Want to have a taste of Google’s Chrome OS but short of budget or afraid of losing the flexibility of Ubuntu? Fear no more! You can have the best of both the worlds, thanks to the new Chromixium OS. Despite the name, Chromixium is customized from a 32-bit Ubuntu 14.04 build and has no relation to Google’s Chrome OS. The main goal is to bring the web-friendliness, functionality, look and feel on Chrome OS on a conventional Linux desktop.

Software components include:

LTS Linux kernel 3.13

Chromium Web Browser

Pepperflash Plugin

Openbox window manager

Compton desktop compositor

Plank dock

LXPanel

Nautilus (Files)

Largely GTK +3 applications

The benefits of Chromixium OS:

Beautifully modern and flexible built around a modular light base system

Hardware support for a wide range of laptops, desktops, network, video and sound cards

Install on a regular hard disk with access to local storage, USB devices, printers and network shares

Persistent USB installs for portability

Install software available from Ubuntu’s or third-party software repositories

Complete control over customization

Background security updates

Chromixium is in Beta and supports only UK English at the time of writing. It can be tested live from USB and installed on the hard disk optionally. It can be installed anywhere you can install Ubuntu – laptops, notebooks and desktop computers… Minimum hardware requirements are 512MB RAM, 1GHZ PAE capable Intel/AMD processor.

Find the download options here.

You can use Unetbootin to create a bootable live USB with Chromixium. To install it on your hard drive, boot into the live USB and click on the installer icon on the dock (green-arrows) or right-click on the desktop and go to Applications–>System–>Chromixium Installer. Enter the password “user” and the installer will open. It’s an easy ride from there.

Webpage: Chromixium OS