How to Install Debian, Ubuntu, or Kali Linux on Your Chromebook
by Swapnil Bhartiya
Chromebooks are steadily gaining market share. With the arrival of Android apps to the platform, Chromebooks have become an ideal platform for a very large user-base, and Chrome OS is a very important piece of technology in the current consumer space.
However, if you are a Linux user, you may need many utilities and tools to get the job done. For example, I run my own servers and manage them remotely. At the same time, I also manage my Linux systems and a file server at home. I need tools.
Additionally, Chrome OS, as a result of being a Google product, has some restrictions. For example, there is no way to even download Creative Commons YouTube videos on Chromebook. What if I want to download Ubuntu or openSUSE and create a bootable USB drive? As much as Chrome OS is a Linux-based desktop, it does lack some features. So, you need what I call a “legacy” Linux desktop on your Chromebook. But wiping Chrome OS and installing a desktop Linux on it would mean losing access to millions of Android apps and games. What if you can get the best of both worlds? What if you can run a pure Linux distribution and Chrome OS, side by side, without dual booting?
That’s exactly what Crouton does.