It appeared like a minor miracle when I breathed new life into three ancient computers using ChromeOS Flex in early 2022. ChromeOS Flex turned my outdated {hardware} — junk gathering mud in a closet — into trendy, environment friendly units by providing a light-weight, safe, and manageable working system for older x86 programs.
ChromeOS Flex extends the lifespan of older {hardware} and contributes to decreasing e-waste, making it an environmentally acutely aware selection.
Additionally: I revived three ancient computers with ChromeOS Flex, and you can too
Nonetheless, latest developments trace at a possible finish for ChromeOS Flex. As detailed in a June 12 blog post by Prajakta Gudadhe, senior director of engineering for ChromeOS, and Alexander Kuscher, senior director of product administration for ChromeOS, Google’s announcement about integrating ChromeOS with Android to boost AI capabilities means that Flex may not be a part of this future.
In keeping with Guadahe and Kuscher, this transformation takes benefit of Android’s strong framework, providing quicker updates and higher integration with AI. Nonetheless, it additionally raises important issues for Flex customers.
Google’s plan, as detailed, means that ChromeOS Flex might be phased out, leaving its present customers in a troublesome place. The Chromium OS neighborhood round ChromeOS Flex could try to regulate to those modifications if Google makes the ChromeOS Flex code open-source, however that is unsure. Within the meantime, customers could wish to take into account alternate options, comparable to numerous Linux distributions, to maintain their older {hardware} purposeful.
ChromeOS Flex and Android: a historical past
The origins of ChromeOS Flex could be traced again to Google’s purchase of UK-based Neverware in 2020. Neverware’s CloudReady, which got here earlier than ChromeOS Flex, was designed to delay the usability of older {hardware}. However, the transfer towards a mixed ChromeOS and Android platform could contradict this dedication and go away Flex customers in a troublesome place.
The principle concern with x86-based ChromeOS Flex is its lack of help for Android apps, in contrast to common ChromeOS merchandise that run on (principally) Arm-based units. The power to run Android apps on ChromeOS, launched in 2016, was a big enchancment as a result of it allowed customers to entry all the Google Play retailer. This was achieved by embedding Android frameworks and dependencies immediately into ChromeOS. Sadly, this Android Play Retailer and runtime atmosphere integration doesn’t lengthen to ChromeOS Flex, considerably limiting its attraction and performance.
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Regardless of these challenges, it is necessary to notice that each one Chromebooks shipped after 2019, together with x86-based fashions, do help Android functions by Arm emulation. This workaround permits newer Chromebooks to entry the wealthy ecosystem of Android, though it doesn’t handle the restrictions confronted by ChromeOS Flex.
Moreover, whereas Google helps the x86 port of Chromium OS, it doesn’t help the x86 port of Android, which is the community-sponsored “Android-x86” undertaking. The current development branch of Android-x86, model 10, lags a number of variations behind the newest model, Android 14 (with model 15 due in August 2024), and seems to don’t have any latest commits within the final 12 months in its public repositories.
For ChromeOS Flex to learn absolutely from Android integration, it’s essential for Google to help Android on x86 platforms formally and embrace important Android elements in Chromium OS, its open-source undertaking. This help is important for the longer term success of ChromeOS Flex. Nonetheless, there may be presently no posted roadmap for ChromeOS Flex that displays these potential modifications.
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If ChromeOS Flex is discontinued, it will likely be an enormous disappointment, given its function in extending the lifespan of outdated computer systems and decreasing e-waste by contributing to environmental sustainability and respiratory new life into growing older {hardware}.
Different options: Light-weight Linux distributions
A number of light-weight Linux distributions are value contemplating for customers in search of alternate options. According to ZDNET’s Jack Wallen, these are among the greatest choices for saving your outdated laptop:
Bodhi Linux: Written for high-performance desktop customers, Bodhi Linux makes use of a novel Moksha desktop atmosphere just like Enlightenment (E Window Supervisor). It requires minimal system sources, making it preferrred for older {hardware}.
Linux Lite: Very user-friendly, extremely customizable, and quick, Linux Lite makes use of a customized Xfce desktop atmosphere, which is resource-optimized. It contains pre-installed software program like Chrome, Thunderbird, and LibreOffice, offering a well-recognized interface for brand spanking new customers.
Pet Linux: Finest used as a dwell distribution, Puppy Linux is small and quick, operating totally in RAM. It contains apps like Palemoon, ClawsMail, AbiWord, and Gnumeric, however is extra fitted to customers with some Linux expertise.
Tiny Core Linux: Tiny Core Linux is extraordinarily small and environment friendly. It is higher for skilled customers because it requires handbook set up of functions and configuration of the desktop atmosphere.
LXLE Linux: LXLE is constructed on the newest model of Ubuntu and makes use of the LXDE desktop atmosphere. It is easy to put in, straightforward to make use of, and contains apps like LibreOffice and ClawsMail, making it appropriate for reviving outdated {hardware}.
I might be remiss, in fact, if I didn’t embrace a number of of my very own favorites.
Linux Mint 21.3 XFCE Version: Mint is among the hottest and well-supported general-purpose Linux distros, and the XFCE atmosphere retains it on a useful resource utilization weight loss plan and with a quick response time on legacy {hardware}.
Lubuntu: Based mostly on the favored Ubuntu Linux distribution, Lubuntu is optimized for older {hardware} and makes use of the snappy LXQt desktop atmosphere.
