chromebook_setup

Setting up Chromebook for Golang development

Overview

This should cover the steps necessary to get any Chromebook ready for development using the Golang programming language. This should also include other commonly used programs (git, editor, etc...).

• Platform
• Developer Mode
• Shell
• Installing Golang
• Installing Git
• Editors
• Next Steps

Platform

Toshiba Chromebook 2 (CB35-C3300) - it should work this way for most Chromebooks.

Developer Mode

This will reset the entire Chromebook. This shouldn't be a problem as it is all designed to save to cloud storage. If you have anything in the Downloads directory, you should probably back that up first.

To put it into developer mode, simply hold Power+Esc+Refresh then let go of Power. Refresh should be the the third button to the right of Esc and looks like a circular arrow.

You'll see a screen with a warning that "Chrome OS is missing or damaged." This is normal. Press Ctrl-D.

This brings up a new screen asking you "To turn OS verification OFF, press ENTER". Press ENTER now to go into developer mode or Esc if you're having second thoughts.

The next screen will tell you that "OS verification is OFF". It will beep with a warning and you have another opportunity to back out by pressing SPACE. Wait it out and it will transition to developer mode. This will take a while as local data will be cleared and everything gets reset.

When it finally comes back up, you'll be prompted for language, keyboard and network settings, just like when you first opened it. It's still a Chromebook, so you'll need to log into Google like normal.

Shell

To pull up a bash shell:

• Press Ctrl-D to pull up the Chrome OS
• Type shell at the command line and press enter

You should find yourself in a normal Bash shell.

Oddly, you won't be in your own home directory.

chronos@localhost / $ cd ~
chromos@localhost ~ $ pwd
/home/chronos/user

It doesn't matter what user you're logging in as, you'll always see your home directory as /home/chronos/user. Different users will both see their home directories by the same name, but they are different and don't share files.

Installing Golang

Referencing: https://github.com/golang/go/wiki/ChromeOS

Synopsis for golang 1.5.3:

• Download go1.5.3.linux-amd64.tar.gz from https://golang.org/dl/
• sudo tar -C /usr/local -xzf ~/Downloads/go1.5.3.linux-amd64.tar.gz

Test it:

chronos@localhost ~ $ /usr/local/go/bin/go version
go version go1.5.3 linux/amd64

Create a file in your Downloads directory named gocode.

mkdir ~/Downloads/gocode

Create a tmp directory which will be used when executing go run:

mkdir ~/tmp

Then add the following to your .bashrc file:

export PATH=$PATH:/usr/local/go/bin
export GOPATH=~/Downloads/gocode
export PATH=$PATH:$GOPATH/bin
export TMPDIR=~/tmp
sudo mount -i -o remount,exec /home/chronos/user/

The first three lines set up the normal paths required for GO to find executables and packages. The TMPDIR variable is necessary when doing go run becaus the normal /tmp is mounted such that files can't be executed from there. The fifth line remounts your home dir so that any files you build and store in your home directory can be executed. Finally, we cd into the home directory for convenience sake.

Close your shell and open it again and everything should be in place.

Installing Git (and Ruby)

Referencing: https://skycocker.github.io/chromebrew/

Using chromebrew:

wget -q -O - https://raw.github.com/skycocker/chromebrew/master/install.sh | bash

This will take a while as things are built and moved into place. When is complete you should be able to use git and ruby.

chromos@localhost ~ $ git version
git version 1.8.4
chromos@localhost ~ $ ruby --version
ruby 2.0.0p247 (2013-06-27 revision 41674) [xo86_64-linux]

See what other packages are available with crew using crew search.

Editors

For now, simply install Caret from the Google app store. It is an online editor. You will only be able to work with files in Google's cloud, or in your Downoad directory. It will not be able to view your home directory or follow symlinks from the Downloads directory.

Next Steps

At this point you should be ready to edit and run files in your ~/Downloads directory. This is a somewhat limited setup, but completely functional for golang development.

The next step would be installing Crouton which will make much more of linux available, including graphical applications. In particular I'll want a more full editor for extended use.

Alternately, some people choose to dual boot linux, but that is something I can't explore simultaneously with my install of Crouton and will be left as an exercise for the reader.