On Chrome OS, the browser and operating system are deeply intertwined. Google cannot update one component without the other, which makes development difficult. The company wants to change that by introducing a disconnected version of Chrome (‘Lacros’), which can simplify processes for developers and even extend Chromebooks’ lives. New evidence suggests that Google is getting closer to testing Lacros in public.
Chrome Story has found an underdevelopment feature in the Chromium Gerrit that adds a flag that allows Google to change the primary browser on Chrome OS. One of the latest tweaks to the code explains exactly what it is meant to accomplish:
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The flag will only work if the Lacros browser is enabled, which means that the test is only aimed at making the offline version of Chrome the new standard. It is not clear whether users will even see a switch to make the switch themselves, and whether they will at some point be forced to move with or without their cooperation. Since the flag is not yet available in Chrome Canary, the change is at least a few months away, and Google will almost certainly have more to share long before such fundamental changes are made to the OS.
While it was already clear that Google is working on Lacros integration with Chrome OS, it is further proof that the company is making progress with the goal of separating the browser and the OS. We assume that the move by Google is aimed at keeping Chromebooks safe beyond their expiration date, but Lacros can also help simplify development without necessarily extending Chromebooks’ lives. However, we are hopeful about this aspect, especially considering that many schools are buying older, cheaper Chromebooks that are nearing the end of their lives, and are rapidly becoming nightmares.
