{"slug": "crostini", "name": "Crostini", "category": "infra", "category_name": "Infrastructure and DevOps", "description": "", "recommenders": 4, "commenters": 8, "warners": 3, "score": 0.466, "rising": -1.31, "first": "2026-05-07", "latest": "2026-05-31", "why": "Crostini and all the layer-cake isolation is wildly impressive!", "why_is_quote": true, "has_verdict": false, "sentiment": {"recommend": 4, "neutral": 0, "compare": 1, "warn": 3}, "spark": [0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 4, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0], "listed": true, "loved": [], "caveat": "", "short_quote": "Crostini and all the layer-cake isolation is wildly impressive!", "kind": "", "icon": false, "domain": "chromium.org", "github_repo": null, "official_url": "", "pricing": "", "aliases": ["Crostini"], "verdict": null, "praise": [{"label": "", "summary": "", "quotes": [{"id": 773620033, "item_id": 48351252, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48351252", "by": "ajross", "date": "2026-05-31", "version": null, "stance": "recommend", "quote": "A modern chromebook with Crostini can run basically any Linux desktop stack you want.", "excerpt": "That sounds like an opinion baked in 2013 and never revisited. A modern chromebook with Crostini can run basically any Linux desktop stack you want. Like, what exactly are the tasks you need from a \"computer that you could use like a normal computer\" that you aren't getting today? As a data point: I'm 100% converted personally. A Chromebook is what goes into my backpack and the device I use for all my general day-to-", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "Chuwi Minibook X"}, {"id": 770835520, "item_id": 48177220, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48177220", "by": "kokada", "date": "2026-05-18", "version": null, "stance": "recommend", "quote": "Crostini fits the \"I want to run a Linux VM\"", "excerpt": "That is also my dream, iPads Pro are very expensive but the hardware is so good (that is including the Magic Keyboard). BTW OP, have you ever tried a hybrid Chromebook tablet like Lenovo Duet 3? This is my favorite device for travel exactly because it is so good as a small Linux machine. Crostini fits the \"I want to run a Linux VM\". You can even use postmarketOS if you want an even more fully Linux experience. I wrot", "context": "", "use_case": "Linux VM on ChromeOS", "switched_from": "", "story": "I turned a $80 RK3562 Android tablet into a Debian Linux workstation"}, {"id": 769833360, "item_id": 48114585, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48114585", "by": "whodidntante", "date": "2026-05-12", "version": null, "stance": "recommend", "quote": "Crostini is kind of a joke, but I use it to remote into real Linux boxes.", "excerpt": "Crostini is kind of a joke, but I use it to remote into real Linux boxes. For me, best of both worlds.", "context": "", "use_case": "Remote access to Linux machines", "switched_from": "", "story": "Googlebook: Designed for Gemini Intelligence \u2013 Coming Fall 2026 \u2013 Googlebook"}, {"id": 769831522, "item_id": 48114470, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48114470", "by": "whodidntante", "date": "2026-05-12", "version": null, "stance": "recommend", "quote": "I use remote VSCode via Crostini to do development work", "excerpt": "I used DOS,then Windows, then Mac for a total of almost 40 years. I think using Windows and OSX are insanity, but to each their own. I now have a machine that boots almost instantly and just works without maintenance, upgrades, or compatibility issues. I can throw it in the river, and for $300 get a machine that will be up and running in about one minute. I can use multiple machines (small/cheap to bring on a trip, l", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "Googlebook: Designed for Gemini Intelligence \u2013 Coming Fall 2026 \u2013 Googlebook"}, {"id": 768830432, "item_id": 48051902, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48051902", "by": "ramses0", "date": "2026-05-07", "version": null, "stance": "recommend", "quote": "Crostini and all the layer-cake isolation is wildly impressive!", "excerpt": "I'm relatively uniquely qualified to weigh in here... I've been linux-native for decades now on my home desktops (debian), and the last time I used windows for work was ~2005-ish with work Mac laptops, and \"disposable\" chromebooks at home for personal use + travel. 1) It started with Crouton (open source, \"let's get access to the underlying linux system\"), and worked pretty well. IIRC you had to switch to \"dev mode\" ", "context": "Linux-native user for decades, uses Chromebooks for personal use and travel", "use_case": "Linux on ChromeOS", "switched_from": "", "story": "I switched from Mac to a Lenovo Chromebook, and you can too"}]}], "caveats": [{"label": "", "summary": "", "quotes": [{"id": 769856260, "item_id": 48116016, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48116016", "by": "Topfi", "date": "2026-05-12", "version": null, "stance": "warn", "quote": "there are measurable performance tradeoffs for anything running via Crostini", "excerpt": "> ChromeOS ships an optimized, platform-specific kernel, built using LLVM with LTO and AutoFDO. Ok. How significant is the difference they gain from that? If this yields such major gains, there must be benchmarks showcasing it. At the same time, there must be reasons why something isn't widely adopted if it can provided tangible upsides. Would be very surprised if Clear Linux (rip) and similar in spirit distros didn'", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "Googlebook: Designed for Gemini Intelligence \u2013 Coming Fall 2026 \u2013 Googlebook"}, {"id": 768952288, "item_id": 48059518, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48059518", "by": "pjmlp", "date": "2026-05-07", "version": null, "stance": "warn", "quote": "Crostini has been WIP for years", "excerpt": "Crostini has been WIP for years, unless you happen to buy a Google device, this is what will happen in most OEMs, https://www.chromium.org/chromium-os/developer-library/guides/containers/containers-and-vms/", "context": "", "use_case": "Linux apps on ChromeOS", "switched_from": "", "story": "I switched from Mac to a Lenovo Chromebook, and you can too"}, {"id": 768833392, "item_id": 48052087, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48052087", "by": "traderj0e", "date": "2026-05-07", "version": null, "stance": "warn", "quote": "this and Crostini both look like there are too many caveats", "excerpt": "Can I put Ubuntu on this and it works exactly the same as on any other ARM machine? Supposedly yes https://docs.getutm.app/guides/ubuntu/ but have you actually done it? Honestly this and Crostini both look like there are too many caveats. I'd just SSH into an Rpi for anything that won't natively run in macOS. And would not even deal with Chromebook. P.S. I +1'd bigyabai's comment only to save it from being marked dea", "context": "", "use_case": "Linux apps on ChromeOS", "switched_from": "", "story": "I switched from Mac to a Lenovo Chromebook, and you can too"}]}], "who": [{"by": "ramses0", "context": "Linux-native user for decades, uses Chromebooks for personal use and travel", "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48051902", "date": "2026-05-07"}], "tags": [], "use_cases": ["linux apps on chromeos", "linux vm on chromeos", "remote development environment", "remote access to linux machines", "linux on chromeos"], "compared": [{"slug": "microsoft-windows", "name": "Microsoft Windows", "co": 3, "switched_from": 0, "switched_to": 0}, {"slug": "chromeos", "name": "ChromeOS", "co": 3, "switched_from": 0, "switched_to": 0}, {"slug": "linux", "name": "Linux", "co": 2, "switched_from": 0, "switched_to": 0}], "makers": [], "threads": [{"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48111545", "title": "Googlebook: Designed for Gemini Intelligence \u2013 Coming Fall 2026 \u2013 Googlebook", "mentions": 4}, {"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48051025", "title": "I switched from Mac to a Lenovo Chromebook, and you can too", "mentions": 3}, {"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48350598", "title": "Chuwi Minibook X", "mentions": 1}, {"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48168668", "title": "I turned a $80 RK3562 Android tablet into a Debian Linux workstation", "mentions": 1}, {"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48114356", "title": "Scrcpy v4.0", "mentions": 1}], "sentiment_by_month": {"2025-11": {}, "2025-12": {}, "2026-01": {}, "2026-02": {}, "2026-03": {}, "2026-04": {}, "2026-05": {"recommend": 4, "warn": 3, "compare": 1}, "2026-06": {}, "2026-07": {}, "2026-08": {}, "2026-09": {}, "2026-10": {}}, "versions": [], "version_unnamed": 0, "quotes": [{"id": 773620033, "item_id": 48351252, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48351252", "by": "ajross", "date": "2026-05-31", "version": null, "stance": "recommend", "quote": "A modern chromebook with Crostini can run basically any Linux desktop stack you want.", "excerpt": "That sounds like an opinion baked in 2013 and never revisited. A modern chromebook with Crostini can run basically any Linux desktop stack you want. Like, what exactly are the tasks you need from a \"computer that you could use like a normal computer\" that you aren't getting today? As a data point: I'm 100% converted personally. A Chromebook is what goes into my backpack and the device I use for all my general day-to-", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "Chuwi Minibook X"}, {"id": 770835520, "item_id": 48177220, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48177220", "by": "kokada", "date": "2026-05-18", "version": null, "stance": "recommend", "quote": "Crostini fits the \"I want to run a Linux VM\"", "excerpt": "That is also my dream, iPads Pro are very expensive but the hardware is so good (that is including the Magic Keyboard). BTW OP, have you ever tried a hybrid Chromebook tablet like Lenovo Duet 3? This is my favorite device for travel exactly because it is so good as a small Linux machine. Crostini fits the \"I want to run a Linux VM\". You can even use postmarketOS if you want an even more fully Linux experience. I wrot", "context": "", "use_case": "Linux VM on ChromeOS", "switched_from": "", "story": "I turned a $80 RK3562 Android tablet into a Debian Linux workstation"}, {"id": 769888673, "item_id": 48118042, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48118042", "by": "lern_too_spel", "date": "2026-05-12", "version": null, "stance": "compare", "quote": "match Crostini by the end of the year", "excerpt": "That's not a new feature. ChromeOS has had app streaming since 2023. https://chromeunboxed.com/chromebook-app-streaming-guide-limitations-recommendations/ Similarly, the other features for the Googlebook are just normal features from Google's Android builds. The announcement is really that there will be a Chromebook Plus class of devices running the new Android-based ChromeOS, so everything in Android now comes to th", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "Scrcpy v4.0"}, {"id": 769876816, "item_id": 48117301, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48117301", "by": "whodidntante", "date": "2026-05-12", "version": null, "stance": "neutral", "quote": "I use Crostini to remote into these boxes to do any development", "excerpt": "It is very simple: I have multiple Chromebooks and an extra monitor, and use Google for files, email, photos. I can grab my cheap Chromebook and throw it into my backpack, don't bother with a case. I have learned to live without using installed apps. I have a couple of beelink boxes at home that I stash in the corner of a room, connected to my home wireless. I use Crostini to remote into these boxes to do any develop", "context": "", "use_case": "remote development environment", "switched_from": "", "story": "Googlebook: Designed for Gemini Intelligence \u2013 Coming Fall 2026 \u2013 Googlebook"}, {"id": 769856260, "item_id": 48116016, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48116016", "by": "Topfi", "date": "2026-05-12", "version": null, "stance": "warn", "quote": "there are measurable performance tradeoffs for anything running via Crostini", "excerpt": "> ChromeOS ships an optimized, platform-specific kernel, built using LLVM with LTO and AutoFDO. Ok. How significant is the difference they gain from that? If this yields such major gains, there must be benchmarks showcasing it. At the same time, there must be reasons why something isn't widely adopted if it can provided tangible upsides. Would be very surprised if Clear Linux (rip) and similar in spirit distros didn'", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "Googlebook: Designed for Gemini Intelligence \u2013 Coming Fall 2026 \u2013 Googlebook"}, {"id": 769833360, "item_id": 48114585, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48114585", "by": "whodidntante", "date": "2026-05-12", "version": null, "stance": "recommend", "quote": "Crostini is kind of a joke, but I use it to remote into real Linux boxes.", "excerpt": "Crostini is kind of a joke, but I use it to remote into real Linux boxes. For me, best of both worlds.", "context": "", "use_case": "Remote access to Linux machines", "switched_from": "", "story": "Googlebook: Designed for Gemini Intelligence \u2013 Coming Fall 2026 \u2013 Googlebook"}, {"id": 769831522, "item_id": 48114470, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48114470", "by": "whodidntante", "date": "2026-05-12", "version": null, "stance": "recommend", "quote": "I use remote VSCode via Crostini to do development work", "excerpt": "I used DOS,then Windows, then Mac for a total of almost 40 years. I think using Windows and OSX are insanity, but to each their own. I now have a machine that boots almost instantly and just works without maintenance, upgrades, or compatibility issues. I can throw it in the river, and for $300 get a machine that will be up and running in about one minute. I can use multiple machines (small/cheap to bring on a trip, l", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "Googlebook: Designed for Gemini Intelligence \u2013 Coming Fall 2026 \u2013 Googlebook"}, {"id": 768952288, "item_id": 48059518, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48059518", "by": "pjmlp", "date": "2026-05-07", "version": null, "stance": "warn", "quote": "Crostini has been WIP for years", "excerpt": "Crostini has been WIP for years, unless you happen to buy a Google device, this is what will happen in most OEMs, https://www.chromium.org/chromium-os/developer-library/guides/containers/containers-and-vms/", "context": "", "use_case": "Linux apps on ChromeOS", "switched_from": "", "story": "I switched from Mac to a Lenovo Chromebook, and you can too"}, {"id": 768833392, "item_id": 48052087, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48052087", "by": "traderj0e", "date": "2026-05-07", "version": null, "stance": "warn", "quote": "this and Crostini both look like there are too many caveats", "excerpt": "Can I put Ubuntu on this and it works exactly the same as on any other ARM machine? Supposedly yes https://docs.getutm.app/guides/ubuntu/ but have you actually done it? Honestly this and Crostini both look like there are too many caveats. I'd just SSH into an Rpi for anything that won't natively run in macOS. And would not even deal with Chromebook. P.S. I +1'd bigyabai's comment only to save it from being marked dea", "context": "", "use_case": "Linux apps on ChromeOS", "switched_from": "", "story": "I switched from Mac to a Lenovo Chromebook, and you can too"}, {"id": 768830432, "item_id": 48051902, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48051902", "by": "ramses0", "date": "2026-05-07", "version": null, "stance": "recommend", "quote": "Crostini and all the layer-cake isolation is wildly impressive!", "excerpt": "I'm relatively uniquely qualified to weigh in here... I've been linux-native for decades now on my home desktops (debian), and the last time I used windows for work was ~2005-ish with work Mac laptops, and \"disposable\" chromebooks at home for personal use + travel. 1) It started with Crouton (open source, \"let's get access to the underlying linux system\"), and worked pretty well. IIRC you had to switch to \"dev mode\" ", "context": "Linux-native user for decades, uses Chromebooks for personal use and travel", "use_case": "Linux on ChromeOS", "switched_from": "", "story": "I switched from Mac to a Lenovo Chromebook, and you can too"}]}