[maxamillion]

Google put in a ton of work to make all the Linux and Android sandboxing while still being able to do file sharing into the sandboxes, Wayland GUI app bridging, usb pass-through, and a bunch of other stuff.

https://chromium.googlesource.com/chromiumos/docs/+/HEAD/con...

ChromeOS got good and is wildly underrated for software development. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[isp]

ChromeOS is wildly underrated in general, not only for software development.

App sandboxing on standard (non-ChromeOS) Linux distributions is painful and finicky, while it "just works" on ChromeOS.

I wish there was a non-hacky way to use Chromebooks without a Google account.

The hacky options are:

- "Switch to dev mode". But I don't want to be prompted to factory reset each boot.

- "Create a dummy Google account and use that". But I don't want file syncing and tracking to reach Google at all, not even on a dummy account.

- "Create a dummy Google account and use guest mode". But I want persistent storage.

[ajross]

> - "Switch to dev mode". But I don't want to be prompted to factory reset each boot.

Developer mode simply puts up a splash at boot warning you that the OS is custom, you just press enter to boot. The requirement to do a drive wipe is a one-time thing when you enable it the first time (for obvious reasons, to prevent exfiltration of data stored by a secured OS).

[freedomben]

Chromium OS might be a good choice for you. I ran it on my Pinebook Pro for a bit and really liked it, and it's much more open.

[septic-liqueur]

Couldn't agree more. I recently bought a cheap $200 Chromebook and I have to say that it outperforms my high end Windows + WSL2 machine from work for programming related tasks.

Linux just works without all the WSL issues, I can run Visual Studio Code, Docker and anything that I tried so far.

It's actually a delight to work on. I can only imagine how much better yet it will be with a top tier Chromebook

[pkulak]

It’s fine if what you like about Linux is running Linux apps. But for me, it’s the privacy, the control, the choice of desktop environments etc. I can run VS Code on anything. And Firefox runs like garbage on a Chromebook, so, what’s really the benefit of using the only OS that won’t even run my preferred browser?

[VWWHFSfQ]

I find this very hard to believe. There is no "$200 Chromebook" that will ever out-perform a "high-end" machine no matter if it's running Windows + WSL2 or not. So what are the specs of this "high-end" machine?

[catlover76]

Do you have VSCode and Docker installed on the Chromebook?

I have been interested in buying a Chromebook for dev purposes.

[switch007]

Yeah we’re going to need specs of both machines to begin to believe that lol

[Laremere]

I loved Chromebooks. However I've been pretty turned off by them when my Chromebook which was working perfectly fine recently told me it's not getting security updates anymore. Now because the OS and browser are the same machine, the whole system is insecure.

Next laptop will be a framework, so I guess I'll see how that goes.

[septic-liqueur]

They've extended updates recently https://support.google.com/chrome/a/answer/6220366

For old models as well

[heresie-dabord]

Similar to you, I'm a happy Chromebook customer with a good Chromebook that no longer receives updates since earlier this year. But Google also offers ChromeOS Flex [1] which I now run on my Chromebook.

You can even install ChromeOS Flex on a non-ChromeOS PC.

[1] https://chromeenterprise.google/intl/en_ca/os/chromeosflex/

[foota]

I think they're decoupling the os and browser releases, although I'm not sure if it works for old ones or not. https://www.androidpolice.com/chromebook-decouple-chrome-fro...

[pjmlp]

Paying top dollars/euros for a laptop with 8GB/128GB isn't my idea of an ideal developer laptop.

[Teckla]

8GB/128GB goes a lot further on a Chromebook than it does on creaky, old, slow, bloated Windows. And Chromebook prices are very good.

I recently got a Chromebook and I'm amazed at how snappy and fast it is. And its built in Linux is amazing.

[THENATHE]

There is a new version you can get directly from Google that works on quite a few devices, especially high end ones.

[catlover76]

You don't pay top price for Chromebooks; you can get a good one for in between 200 and 300 USD

[nnwright]

Completely agree. Now if they would just add a meta key to the bottom row of the keyboard I'd be a happy user. Ctrl and Alt are not enough. And seriously, they are comically large on every chromebook I've owned. Give me a meta key in all that wasted space.

[yjftsjthsd-h]

There's the button that replaced caps lock. I mean, yes, I'd still rather have another button, but it does work in my personal experience.

[slim]

Do google developers develop on Chromebooks ?

[bitwize]

As I understand it, yes, albeit it's much easier at Google than some places. Google is pretty much a supercomputer with a company built around it; the Chromebook can serve as your terminal into that supercomputer, accessing your files, codebase, and other resources all remotely.

[AJRF]

All new devs are given Chromebooks unless they need a specific device (like a MacBook for iOS devs)

[LordDragonfang]

They do, but for the googlers I know it's just as a thin client for their remote desktop software (https://remotedesktop.google.com/).

[xt00]

So wait to be specific here -- is the setup that people develop on:

1. chrome-os device

2. install a debian VM

3. do all their development in a VM where they can easily install packages they need etc?

4. so they are doing dev in a VM on a core-i3 intel machine I guess?

[danwilkerson]

Yup!

[ssss11]

How does it go with things like tracking or serving personalised ads?

Genuine concern with anything google. Current and future risks.

[d3w4s9]

I used a Chromebook for a few months including for software development, but find there are a number of major issues (as of 2021):

* window management was a hit and miss. I was not able to do split screen for a Chrome window and a Linux window (vscode). You can do that for two Chrome windows. A big disappointment * many GUI applications are only available through... Android Play Store, e.g. Cisco Anyconnect. Fortunately this works, but it's not an enjoyable experience. * Chromebook built-in keyboards usually don't have F11 or F12 keys, but you need them as a software developer.

And there are a number of other smaller issues that made me feel it would be easier to stick with a "standard" laptop, although I do think there is a lot of potential. I sold that Chromebook later.

[lucw]

So many people over the years tried to turn their ipad into a remote development machine and failed spectacularly, because of the aggressive app suspend (your ssh/web sessions get disconnceted) and the weird keyboard support in iOS (keyboard shortcuts for text navigation are not the same as PC). In the mean time, ChromeOS is the perfect OS for that. I have my own bare metal server with code-server installed. My chromeos 2-in-1 detachable is absolutely perfect for that usecase, and I can connect my split mech keyboard. Best of all ? I bought that ChromeOS tablet for $180 USD on amazon. It works BETTER for remote development than a $1000 USD ipad.

[eikenberry]

How much of that has been upstreamed? I dug around a little but could only find things on upstreaming kernel patches.

[Bu9818]

What in particular needs to be upstreamed and to what projects?

[amelius]

ChromeOS might be great, but I wish I could just buy it from an OS company, not a company that wants my data.

[wffurr]

Just because it’s a Google product? They use it internally.