How do I install only Chrome on a minimal installation?

Question

It's something like Chromium-OS, however even more minimal.

I was thinking, if it is possible at all??? That I use an Ubuntu 12.04 minimal, just to install the base OS, and then on top of it only the chromium browser, without any GUI like gnome, KDE, etc.

If this is not possible, then is it possible to browse the internet directly through the terminal which comes immediately after installing the base minimal OS. I don't want to install anything except for a GUI browser (not the text browser).

Solution 1

Just install Xorg, your graphic card driver, and Chrome. Then put Chrome in Xorg's startup script (.xinitrc). Though if you want something minimal like that you'd probably be more suited with Arch Linux, which is designed to let you build up your whole system from the ground (without too much effort).

Some command line web browsers are Links and Lynx.

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I'm not sure, but this should be how to achieve it...

1. sudo apt-get install xorg chromium-browser
2. Install your graphic card driver. You can choose whether you want the open source or the proprietary one. If you can tell me what graphic card you have, I'll try to tell you which driver you need. The MESA driver should work with any card, if I'm not mistaken, but has terrible performance.
3. echo chromium-browser >> .xinitrc (Might be a different command. once again; I'm not sure.)
4. startx

Solution 2

Use a minimal X configuration with a very lite desktop manager like Openbox, the following command will install the X server, the desktop manager and very little other packages

sudo apt-get install openbox obconf

you can then call up a desktop session with startx and run Chrome inside it or modify your .xinitc to auto start a desktop session with Chrome running as a startup application.

Comments

[BhaveshDiwan]

Does lynx or curl support grafic interface, or only the Text mode? Which one may support Browsing Gmail and Facebook. I hav already tried curl, however I failed to use it to the fullest.

[OrangeTux]

It only supports a text mode.

[dixoncx]

Also try Lubuntu, it uses minimal desktop LXDE http://lubuntu.net/

[BhaveshDiwan]

Thanks, I will surly try Arch linux, However I would like to stick to Ubuntu for a while. It would be a great help if you may tell the commands/procedure to achieve this within the terminal.

[Bruno Pereira]

@Z9iT What you can do with Arch you can also with Ubuntu mini most of the times, in this case I don't see the advantage of going for Arch just for that.

[dixoncx]

No, they are command line only browser..:(

[Tachyons]

What about blackbox ? I think it is light weight than openbox :)

[Bruno Pereira]

The same, I just recommended one out of my magic hat, both will do or something else. Depends on the customer's taste :)

[RobinJ]

@Z9iT Added a simple guide, but I'm not sure whether it will exactly work like that.

[BhaveshDiwan]

@BrunoPereira, I will surly stick to Ubuntu for this while. However it would be really appreciable if the command line instruction for what said may be available.

[BhaveshDiwan]

@RobinJ, On my present system, ther's no graphics card. The display is via onboard VGA. However the Ubuntu install is on a Pen-Drive thus some sort of universal / generic driver may be useful if its used on other system.

[RobinJ]

@Z9iT An onboard graphic card is a graphic card as well. lspci, or you can just use MESA.

[BhaveshDiwan]

This works well, HOWEVER i am being bugged by these problems: askubuntu.com/questions/151800/how-to-enhance-xinit

[RobinJ]

@Z9iT Well of course, without a window manager you don't have window controls. You could try OpenBox. For the sound and USB mouse, install ALSA and drivers.

[BhaveshDiwan]

@RobinJ I am still not able to achieve any kind of sound in the browser, even tough i get the sound when i use aplay command in the terminal.how will this browser speak???