How to Install Linux on Your Chromebook and Get More Bang for Your Buck. Part 1 (Crouton Method)

This is part one of a two parter on different methods to run Linux on your Chromebook. Part two will be coming soon using ChrBuntu and the dual book method so make sure you subscribe for updates.

Do you think your Chromebook is fantastic but sometimes you wish you could get access to a few more offline desktop features without switching laptops or computers. Well fear not because there is a solution to use  Ubuntu (Linux) on top of you Chrome OS without the need for a dual boot setup.

Step One: Developer Mode
This may sound scary but its actually extremely simple to do. Make sure you back up anything you have stored locally on your hard drive in the cloud though as it will wipe all local data.

1. Press and hold the Esc and Refresh Keys together, then press the Power button (while still holding down the ESC and Refresh Keys.) This will force you Chromebook to reboot into Recovery Mode. 
2. As Soon as you see Recovery Mode pop up (a screen with a yellow exclamation point then press Ctrl+D. This will bring up a prompt asking if you want to switch on Developer Mode - Press Enter to continue.
3. After some time a new a screen will pop up for only a few moments, the Chromebook will then re-boot itself and go through the process of enabling Developer Mode, this may take up to 15 minutes so be patient.
4. Once this is done it will return to a screen with a red exclamation point leave it alone until it reboots into Chrome OS.

Note: some older models have a physical switch on the underside of the Chromebook to Enable Developer Mode, if this is the case, Google instructions for you particular device it should be very similar.

Step Two: Install Crouton

1. Dowload Crouton from https://github.com/dnschneid/crouton and save it in your downloads folder.
2. Press Ctrl+Alt+T to bring up a terminal on your Chromebook.
3. at the terminal type "shell" and press enter
4. next run the following command by typing "sudo sh -e ~/Downloads/crouton -" and press Enter
5. Then let your computer install Crouton, This can take a while so crack open a drink. Once its done it will ask you for a username and password for your new Ubuntu install.
6. once its all done type the following into you terminal to run your new install "sudo startxfce4" and click enter.

Now that its installed so can switch back and forward between Chrome and Ubuntu using
Crtl+Alt+Shift+Back and Crtl+Alt+Shift+Forward on an ARM based Chromebook or
Ctrl+Alt+Back and Ctrl+Alt+Forward in an Intel Chrombook. For Intel you will also need to press Ctrl+Alt+Refresh to bring up the desktop.