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Linux Hardware Support

USB Devices

Linux on ChromeOS was primarily built with software developers in mind, and as such, only a limited subset of USB devices are supported. Supported devices include several microcontrollers, such as the ESP32, Arduino and Raspberry Pi 2040. ChromeOS also includes support for the "adb" protocol, which allows developers to interact with Android devices with USB Debugging Enabled. 

Supported Devices

  • Android Phones
  • Programmable Microcontrollers

Unsupported Devices

Although fully supported on ChromeOS, it is not possible to connect to any of the following devices from within the ChromeOS Linux environment:

Block Storage Devices

Although ChromeOS does allow access to filesystems on USB Mass Storage Devices via the ChromeOS File Manager's "Share with Linux" functionality, the ability to access the USB Mass Storage at the block level is not permitted within a ChromeOS Linux Container. This would mean that tools such as dd, gparted or balenaEtcher would either not work or be severely limited within your Linux container. 

The following tasks require block level access to storage devices

  • Viewing or Modifying Filesystem Type or Partitions
  • Formatting a Disk
  • Mounting a Disk
  • Reading or Writing RAW disk images (also known as flashing)

Webcams/Cameras

The ability to access USB Webcams or a webcam that is built into a ChromeOS device is not permitted within the ChromeOS Linux environment (Crostini).

Printers

It is currently not possible to directly access printers in the ChromeOS Linux Environment that are connected via USB. You can, however, connect to a networked printer on your LAN from within the ChromeOS Linux environment.

Scanners

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Keyboards/Mice

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USB Security Keys

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