtober 2012. The developer mode has some bugs such as `"CTRL+ALT 6th-Key-Windown-Key"` freezes the computer at least in Samsung October 2012. I cannot yet see how to use Chromebook as developer machine, ideas about the bugs mentioned? And how to use this? Where to store eg Tex files? – hhh Dec 02 '12 at 13:17
  • Google's advice is not to use the built in shell - but use the chrome app instead - https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/secure-shell/pnhechapfaindjhompbnflcldabbghjo – danp Dec 15 '12 at 11:24
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Let me try and answer each of your 3 questions:

  1. In dev mode you can hit ctrl+alt+T and get the shell. However, it's a trim/secure shell that won't let you do what you wish...
  2. You can load any type of OS from usb and install it. I have few friends that did it with ubuntu but each and everyone of them - moved back to chromeOS... may be, in your case it will be different :)
  3. Cloud9 is a cloud IDE that give you ability to develop in Python.

You can read a blog post I wrote in the past about 'developers and chromebook' - http://greenido.wordpress.com/2011/07/04/web-developers-and-the-new-chromebook/

Good luck!

vahid abdi
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Ido Green
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  • also try Nitrous and also there is Python Shell Chrome (app) extension if you just want to really be experimenting – Luke Barker Jul 28 '15 at 19:30
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These days, you can easily set up IPython Notebook on a VM with any of a number of cloud service providers. EC2 has been done a bunch of times and is well documented, but pretty much any service that you can run a full Linux VM on should work.

It works like a regular webapp. Your code runs on the server, so you can't program your Chomebook, just the VM, but that's better in a lot of circumstances.

It's one popular option, even with people who have IPython installed locally, just because Cloud, but on Chrome OS, it makes even more sense to look at trying to get something like that set up, even if you use one of the other options to code offline.

Carl Smith
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Here is a guide for the new Samsung Chromebook that was introduced in October 2012 with flash memory. It will detail how to install Ubuntu onto an SSD drive to allow for dual boot without needing to modify the internal ChromeOS. To boot into Ubuntu after install you type Ctrl-U.

link: http://techfoobar.blogspot.com/2013/01/how-to-install-ubuntu-on-samsungs-new.html

Jasper van den Bosch
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Sloan
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2

There are some new information for the new Samsung Chromebook that was introduced in March 2014 with flash memory. It will detail how to install Ubuntu onto an SSD drive to allow for dual boot without needing to modify the internal ChromeOS. To boot into Ubuntu after install you type Ctrl-U. I will post some more info to my blog here

Marto Kolev
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There are two ways to use Linux on Chromebook.

  1. You can use developer mode1. Once in developer mode, hit Ctrl + Alt + t to open chrome's chrosh shell. You can then type shell to open a Linux terminal.

  2. You can use Chromebook's Linux container. Go to the settings app and search Linux (Beta). Click turn on and follow it's instructions to set up Linux. This opens a separate container with your Linux files. If you do it this way, it helps to know it uses Debian 9.


    1How to turn on developer mode:
    1. Read all instruction before trying out.
    2. BACK UP YOUR FILES! They will be deleted in the process.
    3. Turn off your Chromebook.
    4. Hold the Esc + Refresh(F3) buttons and press the power button.
    5. You will be shown the recovery screen. Instead of following the instructions, press Ctrl + d.
    6. Press enter to confirm.
    7. Your device will reboot. When it is finished, you will see a screen saying "OS Verification is Off". Press Ctrl + d to bypass and go to your Chromebook with developer mode now on.
    8. Whenever you turn on your Chromebook, you will see the "OS Verification" screen. You always just press Ctrl + d to bypass. But be careful. if you press space, your Chromebook will go back out of developer mode (and delete your files).

      Hope this helps!
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you can go to settings and enable Linux beta if your Chromebook is new enough. This will give you access to a terminal where you can code.

otm3232
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