ChromeOS 100
ChromeOS 100
ChromeOS has an expansive view of apps — we knit apps of many kinds together into a seamless user experience. This enables users to get the best apps available while providing developers flexibility to serve them. We’re pushing the envelope with powerful Progressive Web Apps that developers can now distribute and monetize on Play, we are a premier Android large screen environment, and we now even support Windows apps via our partnership with Parallels.
But don’t forget Linux and developers! Linux on ChromeOS, sometimes called Crostini, offers a full featured development environment enabling you to run Linux apps alongside your other apps. ChromeOS security and simplicity is provided through a virtual machine that keeps your system safe, enabling you to run your favourite editors, IDEs, and thousands of world-class dev tools in one container.
So, not only can ChromeOS run apps of many kinds, you can build those apps right on your Chromebook. We’ve been hard at work improving our Linux experience, with new releases such as a recent upgrade to Debian 11, improved Terminal, dedicated developer settings, microphone access, expanded USB access, and more. You can even quickly snapshot, backup and restore your Linux environment.
If you’re building for Android, whether for mobile devices, Chromebooks, or other devices, it’s easier than ever to get started with Android Studio on Chromebooks. You can install Android Studio with 1-click thanks to Crostini and use familiar flows for testing your app in an emulator or over USB. But unlike other platforms, you can also deploy your app directly to the Android Runtime for ChromeOS, running it on your Chromebook with no emulation needed!
For web developers, you’ll find all your favorite Linux tools at your disposal. You can spin up your preferred web development stack, install Linux based browsers for testing, and use port forwarding to expose your server for local testing to devices on your network. This lets you test your app across a variety of browsers (including Android mobile browsers) and help you test and debug quickly.
Just like ChromeOS, Crostini doesn’t limit you to one app platform — whether you’re developing an Android app, Web app, or Linux app, you can run all the developer tools you need on your Chromebook. Any code editor or IDE that will run on Linux will run on ChromeOS. Visual Studio Code, Sublime Text, IntelliJ, and others are all a few simple clicks away.
Lastly, to develop anything, you need a great device. We’ve recently released some exciting new convertible laptops such as the HP Chromebook Elite c1030 and Asus Chromebook Flip CX5. They’re both highly powerful devices packaged in beautiful, lightweight designs. We highly recommend them for development. Check them out here.
We can’t wait to see what you build next!