Chromebook

Discussion in 'GNU/Linux' started by duane, Jul 20, 2021.


  1. duane

    duane Monkey+++

    Been in and out of Dr's offices and hospital so wanted to get a small lite computer. Cheapest in this area was a Chromebook. Got it, made for Leonova so figured it might be OK. Went to set it up and it said if I didn't have a Google account, I could use it as guest. Did at hospital for 5 days, was OK with the computer and it was doing what I wanted. Un pluged it turned it off and went home. Turned it back on and all data etc was gone. Now figured out that if I don't agree to play with Google, it makes a [poor fly swatter.

    Now in process of trying to load Linux on it. Found out that what I considered paranoid are the main features of the system.. Since everything is in Googles hands, can check in with other computers, replace computer, loose computer and everything is still there.
     
    Wild Trapper likes this.
  2. ghrit

    ghrit Bad company Administrator Founding Member

    The delight and hazard with cloud storage of your files ---
     
    Thunder5Ranch, mysterymet and duane like this.
  3. BTPost

    BTPost Stumpy Old Fart,Deadman Walking, Snow Monkey Moderator

    I just worry about losing access to all my backup information, now that I am mostly doing all my computing on my iPad Retina… I have a 2.5” 120Gb portable hard-drive with most of my stuff on it, but getting that to exchange files with the iPad has been problematic…Then AlaskaChick said she was having similar issues, so I decided to do a bit of research and see what could be done.. My solution turned out to be very simple.. Went on Amazon and bought a 2 Terabyte Thumb-drive, ($40US) and a USB to Lightning Adapter, ($10US) and that solves the issues… Plug the Portable drive into the Powerbook, and, or, anything else I want to archive, on one USB Port, and the 2TB drive in the other, and load the Thumb-drive up as needed, then pull it out, and plug it into the USB/Lightning Adapter, and then that into the Lightning Port on the iPad or iPhone, or into any other place that I might need that data… Good secure storage, as long as I keep the T-Drive, physically secured.. or if need be I have enough room on the T-Drive to partition it into two partitions with the storage section being encrypted, and a smaller section to use as a Transfer Section to hold an unencrypted copy of the files I might need to bring off the T-Drive at any one time… Plug in the T-Drive launch the File Encryption Program, unEncrypt and copy the needed files to the Transfer Section, then move the unencrypted files off, to the iPad or whatever device I need them on… Tested out and it works just spiffy.. Sent AlaskaChick a duplicate Amazon Order last night, that will arrive in Alaska next Monday…
     
    techsar, Dont and duane like this.
  4. Wild Trapper

    Wild Trapper Pirate Biker

    Middle grand-daughter needs a laptop this year for school.
    School is suggesting a Chromebook.
    Oldest G-D has a laptop with Windows 10 that I bought for her to use last year and it worked for her classes.
    The difference between the Chrome book and the windows 10 laptop is not that much in $.
    So, before I drop the $ for the Chrome thing, I might just go for the regular laptop with win 10.
    I'll check with her dad first and see what he thinks. He likes windows, I hate windows, but do not know anything serious about Chromebook.
    Just give me Linux....
     
    BTPost, Dont and duane like this.
  5. Wild Trapper

    Wild Trapper Pirate Biker

    Just talked with the dad of the grand daughter. We compared what I'd found chrome vs. windows laptops. I told him a bit of what Duane posted, but mostly the fact he knows windows and almost less than I do about a chrome book. So, I'll probably be getting G-D a regular laptop. Being she is autistic, we're a bit cautious as we kinda fear she might have a melt down and decide to take it out on the computer - but that would also be true if she has a chrome book.
     
  6. 3M-TA3

    3M-TA3 Cold Wet Monkey

    I don't trust Google for anything. Their entire business model is based on selling your information. Yeah I have a gmail account because it's required for certain things I can't yet avoid. It doesn't otherwise get used. I'd def move a chromebook to Linux if you can get it to boot off USB for the install. Otherwise I'd treat a chromebook as a spy and would only turn it on when required. Stick a piece of electrical tape on the camera and a blank jack in the mike socket to turn off the built in mike. Did I say I don't trust Google? The only exception is the Chromium (not Chrome) web browser, which unlike Chrome is open source so none of the usual Google spyware,

    Windows - sometimes it's just unavoidable. I just broke down and built a rack mount Windows 10 box to run Blue Iris, home automation, and security systems. Blue Iris requires Windows along with an Intel CPU that has built in graphics. Hands are pretty much tied if I want to use Blue Iris and it's capabilities are worth the hassle. I did buy a Win 10 Pro license from Kinguin, so it only cost me $30 more than a linux install (since I bought the license for $30).

    Windows is also better on the media servers I run, especially for music. I only let them "talk" to the media files on my NAS (managed switches are awesome!) and streaming services.

    Backup files - buy or build a NAS. That makes it available to all your computers and has redundancy for when a hard drive fails, because it WILL fail. Thumb drives fail as well. This is why I don't depend on single drive based backup systems.

    Don't even get me started on cloud based storage...

    Your files, at least mine to me, are worth a lot. If you have an old system you can repurpose look into Lime Technology Unraid or any of the other NAS software. Many of them, including Unraid, have free licenses for small consumer systems. You can either use the SATA ports on the motherboard or an inexpensive RAID card for better performance and capabilities.

    Lots of cheap LSI cards out there that have IT firmware available that lets the NAS software control the drives directly. Heck, I have one I will gladly send anyone going this route since I bought it by mistake and the return postage to China is more expensive than the card - LSI 9212-4i4e. Even without the controller card, with on old computer you can build a NAS for the price of a thumb drive, the hard drives and maybe a few cables.

    Non technical schoolkidz that won't be right there for you to talk them through things? Hate to say it, but Windows over Linux or Chromebook. MacOS just fine as well. Save some $$$ with free software with Open Office as opposed to Micro$$$oft.
     
    Tom31 and Wild Trapper like this.
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