Chromium OS compatibility list released

December 1, 2009 | 10:54

Tags: #chrome-os #chromium #chromium-os #cloud #cloud-computing #google-chrome #google-chrome-os #linux-netbook #netbook

Companies: #chrome #google

If you fancy playing around with Google's Chromium OS - the open-source version of Chrome OS - but don't want to waste your time installing it on incompatible hardware, Google's Developer Hardware chart might just come in handy.

Posted on the official Chromium OS site - via Download Squad - is a list of devices which are capable of running the current build of Chromium without modifications.

In other words, if you're comfortable compiling your OS from source, the hardware compatibility list reveals exactly what you'll need for a trouble-free Chromium installation - or as trouble-free as an operating system in such an early stage of development can be.

A wide range of popular netbooks are on the list, including the original Asus Eee PC 700 along with its newer 900 and 1000W replacements, certain models of Acer Aspire One, Dell's Mini 10V, the Sony Vaio W, and the Lenovo Ideapad S10. In a demonstration that Chromium isn't just about netbooks, there's even a thin client machine on the list: the LTSP Term 1520 from Diskless Workstations, an inclusion doubtless made easier by the fact that it shares many of its specifications - Atom N270 processor, Intel GMA 950 graphics - with netbooks.

While many of the devices listed will boot Chromium OS without modification, wireless support is a trifle patchy: many devices have wireless cards which have no Linux drivers, and others including the Acer Aspire One series and the Gateway LT20 netbook can ship with either Atheros or Broadcom wireless cards depending on the date of manufacturer - with only Atheros being supported under Chromium OS.

Despite these caveats, for anyone tired of playing with Chromium OS on a virtual machine the hardware compatibility list could save an awful lot of wasted time.

Do you have one of the devices listed? Tempted to give Chromium OS a whirl, or are you still not convinced you're ready to trust all your data to Google's cloud? Share your thoughts over in the forums.
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