Among other news from Google I/O 2018, Google is making it possible to code on Chromebooks. Whether it’s building an app or writing a quick script, Chromebooks will be available for coding projects.
Last month we reported Linux Apps On Chromebooks, basing the item on obvious indications that Google would unveil a new tool that would give Chrome OS the ability to run Linux apps on Chromebooks. Now we can report that Google has made the rumors official.
In the blog post announcing Linux on Chromebook, Tom Buckley, Product Manager, Chrome OS writes:
Support for Linux will enable you to create, test and run Android and web app for phones, tablets and laptops all on one Chromebook. Run popular editors, code in your favorite language and launch projects to Google Cloud with the command-line. Everything works directly on a Chromebook.
Linux runs inside a virtual machine that was designed from scratch for Chromebooks. That means it starts in seconds and integrates completely with Chromebook features.
Users will be able to pin Linux apps to the Chrome OS shelf for quick launching, arrange, snap and manage Linux app windows as normal, and access files in Google Drive and local storage from inside apps.
A preview of the new tool will be released on Google Pixelbook soon.
What does this mean for Android and Andoid Tablets in particular. We will have to wait and see if Chromebook Tablets take over that particular niche.