Now it's time to install Ubuntu on your Chromebook.

Leave the downloaded file in the Downloads folder. This is a direct link to the latest Crouton download (it may change though). Go to the Crouton GitHub project page and click the goo.gl link at the top of the page to download the latest version of Crouton. Don't press the SPACE key as it will reset! It will ask you to confirm and then reboot into developer mode.įrom now on, each time your Chromebook boots up, you'll need to press Ctrl + D or wait 30 seconds to continue. After entering Recovery, press Ctrl + D (there's no information about this displayed on the screen - you have to know this to use it). You can find out the instructions for switching your Chromebook to developer mode by visiting this page, clicking on your Chromebook model, then follow the instructions.įrom what I've seen, these are the instructions for most models: invoke Recovery mode by holding down the ESC and Refresh ( F3) keys, and poking the Power button. Installing Ubuntu on your Chromebook with Crouton requires switching the Chromebook to developer mode.Įnabling developer mode may vary depending on the Chromebook model you're using. Switch your Chromebook to developer mode. You'll need a 4 GB or larger USB flash drive or SD card.ġ.

You may want to create a restore image for Chrome OS by installing the Chromebook Recovery Utility extension.

Google backs up your passwords, browser extensions and so on, but you may want to back up the files that you've saved in your Downloads folder though. Switching your Chromebook to developer mode is insecure! Crouton supports encryption, but as the Crouton wiki page mentions, ' the encryption is only as strong as the quality of your passphrase'. Install Ubuntu on a Chromebook using Crouton Since your Chromebook runs in verified mode, it also means Crostini is more secure.

On the other hand, Crostini is an official project and doesn't need enabling developer mode (which is required to be able to install Ubuntu or Debian on a Chromebook using Crouton). Also, compared to virtualization, Crouton has zero speed penalty since it runs natively. Using Crouton, you continue to use Chrome OS, but you can easily switch between Ubuntu and Chrome OS when needed.Ĭompared to the Crostini solution for Chrome OS offered by Google, Crouton has wider device compatibility, and it enables direct hardware access.

There are also a few tweaks / tips, and instructions for removing it.Ĭrouton, or Chromium OS Universal Chroot Environment, makes it easy to install Ubuntu or Debian in a chroot environment on Chromebooks, no matter the Chromebook model or architecture. I thought some of you might be interested in this, so this article presents step by step instructions for installing Ubuntu on any Chrombook model, using Crouton. I have a HP Chromebook G4 from 2014 that won't receive official Linux (Crostini) support, so I decided to use Crouton to install Ubuntu instead.

Install ubuntu on chromebook