Chromebook

Just short notes and a bunch of references for my Chromebook:

Version 81.0.4044.103 (Official Build) (64-bit).

Useful Key combinations

CTRL + SHIFT + p: Access to 'Terminal Settings'.
CTRL + SHIFT +{c,v}: Copy/Paste between Linux(Crostini) and ChromeOS.
Adjust brightness of the backlit keyboard: ALT + brightness {up,down} keys.
CANC emulation: ALT + Backspace
Search key + number: emulate the Function keys (F[1-12])
CAPS: ALT + Search key

NOTE: the search key is also known as the 'launcher key'.

Show all the key combinations: CTRL + ALT + / (DO NOT use when the focus is on a Linux terminal window)
Chromebook keyboard shortcuts (Google Support page)
Keyboard Shortcuts (Google Support page)
Remap the keys (The Verge)

Monitoring in ChromeOS

COG: a System Info Viewer
Use the following address in a Chrome window: chrome://sys-internals

Network traffic

There's a builtin mechanism:

Capture Network Log (Chrome window)
Display the logs extracted via net-export

Virtual Desks

Blog post
Press F5 to show all the windows and virtual desks.
Create a new virtual desk: SHIFT + Search Key + = (maximum of 4)
Switch between virtual desks: Search key + **]** (right) or + **[** (left)
Move windows to other desks: Shift + Search key + ]

SOCKS proxy

Launch the Crostini Debian container.
Open an SSH tunnel:

chromebook:~$ ssh -L 3333:localhost:8999 [email protected]
bastion.host:~$ ssh -D 8999 mydesktop # Only necessary if the bastion host does not have access to the internal network.

Configure Firefox to use a SOCKS proxy:

Preferences -> Network Settings -> Manual Proxy Configuration -> Host: localhost - Port: 3333

It should then be possible to reach hosts in the internal network via SOCKS proxy.

Note: -L specifies that connections to the given TCP port or Unix socket on the local (client) host are to be forwarded to the given host and port, or Unix socket, on the remote side.

Issues

Crostini's keys expired and then renewed via apt-key on the command line:

Solution:

sudo apt-key adv --refresh-keys --keyserver keyserver.ubuntu.com

Flatpak

NOTE: commands to configure repositories or install apps has to be issued as root.

Install the official flatpak bundle of Mozilla Firefox:

Download the flatpak reference file.
Install it via shell:

~$ sudo flatpak install --from org.mozilla.firefox.flatpakref                                                                          
Installing: org.mozilla.firefox/x86_64/stable
Required runtime for org.mozilla.firefox/x86_64/stable (org.freedesktop.Platform/x86_64/19.08) is not installed, searching...
Found in remote flathub, do you want to install it? [y/n]: y
Installing: org.freedesktop.Platform/x86_64/19.08 from flathub

8 delta parts, 23 loose fetched; 109043 KiB transferred in 109 seconds               
Installing: org.freedesktop.Platform.Locale/x86_64/19.08 from flathub

5 metadata, 1 content objects fetched; 17 KiB transferred in 1 seconds
Installing: org.freedesktop.Platform.openh264/x86_64/2.0 from flathub

1 delta parts, 2 loose fetched; 258 KiB transferred in 1 seconds
Installing: org.mozilla.firefox/x86_64/stable from flathub

1 delta parts, 10 loose fetched; 74179 KiB transferred in 74 seconds                
Installing: org.mozilla.firefox.Locale/x86_64/stable from flathub

6 metadata, 3 content objects fetched; 909 KiB transferred in 2 seconds

Once the installation is completed, Firefox should be available in the Linux apps menu.

Customizations

Chromebook Linux Shell
Setting up a ChromeOS devel environment (2018): mostly for Tilix,fonts,etc.
Pixelbook or Pixel Slate Setup
Customize Chromebook Chrosh Shell Environment (Github Gist - !!2014!!)

Fonts

Solved --> it's easier to use Tilix as a terminal application, since it will automatically support all the fonts installed in the Crostini Debian container.

Install Tilix:

sudo apt install tilix

mtds/Chromebook.md