FAQ

Compatibility and Installation

Will GalliumOS work on my Chromebook/Chromebox?

Yes, for most devices. See Hardware Compatibility.

Haswell and Broadwell devices are well-tested. Sandy Bridge and Ivy Bridge devices are also tested.

Bay Trail devices are not tested but expected to mostly work (but see Issue #66).

ARM devices are not supported, and Atom devices are not supported.

How do I install GalliumOS? And why would I want to?

Installing GalliumOS

Why GalliumOS?

What about Bay Trail devices?

GalliumOS hasn't been properly tested on Bay Trail devices yet. Got a loaner device? Let us know! :)

Reports indicate that Bay Trail audio is nonfunctional in BETA1. We are working to resolve.

Keyboard mappings? How do I ...

Media keys and default keybindings

Touchscreen support?

GalliumOS uses Xfce, but presently has no additional touchscreen capabilities. Got a loaner device? Let us know! :)

Software

How do I update the OS and apps?

We are in the process of selecting a package manager/Software Center style app for GUI updates.

You can update from the command line with sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get dist-upgrade.

BETA releases will update to newer BETAs and to the 1.0 release as they become available.

Does Minecraft work? Does Steam work?

Yes and Sometimes yes. Minecraft is playable at 30fps on an Acer C720 (2GB Celeron 2955U 1.4GHz), and many Steam titles are playable on the same hardware. A faster processor and additional RAM will improve the experience, as always.

How can I run Flash apps/videos (e.g. Twitch)?

Flash player is not installed by default. You have a few options, see Twitch.

Can I watch Netflix under GalliumOS?

Absolutely. See Netflix.

Performance

How does battery life compare between GalliumOS and ChromeOS?

TBD. Watch this space!

Initial tests show parity with other lightweight Linux distros, but the comparison against ChromeOS has not been performed yet.