FydeOS is a cloud-driven operating system aimed at the Chinese market. It is based on the cloud computing model of Chromium OS. Since FydeOS is browser-based, it is ideal for devices that don’t have a lot of power, like the Raspberry Pi. This type of operating system mainly uses cloud apps, so it doesn’t tax the device it’s running on too much.
You’ll learn here how to install FydeOS on Raspberry Pi and will experience a quick walkthrough of the OS.
What You Need
Before we get started with the installation, you will need to have the following things:
- Raspberry Pi 3B/3B+ or Raspberry Pi 4B
- Display
- HDMI cable for connecting Raspberry Pi to display.
- Keyboard and Mouse
- 8GB or larger MicroSD card
- MicroSD card reader
- Disk image that matches your Raspberry Pi. There are separate images available for the Raspberry Pi 3 and 4.
- PC
- Raspberry Pi Imager. This software is compatible with macOS, Windows, and Linux.
Note that you will also need to have a stable Internet connection. You can connect to the Internet over Wi-Fi on your Pi or by using the Ethernet port on the Pi.
FydeOS Installation on Raspberry Pi
After getting together all of the requirements, you can now begin loading the relevant disk image onto your microSD card.
1. Connect the microSD card to your computer and open Raspberry Pi Imager.
2. Select the operating system image that matches up with your Raspberry Pi from the relevant location on your computer and also select your MicroSD card.
3. Hit “WRITE” and wait for the process to be completed.
4. After the process has been completed, plug in the microSD card into your Raspberry Pi and boot it up.
That’s all. It is that easy to install FydeOS on Raspberry Pi.
Running FydeOS on Raspberry Pi
The first boot will probably take a while so just hang tight. When the device finishes booting up, you can go ahead and take FydeOS for a test drive after completing the initial setup activities like selecting your desired keyboard layout. While the Raspberry Pi won’t be as fast as a Chromebook, it will perform well enough. That’s not bad for a device that costs around $50.
The desktop is bare after the first startup, but you can easily add a wallpaper, adjust the bottom panel position, and set the bottom panel to autohide by right-clicking on the desktop.
Out of the box, you will have Chromium, the Chromium web store, a file manager, a Chromebook recovery utility, a shortcut to the Pocket website, AirDroid, a Camera app, the Settings app, and the Browse By Voice Manager.
If you click in the area with the Wi-Fi icon in the bottom-right corner of the panel, you will be able to do things like adjust the Wi-Fi settings, sign out, power off your device, turn Bluetooth on and off, turn notifications on and off, lock your device, adjust your device’s volume, and adjust your device’s brightness level.
Final Words
Overall, FydeOS is a solid option for a Raspberry Pi that you intend to use for light browsing purposes. Although it won’t be as speedy as a Chromebook, it will definitely get the job done at a lower cost. This is also one of the few existing Chromium forks that is being actively maintained. If you’ve been thinking of trying out a Chromium OS fork and have a Raspberry Pi 3/4 around, then FydeOS is definitely worth a shot.
Alternatively, you can try out Gallium OS, a Linux distro that you can install on your Chromebook.
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