Next, import the downloaded virtual machine appliance into the virtual machine program of your choice. Click the appropriate link to download the virtual machine image for VirtualBox or VMware, whichever you have installed. We offer free VirtualBox software, but you can also use a VMware product like VMware Workstation if you prefer that or if you already have it installed.Īfter you’ve installed a virtual machine program, go to the Neverware CloudReady virtual machine images page. RELATED: Newbie geek: how to create and use virtual machinesįirst of all, you will need a virtual machine application installed. Update: Neverware no longer offers VirtualBox images, but offers downloadable VMware images. It’s just missing a few bells and whistles that you can only get on a Chromebook. This software is based on Chromium OS and is almost exactly identical to Chrome OS. However, Neverware offers a free version for home use and free virtual machines for VirtualBox and VMware. They then add additional business management features and sell their solution to schools and businesses that want to run Chrome OS on existing PCs. Neverware takes the Chromium OS code and modifies it to work on existing PC hardware. We suggest to use Neverware CloudReady for that. It includes most of Chrome OS, except for some additional features that Google adds later, including support for Android apps. The open source project is called Chrome OS. However, Chrome OS, like the Chrome browser itself, is based on an open source project. You can only get the full version of Chrome OS on a Chromebook. Google doesn’t offer a version of Chrome OS that you can install over existing hardware, whether it’s in a virtual machine or on a full-size laptop or desktop. Here’s the problem: You can’t get an official version of Chrome OS without purchasing a Chromebook. RELATED: The Best Chromebooks You Can Buy, 2017 Edition Before purchasing a Chromebook, you might want to play with Chrome OS in a virtual machine in a window on your desktop. Google Chromebooks run Chrome OS, a lightweight Linux-based operating system that gives you a full Chrome browser and a basic desktop environment.

Vm virtualbox chromebook