How to build Google Chromebook of your own

Although the market is already flooded with different operating systems that offer different features to its users, Google recently introduced Chromebooks in the market, which feature Chrome OS. Buying the entire notebook will cost you $500 (or $300 for the shorter version) and you can still experience what it is like to work on the Google’s Chromebook (after all, systems are all about OS). Fortunately the good news is that without sinking a huge pile of dollars into the hardware, you can easily build your own version the notebook running the Chrome operation system. All you need is a 2GB USB memory stick and internet connectivity to download the automated nightly builds of the Chrome OS. If you want to experience the newly released Google Chromebook on your system within thirty minutes off your clock, here’s how you can do it:

Google's Chromebook

Complexity level: Moderate

Time Required: approximately 30 minutes.

Resources Required: a computer System & a broadband or wireless network connection

Estimated Cost: Free

Instructions:

Step1: Downloading nightly builds: Visit http://chromeos.hexxeh.net where you will find the list of complied nightly builds primed to run for VMWare, VirtualBox or USB installation. In case the latest version doesn’t work on your OS, try downloading a slightly older version instead.

Step2: Burning the image: Once the USB version of the Chrome OS is downloaded, burn the image to USB flash drive using Image Writer for window users or dd for Mac users. Chrome OS takes up less than 2GB space, you could also burn the image on an SD card, if your system supports the boot option.

Step3: Booting the system: Plug your USB memory stick to begin the boot sequence. Usually, the system detects any changes and begins the process instantly, but if it doesn’t, enter BIOS and ensure that your USB is correctly plugged into the system. Whether you have used a standard USB drive or an SD card, enter the boot option by pressing the key (usually, the system uses F2 Delete, or F12 to forward to the boot screen). However, if it still fails, follow step 1 and download another version of nightly builds. Now, choose the inserted media to begin the booting process.

Step4: Get connected Via Internet: For the first boot, the system will ask for internet connection, either a broadband or wireless network connection, for establishing the setup procedure and create a link between your Google account and your Chromebook. Enter your Google credentials and press enter. Once, you are through entering the details and all, an ordinary looking Chrome browser window will appear on the screen, which means Chrome OS has been successfully installed and is ready to be used.

Step5: Making Chrome OS permanent: If you find Chrome OS impressive and worth keeping, there is an inbuilt installer in the OS. Simply, press [Ctrl]+ [Alt]+[T] to enter the terminal screen. Now, type Shell, press enter and then type /Usr/sbin/chromeos-install. Type the password ‘facepunch’ when prompted for entering the admin password.

Frequently Asked Question:

Q. What is Google Chrome OS and is Google Chrome OS free of cost?

Google chrome is a cloud-based operating system and is designed to operate entirely without any external internet usage. And yes, Google chrome OS is an open source project and is absolutely free of cost.

Quick Tips:

1. Download an automatically generated image from Hexxeh, as they provide latest edge version of Chrome OS.
2. To test out that whether the image is broken or not, download a VirtualBox or VMware before beginning the installation and image writing.

If you wish to keep Chrome OS permanently, better opt for dual-boot version to avoid any internal drive errors and prevent any data loss.