How to Install and Run Chromium OS

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Introduction

This article will be about how to install and run Chromium OS and therefore this will also show to install on any personal computer. As discussed in the FAQ on the Chromium OS website, there are many differences between it and Chrome OS. The main two differences are:

  • Chromium is the open source project, used primarily by developers, with code that is available for anyone to checkout, modify and build.
  • Google Chrome OS is the Google product that OEMs (Original Equipment Manufacturers) ship on Chromebooks for general consumer use.

Although there also are some specific differences that can be explained in the FAQ on the Chromium OS website. Therefore Chromium OS can be downloaded and installed on any personal computer, but Chrome OS can only be installed by an OEM. Although the developers behind Chromium OS say that it should not be used for general consumer use, although if you do want to try it; I highly recommend installing it as a virtual machine in Virtualbox or VMWare. Also all builds by Hexxeh, that he provides are Chromium OS Vanilla and therefore are bleeding edge. There is also some terms that have to read before downloading, such as are offered without any support whatsoever, you use them at your own risk and some other terms. One of the main features that is included in Chromium OS are that it only runs web applications, for example Google Drive and Gmail etc. Also Chromium OS also aims to be fast, simple and secure for users.

Guide

  • Linux -

    • Use p7zip to extract the 7z archive.
    • Open a terminal, run the following command (where sdX is your USB stick and ChromiumOS.img is the path to the IMG file you extracted):
      dd if=ChromiumOS.img of=/dev/sdX bs=4M
    • Boot from the USB stick.

  • Windows -

    • Use 7-Zip to extract the 7z archive.
    • Use Win32 Image Writer, then select the IMG file and select the USB device from the menu.
    • Click on Write.
    • Boot from the USB stick.
  • Chromium OS Builds - Link

Contact

If you need any advice or comments about this article, please email me at info@matthew-allan.co.uk or comment below this article. Thanks.

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