6 ms·
No local state. You can do a full wipe then login and all your settings, apps, data are there (because they are in the cloud, not the device). Wipe your Linux p
by Osiris 7y ago
No local state. You can do a full wipe then login and all your settings, apps, data are there (because they are in the cloud, not the device). Wipe your Linux partition and tell me how long until you have your computer back to how you had it.
Also, I love Chrome OS for my kids laptops because I don't have to worry about viruses or malware. In the case, I purposefully want a less feature rich OS.
- fenwick67 7y agoThe first paragraph sounds like you are describing using Firefox sync or chrome with a Google login.
- forgot-my-pw 7y agoIt is, but more. When it's tied into the OS, wiping data is much easier. Resetting / removing your profile just takes seconds. It's a great OS too to give your parents who only need it for web browsing. Less maintenance and tech support.
- jethro_tell 7y agoNot really, because you can factory reset, cross a border and log back in in 10 minutes and everything is up to speedish. It's not your threat model but it's someone's threat model and a chromebook does that better than anyone else, and your mom can do it.
- laurentoget 7y agoI wish there was a way to do this without being locked in with Google as the backend.
- markstos 7y agoChromebooks are locked to using Google for authentication, but you don't have to use most Google services once logge din. Now you can even use an alternate Android or Linux browser instead of Chrome.
- jethro_tell 7y agoyou can even set the machine up to use guest then just use the web services you want (or even your own) and each session is ephemeral if that's what you want.
- redwards510 7y agoDoes that really appease border guards? If you present a blank laptop they would probably get very suspicious, since you are obviously trying to hide something. They would probably make you log in and sync before they let you enter the country. The whole point is to search your online life, if you don't let them do that, you don't get in.
- jethro_tell 7y agoYou can sign is as guest, you can use a Chromebook without signing in at all. You can have a second account that is empty that you log into and isn't connected to anything. My mom can still do both of those.
- komali2 7y ago> Does that really appease border guards? Doesn't matter, you've protected your clients, that's what matters. The worst case scenario is they seize it and prevent entry, which can happen with a blank or non-blank machine. Better it happens with a blank one. > They would probably make you log in and sync before they let you enter the country. This would be where you just don't enter the country. In the other scenario, you don't get in and they get to keep the machine anyway.
- solarkraft 7y agoThat assumes the laws regarding this are humane and border guards follow them, which are both untrue of lots of countries, including the USA.
- jethro_tell 7y agoyou don't have to sync to your main account? You guys are way over thinking this.
- willhk 7y agoOne of my parents has a Chromebook, one has a Macbook. Guess who I have to field more support calls from? Hint: The one that thinks different.
- opan 7y agoGuix System or NixOS could allow something similar. You can make an image of your system trivially. Also most configuration is done in one file which can be applied during install.
- Filligree 7y agoI love NixOS, but you can't seriously think you'd get fewer support calls by using it.
- michaelmrose 7y ago"Wipe your Linux partition and tell me how long until you have your computer back to how you had it." 30 minutes to restore the same environment or 1 day to install something totally new and learn about it. Probably the latter.
- HeWhoLurksLate 7y agoWhat about your data? That generally takes a lot longer, and a lot of people don't back up their stuff as much as they should. To me, that is one of the single largest value adds of being in the Google ecosystem on this one- peace of mind.
- lone_haxx0r 7y agoA separate SSD if it's a desktop PC.
- michaelmrose 7y agoGoogle doesn't back up all data on android/chromebooks
- beat 7y agoWhen my mother's last Windows laptop finally bit the dust, I bought her a Chromebook. Haven't had another service call in the three years since. She's old and tends to believe anything a computer tells her, from "YOU HAVE A VIRUS CLICK HERE TO REMOVE!!!!" to "Click here to claim your prize money!", so her Windows box was basically enough of a fetid cesspool of disease to approach supervillain powers on its own.
- saagarjha 7y ago> Wipe your Linux partition and tell me how long until you have your computer back to how you had it. This is how I use my Chromebook: any important configuration gets checked into Git. Granted, I don’t use it as my primary computer, but it does decently well as a device I can carry with me and wipe when necessary.
- Shorel 7y ago> Wipe your Linux partition and tell me how long until you have your computer back to how you had it. I think my last install was about five minutes. SSD drives are surprisingly fast. The older laptop surely took a lot longer than that. But, my /home partition was not touched, only the root partition was formatted. Don't tell me this was not allowed in your mind experiment.
- lone_haxx0r 7y agoI wipe my /home and still have all my data, because I save it in a separate SSD.
- Shorel 7y agoThat actually makes little difference. :)
- deleted 7y ago[deleted]