Crouton: How to Install Ubuntu on a Chromebook with Compiz and Other Tweaks

Since I got my Samsung Chromebook Series E, I've been playing with it to see what it is capable of.  Surely enough, the very first thing I did was to go the Crouton route to install Linux on it.  To keep a record, this is what I did, based on several websites:

A. To add Crouton and Ubuntu:

First, I needed to go into developer mode and prepare my Chromebook for the fun.  The tutorials are here and here.

1.  To download Crouton:
https://github.com/dnschneid/crouton
You place it in the Downloads folder.  Why?  Because both ChromeOS and Linux will share that folder.

2.  To install Crouton:
Open a terminal (ctrl+alt+t)
type "shell"
sudo sh -e ~/Downloads/crouton -t lxde  (Or xfce, or KDE, depending on your choice)
Add your username and password at the end of the process

3.  To run Crouton:
Control+alt+T
Type: shell
sudo startxfce4

Here you have Ubuntu running.  You can go back to ChromeOS by pressing Ctrl+alt+back arrow.  Ctrl+alt+forward arrow will take you back to Ubuntu. I downloaded Synaptic because I'm familiar with it for handling the software I want to download.

4.  If you need to erase Crouton for some reason:
Control+alt+T
Type: shell

Type these two commands separately:

cd /usr/local/chroots

sudo delete-chroot *

sudo rm -rf /usr/local/bin

Ready!!

Sources:
linux.com
lifehacker.com



B. To add Compiz: 

1. Download Compiz packages:

a. I added this source to Synaptic:
deb http://snapshot.debian.org/archive/debian/20120616T042917Z/
wheezy
main

b. using a terminal, as root:
apt-get -o Acquire::Check-Valid-Until=false update
(otherwise, they won't show in Synaptic)

2. Download  GCONF-EDITOR and METACITY:
That will simplify things when reaching step 5.

3. Change the windows manager:
To load Compiz instead of Openbox we edit as root the file /etc/xdg/lxsession/Lubuntu/desktop.conf and replace window_manager=openbox-lubuntu (on Debian it's "openbox-lxde") with window_manager=compiz.

4. Mark everyting related to window decoration in compiz settings
We have to make sure window decoration is active (marked) in compiz settings.  The same goes for everything related to windows: movement, minimizing, etc.

5. Set Compiz windows decorations
The window decorator used by Compiz is gtk-window-decorator and it may use Metacity's themes.

Running the command gtk-window-decorator --metacity-theme Bluebird --replace will do the trick.  But I used gconf-editor:
In the left panel: Apps --- Metacity --- General
and then search in the right panel "Theme" and type "Bluebird"

Source: desdelinux.net 


C.  To change locales:

I found that, no matter what I did, Ubuntu did not like to keep my chosen locale (Spanish).  But I could correct the problem following this process:

On a terminal:
1.  sudo aptitude install language-pack-es language-support-es
2.  sudo dpkg-reconfigure locales
3.   sudo /usr/sbin/locale-gen es_ES.UTF-8
4.  sudo /usr/sbin/update-locale LANG=es_ES.UTF-8
5.  export  LANG="es_ES.UTF-8"  /usr/bin/locale

Source: Tonisoto.com