Project Crostini (Linux Support) was announced more than 3 years before and now most of the Chromebooks have Linux app support. Before you could install Crostini only on Developer, but thankfully, it is now available for both normal mode and stable channel. Also, Linux has improved considerably in the last two years and has become almost stable to use today.
Here, in this article, we have for you the Top 5 Linux apps on Chromebook that you can use very comfortably right now. There are many helpful programs that have now been included that were not available through the Web or Android apps platform.
Best Linux Apps on Chromebook in 2021
Along with the top 5 Linux apps on Chrome OS, we have also given their installation guide. If you are new to this ecosystem, you might first want to get familiarised with the Linux installation tutorial on Chrome OS first and then continue with this article.
Also, you must keep in mind that everything that is done on the Linux side of things will be saved in the Linux file section in the Files app. Therefore, for using some files, folders, or images you need to first make sure that you move or share it with Linux beforehand.
Top Linux Apps for Chromebooks
1. GIMP
Very popular on Windows, Linux and macOS, GIMP is a cross-platform graphics editor which works very smoothly for amateurs who are new to image editing and are not very well versed with Adobe Photoshop. GIMP is a very simple and effective tool for editing images. You can now use this awesome program on Chromebooks as well, thanks to the support of Linux on Chrome OS. There are various tools on GIMP so if you need a proper image editor on Chrome OS, it will always be your first choice, just as it has been ours.
There is one thing you need to keep in mind, that Linux on Chrome OS does not support hardware acceleration therefore the performance could be a little sloppy. Having said that, it would still be more than usable and you will love it. When in the future, Linux will start supporting hardware acceleration, this app will only get better.
This is how you can install GIMP.
- How to Install: Execute the command given below after you have opened the terminal. After it has been installed, the app will be stored in the app drawer inside the Linux apps folder.
sudo apt-get install gimp
2. Libre Office
You can use some of the Linux programs, instead of Microsoft Office, for documents and word processing on the Chrome OS. Libre Office is one of the top-ranked Linux apps on Chromebook as it is completely free and open-source.
Four programs that are similar to Microsoft Office are bundled in this app that includes a word processor, a spreadsheet program, another for presentation and also, a graphics editor. The app also supports many different file formats that range from Microsoft Word to Apple Pages and Keynote. Thus a change in format or the most obscure formats would not bother you anymore.
- How to Install: Execute the command given below after you have opened the terminal. After it has been installed, the app will be stored in the app drawer inside the Linux apps folder.
sudo apt install libreoffice
3. Master PDF Editor
The Linux apps mentioned till now had both been Linux alternatives of Adobe Photoshop and Microsoft Office on Chromebook, here we will give you another such alternative for Adobe Acrobat which you can use for editing PDFs. Master PDF editor is that app. As the name suggests, it is an excellent program on Linux that you can use to create and edit PDF files.
You can also sign, encrypt, modify, split and annotate PDF documents on the go. So, to sum it up, you will get all the features of a PDF editor on Chrome OS.
- How to Install: First, download the .deb file from http://code-industry.net/public/master-pdf-editor-5.4.38-qt5.amd64.deb and double-click on it to install the application. Then execute the given command in the terminal. Now you can run the application from the app drawer.
sudo apt-get install libsane
4. Wine 5.0
Although Wine isn't a GUI-based app, it is certainly one of the most powerful apps on Linux that you must install on your Chromebook. It acts as a compatibility layer that will enable you to install Windows apps on Chromebook. Using this you can run full-fledged Windows versions of MS Office, IDM, IrfanView, research tools like GraphPad, etc on your Chromebook.
The latest version of the software, i.e. Wine 5.0 will even allow you to run heavy Windows software without any issue. Thus, Wine is a must for you to take full advantage of Linux on Chrome OS
- How to Install: You can just follow a dedicated guide on how to install Windows programs on Chromebook using Wine for this.
5. Steam
Thanks to the Linux support, Steam works very well on Chromebook. You can also play Windows games on Chromebook using the Proton layer that is featured by Steam. But yes all the Windows games don't work with this app.
The installation process is quite simple.
- How to Install: Open http://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/client/installer/steam.deb and download the .DEB file. Then, move it to the Linux files section and double-click on it. The installation will automatically be started by the steam installer.
So these are the Top 5 Linux apps you can use on Chromebook and we would say give them all a roll.
