Difference between revisions of "FAQ"

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; Will GalliumOS work on my Chromebook/Chromebox?
 
; Will GalliumOS work on my Chromebook/Chromebox?
 
: Yes, for most devices. See [[Hardware Compatibility]].
 
: Yes, for most devices. See [[Hardware Compatibility]].
: Haswell and Broadwell devices are well-tested. Sandy Bridge and Ivy Bridge devices are also tested.
+
: Models with Intel processors are generally well-supported.
: Bay Trail devices are ''not'' tested but expected to mostly work (but see [https://github.com/GalliumOS/galliumos-distro/issues/66 Issue #66]).
+
: ARM devices are '''not supported'''.  
: ARM devices are '''not supported''', and Atom devices are '''not supported'''.  
 
  
 
; How do I install GalliumOS? And why would I want to?
 
; How do I install GalliumOS? And why would I want to?
 
: [[Installing GalliumOS]]
 
: [[Installing GalliumOS]]
 
: [[Why GalliumOS?]]
 
: [[Why GalliumOS?]]
 
; What about Bay Trail devices?
 
: GalliumOS hasn't been properly tested on Bay Trail devices yet. Got a loaner device? [mailto:contact@galliumos.org Let us know!] :)
 
: Reports indicate that [https://github.com/GalliumOS/galliumos-distro/issues/66 Bay Trail audio is nonfunctional in BETA1]. We are working to resolve.
 
  
 
; Keyboard mappings? How do I ...
 
; Keyboard mappings? How do I ...
 
: [[Media keys and default keybindings]]
 
: [[Media keys and default keybindings]]
  
; Keyboard backlight?
+
; What about the touchpad? Sensitivity, palm rejection, etc?
: [https://www.reddit.com/r/GalliumOS/comments/3w4w1x/dell_lulu_chromebook_13_a_few_issues_im_hoping_to/cxu57zc A solution]. Will be incorporated before 1.0.
+
: [[FAQ/Touchpad]]
  
; Touchscreen support?
+
; If things don't work out, can I go back to ChromeOS?
: GalliumOS uses Xfce, but presently has no additional touchscreen capabilities. Got a loaner device? [mailto:contact@galliumos.org Let us know!] :)
+
: 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 ==
 
== Software ==
 
; How do I update the OS and apps?
 
; 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.
+
: GalliumOS includes '''GalliumOS Update''' in the Launcher menu. It is a simple wrapper around <code>apt</code> to update installed packages. You will be notified automatically when new software is available.
: You can update from the command line with <code>sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get dist-upgrade</code>.
 
: BETA releases will update to newer BETAs and to the 1.0 release as they become available.
 
  
 
; Does Minecraft work? Does Steam work?
 
; 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.
 
: 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)?
 
; How can I run Flash apps/videos (e.g. Twitch)?
: Flash player is not installed by default. You have a few options, see [[Twitch]].
+
: Flash player is not installed by default. You have a few options, see [[Additional Software]].
  
 
; Can I watch Netflix under GalliumOS?
 
; Can I watch Netflix under GalliumOS?
: Absolutely. See [[Netflix]].
+
: Absolutely. You'll need Google Chrome or Firefox. 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 do I install Wine?
+
; How can I beta test new packages before general release?
: Wine requires i386 libraries, so you'll need to enable those first:
+
: You can enable our special "testing" package repository. See [[Repositories]] for details. Thank you for helping us test!
:: <code>sudo dpkg --add-architecture i386</code>, then <code>sudo apt-get install wine</code>
 
  
 
== Performance ==
 
== Performance ==
; How does battery life compare between GalliumOS and ChromeOS?
+
; How does GalliumOS affect battery life?
: TBD. Watch this space!
+
: 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).
: Initial tests show parity with other lightweight Linux distros, but the comparison against ChromeOS has not been performed yet.
 
  
 
; How much disk space will GalliumOS use?
 
; How much disk space will GalliumOS use?
: A clean new installation of GalliumOS will use somewhere around 3GB on your SSD or HDD. Obviously, it will expand as you install more software and store your personal data.
+
: A fresh installation of GalliumOS 2.1 requires 2.9GB. This will increase as you install additional software and add personal data.
  
 
== Wiki ==
 
== Wiki ==
  
=== How can I contribute? ===
+
'''How can I contribute?'''
: You need an account on the wiki to contribute to it.
+
 
 +
We need editors of this wiki. Drop into IRC Freenode [https://galliumos.org/irc #galliumos] and say hello so we can create a wiki user account for you.
 +
 
 +
You can join us on our Github page. [https://github.com/GalliumOS https://github.com/GalliumOS]
 +
 
 +
Found a bug? Issues are tracked on [https://github.com/GalliumOS/galliumos-distro/issues Github] too.
 +
 
 +
Spare some change? Of course you can! How about a monthly donation? You are generous! [https://galliumos.org/donate Donate here]
 +
 
 +
Donate your old laptop to us to test on. [mailto:info@galliumos.org Email us what you got and we'll get back to you.]
 +
 
 +
Get a dozen stickers from [https://wiki.galliumos.org/News/2016_Annual_Report_and_Announcement#Stickers_and_T-Shirts this online sticker store] and pass them out at your next Free/Open Source expo.
  
=== How can I register? ===
+
Spread the word about us on social media. [http://reddit.com/r/GalliumOS reddit] & [http://twitter.com/GalliumOS twitter]
; '''We now have a captcha powered by Are You A Human PlayThru, and have re-enabled registration. If you are not logged in, the registration link should be at the top of the page next to the login link.'''
 
: <s>Unfortunately we have been attacked by a nasty army of bots that want to clog up our databases and destroy us from the inside. As a direct result, we have disabled registration for now.</s>
 
: <s>If you want to contribute, please join the IRC channel and we can create an account for you.</s>
 
: <s>We will get the bot situation handled and re-enable registration before 1.0 release!</s>
 

Revision as of 23:28, 27 March 2018

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
What about the touchpad? Sensitivity, palm rejection, etc?
FAQ/Touchpad
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 or Firefox. 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?

We need editors of this wiki. Drop into IRC Freenode #galliumos and say hello so we can create a wiki user account for you.

You can join us on our Github page. https://github.com/GalliumOS

Found a bug? Issues are tracked on Github too.

Spare some change? Of course you can! How about a monthly donation? You are generous! Donate here

Donate your old laptop to us to test on. Email us what you got and we'll get back to you.

Get a dozen stickers from this online sticker store and pass them out at your next Free/Open Source expo.

Spread the word about us on social media. reddit & twitter