LO for Chrome OS - i.e. Samsung Chrome Book

users
#1

Is there any movement to make a port for LO to Chrome OS?

I ask this, since today I had to setup a Samsung Chrome 11.5 inch display mini-laptop device [and a wireless router for it since there is no wired network port]. She use to have LO on her old Win7 laptop that has some broken function keys, and some sales person convinced her to use a Chrome Book. She did not know it was not a Windows OS laptop. No LO, no Canon printer, nothing except her web-mail account[s] and Chrome browser. [which she never used before]

So I ask if there is any movement towards making a Chrome OS port.

Actually this Samsung Chrome uses a microSD card for "some" storage. I cannot tell much about it, since I do not have access to the manual. So the version of LO would need to fit on a microSD card storage, like a tablet, but it is not a tablet. This is really a really small net-book like device running Chrome OS.

#2

I though ChromeOS was based on Linux (Ubuntu/Debian?). Does it come with a package manager?

#3

​As far as I know, making an application for ChromeOS is roughly the same
as making an "application" (note the quotes) for Chrome. This mean it's
mostly html based and javascript driven.​ Porting LO to this kind of
platform mean two things:
- We get an awesome, cross-system, cross-platform office suite
- We have a insane amount of work, need to rewrite *everything* from
scratch, redo the UI, handle the strict restriction of browser-based
applications... I'm sure you see what I mean :slight_smile:
It *might* be possible to run some binaries part, as it is possible with
some restriction for Chrome app/extensions, but it remain a formidable task.

Honestly, I wouldn't hold my breath for a port of this kind for three
reasons: it's a huge task, there's little incentive to do it (way less than
an android port for example), and there's a solid alternative.

First alternative (easier): it is possible to install Ubuntu (or other
linux OS) on a chromebook. I did that long ago, and there's a handful of
tutorials on how to do so. If your chromebook is Intel based, it's even
better, but as far as LO is concerned, it can be installed on ARM devices
too.
Second alternative (trickier): there's way less tutorials, but I vaguely
remember the possibility of using real software in chromeos, mainly through
command line. However I don't have any more info, and I'm not sure that it
isn't restricted to command-line stuff (I'm not even sure that chromeos use
an X server).

Also, regarding storage space: for previous models, it was a really good
idea to replace the (really) small hard drive with a better one. I don't
know the specs of the newest chromebooks, but it's worth checking.

#4

I recently bought an Acer C 720 Chromebook, and absolutely love it. Boot
times are great. Speed is super. I bought this one because of a really good
Intel processor instead of ARM so I would have complete compatibility with
anything I would run in Ubuntu, and also because of exceptional battery
life, advertised as 8.5 hours. I've not tried to check the time, but it
runs forever without a charge. I've played around a little with Google
Docs, spreadsheet, and prefer to stay with LO. Another reason I went with
the Acer because you can swap out the 16GB or 32GB SSD for a 56 or 128. I
put a 128 in mine. The best place to buy those is Amazon as they are using
the next generation SSD. You can also install Ubuntu and some other Linux
systems. There are two ways to do that. One is called Chrubuntu, which is
similar to a dual boot on a standard computer. The other way is to use
Crouton, where you are actually running Ubuntu through the Chrome OS. I
first tried Chrubuntu, and had issues installing the Document Foundation
version of LO, and also Wine. I made LO work, but could never make Wine
work. I'm now running Ubuntu on the Chromebook using Crouton. LO works fine
there. Crouton and Chrubuntu are both in their infancy, and will only get
better. I consider my Chromebook a best buy, and am thrilled with it!!!!!!!

#5

​Ah, thanks for that. The name slipped my mind, and I might need this soon
too, for roughly the same reason :slight_smile:

#6

I'm quite pleased with Crouton. It has some quirks here and there, but once
you understand them, it really works well. Neither Crouton or Chrubuntu are
exactly like using Ubuntu on a typical desktop of notebook, but I do
consider both of them to be young projects which will only get better with
time. My wife has been thinking about tablet for several months now. After
seeing my chromebook, yesterday she asked for one for her birthday!

Don

#7

2014-04-17 14:43 GMT+02:00 Kracked_P_P---webmaster <
webmaster@krackedpress.com>:

So I ask if there is any movement towards making a Chrome OS port.

Actually this Samsung Chrome uses a microSD card for "some" storage. I
cannot tell much about it, since I do not have access to the manual. So
the version of LO would need to fit on a microSD card storage, like a
tablet, but it is not a tablet. This is really a really small net-book like
device running Chrome OS.

​As far as I know, making an application for ChromeOS is roughly the same
as making an "application" (note the quotes) for Chrome. This mean it's
mostly html based and javascript driven.​ Porting LO to this kind of
platform mean two things:
- We get an awesome, cross-system, cross-platform office suite
- We have a insane amount of work, need to rewrite *everything* from
scratch, redo the UI, handle the strict restriction of browser-based
applications... I'm sure you see what I mean :slight_smile:
It *might* be possible to run some binaries part, as it is possible with
some restriction for Chrome app/extensions, but it remain a formidable task.

Honestly, I wouldn't hold my breath for a port of this kind for three
reasons: it's a huge task, there's little incentive to do it (way less than
an android port for example), and there's a solid alternative.

First alternative (easier): it is possible to install Ubuntu (or other
linux OS) on a chromebook. I did that long ago, and there's a handful of
tutorials on how to do so. If your chromebook is Intel based, it's even
better, but as far as LO is concerned, it can be installed on ARM devices
too.

Sorry, she just bought the Chrome Book. Maybe she will decide that Chrome OS was a mistake that she was talked into buying and get a Windows based "book". Be better for her if she did.

She would not like Linux, no matter how easy its interface was. She actually thought the device ran on Windows.

#8

yes, but the lady I am dealing with is a person who did not know the difference between ChromeOS and Windows, let alone would want to try to run Ubuntu off of her Chrome Book.

She does not understand even how to set up a wifi connection properly on a Windows laptop, or install and keep up security software properly.

Yes a Chrome Book might be a nice idea for some but without printer support and software support I need, and she needs, it is not the best deal.

I have not told her that this device will not work with her Canon Printer.

#9

"Cley Faye":

First alternative (easier): it is possible to install Ubuntu (or other
linux OS) on a chromebook.

So you propose to the person to turn her expensive device into brick by voiding its warranty? Seriously?

#10

​Yes, seriously. Sorry if you're shocked.
And the fact that you decide to install custom software on *your* *own*
hardware doesn't mean that you're voiding your warranty just because the
manufacturer told you so. Not all countries have similar laws regarding
this.

Does I sound a bit extreme here? It's hard to tell, you thrown off my
balance by saying that voiding a warranty turns a device into brick. Last
time I installed a piece of software on it, my chromebook was much less
brick-y than you imply.

Maybe If I did suggest to install windows instead of a linux, your view
would differ?

#11

Hi :slight_smile:
Is she likely to be happier with Windows 8? Just because this mailing list
doesn't know how to configure Chrome to print to her printer doesn't mean
it can't be done r isn't easy. It just means we don't have the expertise
here yet.

Maybe this link?
https://support.google.com/chrome/answer/1069693?rd=1

Try the official Chromebooks website to find documentation, user-support,
official forums etc. Perhaps try finding a Chrome forum! or google-it.
I'm not sure if these links help
https://duckduckgo.com/?q=HowTo%20set-up%20a%20printer%20for%20Chromebook
http://www.chromium.org/chromium-os

Chances are that her printer wont work with Win8 either and maybe not even
with Win7. The Windows route means buying new stuff to replace perfectly
decent older stuff.

Staying with Windows means a radical change for almost everyone. Moving to
Gnu&Linux is actually less of a change for most. Chances are that she
would be more "at home" with Chrome than with Win8 or Win9. She could
always buy into Win7 for the 1 year that's got left and then buy into
Win8/9 in a year or so. Or stay with a more familiar interface by going to
Gnu&Linux
Regards from
Tom :slight_smile:

#12

Hi :slight_smile:
Yes, a lot of people misunderstand what dual-booting means.

It does mean keeping the original system intact and easy to reinstate
fully. It's a bit more complicated than just installing software "onto a
computer" but not by much. I generally recommend experimenting with some
old computer such as ones relegated to the attic or basement or stuffed
into a cupboard or found in a skip or bought from ebay for a tenner. It is
possible to make mistakes but defaults generally tend to be designed to
protect existing systems these days. Back in 2008 it might was a bit
different with some distros but Ubuntu and most others have always been
protective.
Regards from
Tom :slight_smile:

#13

Hi :slight_smile:
This link might help setup the printer properly for Chromebooks
https://support.google.com/cloudprint/answer/1686197?rd=1
Errr, notice that is an https site!
Regards from
Tom :slight_smile:

#14

Well the lady showed up and she tells me that her printer will plug into the router, but I did not set it up since I would have to go to her place to do so.

There is some confusion about whether or not she needs to set the printers up with the Win7 system first, according to the documentation. What I did was open Chrome in my Win7 system and "allowed" the printers to be used. Then they showed up on the ChromeBook. I tried to use the option for printers that have Chrome Cloud service supported, but it would not work on the printer I tried. The printer's own setup screens tried to do the task, but it kept failing to set up the internal "cloud" support.

So if you do not have a Windows XP and later OS to set thing up in their Chrome browser's settings/printer option[s], then it looks like it will not work properly. Or at least for me.

#15

Android's market share is increasing while Windows is going down. Chrome
OS is increasing as well, but its market share is not as strong as Android
[so far]. IT would be nice to get into that market share for LO, when
possible.

​You know... ChromeOS is sort of important. ChromeOS "apps" are basically
the same as Chrome "apps", so I'd say their market share is more like...
34-46% theoretically (
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Usage_share_of_web_browsers)
It isn't a fair comparison, as the software is available in some other
forms where the Chrome browser is available, but it could be an incentive :slight_smile:

I do not know how well LO works with Win8, since I only used it for about
10 minutes for trying to setup a package for someone and thought it was
worse than Unity, and I hate Unity.

​It works more or less like in windows 7. No "metro" support, so you're
back to the plain windows look (with all of the drawbacks of W8, but that's
not the place to discuss this...).

Windows - yes
Linux - deb and rpm
Mac - Intel only for the newer versions

Android tablets - use an AOO/OOo based or other version[s] for Android
that is available, for now.
iOS - told it is being looked into
ChromeOS - not in the future plans, so far.

​That's a good summary so far. Note that LO peoples are working on Android,
although it's not at the "beta" status yet (
https://wiki.documentfoundation.org/Development/LibreOffice_on_Android).
But I can vouch for a *viewer* that would handle correctly files. It might
be easier to do (less UI work, no edition code maybe). It would be a great
step toward general adoption of opendocument format. But, again, I'm
starting to digress.

#16

In 2013, Chomebooks accounted for 21% of the notebook sales.

If the printer does not show up on the list, generally you can still
install it anyway. There is an option which allows for unsupported
printers. A supported printer just eliminates several mouse clicks. One
printer I installed is a Samsung ML-2955. It is listed as supported, but
when you go to the Samsung site, there isn't anywhere to install it. So I
went the route of choosing an unsupported printer and it installed fine,
and works fine. If I am at home, connected to my home network, as long as
the office printers are powered up, I can print to my office printer on a
completely different network. That is kind of neat if the need to do it
arises.

#17

In data giovedì 17 aprile 2014 10:40:14, Don Myers ha scritto:

I recently bought an Acer C 720 Chromebook, and absolutely love it. Boot
times are great. Speed is super. I bought this one because of a really good
Intel processor instead of ARM so I would have complete compatibility with
anything I would run in Ubuntu, and also because of exceptional battery
life, advertised as 8.5 hours. I've not tried to check the time, but it
runs forever without a charge. I've played around a little with Google
Docs, spreadsheet, and prefer to stay with LO. Another reason I went with
the Acer because you can swap out the 16GB or 32GB SSD for a 56 or 128. I
put a 128 in mine.

That's why it is so fast. I install in a relatively old Notebook (Sony Vaio
dual core Centrino 1.8 mhz / 2 Gigs Ram / 256 MB video card) a 250 GB SSD
Samsung, equipped with Windows 8.1: 10 seconds to turn on and put itself still
idle. I didn't try with Linux/KDE, but I think it would be the same. Not
necessary to use Chrome OS, from my personal point of view. :slight_smile:

#18

Yes, it is not a Chrome list, but as the OP, I wondered about Chrome and LO and it seems like that will not happen in the foreseeable future. I would like to see some app that would be based on LO/AOO and deal with more format options than Google Docs have to offer us. We need to get into that fast growing market, if at all possible. Of course, that would be difficult since Chrome apps are more web based [i.e. HTML, Javascript, etc.] programming instead of the C++/Python/etc. based programming. Or at least that is what I was lead to believe.

Chromium? Well you can get Chrome for Linux now. So some of the Chrome browser info now deals with Linux users, as well as Windows and ChromeBook users. If it offered with Mac OSX, iOS, and Android OSs?

#19

Hi :slight_smile:
I think the documentation assumes that anyone using Gnu&Linux, or anything
else other than Windows is canny enough to know how to use whatever they
have got to open a chromium web-browser, or at least arsy enough to try.

Like many support shops daren't mention that they are great at fixing
non-Window2s systems because that would scare off potential Windows users

As said before this is NOT a support-list for Chromebooks, or any other OS.
We often can help but sometimes it is better to visit the support lists
for the actual product/OS that you are using.
Regards from
Tom :slight_smile:

#20

Hi :slight_smile:
From the "Portable Apps"
http://portableapps.com/
http://portableapps.com/about/what_is_a_portable_app

"A portable app works from any device (..., cloud drive, ..., etc)" but
i've never heard from anyone who has tried installing their portable apps
to a Cloud. Each Chromebook links to it's own Cloud space doesn't it?
Note there are a few caveats
http://portableapps.com/support/libreoffice_portable#additional_options

Also i suspect that the WinPenPack probably offers a similar option but
they don't go on about it as much. The advantage with WinPenPack is that
they tend to get each release of LibreOffice out there quickly and they
don't skip any releases.

Wrt Chromium, my understand was that Chrome was the OS and Chromium was the
web-browser but apparently it's not quite as simple as that;
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chromium_(web_browser)
Regards from
Tom :slight_smile: