Linux vs. ChromeOS: How Different Are They Really?

Linux is successful a batch of stuff, but did you cognize it's successful ChromeOS too? Well, benignant of. There's a beardown transportation betwixt ChromeOS and Linux, but they aren't the aforesaid thing.

So, if you've wondered wherefore ChromeOS feels a small Linuxy, here's why.

Linux and ChromeOS Are Siblings

At the bosom of some Linux and ChromeOS is the Linux kernel. An operating system's "kernel" is the halfway of an operating strategy that dictates however it interacts with the computer's hardware astatine a cardinal level. The spot you spot and interact with, arsenic good arsenic each the built-in applications and utilities that travel with an OS are extras that spell connected apical of the kernel.

So, portion ChromeOS is virtually Linux astatine its core, it's a peculiar tightly-controlled and highly-specialized implementation of Linux. ChromeOS is astir arsenic related to Linux arsenic immoderate of the assorted devices similar crippled consoles oregon TVs that person bundle based connected Linux. Heck, you tin adjacent adhd Android to the extended Linux family.

These days, ChromeOS tin tally Linux software, but to marque that imaginable rather a batch had to beryllium added to the operating system. It's Linux nether the hood, but conscionable due to the fact that a sports car and a pickup motortruck stock the aforesaid motor doesn't marque them the aforesaid vehicle.

Linux Is Open, ChromeOS Is Locked Down

One of the astir evident differences betwixt the 2 is control. With accepted Linux distros similar Ubuntu, Fedora, oregon Arch, you get basal access, afloat customization, and the quality to modify astir anything. Want to alteration your desktop environment? Swap retired the bundle manager? Compile your ain kernel? Go for it.

While ChromeOS is built connected an open-source bundle core, lone Google has the keys to the experience. This is simply a important selling constituent of the product, due to the fact that strict power and information is wherefore Chromebooks are utile successful organizations. Yes, determination are workarounds (like enabling Developer Mode), but retired of the box, ChromeOS is much similar an appliance than a tinkerer’s sandbox.

However, I've daily-driven Chromebooks before, and for a batch of radical there's truly thing that they typically bash connected their Linux (or Windows, oregon macOS) computers that they can't bash connected ChromeOS. You mightiness not person entree to each the aforesaid software, but mostly you tin bash the aforesaid work. For those who bash astir of our enactment successful the confines of a browser, there's virtually thing lost.

ChromeOS and Linux Apps Overlap (a Little)

ChromeOS famously added enactment for Linux apps done its built-in Crostini VM, allowing users to tally afloat desktop Linux bundle wrong a virtualized container. This means that there's fundamentally an further lawsuit of Linux moving wrong ChromeOS and the Linux app runs connected that. This sounds similar it would beryllium a show issues, but acknowledgment to modern virtualization technology, I personally can't archer the difference.

Either way, this means you tin tally apps similar GIMP oregon LibreOffice connected galore Chromebooks—something that was erstwhile impossible. If you person a Chromebook Plus, you tin adjacent instal Steam and play a astonishing fig of due PC games acknowledgment to the Proton compatibility layer. With each this virtualization and compatibility worldly going on, I was genuinely shocked that astir games (within the hardware's reach) conscionable enactment precisely arsenic they bash connected a Windows oregon Linux system.

That said, connected weaker Chromebooks, adjacent if they enactment Crostini, show can be an issue, and it's hardly the full-fat Linux experience.

ChromeOS Makes It Hard to Mess Things Up

Even if you've ne'er utilized Linux a time successful your life, you've astir apt heard that it's a small excessively casual to perfectly wreck your machine portion doing seemingly elemental worldly connected the open-source OS of choice. Now, arsenic idiosyncratic who tried to compile Red Hat Linux arsenic a teen successful the aboriginal 2000s, that was decidedly existent backmost past and it inactive tin be, but modern desktop Linux distros mostly ne'er necessitate that you spell adjacent the truly lethal stuff. So you don't person to interest astir wiping your hard drive, and each hard thrust connected to your computer, by having the incorrect punctuation people successful a command.

Whether Linux's estimation for punishment mightiness not beryllium deserved these days, ChromeOS is beauteous overmuch intolerable to interruption unless you cognize precisely what you're doing, which is the other concern from Linux. This means you are very limited successful what you tin do, but Google has cautiously expanded the flexibility of ChromeOS implicit the years, without giving users capable enactment to bent themselves with.

Linux Will Run connected Anything, ChromeOS Won’t

I fundamentally alluded to this before, but Linux volition tally connected conscionable astir immoderate instrumentality with a CPU. You besides don't request anyone's support to instal Linux connected a instrumentality of your choice, and the lone happening stopping you is your method ability.

ChromeOS volition lone tally connected approved Chromebook oregon Chromebox hardware. There is, of course, ChromeOS Flex, but that means giving up connected Android apps and the Play Store.

Linux Is the Full Package, ChromeOS Isn’t

Which brings maine to the biggest regulation of CromeOS—software applications. We've travel a agelong mode from the aboriginal days erstwhile a Chromebook was virtually a paperweight without an net connection, but determination are inactive strict limits connected what bundle you tin and cannot run.

Linux is simply a afloat operating system. Run immoderate bundle you want, physique oregon interruption immoderate you want. You are successful control. Perhaps sometimes too successful control! ChromeOS devices are similar TVs oregon microwaves. They're built to bash a circumstantial acceptable of jobs, and are fantabulous astatine those jobs, but don't person the infinite adaptability of Windows, macOS, oregon Linux proper.