Chromebook

[keiper606]

Is it possible to install on a chromebook?   If so how?

[Odhinn]

City of Heroes will not run natively on a Chromebook. There are some workarounds for Chromebooks such as an app called Crossover that is basically WINE for Chrome OS. It does require an Intel based Chromebook and is in beta currently. (https://www.codeweavers.com/products/crossover-chromeos)

 

There are also some ways of installing Linux on Chromebooks and the possibility that in the near future Windows 10 can be installed on Chromebooks as a dual boot set up.

[WanderingAries]

As stated above, it's one of those "so you're telling me it's possible" situations, but the hassle is rather elaborate. More so than most things as you're Also limited by the chromebook's storage space to say the least. If you Haven't purchased said device, then pickup a Win10 device with 4+ Gb RAM, preferably a Discrete GPU, and an actual HDD/SSD. To make your life easier, make sure it's 64bit as well.

[Ago]

In the order of easiest to hardest to run COH on:

Windows - COH is built specifically for it.

Mac - At this time, 50\50%.

Linux - Hard

Chromebooks - Hard to Impossible.

 

Mac has technical issues that a user needs to work around, but not near as much as Linux. 

 

While Linux doesn't have as much 'locked down' backend work as Mac does, Linux support is 100% on your own because everything in Linux really is.  Unless your work implements it (ask your IT folks), you have a support agreement with a company like RedHat, or as my Grandfather said it best back in the living years, someone lied to you about tech support in Linux and with a gruff laugh he'd say, "you've been had, son."

 

And Chromebooks are a recent entry on this list for one reason: High End Models.  Chromebook Pixel, Pixelbook and Pixelbook Go have the superior hardware to run COH at an acceptable rate.  But that's the best chance to get it to work at all.  The amount of money to obtain them, the amount of work needed to either make it dualboot, put on a Linux that works well with the hardware (clue: GalliumOS is a little old and not up to date "LTS wise" concerning Ubuntu packages.) Then going through the hoops that ChromeOS hardware and Linux puts down for running Wine apps.  (Whether you use ChromeOS Linux apps natively, or run in Dev Mode, Google offers zero user support in doing this, by the way.) And that's the best possible scenario.  If you have a mid-range device, the likelihood drops quickly to zero when you remember the key design factor of most Chromebooks: they're built for speed, not power or capacity.  Running 4-6 tabs with demanding web apps proves this point quickly.  If you look at the specs, you'll see why.  SSDs that are smaller than most $20 flash drives sold today.  Low spec processors.  Half the RAM of a Windows Laptop at the same price.  Again, speed, not power.  And sub-$300 Chromebooks on ARM processors are non-starters.  City of Heroes isn't compiled to work on ARM processors period.

 

Running COH on ChromeOS is a level of abstraction and difficulty on top of just going for a lower priced Linux laptop that has better odds of doing what you're after and not involving Chromebook hardware and Chrome OS.  (Not saying Chromebooks are inferior, but I am saying they're highly focused devices on websites, streaming media and nothing else.)  Which is a level of abstraction harder than using a Mac (major Con: Apple has dropped 32-bit apps from the ecosystem and the shockwave in that ecosystem isn't completely through yet.  Slight pro: Mac hardware compatibility lists are far less broad than Windows, which has millions of combinations.)

 

So, can you run COH on a Chromebook (short of cheap tricks like VNC or Chrome Remote Desktop)? If it costs less than $500 new, solid No.  If it's more than $500, you could...

 

...but why?

Edited December 27, 2019 by Tahquitz
Missed a paragraph... Put it back.

[Ago]

11 hours ago, Odhinn said:

...in the near future Windows 10 can be installed on Chromebooks as a dual boot set up.

Google has dropped this effort quietly as of 2018.  The response they were looking for when they announced this with Pixelbook was fairly tepid, cooler heads prevailed in the HQ, and they doubled down on their messaging that Chromebooks are more secure and safer than Windows 10.  They're not likely to about face on that stance.

 

Efforts to run Windows 10 on a Chromebook is still 100% Homebrew development at the moment, which is their way of saying requires Dev Mode turned on and voids warranty support (especially unlocking and overwriting the firmware to run Windows 10 natively, which while it isn't hard, ALWAYS runs the risk of 'bricking' the pizza box you're working on.)

 

===============

Not trying to beat a dead horse with these two posts, but Titan Network answered this frequently concerning Paragon Chat which has the exact same limitations on Linux and ChromeOS.

 

I've spent eight years in Educational IT, five of which in increasing responsibility over Chromebooks.  I have done everything from repairing them to repurposing "Auto Expiration" machines over 6 years old to run on Linux devices to donate to after school programs.  Platform boast biting isn't the issue -- no, a better TL;DR is like this: it's like asking how much to spend on a toaster to pour orange juice, when a pitcher that probably costs less would do the job better.

Edited December 28, 2019 by Tahquitz
A footnote.

[WanderingAries]

On ‎12‎/‎27‎/‎2019 at 5:44 PM, Tahquitz said:

Edited by Tahquitz....

*feels stalked*