Chromebook

Install McLaren Labs’ rtpmidi on Chromebook Linux Bookworm

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Update: 2024-09-15 – The easiest way to connect external MIDI devices to the Linux subsystem of your Chromebook is to use the free McLaren MIDI Server sending to McLaren Labs’ rtpmidi for Chromebook Linux! (Debian 12 Bookworm).

Our port of rtpmidi to Debian 12 (Bookworm) installs effortlessly in the Chromebook Linux subsystem. Why would you want to do this? The reason is to get MIDI events from external devices into the Linux subsystem of your Chromebook.

McLaren Lab’s rtpmidi installed in Chromebook LInux

Currently, when you plug a MIDI device into the USB of your Chromebook, it is not passed through to the Linux subsystem. By using rtpmidi you can send MIDI events from a device connected to another computer into the Linux subsystem of your Chromebook.

When used with a wired Ethernet connection (avoiding WiFi) the latency of such a set-up can rival a direct connection.

Read More »Install McLaren Labs’ rtpmidi on Chromebook Linux Bookworm

Chromebook, Crostini Linux and MIDI

Update: 2024-05-31 – McLaren Labs’ rtpmidi is now available for Chromebook Linux! (Debian 12 Bookworm)
Read how: Install McLaren Labs’ rtpmidi on Chromebook.
Go to: https://mclarenlabs.com/store to get it!

A few weeks ago I picked up an inexpensive Chromebook. I’m typing this on it now, in fact. This was my first experience with Chromebook, and my first experience thinking about porting McLaren Labs’ tools onto a Chromebook. At first, I was thinking about wiping ChromeOS and putting Debian11 directly on it. But then I learned about native Linux support on Chrome in a VM.

Chromebook Linux

Crostini is the name given to the Linux-on-Chromebook virtual machine support. To enable it on my chromebook, I needed to open chrome://flags and enable Linux. Then I rebooted, and in Settings>>Advanced there was a new section called “Linux”. Voila.

Applications that need the Linux environment cause the Linux VM to start. One application is “Terminal” in the main applications menu. Start it up, and there is a full Debian 11 environment there. You can use “apt-get” and install whatever you desire.

Read More »Chromebook, Crostini Linux and MIDI