FAQ

Compatibility and Installation

Will GalliumOS work on my Chromebook/Chromebox?

Yes, for most devices. See Hardware Compatibility.

Models with Intel processors are generally well-supported.

ARM devices are not supported.

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

Installing GalliumOS

Why GalliumOS?

Keyboard mappings? How do I ...

Media keys and default keybindings

If things don't work out, can I go back to ChromeOS?

Yes, of course. You might prefer to dual-boot (ChromeOS + GalliumOS) first, if you just want to test GalliumOS. See Installing and FAQ/Reverting to ChromeOS for details.

Software

How do I update the OS and apps?

GalliumOS includes GalliumOS Update in the Launcher menu. It is a simple wrapper around apt to update installed packages. You will be notified automatically when new software is available.

Does Minecraft work? Does Steam work?

Yes and yes. Remember that in most cases, this is not powerful hardware. 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 usual.

See Games and Additional Software for more info and installation recommendations.

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

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

Can I watch Netflix under GalliumOS?

Absolutely. You'll need Google Chrome. See Additional Software.

How do I install software package X?

Some packages are available directly from Ubuntu repositories, and some require a few more steps. See Additional Software.

How can I beta test new packages before general release?

You can enable our special "testing" package repository. See Repositories for details. Thank you for helping us test!

Performance

How does GalliumOS affect battery life?

Total run time will vary between models, but reports generally indicate battery life comparable to ChromeOS (within 10-15%, with GalliumOS sometimes exceeding ChromeOS, and sometimes the reverse).

How much disk space will GalliumOS use?

A fresh installation of GalliumOS 2.1 requires 2.9GB. This will increase as you install additional software and add personal data.

Wiki

How can I contribute?

Drop into #galliumos so we can create a wiki user account for you.