Do you want to try ChromeOS on VirtualBox? Whether you’re thinking about buying a Chromebook and want to get familiar with the operating system, or just curious about ChromeOS, Virtual PC is a great way to try out Google’s browser operating system.
Unfortunately, Google doesn’t offer a ChromeOS download, at least not in a form that’s easy to use with a virtual machine. The popular ChromeOS updates once offered by Hexxah also seem to be gone. Even Neverware’s CloudReady version has limitations.
Also, your options for running ChromeOS in a virtual machine are extremely limited. Here’s how to run the older version of Neverware’s ChromeOS on VirtualBox. If you want something newer, the company offers middleware for VMware ESXi 6.5, Workstation 14.1.1, and Fusion 10.1.
What do you need
The latest version of the CloudReady ChromeOS image, v83, does not work with VirtualBox due to “graphics incompatibility”. You will need to find and download the previous version listed below, as Neverware does not offer this file. As for VirtualBox, the latest version works fine.
Before installing VirtualBox
VirtualBox does not work when certain features are installed on Windows 10. If you receive an error when trying to load a ChromeOS image, do the following:
Step 1 – Type “rotate” in the search box on the taskbar and select Turn windows features on or off in the results
Step 2: A popup window appears on the screen. The following features should be disabled (although before you do, double check what you’re losing access to):
- Application Guard: Isolates untrusted sites defined by the company.
- Credential Guard: Virtualization-based security that allows only privileged system software to access secrets.
- Device Guard – Enables Hyper-V components.
* Guard - Containers: System-level virtualization to run multiple isolated applications.
- Hyper-V – Runs 64-bit virtual machines on the host operating system.
- Virtual Machine Platform – A component for running a virtual machine.
- Windows Hypervisor Platform – Adds an extended user-mode API for virtualization pools and third-party applications.
- Windows Sandbox: A disposable virtual environment.
- Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL): A compatibility layer for running Linux binary executables.
Note: The above features are for virtualization and are not included in Windows 10 Home. Please re-enable these features if you do not plan to use VirtualBox outside of this test run of ChromeOS.
Step 3 – Restart Windows 10.
If the Chrome OS image still won’t load, try the following:
Step 1: Right click on the Beginning and select Windows PowerShell (Admin) in advanced user menu.
Step 2: Type: bcdedit /set hypervisorlaunchtype off
Step 3: Shut down your computer, then restart it, don’t just click “Restart.”
Run ChromeOS in VirtualBox
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Step 1 – When VirtualBox is open, click on Archive in the upper left corner, followed by Device Import in the drop down menu.
Step 2: Next Archive click on the field Map on the far right, locate the CloudReady_Free_x64_Virtualbox.ova file on your computer, then click Open button.
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Step 3: This file appears in the file field. Click Following continue.
Step 4: Leave all device default settings and click Matter continue button. A popup appears when VirtualBox creates a ChromeOS virtual machine.
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Step 5 – In the main VirtualBox Manager panel, select CloudReady_Free_x86 virtual machine and then click on the green Beginning button.
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Step 6 – The CloudReady logo appears momentarily until the installation panel loads. Select your language, keyboard layout, and network connection, then click Continue when you are ready.
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Step 7: The Adobe Flash EULA Terms appear. Click on Not now button.
Step 8: Enter your Google account email or phone number and click Following button.
Step 9: Enter your Google account password and click Following button.
Note: you can also choose Browse as a guestalthough you will see more ChromeOS using a Google account.
Step 10 – Verify two-step authentication if required.
Welcome to Chrome OS
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With ChromeOS loaded, you can get a general idea of what to expect. This version does not reflect the latest version as the whole interface looks different. Some web apps associated with your account may appear at the bottom, but that’s about it. This version does not come with a wallpaper, so we downloaded it using the Chrome browser.
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In newer versions, apps are stored in a “tray” that can be accessed by clicking Initiator icon. In this earlier version, click A magnifying glass in the bottom left corner and a popup will appear with all your web apps. Since this version does not support (or include) Google Play, Android apps cannot be downloaded or installed.
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Click on its icon next to the system clock, then settings to change wallpaper, mouse speed, default download location, Google Cloud Print and more.
You may want to adjust the output resolution to be compatible with your PC desktop, and even if you think it’s impossible, there are two ways to do it. Your first option is to switch between three modes: Full Screen, Perfect, or Escalation. Another option is to select a percentage to increase the ChromeOS desktop from 125% to 300%.
Kevin Parrish/Digital Trends
On the virtual machine’s menu bar, click View (as shown above), then choose one of the three modes. Or you can click Virtual Screen 1 and choose a specific percentage.
try before you buy
You’ll get a feel for the real deal simply by running ChromeOS in a virtual machine using the middleware linked above. CloudReady is currently not supported by VirtualBox and does not work on VMware Workstation Player 15.5. The current version only works on VMware ESXi 6.5, Workstation 14.1.1, and Fusion 10.1.
If the above link makes you want more, it might be worth trying out ChromeOS in person on a Chromebook at Best Buy or another electronics store. After all, it will take you further than trying to experiment with ChromeOS on your own in VirtualBox.
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Categories: GAMING
Source: newstars.edu.vn