A new experimental signal to make Lacros the primary browser for a Chromebook was found this week. Chrome Story reports that the flag is not yet available, but it should be soon, at least on the Canary Channel. Before searching for the flag to activate it as soon as it arrives, it’s good to take a look at Lacros vs Chrome and Chrome OS on Chromebooks.
What is Lacros?
If you’ve never heard of it, Lacros is a standalone browser that runs on Chrome OS and therefore on Chromebooks.
This may seem strange because Chrome is the standard way to browse the web on these devices. But it makes more sense when you realize that LaCrOS is essentially the Linux version of Chrome.
This means that it offers the same experience of running Chrome on a Linux desktop or laptop. And that means that Google can deliver on its promise to separate the Chrome browser from ChromeOS. At some point, Lacros will be the default or primary browser on Chromebooks.
Google’s own Lacros documents explain the following:
Lacros is an architectural project to separate the Chrome browser from the Chrome OS window manager and the system UI. The name comes from Iinux ONEWL ÇHRome ONLY.
It is likely that you will not even notice during most activities, except to configure different settings on your device. Once Lacros are generally available, you will configure browser-specific settings in the browser and Chrome OS settings in the current Settings application. There is even a link in the Lacros settings to the Chrome OS settings to remind you of that.
Why is Google doing this?
Simply put, by decoupling the browser from Chrome OS, Google gains some logistical advantages.
As Chrome OS is today, all Chrome browser updates for new features, bug fixes or security reasons must be integrated into a version of Chrome OS. This adds complexity, since Chrome OS itself changes every six weeks or more. Some of the browser bits can affect Chrome OS or block future features. Therefore, this model is not efficient.
Once the browser is separated from the operating system, efficiency gains are obtained. Google can send browser-only updates to Chromebooks at any time, just as it does for Chrome on Windows, macOS and Linux.
In addition, this will allow Chromebooks to run different versions of Chrome OS and the browser, again, according to official documentation.
It is it could potentially extending the life of some older Chromebooks that are beyond the Chrome OS support expiration date. Although the operating system does not receive updates, the browser can. And that would support safer browsing on such devices. Personally, I don’t think this is Google’s long-term strategy, but I could be wrong. My thought is that buying Neverware has a better chance of delivering more updates for older devices.
Can I try Lacros now?
In short, yes.
However, the Lacros browser is not enabled by default and is unlikely to be around for some time. I say this because, looking at the commits and comments of the code for the new flag of the Lacros main browser, I realized that there was no specific release date for Lacros.
In fact, the current flag for using Lacros is not set to expire until Chrome OS 98, which is at least 6 to 9 months away.
Still, you can try the browser now. Just go to chrome: // flags / # lacros-support to activate it. After restarting the browser, you will see a second browser icon.
The seals are in yellow, while the standard Chrome icon is multicolored. You can run instances of both at the same time, as they are completely separate applications. You can also sign in with your Google account and sync your browser settings.
Is there a real difference between Chrome and Lacros on Chrome OS?
As I mentioned, most people will not really feel a difference since Lacros is the only browser on Chrome OS, apart from the settings. All Chrome functionality on a Chromebook must be the same at this point. However, this is also the reason why Lacros is still not the default browser on Chromebooks.
There are tons of APIs and hooks between the Chrome browser and the Chrome OS system. Google is essentially rebuilding them in Lacros and even changing some of the rendering methods. This type of effort takes time to make and test all changes. And it is particularly challenging because Chrome OS itself is a mobile target with new stable releases every 6 weeks.
In the end, however, end users will not be radically affected. The seals will probably be called “Chrome” instead of the project’s code name. The browser icon will look like the current Chrome browser once the transition is complete and we’ll move from two native browsers to one.
Of course, you can still download other browsers using the Linux container on a compatible Chromebook. That will not change. You can install Brave, Firefox or whatever you want to browse the web, as long as you have support for Linux. Keep in mind that any alternative browser will not be your default or native browser on a Chromebook.