So this technically isn’t “running Windows software”, but in some cases, it’s just as good.īear in mind that many Linux programs, such as Minecraft, Skype, and Steam, are only available for Intel x86 processors and won’t run on devices with ARM processors.Ĭan I Just Install Windows on My Chromebook? For example, if you want to run games on a Chromebook, Steam for Linux offers many games for Linux, and its catalog continues to expand. Lastly, you may not need to run a Windows program at all-many Windows programs have their own Linux versions, and can run on a Chromebook using Crouton’s Linux desktop without much fiddling. Option Five (Sort Of): Run Linux Software in Developer Mode It still shows a lot of promise for the future of Windows software on Chromebooks, especially if you only need one or two specific programs. In my experience with CrossOver, apps were hit and miss-which is to be expected since the app is still in beta. Once the application has been installed, you can run it alongside your Chrome apps as if it were native. It will search for the appropriate installation files and even download them for you in most cases. When you open the app, you can search for specific Windows software and it will walk you through installing them. It’s still beta, but early testing has been positive.ĬrossOver works similarly to Wine on Chrome OS, but it takes more of a hands-on approach in walking you through installing applications. If you’re using a Chromebook that supports Android apps, an Android app called CrossOver will let you run Windows programs alongside your Chrome apps. Virtual machines also take up a lot of disk space, which Chromebooks don’t often have-not a good combination. Newer Chromebooks modern processors may be able to handle this better than older, slower Chromebooks. Virtual machines are the heaviest way to do this, so you’ll need powerful enough hardware to drive the virtual machine software, Windows, and your desktop applications. You’ll want to have an Intel-based Chromebook to try this out. Important: Typical virtual machine software like VirtualBox won’t function on ARM Chromebooks. ![]() Much like the above option, you’ll need to enable developer mode and install Crouton to get a Linux desktop alongside your Chrome OS system, then install a virtualization program like VirtualBox. Install Windows inside VirtualBox just as you would on a typical computer-you can switch back and forth between your Chrome desktop and Linux desktop with a keyboard shortcut. If Wine doesn’t support the program you want to run, or it’s just too much of a hassle, you can also run a Windows virtual machine from the Linux desktop with Crouton. RELATED: 4+ Ways to Run Windows Software on Linux Option Three: Use Developer Mode and Install a Virtual Machine Consult the Wine application database for more information about supported applications and tweaks you may need. Wine isn’t perfect, so it won’t run every Windows application and may not run some applications without manual tweaking. That said, I would recommend at least trying this option before going through the trouble of setting up Crouton if all you plan on doing is using it for Wine. Keep in mind that this is still very much in beta, so it doesn’t work perfectly. Once Wine is installed on your Chromebook, just launch the app like normal get access to a minimal, emulated version of Windows. Wine is desktop software, and there isn’t a version of Wine designed for Chromebooks…but there are workarounds. Wine is an open-source compatibility layer that allows Windows applications to run on Linux and macOS. Option Two: Use Developer Mode and Install Wine This is ideal for businesses that want to host their own servers and give their users light, thin clients that allow them to remotely access the hosted software.Īs a home user, you could choose to purchase service from a company that would host a Windows desktop for you and allow you to access it remotely, but you’d probably be better off using your own Windows computer instead. ![]() Host Windows Applications on a Remote Server: Chromebooks can use Citrix Receiver to access Windows applications hosted on a Citrix server, or use an RDP client to access a remote desktop hosted on a Windows server. It’s a convenient solution for personal use, but businesses won’t want to manage a separate Windows computer for each Chromebook user. The downside here is that your Windows computer will have to be running at home whenever you need to access it from your Chromebook. ![]() ![]() You’ll be able to connect to your Windows desktop from your Chromebook (or any other computer running Chrome) and have complete control over your remote machine, allowing you to work with Windows applications. You can do this using Google’s Chrome Remote Desktop beta webapp. Access Your Own Windows Computer: If you already have a Windows computer, you can access it remotely and use it to run your Windows software.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |