Chrome OS Flex: Google’s New PC OS

[@andrekz9138]

I enjoy watching these videos showing extremely light OSs working on old hardware. It's very inspiring

[@anthonyfmoss]

So do I! It’s quite a thing for me.

[@g-r-a-e-m-e-]

But really old systems are not 64bit.

[@tomaszwojcik8772]

Try antix linux - allow to watch youtube 720p, run libre office, is very responsvie on core2duo. Uses around 200MB of RAM after starting!

[@SupremeNerd]

@@g-r-a-e-m-e- the point is that it works even on 32 bit

[@g-r-a-e-m-e-]

@@SupremeNerd when I searched I got responses, including Google itself, saying no 32bit. So I would like to believe you are right, but are you? If someone has tried it, please leave a comment.

[@chrisrasmussen5018]

It’s cool to see how far Chrome OS on unsupported devices has come in the last decade. From the Hexxeh releases compiled by a high school kid in England to releases formally made by Google for developers.

[@caminoprojectUS]

hexxah was forced to quit by the terms of employment

[@tarotnomad]

It's been absolute YEARS since I've heard the name Hexxeh! Blast to the past, bruh!

[@tinto278]

youtube bots getting better with their posts.

[@ad1340yt]

chrome os flex isn't made specifically towards developers

[@DanielBrosman08211986]

It would be cool to see how Apple someday in the future to start to be open source with there products, but it is too bad that Apple is sortof like a private company in where Apple dislikes the fact that they wont get together with Asus or LG, HP.

[@DS-uq5ks]

Chris's idea to use diskpart is a great idea, certainly for more than just this! You can also uninstall the software from the USB using the same tool. Select the gear in the top right corner of the window when prompted to identify your Chromebook and you will see the selection, erase recovery media. In my experience, plugging the drive into Windows generates several open windows and formatting notices, since my default is to open the window on USB folders.

[@CharloBagis]

I installed Chrome OS flex on my 11 year old Fujitsu AH531, which is not on the list of tested devices but I had nothing to lose and gave it a try. I was impressed with the performance, much better than the Lubuntu distribution I had before

[@houghwhite411]

Interesting

[@iibrahimov]

Whats your pc specs?

[@CharloBagis]

@@iibrahimov it's an 11 year old core 2 duo processor with 8GB RAM and 240 GB SSD

[@keibohow69]

how does it perform witout no internet.

[@a740g]

Yes. The only useful thing is the browser (if you are ok using a spyware that is). The Linux environment (Crostini) runs like crap due to emulation. This thing is good for grandmas. Any serious users or devs should stick with a real Linux distro.

[@dougcollins9980]

Just tried this out on an old Dell Studio laptop (nice 17" screen and better than normal sound) that originally came with Windows Vista. I replaced the original HDD with a 250GB SATA SSD and loaded Chrome OS Flex - and it all runs very nicely. Even the built in media player touch panel works (Volume controls and Play, Pause Stop buttons) - and it can cope with 1080 video on KZbin. Very impressed so far. However the one issue that seems to be quite common is that printer support is unpredictable - especially when you want to use an older printer. While both WiFi and USB printing is potentially supported the range of printer models that work is limited - and you can't install any drivers to get around unsupported printer issues. With a WiFi enabled printer that refuses to work you may have a manual setup option if the printer supports IPP (Internet Printer Protocol). However if you only have USB cable connection it appears you are limited to the printers in the supported printers database - and even those can be removed by Google at any time due to age. Many reports of printers working for months and then you get the dreaded ".... printer is no longer available" - basically Google saying "your printer is too old buy a new one". The system can still see the printer and display it's description - but you can no longer Save it to the active printer list. It seems printer support for older printers is best for HP printers, and much less so for older Epson and Canon models. For other manufacturers it is really only very recent models that are likely to be supported. Even current printers often make no mention of Chrome OS support in published specs - you have to go to Chromebook support pages to see if a particular printer is listed as supported.

[@pocketlite5012]

Vista would be better than Flex if it came from 2008+

[@rmcguirephoto]

I've been very impressed with ChromeOS Flex after playing with it on a 10-year-old laptop. I like that it can run many Linux programs, and can also run web-based Microsoft Office, so most of the applications I use regularly can be duplicated on ChromeOS Flex. The exception, of course, is the Adobe applications, however there are some open-source alternatives, which are functional, but less elegant. It's unfortunate that you can't run Android applications, but hopefully that will be added to a future release.

[@dh2032]

it is puzzling, about on Android support, it basically the same thing isn't it bit of cosmetic makeover job done?

[@Sheepy007]

@@dh2032 just a tactic to keep the sale of genuine chromebooks running. Otherwise no one would buy any of those

[@sixdroid]

and you install Linux at least you have a full OS. this doesn't run even the store.

[@lolocaust4967]

@@dh2032 No. Android is loosely based on Java.

[@stevelarner9012]

@@Sheepy007 This is why they bought Neverware, to take over CloudReady and protect their intellectual property.

[@perrypereyra6671]

never thought I'd fall in love with 2010s kind-of-video; please don't change

[@chakko007]

Yep, it's great. Although I would rather call it pre-2000's kind of video. I mean, the fella looks and talks as if he was straight from the 80's or 90's. 😉

[@under6075]

@@chakko007 maybe because he probably did come from the 80's or 90's

[@igfoobar]

This proves that Marc Andreesen was correct: the web has replaced Windows as the primary operating system for end users. It's too bad Netscape didn't live to see its victory.

[@alvallac2171]

Firefox is a descendant of Netscape, so in a way it lives on through that. Netscape → Mozilla Seamonkey → Phoenix, renamed to Firebird, renamed to Firefox.

[@michaelmcdonald2348]

netscape was great until they ditched stand alone navigator for the awful bloated communicator

[@SupremeNerd]

@@alvallac2171 actually Seamonkey came after Firefox and Firebird was a Calendar. Seamonkey still exists

[@mstcrow5429]

Most end users use Windows. Chrome OS market share is low, although still significant.

[@igfoobar]

@@mstcrow5429 How much did Microsoft pay you to say that?

[@igfoobar]

I love how Chris has transformed his sign off schpiel into something that is now starting to sound like a song.

[@bradw256]

Chris, thanks for your video. I've been using Chrome OS Flex on an old (2011) Apple Mac Mini that's no longer supported, and it works very well. I love the idea of running a simple OS on older hardware. I've been using this for months, and I'm very happy with it. Thank you again for your video.

[@interrobangings]

Ever tried OpenCore Legacy Patcher?

[@ahmedjaafar689]

@@interrobangingsalthough you could use it to install new mac os like i did. The old hardware can’t keep up with the new software i tried it and it worked good but my computer was running at max to keep up and got really hot

[@interrobangings]

@@ahmedjaafar689 depends the model, i guess

[@mannkeithc]

You can also use the Chrome OS recovery utility to erase Chrome OS recovery media from the USB drive, so it can be reformatted by normal means. Just click on the cog icon in the top RH corner of the utility's window.

[@ExplainingComputers]

Thanks for this. A very important point.

[@tramcrazy]

I installed Flex on an old HP laptop today, and it’s exceptionally responsive and fast. A perfect computer for light use by my family.

[@ExplainingComputers]

Great to hear -- a good result! :)

[@Praxibetel-Ix]

I remember the two occasions in which I used ChromeOS and enjoyed it quite a bit. ChromeOS Flex definitely shows a lot of promise and I can see it becoming just as good an alternative to Windows as the other one!

[@terrydaktyllus1320]

"Just as good as Windows" really isn't saying very much.

[@Praxibetel-Ix]

@@terrydaktyllus1320 It's something. :P

[@terrydaktyllus1320]

@@Praxibetel-Ix No, it isn't. Trust me on this. The only thing that makes Microsoft "slghtly less evil" when it comes to user data privacy is the fact that they are "behind the curve" in comparison to Facebook and Google - but rest assured that Microsoft have every intention of getting their share of the "user data pie" as the other two. Oh, and Apple are the current third member of "The Evil Trifecta" with Google and Facebook - but you can avoid Apple completely by not being a "silly magpie" and buying their "overpriced shiny things" in the first place.

[@Praxibetel-Ix]

@@terrydaktyllus1320 Ah, I get it now. Luckily, I think Apple stuff is overrated and overpriced so that's easy for me to avoid. Sadly however, I use Google stuff and Facebook every single day and for a lot of things too so there ain't no way of going cold turkey from them.

[@terrydaktyllus1320]

@@Praxibetel-Ix I rid myself of Facebook two years ago, I did it "cold turkey" and I now consider it one of the best things that I did in respect of my data privacy. I still use *some* Google services (obviously KZbin) but my multiple Android phones and devices are all de-Googled and I don't have to log into any of them - therefore Google does not track me through any of those. The pseudonym account I am using now is ONLY used on Google with a specific burner phone number that none of my friends or family. Therefore I am not associated to anyone else known to Google. There are a few more things you can do to get to around 90% of what I consider to be anonymity on the Internet - but it depends on multiple unlinked identities that cannot be tracked through mobile device location. For example, if Google sees that two of my identities spend much of their time in the same location (e.g. at my home) then they can associate them to the same household, maybe even the same person. My day job is cybersecurity and I enjoy staying ahead of privacy thieves anyway. Only you can decide what's more important to you - easy and "free" services, or your privacy.

[@izzieb]

I have installed Chromium OS on other devices before. I think I'd rather install that on a device than Chrome OS Flex with all of Google's extra proprietary bits and "metrics".

[@ravitejaknts]

But Chrome OS has better connectivity with Android.

[@markbracegirdle7110]

@@ravitejaknts Not the Flex version.

[@terrydaktyllus1320]

@@ravitejaknts Not the AOSP version of Android either.

[@ravitejaknts]

@@markbracegirdle7110 ooh. I use Chrome OS on chromebook. So....

[@CommodoreFan64]

@@ravitejaknts Chrome OS Flex is based on Neverware Cloudready OS Home Edition, and it's never had Google Play Store access, and does not look like it will anytime soon, even a lot of official Chrome OS devices never got Google Play Store access. IMHO this is something Google really needs to fix allowing it across the board with a checkbox saying something like Android apps may, or may not work use at your own risk, or they should just drop it all together, and tell people if they want Android apps then get an Android tablet/phone.

[@DavidGreen_au]

My expectation of a "PC OS" would be one that can operate both OS and installed Apps "offline". Considering this is "installed", it would seem that very little is resident on the PC, and very much reliant on a cloud server to process the PC interaction. A lack of network connectivity would equate to a PC lobotomy. … I am very much a fan of locally resident executables, and local data, on my PCs 😀

[@dwajdawjawodjawo]

why do you look like bill gates brother?

[@jaja-ft1rw]

Haha, i was thinking the same. 😂

[@3ofSpades]

He’s not Bill Gates, he’s Gill Bates.

[@agm-i7t]

😅

[@encycl07pedia-]

I like the idea of Chrome OS (never tried Flex) for most end users that only need an internet machine with light office use. But for me, a lightweight non-cloud OS is far more attractive. I have an Asus Chromebit (Chrome OS HDMI stick) that I used to use as a "smart TV," but it's currently collecting dust.

[@wrxs1781]

Another good video Chris, the attraction for myself and presumably many others for the Chrome OS Flex, is you do not need a heavily weighted Windows operating system just to go to the browser. Constant windows updates, annoying news and weather pop ups, plus an operating system that gobbles up resources and is slow to start.

[@sunriseshell]

...and will run on older/lower spec hardware.

[@MattExzy]

I'm becoming increasingly frustrated with the way modern OSs are going. I'm in a quandary about what to jump to... I ditched OS X from 10.7 to come to Windows (Snow Leopard was my favourite OS ever) - I see that now OS X is increasingly just like iOS and full of distractions. Windows 7 was great - then came 10. Begrudgingly got used to it. Ubuntu is frustrating and I don't want to chase Linux flavours. This might be a viable option. I think the problem is, everyone is trying to make their OS your best friend or something - I just want it to be in the background and not bug me all the time, which is what they're increasingly doing.

[@sunriseshell]

Absolutely. I had to downgrade a couple machines to Win 8.1 to make them usable again. 10 has become a bloated mess.

[@andrewjohn2124]

Most stuff I do on the computer I do in the browser anyway.

[@andrewjohn2124]

@@sunriseshell My Windows 10 now runs so slow I wanted to throw it against the wall. That is why most of my computer time is on my Acer 315 Chromebook...running Chrome OS 105 stable channel.

[@marcdraco2189]

I'm troubled by the way that PC World (UK) are flogging Chromebook's to people even though they would be better served with a traditional PC. WE know that ChromeOS is a cloud OS but not everyone does. In fact, for CloudOS I'd rather use FriendOS and give Google and their spyware a very wide berth.

[@bertblankenstein3738]

I agree with you. I don't need cloudy days.

[@AndrewTSq]

I use my Chromebook more than my main PC. How many people do buy a computer today and does not use the net in some way? Anyway I also have the Linux part enabled in my chromebook, so I can run Linux software (like visual studio code, and arduino ide) at the same time as I use chromeos. and if you want to, you can login to chromebook as guest, so no userid or password needed.

[@ArniesTech]

They are vendors. Profit amd margin is their #1 concern (not judging here). As long as the consumers dont assume harm being done upon them, the vendor is fine 💪😄

[@derekp2674]

Now that Currys PC World is almost the only high street retailer of PC's in the UK, they can easily sell more or less whatever they want to non tech savvy customers who want to buy a new computer. I like Chromebooks as a much simpler alternative to Windows PCs, but they are definitely not a 'like-for-like' replacement for a Windows PC. Given that I use Android phones and KZbin, I'm not too bothered about using other Google products and service.

[@marcdraco2189]

@@ArniesTech true. But in many cases these machines are “not fit for purpose ” because they won’t Microsoft Office (locally) or many more Windows apps and running Linux is not a solution for these buyers. Even Crossover Office cant fix that and you’re left at the hands of Google after spending more than you could have gotten a workable (less well-known brand). If more people knew this right as a buyer, I’d bet a lot of machine would be returned as “not fit for purpose”. The problem is most people don’t know this and just assume, getting caught out later and then left with no choice but to quietly buy a different PC that does run Windows (or MacOS) and will run major applications from these vendors. It has a place but it’s a niche and too few people know that. Believing that Google is the be all and end all, largely as a result of the success of Android phones. I could rant on for hours but I’m on a mobile.

[@devnull256]

Great! Can't wait to try ChromeOS Flex on my old laptop! As for Chromebook Recovery Utility plugin: no need to use diskedit to clean partitions afterwards: in fact I used this Chrome plugin before on many occasions specifically to clean partitions from stubborn USB drives ("cog" icon [top right] ->Erase recovery media), even when all Windows tools (diskmgmt.msc & diskedit) fail. It also runs from MS Edge, which is Chrome-based nowadays.

[@jose.inestroza]

Greetings to everyone. As always such a fantastic content from Mr. C.B.. I'm using Chrome OS Flex including the use of the Linux Containers, with Java Enterprise Edition on Eclipse 2022-03, Git, Python 3.x with no issues at all, for over a month now on a 4th generation Intel with way more than 4GB of RAM and the system feels like a powerhouse in my perspective, on a 9 years old HP Laptop with its original HDD (no SSD). Seems like it is truly a viable option for everyone to buy brand new "old generation hardware", lets say like Intel 6th Gen and up, to use as everyday computer, and not just for learning, but for doing real work like teaching, software development & research. #NoMoreeWaste

[@ExplainingComputers]

Great to hear that you are using this. I'm now running it permanently on a PC I have connected to me TV. :)

[@ernestoditerribile]

Haha software development. Try Microsoft Visual Studio or Xcode on it. I can tell you it won’t work. Nano will probably your best bet if you want to do software development on that crap.

[@monkeymania2719]

@@ExplainingComputers You got rid of ubuntu on your media pc? Does chrome os flex impact streaming or quality of video in any way? Is it running faster than ubuntu?

[@ExplainingComputers]

@@monkeymania2719 Streaming is running very well indeed (at least for KZbin, Disney+ and BBC iPlayer, which is what I watch). Local video playback (I use the PC to check my KZbin videos on a TV before upload) is also very good, and a better experience than using the default video player in Ubuntu. Boot and shutdown are faster than Ubuntu (which was running well). Shutdown is particularly nice -- open the menu and click the button and its off -- no messing around with confirmations, which is nice on a system controller via a wireless keyboard and touchpad). :) Overall, Ubuntu is a very good full operating system. But Chrome OS Flex does simple things very simply, which is what I need on a media PC (although I also often open up Google Docs on it too!).

[@aquaponieee]

Although. I feel like Windows will run just fine on any hardware ChromeOS runs fine on. Windows 10 actually runs acceptably on my Pentium T4200. Imo Linux is still the best solution for ancient hardware. ChromeOS is more like, for kids and people who find Windows too hard to use and just want a web browser, not necessarily just an OS for old hardware

[@kylecurtis9782]

Wish I had a computing teacher like you when I was at school!

[@PeterJasper]

Thanks for another informative video. ChromeOS Flex looks like a great option for some aging laptops/notebooks, but not too old if they have to be 64 bit and have 4 GB of RAM. Old computers never die they just get updated operating systems ...

[@ArniesTech]

If 32 bit is your concern, I'd go with Debian 32-bit with GNOME desktop as it has a rsther similar look and feel.

[@erriezzanslounge1380]

mine doesn't works its just black and white colour and stuck on start up screen i guess my processor was too old even 64bit.

[@ArniesTech]

@@erriezzanslounge1380 what machine do you have? I habe revived PCs as old as 2001 with Linux perfectly fine.

[@sihamhamda47]

I want to install Chrome OS Flex, but I don't want to completely wipe out ALL of my data in my 1TB SSD (because Chrome OS installation is formatting all the drive partition). So I decided to dualboot my drive with Linux mint and Windows 10 until I can buy another SSD for my laptop

[@MarkTheMorose]

@@ArniesTech Agreed; it's all about choosing the right distribution. I have an old 32-bit Atom netbook that, even with just 1GB of RAM, runs Antix Linux quite well.

[@smada36]

I tried playing with this a couple of weeks ago. During this 09:37 part of the install is where it all went horridly wrong. It doesn't give you the option of where to install the OS. A major problem as I found out! It did not chose the lovely clean SSD at SATA0, it chose to chew its way through an HDD that had Linux data on it. Thank heavens for disk images, but unplug any other drives if you install this!

[@abzzeus]

I never leave any drives other than the one I'm installing to in. KISS - I don't trust the OS not to do something screwy like put the boot on the second drive and the OS on the first!

[@smada36]

@@abzzeus Yes, that is certainly true for Windows, but with Linux, I like to install the Home folder on a resident drive, and the OS on a removable drive. It's just how that PC is set up as a test rig. It is why the drive was in there. Lesson learned though, and this is why I keep disk images on the NAS. However, I do feel the installer is lacking by not giving the choice.

[@ArniesTech]

Since it reminds me of the GNOME desktop, I rather stick to GNU/Linux with Gnome desktop 🙏🤗

[@Bluejohn]

Excellent video, i followed your instructions yesterday to give new life to an old laptop which had already had so many distros on it over the years that it had become a little unstable, now works perfectly, and it's quick too, so thank you very much.

[@Bluejohn]

@Chris The Geek , Linux , FOSS , BSD etc Just an update .I put Chrome os flex on the wife's old laptop as she only uses facebook and nothing else. It worked fine for about a month, then wouldn't boot up. I reloaded the os, still wouldn't boot. Re-downloaded the os from a different source and hey presto it's working again...... for now. Iv'e since tried to load it on another old laptop but it continually hung half way through the installation, I don't think i would ever put it on my own desktop pc but if you have only limited requirements........maybe.

[@werecynicalwhywolf8700]

Hello Chris. May I give you a sugestion ? A much simpler way to wipe clean USB sticks used in such way is using the Raspberry Pi Image utility. Even as an advenced user, I highly recommend it due to its simplicity and easy of use. You can reformat USB sticks in FAT32 and ExFAT very easily and it has the benefit of "guiding" less experienced users avoiding accidents. Thank you for the video.

[@ExplainingComputers]

This is true, although they are not quite as clean as using Diskpart in Windows. What the Pi Imager does is the same as what SD Card Formatter does, I which prefer for that level of drive recovery.

[@markbracegirdle7110]

An even simpler method is to use the Chromebook Recovery Utility again, and choose the Erase recovery media option from the menu. You can also use it to create other installation media, by choosing the Use local media option. Jist change the file extension from iso to bin. Very useful app IMO, and well worth keeping.

[@terrydaktyllus1320]

Actually, one of the most thorough ways to clean any writeable media is to use a one line command with the Linux "dd" utility to just write zeroes to ever sector of the media.

[@SenileOtaku]

I usually just run "sudo dd if=/dev/zero of=/dev/sdX bs=1M count=10". clears off the partition & boot records, and the USB will effectively be blank (technically not, but as far as ant partition, imaging, etc software is concerned, blank anyway).

[@ericgeorge1797]

Can we all agree his video never fails to entrain us

[@SchoolforHackers]

Absolutely.

[@alvallac2171]

Did you mean entertain?

[@frankbohnen2347]

Very nice, made me digging up an old Laptop and trying it out. I'm impressed, works like a charm. Thank you for your video.👍 Specs on the System: Compaq 610 year 2009, Core Duo T5870@2GHz and 4 GB RAM.

[@ExplainingComputers]

Great to hear that it worked. :)

[@glennstrandgulliksen]

My go-to channel for anything computer related i´m wondering about 👌

[@AndrewAHayes]

I have just dusted off my old Raspberry Pi B to use with a 7" touchscreen to connect with Octoprint, I have tried Octodash and Octoscreen but have not been impressed by either of them so I decided to run the Octoprint browser UI from the original Pi on RPi OS Legacy 32 bit as I get all my plugins running but I will also try the Kiosk browser as well, except I forgot that the original Pi does not have WiFi and I used to run it with ethernet and the room I am running this particular 3D printer in is the only room in the house that does not have ethernet as I ran out of cat6 when installing it, Amazon to the rescue with a WiFi dongle!

[@waynebickell1793]

I've been playing around with this from a USB stick on an old ThinkPad since it was released. It was only a matter of time before you got around to reviewing it.

[@ExplainingComputers]

:)

[@edwardharding5677]

Great video as always, I love these type of videos! I would like it if you could create a tutorial/series on how to set up a basic AWS server with Active Directory and File Sharing as I am really interested in that and would like to know more about it. All the other guides that I have been looking into are really long and complicated and I would love a series or video from you demonstrating how to set it up. Thanks again for this video.

[@ExplainingComputers]

Thanks for this. I did an intro to AWS here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/naGte4mEbpaVntU

[@edwardharding5677]

@@ExplainingComputers I have never seen this before. Thanks!

[@edwardharding5677]

Just watched the AWS intro and it was very good (as always) but I would like to know if you could do a more in-depth setup of AWS with Active Directory and File Sharing as I want to get into that area of computing. Thanks again for this. I always love watching your videos!

[@pshearduk]

Maybe use Azure instead, for a more native AD experience

[@fmlazar]

As of now the Chrome OS Flex (Unstable) has been changed to Chrome OS Flex as it's now out of beta. Do note that if you try to install this on a machine with multiple platters, you have no control over which platters it uses which it will completely wipe.

[@RealBillP]

Thanks! Another Great Video! Thanks for all of the knowledge that YOU share with the World!

[@ExplainingComputers]

Thanks for your support Bill, most appreciated. :)

[@EcoHamletsUK]

Back in the 1990s, I visited a new client and found someone typing data into an IBM dumb terminal, connected down a phone line to a mainframe operated by a bureaux. I sold them a PC and they took control of their data in house, with all the freedom that gave them. Now we seem to be going back to dumb terminals, but hidden behind a flashy GUI, rather than a green text only screen! Flex would be no good on my oldest laptop, an Acer Travelmate. I upgraded it to the maximum 4Gb, but found the display grabs 1Gb of that, leaving only 3Gb usable. It runs fine dual booting Linux Mint and Windows 7!

[@Davidorino]

By the Way, you mentioned how you can reformat the bootable USB with diskpart, but I found that using a SD Card Formator made by the SD Association works great and poses no hassle with the command prompt on windows!

[@ExplainingComputers]

Yes, agreed -- SD Card Formatter is a great tool for this, although there are rare occasions when only Diskpart does the job.

[@SupremeNerd]

you dont even need to use the command prompt for erasing disks or partitions

[@BarnOwl61]

I wanted to get rid of my very old Lenovo Thinkpad laptop and have already removed the hard drive. Now, I am going to make it into a Chromebook instead. Thanks! 😊

[@ExplainingComputers]

:)

[@PS_Tube]

Greetings Chris. Flex edition of Chrome OS appears to be a nice option to bring aging systems back to life.

[@ExplainingComputers]

Exactly. And it boots fast and closes down fast.

[@meh3247]

There are far better ways.

[@ArniesTech]

@@meh3247 I would go with Linux + GNOME, if Chrome OS is the look/feel of choice.

[@LosPeregrinos51]

Thanks for this, got there - eventually! Tried loading it on a HP Elitebook 6930p and managed to lock the HD - "no system disc" Tried again and again, even tried Ubuntu 22.04, every time with the same result - "no system disc" Then dug out a 12 year old HP 625 (I never throw old computers out!) and installed a freshly laundered HD and tried Flex on that. Works like a dream! Then tried another HD in the same computer with Ubuntu - again, works like a dream. So there you go, if it doesn't work it's not necessarily YOU that's at fault it might just be machine incompatibility. Now if I could just figure out how to NOT have to sign into Google every time I switch on . . . .

[@billermanthegreat]

As a former Support engineer for Neverware I find this to be an interesting project. Hopefully they keep updating Chrome OS Flex

[@Colin_Ames]

Something else to put on my “Must try because Chris showed it to me” list. Thanks!

[@markharrisllb]

It looks very interesting indeed. It certainly looks more professional than ChromeOS which seemed aimed at my age group (boomers), people who generally want to browse the net and social media. In a few years I can see Flex becoming a genuine challenger to Windows. My concern is the data they gather. I know it might be impossible to cover in one video but I’d love to see a comparison of how secure each system is. From a hacker/virus/malware perspective and from a data leak perspective. I don’t mean every Linux system but maybe the two main derivatives Arch and Debian. It would have to be by someone extremely knowledgeable, open minded to different systems, trusted by their viewers and has the ability to explain things in a way even I understand. The initials CB would be an added benefit, if only I could think of someone…

[@SolarWebsite]

You're not being very precise 😉

[@markharrisllb]

@@hansmatos2504 Lol! It took a minute for the penny to drop, I very nearly missed the joke.

[@PURPLESPARKLESFASHIONE4]

it would be really nice if google put the google play store into it.

[@paulmiller591]

Thanks Chris, great video. It is great to know of such an option. Especially useful for friends wanting a simple low cost option for friends and ideally their kids.

[@MrTrilbe]

There's still only 3 options ChromeOS Flex still runs on top of a Linux Kernel, it's a Gentoo spin specifically

[@MiniRockerz4ever]

Well you can install android on old laptops too, or you gonna say that's still linux? Bliss OS worked better than x86 for me, and I have not tried any other.

[@MrTrilbe]

@@MiniRockerz4ever blissOS runs better than x86... I think you need to edit that....

[@Manian488]

I was using cloud ready on the old PC for some time, also it brought new life to old laptop HP stream (god knows why shipped with win10 that was unusable on these specs). Very glad to see Chrome OS Flex is finally out ! Can't wait to try it !

[@diegoarthur]

I've been on a journey to find a new use to my 12 year old EEE Pc for 4 years already. Maybe chromeos flex will give it a fresh new beginning (tried Neverware before). Thanks for the tip.

[@deanstyles2567]

Might depend on the processor with a 64bit requirement.

[@ExplainingComputers]

It will depend on the CPU -- if it is 64-bit, you should be OK. If 32-bit, sadly not. Fingers crossed!

[@ArniesTech]

I have a ASUS EeePC 1015PX with 1GB RAM and Intel Atom N450 CPU (64bit). I highly recommend Linux + a lightweight desktop like LXQT.

[@gregholloway2656]

I have an EEE 701 from 2007 that I still use daily. I’m running Antix Linux, because it only requires a 32 bit processor, without PAE. Most other light Linux distros require PAE or too much RAM.

[@diegoarthur]

Thanks for the tips, everyone! Its a 64-bit processor, so I can give it a try, but will also check Antix, as i have never heard about it before.

[@rogerkoh1979]

Maybe i can use on my old x86 sbc. Thanks for showing the chrome os flex.

[@johnknight9150]

Brilliant, I've been waiting for this for a few years now but this completely passed me by! I hope someone makes it available as a simple ISO so I can just use Etcher. 4 GB of RAM is a bit more than I was hoping for in minimum specs, but it sounds like a challenge to me -- I've got to try it on a 2 GB machine now. Never respect the so-called "minimum-requirements"!

[@ExplainingComputers]

Do let us know how you get on with 2GB RAM. I agree that minimum requirements are often to be taken with a pinch of salt. :)

[@gaptastic]

I never messed with chrome OS, but I just downloaded it and will give it a check!

[@nielderfp]

Very nice but the reason why I prefer Linux is that they do not need to know anything about me.

[@Gavinconaghty]

I tend to agree. This is going to be very popular IMHO

[@RoboNuggie]

Very informative and although I'm not a fan of cloud based computing, it does look promising for educational use. Oh, and you are a star for listing FreeBSD as an option for PC OS install.... thank you Christopher!

[@3inherjar]

I got a bit of a fond feeling seeing FreeBSD too. It was my daily driver for a long time. I have recently moved to Linux from Mac and I did consider FreeBSD for a while, but I realized that it is maybe too far from being a desktop computer on a current laptop.

[@JHatLpool]

A nice, clear demonstration here. Google Flex OS looks very good.

[@ExplainingComputers]

Thanks. Chrome OS Flex remains one of my favourite OS. It's stylish and just works.

[@deanstyles2567]

ChromeOS Flex looks very interesting, thanks Chris 🙂 Google have apparently discontinued Chrome apps, so how are Chrome Canvas and the like 'installed' in ChromeOS? Does Flex support Linux apps? I don't see the Play Store so I suspect Android apps are out.

[@ExplainingComputers]

You are right, Chrome apps are being discontinued -- but canvas is just there, as is the file manager. I guess that Google can include what they like, and maybe see Canvas as a fundamental (a bit like Windows Paint). There is indeed no play store, and right now now ability to run Linux or Android apps.

[@tbone9900]

@@ExplainingComputers Just acquired an Asus Chromebox and found that the Playstore is not available. Very annoying. How would you install Linux or Android apps on a Chromebook/Chromebox?

[@markbracegirdle7110]

They're PWAs.

[@markbracegirdle7110]

@@tbone9900 Linux is installed by the OS. Much more important than Android IMO.

[@tbone9900]

@@markbracegirdle7110 Thank you. Agrees about Linux but it looks like Linux runs on top of Chrome O/S which might be too much for this chromebox. Thinking about wiping and loading Puppy or other minimalist distro on this chromebox.

[@kalensus]

Woo-hoo. I am now watching this video on an ancient Toshiba laptop with an AMD E1 processor running ChromeOS Flex. And everything just works!! Thanks, Chris. This video really was enlightening.

[@ExplainingComputers]

Great to hear! :) Sounds like you've had one of those "wow" computing moments.

[@RealBillP]

Thanks for another informative video! Here in The USA there are very few (if any) channels like Yours! I tell my family that YOU really break down and explain each video for newbies and experienced users! I look forward to each of your videos. I'm looking forward to trying Chrome OS Flex on some of my older hardware. Most of it is from recent history 64-bit/4gb of ram and it should work fine. Thanks again! Have a Great Week!

[@ArniesTech]

thanks to the interwebs country borders no longer matter. As long as you understand the language of the creator, you can enjoy content from all over the world. 💪💖

[@DarthVader007]

Thank you for the video! Tested it with my old macbook from 2006 and still works (though dead slow, because without a battery it clocks down to 1.1GhZ). My 2013 MacbookPro worked also very well, this might be an option for the future.

[@DarthVader007]

@Zaydan Naufal I know. Currently macOS Monterey with OpencoreLegacy Patcher works perfect.

[@tallblondegooner]

It looks interesting Chris. Have you done any data collection tests? Is there a way to manage it like in Windows?

[@lolocaust4967]

You mean you trust windows when it says it's not watching you anymore? 🤣

[@moonlambo5229]

KZbin keeps unsubbing me from this channel, so annoying. Glad to see you are still making videos!

[@ExplainingComputers]

Glad you are back! :) I keep hearing people say they are being un-subbed. But I've not stopped making my regular Sunday videos. :)

[@chriscoffee9070]

Great, so now I can give Google access to every file on my PC, that's fantastic, I really must install it right away, Debian simply isn't intrusive or creepy enough. No criticism of the video Chris, thorough and well made as ever but why anyone would trust this OS is beyond me. Of course one might believe it's an entirely benevolent OS right now, and maybe it is, but it only takes one update to change that.

[@esecallum]

spyware... police can file a request to everything without you knowing... 1984

[@azexy21]

Get off youtube before they get you. Google is out to get you and they are very interested in you, a tin foil hat is recommended for you :)

[@neilthomas6042]

I own an Asus Chromebook; it serves my needs, KZbin and surfing. Interesting video gives me some idea to update an ex educational laptop with no OS.

[@chriscottingham2003]

This OS has been great for my Mum who is not technically minded she finds it easy to use. Compared to windows

[@volvo09]

This is PERFECT for that. If this was around when I was supporting my grandmother while on win7 it would have made her life so much easier. I made her a "user" account that fixed a lot of it, but she still kept accidentally messing it up by unintentionally holding the mouse button down all the time and clicking... So icons and files would get moved and copied, icons resized, etc.... On top of the malware she'd install by clicking web page "error" messages 😆

[@boink800]

And your Mum will get no viruses with ChromeOS or ChromeOS Flex .. that's nice to know too.

[@terrydaktyllus1320]

@@boink800 No, but she will be constantly tracked and monitored by Google. She can forget about any form of data privacy completely - with Chrome OS, Google has it all and on their servers.

[@terrydaktyllus1320]

@@theosmit1967 No, you can't stop Chromium and Google tracking you. You can stop an Android phone tracking you by installing a de-Googled ROM onto the phone. You can also install Linux onto a Chromebook and that will also stop tracking. I have done it once, I don't know if it is possible on every Chromebook.

[@BillyAoki]

Finally, a worthy OS for my old Lenovo X220.

[@gabood]

I think chrome os is the only os in the world that could possibly spy on you more than windows

[@enadegheeghaghe6369]

I think your opinion is just that. Your opinion

[@CMxPunk]

​@@enadegheeghaghe6369and it's a fact, my android phone/google knows more about myself than me tbh...

[@malinwj1167]

Installed Flex on my HP Stream 11 and I love it! But I can't install my Canon MX472 printer (even with installing CUPS, still doesn't work). And it doesn't always wake up from sleep, but maybe will have a fix for that in the future

[@andljoy]

Chrome OS , the way to make an old laptop less useful and more creepy

[@ravitejaknts]

You don;t have to use it. As simple as that. Can't we make Intenet a good place?

[@andljoy]

@@ravitejaknts we can as soon as we get rid of all the massive and creepy internet companies .

[@boink800]

Big Google Is Watching You

[@ravitejaknts]

@@andljoy But why don't you have self control and not use those services instead? Do you know that it's not mandatory to use these services. Also you can have a bit of self respect and self control, so you don't have to complain

[@ravitejaknts]

@@boink800 Ofcourse this is their website and your comments are saved in their server.

[@joel.ew10a]

i'm using chrome os flex since a few weeks now on a supposedly unsuported Lenovo Ideapad 100. Pretty good OS for old pc/notebooks used only for web browser, some series marathon and some other things. So far only flaw I detected was not from Chrome OS it self, but hardware compatibility with Chrome OS, such as printers (in my case, can't print on a HL 1112). Hope Chrome and hardware suppliers get to firx the compatibility issue for Chrome to be perfect.

[@eraldorh]

Unless or until it gets playstore or at least the ability to sideload android apps it is completely useless and there's no reason at all to choose Chrome OS flex over the many Linux distros out there or even the many android for desktop iterations.

[@ExplainingComputers]

Whether it is "useless" depends on what the user requirements are! :) Personally, I have been using Chrome OS Flex on the PC connected to my TV for a few weeks now, and will keep it installed. It works perfectly for accessing KZbin, Disney+, etc, and for playing local video files and accessing Google Workspace and Office 365. It also boots and closes down faster than Ubuntu, which was previously on the PC. :)

[@fram1111]

Another excellent video two thumbs up. Than you for all you do

[@TheBertjeT]

I wouldn't use it if you paid me to. Out of principle alone.

[@terrydaktyllus1320]

You pay to use it anyway - you get "free" services, Google gets all of your personal information.

[@TheBertjeT]

@@terrydaktyllus1320 You seem to misunderstand. Pay ME!

[@terrydaktyllus1320]

@@TheBertjeT I shall "pay you in kind" as a "good fellow" that clearly has some understanding of data privacy.

[@bl2005]

Really tempting to try..But I suppose I could wait for the full version instead of beta. Thank you for the info. Best regards from Malaysia ✌️🙏🇲🇾

[@janwitkowsky8787]

Have an old All-in-one PC (Asus) with a touchscreen which I've always wanted to try out with a chromeOS like system. This looks very interesting.

[@ExplainingComputers]

Good luck!

[@allanmarsh1]

I picked up an old HP T630 thin client device and have installed Flex on it. Works like a charm. If you're wedded to the Microsoft world, the Office extension for Chrome also works really well to let you access all your OneDrive based files via the Office Online apps. Kind of the best of both worlds on a really cheap device 😊

[@Tom_Kowalczuk]

Funny thing. Today I re-installed my Chromebook (Samsung Chromebook 3 - Celes). It got EOL message from Google. Installed Flex but for some reason it wasn't running as smooth I was expected and was missing developer mode (that part is important for me). At the end installed Neverware version and now all works fine (except audio but it doesn't matter to me).

[@Durrpadil]

I've installed ChromeOS Flex on my X100e. It originally had a restore partition for Windows 7 with a lot of bloatware and Windows XP Mode. Although tempting to keep those partitions, there simply were too many downsides, one of which were Windows Updates ceasing (Microsoft Update Catalog being the only alternative by updating to Win 7 SP1). Also, the fact that the GPU and entire motherboard ran so intensely hot, I opted for Flex to receive continuous updates and use the device purely for Google-based Apps and utilize the hardware components more efficiently and thus running slightly cooler. The main downside is again the X100e runs hot and I believe the AMD GPU is too stressed and Flex will restart if the GPU starts to run too hot. Otherwise it's more secure with updates and has effective Apps from the get go.

[@UncommonKnowledge587]

It's quite something that Chrome OS Flex runs on Intel Atom CPU cores. I'm not surprised KZbin was slow.

[@keithmiller9665]

Calculator - “can’t get too excited” I like it :-)

[@parrotraiser6541]

Yet another convenient way to give Google total access to your files and activities. Are they going to update it as enthusiastically and frequently as they do the Chrome browser?

[@legojenn]

Thanks for this. I have a bad habit of not recycling computers if they hit end of life. I have a couple of computers 2010 are that are approaching end of life for a second time. Upgrading the hard drives to SSD gave them an extra five years. It looks like this lighter OS is going to give these old devices more life. I’d love to run a Python/Jupyter and R/Studio dev environment that’s portable with files that automatically syncs code to My Google drive to allow for coding to be done anywhere on a device that I won’t mourn if it’s lost, stolen or damaged beyond repair. I’m out of the game on coding, having worked on the business side for most of my career, but the business is not liking the expense of BI tools like Tableau. I like scripting solutions so that the process of analysis is documented. So much for my last post on your channel where I commented that post being in the paid labour force, a Linux Mint setup with browser and Libre Office will be more than sufficient for middle-aged me, you got me thinking about innovative use of tech today.

[@choton_cat]

Sir it does really work. I am enjoying chrome os flex✔️✔️✔️

[@ExplainingComputers]

It is a beautiful OS. :) I run it on a small PC connected to my TV.

[@richardpalmanteer9798]

I have a Acer One notebook I purchased years ago. But I don't think I can install the OS due to the fact is is only 32bit and not 64bit. But I could install it on my Raspberry Pi 4 with 4GB of RAM. I'll give it a go and check it out. Have a great Sunday Chris and look forward to the next video. 😀👍

[@ExplainingComputers]

Hi Richard, for the Pi you want this version: kzbin.info/www/bejne/ZpW5lWiDZZmoaJI :)

[@KittySYT]

This looks promising. Hope it will be kept minimal and clean.

[@keithmiller9665]

So how does it differ from the Chrome OS installed on a Chromebook? Also no shell / bash prompt by the looks of it, a real must for me.

[@ExplainingComputers]

It only significantly differs because it has been made available for (almost) any PC, rather than being limited to Chromebooks. By turning on developer options a Linux terminal becomes available.

[@DIdaho9001]

I was visiting some relatives and they pull out a dual core laptop that they thought was broken. Wifi wasn't working in windows for whatever reason. Backed up the personal files and now their guest bedroom has a Chrome OS Flex book, (wifi working) thanks for the heads up!

[@ExplainingComputers]

What a great result! :)

[@grigoris.7732]

It looks surprisingly clean. I might install it on an old laptop and see how it works out.

[@dgattenb]

chrome cavas is very good with new chromebooks with touch screens.. my one came with a pen , its awsome

[@ExplainingComputers]

Ah, this makes a lot of sense. Sounds cool.

[@anandha12]

70s style program format is very refreshing.

[@sntinl9297]

Nice video, very clean and really enjoyable, greetings from Mexico

[@ExplainingComputers]

Greetings from the UK!

[@mssippijim]

They need a 32 bit port of this for older machines, would run very well I think.

[@gfdggdfgdgf]

As a live USB operating system I see nothing wrong with chromeOS. The simple devices they initially sold with chromeOS, nothing wrong with that. But I see so many things wrong with selling chromeOS devices way more expensive than decent windows laptops. While there seems to be a market for chromeOS devices I know several people who felt scammed when they were sold chromeOS devices as being "laptops you can do everything on".

[@andrewd4906]

I have an end of life chromebook that I managed to install neverware's cloudready onto. It has since updated to Chrome OS Flex. It is a big improvement over cloudready and has brought new life to an elderly chromebook. (acer C738 R11)

[@ExplainingComputers]

This is great to hear! :)

[@michael53667]

Nice, but something about that Play Movies thing is is it an App or a shortcut for Webpage?

[@krstoevandrus5937]

Hi, just found fydeos v15, which include google play store and function like an expensive chromeblet chromebook! I only paid USD200 for a chuwi hi10xr, even the active stylus got pressure sensitivity and palm rejection. worth to try!

[@alvarojflores]

Look that's you talking to you! Thank you so much for this tip! 💪🏻👍🏻

[@LymanPhillips]

FYI, once you get on 104 dev, you can go to the About ChromeOS menu and switch to 102 stable. It will power wash the system but that should be ok. Glad to be on stable. Also, since I'm on messages, I can set it to work with my ChromeOS Flex so I can text from my laptop.

[@odbgaming2]

I finally got this OS working on my computer.

[@ExplainingComputers]

Congratulations! :)

[@Shawclough]

Thanks for this video. Please would you consider making a video on internet security.

[@ExplainingComputers]

Thanks. I did a video on protecting online accounts fairly recently: kzbin.info/www/bejne/q4q4l4KGabp-ia8

[@quademasters249]

I tried it yesterday. It worked well enough but really no better than any standard Linux distro. Using it, you're tied at the hip to google. It doesn't work with local files particularly well. I couldn't figure out how to play a folder of music for example. The built in player wanted you to add them song by song. I couldn't easily get it to display local PDF's. Eventually I found the magic key sequence but it wasn't intuitive. Double-clicking a PDF brought up a selector but none of the selections displayed the PDF. I'm just not seeing a use-case for running it on a full PC. Standard Linux distro's like Kubuntu and even the new SteamOS 3.0 work as well or better without the limitations built into ChromeOS. If the only goal was browsing the web and staying inside Googles walled garden, then it seems successful at that.