Chromixium x64 final stable release OUT NOW!

Finally, the stable x64 version of Chromixium is released! This release fixes all the bugs from the RC5 and improves on a few areas as well. Thanks for the wait everyone, but I think it was worth it.

Download link

Direct: http://sourceforge.net/projects/chromixium/files/Chromixium-1.5-amd64.iso/download
Torrent: http://sourceforge.net/projects/chromixium/files/Chromixium-1.5-amd64.torrent/download
GitHub: https://github.com/RichJack/Chromixium/releases/tag/v1.5-i386-amd64

Filename: Chromixium-1.5-amd64.iso
File size: 887MB (846MiB)
MD5SUM: a3481df8b9c17ab257b3c30f12e97e32

Recommended RAM = 3GB

Instructions for transferring the ISO to USB (and troubleshooting) follow at the end of this post.

Changes since RC5

• Fixed issues preventing installation of 32 bit libs and packages eg Steam, Wine and Skype.
• Guest session fixed.
• Added: python-xlib wmctrl xdotool gnome-font-viewer libcanberra-pulse ubuntu-sounds pulseaudio-module-bluetooth
• Google browser choice – updated due to changes in Chrome WM_Class
• Addd chrome-remote-desktop-session config to $HOME
• Terms are now correctly displayed before launching the installer
• Hibernate policykit profiles added
• Plank now works in non-English locales
• Default “Sans”, “Serif”, and “Monospace” fonts be mapped to “Roboto”, “Roboto Slab”, and “Roboto Mono”
• Bcmwl-kernel-source aded to cdrom/pool so Broadcom users can install it without Wifi
• Installer shortcut is now removed from the user’s Desktop post-install
• Unheld software-properties, now managed via cron job
• Held back lubuntu-software-center from updating as this forms the basis for Chromixium Software Center
• Added font-viewer
• Removed window fade from Screenshot tool
• Dock settings now re-starts when click Apply
• Shutdown dialogs now warn if more than 1 user logged in
• Added bluetooth startup script which loads discover module
• All packages updated as of 2015/10/30

For a full list of included packages see Chromixium-1.5-amd64-packages.list

Known limitations:

• Installations using JFS or XFS filesystems for the root/boot partition are not seen by Grub2. Please use Ext4 or BTRFS for / or /boot.
• If you need advanced language/keyboard switching, please install either ibus or fcitx manually post-installation. You may also add the Keyboard Layout Handler plugin to the system tray (LXPanel) to handle keyboard layout switching.
• If testing this in a VM, the ISO will not prompt to remove the media on shutdown unless you use the Text (debug) boot option (in which case, you just need to power off the VM).

Instructions for creating live media

The 64 bit version supports booting and installing on EFI systems with or without Secure Boot enabled. It of course works on conventional MBR/BIOS systems.

Linux

1. Plug USB stick into PC
2. Open a terminal
3. Type this command to determine your USB device ID:

    sudo lsblk -l
    <type your password>

4. Type these commands to format and transfer the ISO to USB which will create an MBR and EFI compatible bootable device (replace sdX with your device ID):

   sudo dd if=/dev/zero of=/dev/sdX bs=1 count=512
   sudo dd if=/path/to/Chromixium-1.5-amd64.iso of=/dev/sdX bs=4M && sync
   eject /dev/sdX

Windows

1. Plug USB stick into PC
2. Open File Explorer to check the drive letter of your USB device
3. Download Rufus USB creator tool.
4. Run the downloaded rufus.exe file (you will need admin rights)
5. Make sure the correct drive letter is chosen
6. Choose either “MBR Partition Scheme for BIOS or UEFI” for a standard BIOS or change to “GPT partition scheme for UEFI” if you explicitly want EFI/Secure Boot support.
7. Click on the small disk icon about half way down on the right and select the Chromixium-1.5RC5-amd64.iso image.
8. Make sure Quick Format is checked and click Start.

You may also create a live DVD using your favorite image burning software.

Trouble-shooting

• If the live media doesn’t log you in automatically and you get dropped to a log in screen, then the Live media wasn’t correctly created.
• If the live media boots with a kernel panic error or missing initd.gz error, then the Live media wasn’t correctly created.
• First check the MD5SUM matches the one given above. In Linux, from a terminal type:

  md5sum Chromixium-1.5-amd64.iso

• In Windows, download WinMD5 and use this to check the ISO.
• When the Live media first boots, run the “Check disk for defects” boot option. It should complete error free.
• Try the Text (Debug) boot.
• Try a different brand of USB stick or DVD, a different port, or a different writing method.

Installing to Hard Disk

1. Please note, if you require an encrypted installation, please disable swap before launching the installer by running this command from a terminal (Crtl+Alt+T):

   sudo swapoff -a

2. Open the Installer from the icon on the dock
3. Select your language (note: not all aspects of Chromixium are translated)
4. If you already have an OS installed on the disk, there will be options to:
   1. “Erase and (re)install” – wipes entire drive and installs Chromixium. You will have the option to encrypt your installation and/or choose LVM partitioning if you choose this option.
   2. “Install alongside” – this will give you the option to shrink an existing Windows or Linux installation and install Chromixium into the space created.
   3. “Something Else” – opens a manual partitioning screen. Useful if you have already partitioned your device or freed up space using Windows disk management. Select an empty area or partition to format and install Chromixium onto. You will need at the very least a root ( / ) partition. A swap partition of twice your RAM or 4GB should be created to allow for hibernation.
   4. You will get the chance to review and accept or reject any partition changes, but once accepted the changes will be written to disk immediately.
5. Select your Keyboard layout
6. Choose a username, hostname (computer name) and password. Select autologin and/or encrypted home area. If you select autologin you will be required to log in once after the installation to authenticate your credentials, then subsequent logins will happen automatically.

Using Chromixium

• Right-click anywhere on the desktop to access the Applications menu and control panel. This provides access to the underlying Ubuntu Linux operating system, locally installed applications and system settings.
• Sign in to Chromium for the best experience (requires a Google account)
• Click on the magnifying glass icon to open Chrome Apps and the Chrome Web Store
• Click on the network icon in the system tray to connect to a WiFi network
• Right-click on the battery/power indicator for power/screensaver/brightness options
• Right-click on the Penguin icon to access shutdown/sleep/hibernate settings and to change your avatar
• Install local applications using the Add, Remove and Update Software application (Synaptic) from the Control Panel or the Ubuntu Apps Directory

Hardware Support

• Chromixium ships with the long term supported 3.13 kernel
• If you need the additional hardware support provided by newer kernels, eg on a Chromebook, just install with:
  

  sudo apt-get install linux-image-generic-lts-utopic (for 3.16 kernel)
  sudo apt-get install linux-image-generic-lts-vivid (for 3.19 kernel)

• If your hardware is not detected, go to Control Panel – Software and Drivers – Additional Drivers tab and if any proprietary drivers are available, they will be listed (requires Internet connection) eg Broadcom Wifi, Nvidia and Radeon graphics.
• For a completely updated xorg graphics stack, update to the latest Hardware Enablement Stack (HWE) using this command from a terminal:
  

  sudo apt-get install --install-recommends linux-generic-lts-vivid xserver-xorg-core-lts-vivid xserver-xorg-lts-vivid xserver-xorg-video-all-lts-vivid xserver-xorg-input-all-lts-vivid libwayland-egl1-mesa-lts-vivid

Language Support

Chromixium is an English (UK) based project. The Live ISO is configured to US American English language. When you launch the installer you can select your native language and keyboard layout. For best results please ensure that you are connected to the Internet and select “Install Updates”. A number of language packs and locales are pre-installed for French, German, Russian and Spanish languages, incorporating a range of locales which should allow for offline installation.

If you choose a language other than English, then only parts of the operating system will be translated – the log in screen, some application launchers, most Gnome applications and most importantly, the Chromium web browser, so you will be able to surf in your native language. As Chromixium includes a number of bespoke scripts, then unfortunately a number of interfaces are not translated eg the Openbox menu.

If your language and locale settings haven’t been detected properly by the installer, or if you want to add additional languages, then you can do this post-install using the Control Panel and the Language Support application. You will need an Internet connection to install additional languages. For dual-language support, you can add a keyboard layout switcher to the system tray by right-clicking and selecting Add/Remove Panel Items and then adding the Keyboard Layout Handler plugin. For more input-method switching you can install ibus or fcitx from the repositories.

As the project matures, it may be possible to translate more aspects of the distribution. I have already had some kind offers to help with translations. If anyone would like to help with translations in the future, please make yourself known on the forum.

Extra Support & Help Using Chromixium

• Please register at the official support forums, ask a question and we will be pleased to help you: http://chromixium.freeforums.org
• Documentation can be found at the Wiki: http://chromixium.wikidot.com
• Some guides are available here (need updating): http://chromixium.org/guidebook
• There is an unofficial IRC chat room on freenode a #chromixium

Join the Chromixium Community

• The main website is at http://chromixium.org
• Follow us on Google+
• Join the community at the Chromixium Help and Discussion Forum

Contribute & Donate

Chromixium OS will always provide a free to download and free to install operating system.

If you like Chromixium OS then you might like to consider making a donation. Just click on the Donate button. You don’t need a PayPal account if you have a credit or debit card.

Why Donate?

• Chromixium is not a business and has no revenue stream, but does have outgoings.
• Development and support of the OS takes up a lot of time though it’s not a full-time job.
• If enough donations come in, then the funds can be used to ensure Chromixium OS continues to develop at a healthy pace and provide great support for users.
• You can donate as little as £1 or as much as you see fit. Remember, PayPal take a cut also. (Donations are in GBP so that PayPal don’t take a large currency conversion fee)
• £18 per year will fund the continued use of the chromixium.org domain.