Is Programming on a Chromebook Possible?

[john5220]

Need a lappie for university. But don't want fat nasty 15 inchers I want a slim ultrabook kind the asus is beautiful 13 incher at ultrabook thickness for $229

Need to do C and C++ and JAVA programming but need something like a IDE, a FREE one.

Interested in this one

http://www.amazon.com/ASUS-13-3-Chro...sus+chromebook

wonder if that can carry ubuntu and then install code lite or something?

also have my eyes on this but its ARM Nvidia so not sure if it can carry linux or even support things like codelite etc

http://www.amazon.com/Acer-CB5-311-T...rds=acer+tegra

 

[Cerb]

Almost certainly no. The world runs on Windows. You will generally be expected to have certain programs installed, some or all of which may only run on Windows.

Try to find a cheap Kaveri- or Haswell-based notebook, or buy a used business class notebook.

 

[john5220]

^ thanks it seems you are right. I have a desktop PC at home so was just hoping for any open source option for the notebook to practice programming on the go and use as a ereader.

Perhaps a Ipad or something might fullfill this role? we have Labs in school with PC and I have my home gaming desktop so was hoping to run Ubuntu on the chromebook with some free options for IDE.

Just wanted something light and slim for on the go use and for when on the Bus during long hours of traffic etc

 

[dave_the_nerd]

Still no.

Nobody is packing "development software" "can run Linux and/or Windows" "fast enough for a non-crappy user experience" and "thin 'n light" in a single laptop for under $800 or so.

Macbook Air?

 

[richaron]

Is Programming on a Chromebook Possible?

Of course it is. Get a Chromebook you can install Linux on to & you're good to go.

Do your research tho: get one without bootloader issues and make sure it's an x86 for good compatability (like the first one you listed), and check RAM/SSD requirements of various linux distros. There are plenty of good Linux IDEs or you can go hardcore and just use editors. Many of my classes at Uni were Linux only, and on the slight chance you need windows I'm sure you'll have options.

Almost certainly no. The world runs on Windows. You will generally be expected to have certain programs installed, some or all of which may only run on Windows.

Still no. Nobody is packing "development software" "can run Linux and/or Windows" "fast enough for a non-crappy user experience" and "thin 'n light" in a single laptop for under $800 or so.

These are both so wrong I don't know where to start. I admire you guys posting so much and helping peeps out; but make sure you know what you're talking about first.

 

[john5220]

^ thanks man will get the same ASUS it has the intel bay-trail X86

Linux has amazing IDE infact I use IDE on my windows 7 machine thats also available on linux. I also havea nice 16GB ADATA SD card class 10 the forgot the class but its the really fast ones so it will be plenty of space on the chromebook.

even from my understanding linux packs a compiler built in by default and people often program with the command line interface alone.

So i am sure all those open source IDE would work. I see no reason not to I mean I used netbooks with atom CPU already to learn programming and it worked just fine. A little slow but it was fine. Space isn't an issue for me 16GB SSD on the chromebook is plentiful for what I want it for, its mostly school work and learning C and C++ on the Bus in traffic.

And yeah for any windows use I have my gaming desktop PC home with windows 7 and our Labs in School has windows 7 and everyone is always guaranteed a PC as the labs have over 100 PC and only a handful of us are doing Computer Engineering.

 

[richaron]

NP, there is plenty of good software out there. With most of my Java stuff they suggested Eclipse IDE, but they didn't care what you use. My C work was done in a basic editor like gvim & you compile from a terminal with gcc, but that's old achool. In the end it doesn't matter what software you use, as you'll be marked on what is basically a text file

You mentioned Ubuntu (which I recommend), and it should work well on low specs. Installing Ubuntu and & extra software will be fine, but you'll need to use SDs/USBs for everything apart from your OS. 2G RAM is about the minimum I'd use for Ubuntu (it's "bloated" compared to other distros), but it should still work fine and you have options to reduce it's memory footprint.

I doubt you'll notice it being slow unless you run out of RAM or a compiling huge programs.

Edit: If you are new to Linux things will seem overly complicated and annoying. An "easy" distro like Ubuntu will help, but you'll probably hate me for being an enabler. I take no responsibility for anything. Ever.

 

[Cerb]

Of course it is. Get a Chromebook you can install Linux on to & you're good to go.

Then, if a class requires Windows-specific programs, then what? Linux may work, but would need to be checked out, first.

 

[Cerb]

Linux has amazing IDE infact I use IDE on my windows 7 machine thats also available on linux. I also havea nice 16GB ADATA SD card class 10 the forgot the class but its the really fast ones so it will be plenty of space on the chromebook.

Class won't matter. Random performance is unrelated to it, and is what will matter (Class 10 means MBps sequential writes are guaranteed, and nothing more). However, A-Data cards tend to have decent random performance (long with Sandisk, Samsung, Toshiba, and Sony). Kingston, PNY, and most others just package whatever they can find, so you might get one that can do 200 IOPS, but another of the same model might be capable of only of 5 IOPS.

even from my understanding linux packs a compiler built in by default and people often program with the command line interface alone.

Most don't come with one, to save space, but may have C/C++ compiler as an option. Linux distros pretty much all have the means to build themselves, though, so it's easy to add build tools.

People don't really program from the command line, but may use text editors in terminals, like Emacs or Vim, which may also have add-ons for specific languages, making them nearly as powerful as IDEs, and faster as text editors than big IDEs, if you're willing to take the time to learn them.

So i am sure all those open source IDE would work. I see no reason not to I mean I used netbooks with atom CPU already to learn programming and it worked just fine. A little slow but it was fine.

For schoolwork, CPU performance will not matter.

 

[mfenn]

The answer to the question, "is programming on a Chromebook possible?" is emphatically yes as Richaron pointed out.

The answer to the related question, "is having a Chromebook as my only college laptop possible?" is murkier. If you're a freshman or sophomore taking more introductory-level classes, then I would tend towards "no" because those classes will want you to use the same tools as everyone else for labs and such. If you're taking more advanced level classes, then I'd lean more towards "it'll probably be fine" because there the instructors typically only care about the resulting code, and not the method that you use to program.

Note that when you're programming in C, there are some gotchas to watch out for if you're developing on ARM (big-endian), but your code will be tested on x86 (little-endian). You'll need to keep the byte-order difference in mind when doing any kind bit packing operations on multi-byte primitives (shorts, ints, longs).

 

[richaron]

Then, if a class requires Windows-specific programs, then what? Linux may work, but would need to be checked out, first.

The question wasn't about graphic design with it's industry standard software. Nor was it bioinformatics or something with obscure niche software. The question was on C/Java programming and from what I've seen: no respectable course uses windows specific software.

In fact quite a few of my courses were taught using Linux, to teach certain skillsets and introduce them to "programming" on a large scale - where it would be a disadvantage to have a windows laptop.

Edit: I'll admit Linux is not perfect. And OP may have problems in other areas such a drivers for newer hardware, or IT support to access WiFi. But I have no doubt Linux can cover most/all needs of the OP, and with a built-in learning curve of it's own :sneaky:

 

[Cerb]

In fact quite a few of my courses were taught using Linux, to teach certain skillsets and introduce them to "programming" on a large scale - where it would be a disadvantage to have a windows laptop.

A solution to that problem, requiring no hardware Linux support . I'd go crazy if I had to do everything in Windows.

 

[corkyg]

Cerb has it right. You don't need Windows to run a good text editor and compiler.

 

[stlcardinals]

I would go with a MacBook. You can run Windows, Linux, and OS X. If portability is what you want, go with an Air. If power is what you want, go with a Pro.

I would definitely check with your University or a current student in the major at that University to see what requirements there are as far as software is concerned.

 

[piasabird]

I took a class at a university and we programmed java on a Linux server. Every location is different. The funny thing is the computer labs used windows. I guess it is good to be exposed to multiple work environments.

 

[ussfletcher]

I really like my Chromebook for what it is, a web browsing appliance. Outside of that, its very possible to run a standard Linux distro on them through Crouton. More to the point, if you have to submit pre-compiled binaries and you are using an ARM based platform, you are going to be in for a bit of a hassle.

 

[john5220]

NP, there is plenty of good software out there. With most of my Java stuff they suggested Eclipse IDE, but they didn't care what you use. My C work was done in a basic editor like gvim & you compile from a terminal with gcc, but that's old achool. In the end it doesn't matter what software you use, as you'll be marked on what is basically a text file

hee hee yes when I write my exams its done with pen and paper and I noticed that an IDE like Visual Studio because of its ability to point out your every mistake causes you to learn slower.

When in exam room i forgot a number of things and it would have been better if I did it in a text editor. lol

 

[DrMrLordX]

OP, if you are thinking about running Linux on a Chromebook, you may wish to look at Xubuntu or Lubuntu instead of standard Ubuntu. Both have smaller memory footprints, smaller installs, etc. There is information out there that can get you started in the right direction. I use Xubuntu on my desktop, but I've heard Lubuntu is actually the better distro right now.

Once you have Lubuntu installed and working, get Eclipse Luna, and install the plugins for C++ and C development (should be Eclipse CDT). You will also need to install g++ via synaptic/apt -get but you probably know that already.

 

[john5220]

^ yeah thanks

 

[john5220]

ok it just so happens there has been new developments in the PC space and ASUS is releasing a new Netbook revive of the EEE PC. With 11.6 inch display, windows 8 with 32 GB SSD and 2GB RAM and everything I would need for just $199. Whats the point of even owning a chromebook now?

Asus-X205 and my god is it thin and sexy with huge trackpad!!!!!!!!

And its not like the garbage 10 inch netbooks that were fat and bulky and slow with stupid slack removable battery that felt like cheap 3rd world garbage. this asus is sealed and its sort of a macbook air copy!!!

 

[DrMrLordX]

Sweet. Linux still might be lighter-weight, but hey, Windows is Windows. You can still use Eclipse + Eclipse CDT if you like (there is a Windows version), though you have other options of course. Any word on how much actual disk space is available on those things?

 

[john5220]

^ yeah would like to know that myself. I would assume windows 8 would be a bit more tailored for this PC? my windows 7 takes 12GB of space on my desktop PC and thats with all the updates I would assume windows 8 should be a bit less. But I am REALLY happy they didn't waste time with a Hard Drive. Thats so useless for me I would so much prefer this small 32GB SSD for its ultra low latency and store everything else in the cloud or on a SD card.

I have the fast class 10 SD card a ADATA 16GB just lying around the desk because my nexus 4 phone does not support SD cards. So I can toss it into this ASUS and get a lot more space.

I will be honest all I need is around 10GB of space just need a light IDE like eclipse / CodeLite or something. Hey its windows so can toss a free copy of Visual Studio Express on it too if I want.

This intel Atom quad core is really fast it actually runs Starcraft 2 / Modern Warfare 3 and stuff. Has a guy with the Win tablet on youtube with the benchmarks of him running these games on the win tablet running this identical chip.

What I am liking about this new laptop besides the obvious sexy design and unibody is that its really light 2.1 pounds. I won't have any issues with it in my backpack while standing in line waiting for the Bus on evenings to go home from school.

 

[DrMrLordX]

The only Win8.1 install I've seen fully-patched is a desktop AiO machine (HP). It has a Windows directory sized at around 16.7 GB. That may include some cruft pre-installed by HP.

 

[john5220]

few more pics

 

[john5220]

The only Win8.1 install I've seen fully-patched is a desktop AiO machine (HP). It has a Windows directory sized at around 16.7 GB. That may include some cruft pre-installed by HP.

well thats not bad at all.

Still means there would be like around 16GB~ of space free on the asus.

Plus my 16GB micro sdcard slot. I would just need around 10 GB at max, must stuff I do would be on the cloud I think asus and microsoft is giving a lot of cloud storage free with it also so that would do nice for the rest of my stuff.

Besides may not even use those services since I just use youtube for all my video and music needs anyways.

ps its 32bit windows 8 so this is great 2GB of ram is gonna be enough for me not sure why in the pic it says 1GB but thats was probably a test model an engineering model or something.