On: ChromeOS is Linux with Google’s desktop environment

[charcircuit]

>ChromeOS is a GNU/Linux system

Personally, it doesn't qualify as GNU to me as the only GNU software included AFAIK is Bash. To me GNU requires coreutils to be there and usable.

[yjftsjthsd-h → charcircuit]

Yeah, ChromeOS uses GNU coreutils and glibc; it's a Gentoo derivative, not some alien like Android. I don't know how you define "usable", but if you switch to developer mode to let you get a shell at all then it feels about like any other GNU/Linux distro.

[charcircuit → yjftsjthsd-h]

Normal builds of ChromeOS do not include coreutils.

https://chromium.googlesource.com/chromiumos/overlays/chromi...

>it's a Gentoo derivative, not some alien like Android

Android is no more of an alien than Gentoo.

>I don't know how you define "usable"

It means when the user logs in they are given a bash shell so that they can use GNU coreutils. This is similar to UNIX in which you log in and are then able to use UNIX's built in utilities.

>but if you switch to developer mode

Developer mode is a Debian container.

[yjftsjthsd-h → charcircuit]

> https://chromium.googlesource.com/chromiumos/overlays/chromi...

That file specifically lists bash, and strongly implies coreutils in general with things like

    # CROS_* : Dependencies for "regular" CrOS devices (coreutils, etc.)

although the actual inclusion appears to be at another layer.

> It means when the user logs in they are given a bash shell so that they can use GNU coreutils.

Okay, then by that exact definition I'd agree that ChromeOS isn't a usable GNU system until you enable developer mode.

> Developer mode is a Debian container.

No, developer mode is a mode that gives the user full control over the machine: https://chromium.googlesource.com/chromiumos/docs/+/HEAD/dev...

Once you've enabled that, you can actually just switch VTs, get a getty prompt, and log in to bash.

[charcircuit → yjftsjthsd-h]

>although the actual inclusion appears to be at another layer.

coreutils is included in dev builds of the os, /virtual/target-chromium-os-dev. That comment is also in this file too.

>No, developer mode is a mode that gives the user full control over the machine:

Cool didn't know that