The first fully web-based, low memory consumption operating system Chrome OS was released by Google in November, 2009.
Brief Description of Chrome OS:
Google Chrome is the first web-based operating system of Google, made for especially the Net-books. It was designed to cover all the online applications including the Google products. Chrome OS is built off the Linux file system meaning that it is fully open source and can be further modified for increased performance. Because of this, a modified version has already been launched by developer Hexxeh, called “Diet Chrome OS”. It’s a beta version and still under development. So there’s a possibility, in two or three months, that we’ll get an ultimate version of Chrome OS. You can visit Official Google Blog to get more details on Chrome OS.
Chrome OS gathers all of its resources from internet throughout use. A minimum of hard drive space will be required, too, negating the need to buy a high-end computer, because it was developed for Net-books. The preferable method to install Chrome OS from a USB drive. Just follow the steps below. It’s easy!
First you have to get a 4GB USB drive. Make sure you back it up, though, because the process will wipe out all of your data.
Installing and Opening Chrome OS Application:
1. You have to download the image file of Chrome OS from here. It’s a torrent download and requires torrent downloader software. If have not get Bit-torrent. It’s a compressed RAR file of 305MB.
2. Extract the RAR archive by WINRAR or your preferred RAR extractor. After extracting it will expand to approx 2.79GB.
3. There are several files, one of them is an application file, called Win32DiskImager. It’s nothing but a USB drive writer. Plug-in your USB drive and do a double click on that application file to run.
4. Now a small window will appear and ask you to navigate the location of the Chrome OS image file. Click on the browse option, just right of the address bar and locate the image file. Click on the “Write” button at bottom. It will start to write the image file to your USB drive.
5. Wait for 10-15 minutes. After it’s done writing click on “Exit” and close the window. Your USB drive is ready to boot from.
6. Now reboot your computer and change boot priority from CD/DVD drive to USB hard disc in your BIOS. This will allow your computer to boot from the USB drive and show you the login interface. Use “chronos” and the user-name and “password” (both minus quotes) as the password to login. Remember that LAN internet connection must be required at the time of booting and login. (No Wireless/Wi-Fi)
7. You are now entering into the Google world! There are a lot of applications waiting for you, too, not just Google products, either. So start working professionally with Google Chrome. Note, however, that there is no option to directly access your hard drive data. You have to upload files to access them.
Pen Drive Partition Solution: Just after using, the USB drive will not be formatted, because Win32DiskImager had created four partitions on it. Three of them are non-allocated, and the remaining one was used to install Chrome OS. To solve this problem click on “Start” menu and right click on “My Computer”. Select the “Manage” option and delete the partitions from here. Create a new partition and get your USB drive back.
~Abhishek Palit
