dnschneid/croutonArchived
Crouton
Crouton is a tool that creates and manages full Linux distribution environments that run alongside Chrome OS using chroot technology, without requiring a reboot or dual-boot setup. It shares the host kernel to avoid virtualisation overhead while providing a complete Linux filesystem that operates concurrently with the Chromium OS desktop.
The project supports encrypting chroot environments with decryption keys that can be stored on a separate removable device, requiring physical possession to unlock the environment. It enables graphical Linux applications to display inside a Chrome OS window or tab through X11 forwarding over SSH, with synchronized clipboard content and URL data shared between the two environments via a custom bridge daemon. Multiple independent chroot environments can be created, named, deleted, and updated on the same device, each pinned to a specific Debian or Ubuntu release selected at creation time.
Software in the chroot is managed through named targets that map to apt package groups, and the entire chroot filesystem can be snapshotted into a compressed tarball for portable backup and restoration, including on a new or powerwashed machine. Bind mounts expose host directories into the chroot for file access between environments.
Features
- Chroot Execution - Runs a full Linux distribution inside a chroot jail, sharing the host kernel without virtualisation overhead.
- Chroot-Based Linux Environments - Running a full Linux distribution alongside Chrome OS without rebooting or dual-booting the device.
- X11 Display Forwarders - Renders graphical Linux applications by forwarding X11 display output through an SSH tunnel to the Chrome OS window manager.
- Chrome OS Chroot Environments - Creates and manages full Linux distribution chroots that run alongside Chrome OS without rebooting.
- Chroot Creators - Generates a full Linux distribution environment that runs alongside Chrome OS without rebooting.
- Chrome OS Linux App Integration - Displaying Linux desktop applications in a Chromium OS window or tab with clipboard and URL sharing.
- Chrome OS Linux App Launchers - Displays Linux desktop applications inside a Chromium OS window or tab with synchronized clipboard and URL handling.
- Distribution Release Selectors - Allows choosing a specific Debian or Ubuntu release at chroot creation time, pinning the environment to that version.
- Named Package Groups - Installs and removes software in the chroot through named targets that map to apt package groups.
- Chroot Backups - Saves a chroot to a timestamped tarball and restores it from a backup file, including on a new or powerwashed machine.
- Chroot Customizers - Selects a specific distribution release, install location, proxy, or mirror, and adds or removes software targets after creation.
- Encrypted Chroot Management - Protecting a Linux chroot with encryption and optionally storing the decryption key on a separate device.
- Encrypted Chroots - Protects a chroot with encryption and optionally stores the decryption key on a separate device for extra security.
- Multi-Chroot Administrations - Creating, naming, deleting, and updating multiple independent Linux chroot environments on one Chromium OS device.
- Multi-Chroot Managers - Creates, names, deletes, and updates several independent chroot environments on the same device.
- Removable Key Stores - Stores chroot decryption keys on a removable device, requiring physical possession to unlock the environment.
- Chroot - Saving a Linux chroot to a tarball and restoring it on the same or a new device after a powerwash.
- Chroot Snapshots - Snapshots the entire chroot filesystem into a compressed archive for portable backup and restoration.
- Chrome OS Clipboard Bridges - Shares clipboard content and URL data between the chroot and Chrome OS via a custom bridge daemon.
