In addition to the Chrome 2.0 beta, work for the Linux version of Chrome is on its way. Its official name is currently “Chromium,” and Google Chrome for Linux doesn’t officially exist yet. For the sake of argument, however, Google Chrome for Linux is on its way whether it’s currently in a Chromium and pre-alpha state or not, and now Ubuntu users can get a hold of Chromium to take for a spin. In this article, learn how to install the current build of Chromium to test on your Ubuntu or Ubuntu-based system and see several screenshots of the budding browser.According to Lee Matthews at Download Squad, Chromium runs just as fast on Ubuntu as the current Windows version of Chrome does. Its only drawbacks are that there are several features, including tabs and bookmarks bars, that currently aren’t functional. Even still, excited young Linux buffs who also have a love of Chrome will give their eyeteeth to get Chromium. Thankfully eyeteeth aren’t required. All that must be done is the following, as instructed by Matthews:

Thanks to the PPA for Chromium daily builds team, getting the pre-alpha Chromium browser running on your system is about as painless as it can be at this stage. You’ll need to add repositories, of course. They are (substitute jaunty or hardy if needed):

deb http://ppa.launchpad.net/chromium-daily/ppa/ubuntu intrepid main<br />

deb-src http://ppa.launchpad.net/chromium-daily/ppa/ubuntu intrepid main

Once they’ve been added, running sudo apt-get install chromium-browser in a terminal window will take care of the rest. After the package has finished installing, just execute chromium-browser to fire it up.

To excite those aforementioned Linux/Chrome admirers, below are some screenshots of Chromium itself in delicious 32-bit colors as run on Crunchbang Linux.

As always, we see Google includes its funny way of getting the word across integrated into the browser. Oh, look. It renders. Menus are a go. Same Acid results on Linux as on Windows.

The download dialog is somewhat… decimated, one might say. However, remembering that this is a pre-alpha release, we know the best is yet to come.

Do you like these? You can see all twelve in their fuller resolutions.