Chrome OS is based on Linux, but you can’t easily run Linux applications on it. That’s about to change, with Google’s Project Crostini rolling out.
Chrome OS started as a spin off of Ubuntu Linux. It then migrated to Gentoo Linux and evolved into Google’s own take on the vanilla Linux kernel. But it’s interface remained the Chrome web browser UI to this day.
True, you could run Debian, Ubuntu, and Kali Linux with Chrome OS — with the open-source Crouton program in a chroot container. Or, you could run Gallium OS, a third-party, Xubuntu Chromebook-specific Linux variant. But, neither were for the faint of heart or the weak in technical skills.
According to Google, you will soon be able to run Linux inside a virtual machine (VM) that was designed from scratch for Chromebooks. That means it will start in seconds, and it integrates completely with Chromebook features.
Read more at ZDNet
