# ChromiumOS

> Linux distribution

**Wikidata**: [Q79534](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q79534)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ChromiumOS)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/chromiumos

## Summary
ChromiumOS is an open-source Linux distribution project developed by Google that serves as the upstream basis for Google’s ChromeOS. It is a web-centric operating system project first announced on 2009-07-07 and published (open-sourced) on 2009-11-19, released under BSD licenses with source code hosted publicly.

## Key Facts
- ChromiumOS is an instance of a Linux distribution and is named after the Chromium web browser.  
- Developer: Google (project developed by Google).  
- Announcement date: 2009-07-07.  
- Publication / open-source release date: 2009-11-19.  
- License: BSD licenses.  
- Derived work: Google ChromeOS is a derivative of ChromiumOS.  
- Based on: Gentoo Linux.  
- Package management system: Portage.  
- Programming language (listed): Java.  
- Source code repository: https://chromium.googlesource.com/chromiumos/ (Chromium Code Search: https://source.chromium.org/chromiumos).  
- Official website: https://www.chromium.org/chromium-os/.  
- Platforms: listed platform identifiers Q182933 and Q272629 and ARM architecture.  
- User documentation / manual: https://chromium.googlesource.com/chromiumos/docs.  
- Social / community: Twitter handle "ChromiumOS" and subreddit "chromiumos".

## FAQs
### Q: What is the difference between ChromiumOS and ChromeOS?
A: ChromiumOS is the open-source upstream project and Linux distribution; ChromeOS is a derivative work built from ChromiumOS by Google (ChromeOS is developed by Google as a separate product). ChromiumOS supplies the open codebase that ChromeOS is based on.

### Q: Is ChromiumOS open source and where is the source code?
A: Yes. ChromiumOS was published as an open-source project on 2009-11-19 and is distributed under BSD licenses. The source code is hosted at https://chromium.googlesource.com/chromiumos/ and searchable at https://source.chromium.org/chromiumos.

### Q: What is ChromiumOS based on?
A: ChromiumOS is based on Gentoo Linux and uses the Portage package management system.

### Q: Who develops ChromiumOS?
A: The ChromiumOS project is developed by Google.

### Q: Where can I find documentation or manuals for ChromiumOS?
A: Official documentation is available in the project docs at https://chromium.googlesource.com/chromiumos/docs and the project website at https://www.chromium.org/chromium-os/.

## Why It Matters
ChromiumOS provides the open-source foundation for a modern, web-centric operating system that Google and others can use and extend. As an upstream Linux distribution project released under permissive BSD licenses, it enables transparent development, inspection, and contribution to the code that underlies ChromeOS and related derivatives. By being based on Gentoo and using the Portage package system, ChromiumOS leverages a flexible, source-oriented Linux lineage while exposing code and documentation publicly via repositories and code search. This openness allows device makers, developers, and the community to build variants, study implementation details, and create derivative products such as ChromeOS and other installer projects. The project’s public source repository and docs make it a practical resource for implementing lightweight, browser-centered operating systems on supported platforms, including ARM architectures, and for testing innovations before they are incorporated into commercial products.

## Notable For
- Being the open-source upstream project that ChromeOS is derived from.  
- Open-source release announced 2009-07-07 and published 2009-11-19 under BSD licenses.  
- Based on Gentoo Linux and using the Portage package management system.  
- Public source repository and searchable project code (https://chromium.googlesource.com/chromiumos/ and https://source.chromium.org/chromiumos).  
- Targeting web-centric platforms and listed support for ARM architecture.

## Body

### H3: Overview and identity
- Name: ChromiumOS (also aliased as Google Chromium OS, Google Chrome OS, ChromiumOS; localized names include 크로미엄 OS, 구글 크로미엄 OS).  
- Instance of: Linux distribution.  
- Named after: Chromium (the web browser).

### H3: Timeline and release
- Announcement date: 2009-07-07 (project introduction announced).  
- Publication / open-source release date: 2009-11-19 (project source published).  

### H3: Development and stewardship
- Developer / steward: Google.  
- Derivative work: Google’s ChromeOS is a derivative of ChromiumOS.  
- Golden ID reference: Chromium_OS-MDGG43 (reference record).  

### H3: Technical foundations
- Based on: Gentoo Linux (project lineage explicitly links ChromiumOS to Gentoo).  
- Package management: Portage (the Portage system is listed as ChromiumOS’s package management system).  
- Programming languages (listed): Java (programming language value recorded as Q2407 / Java).  
- Platforms: includes ARM architecture and platform identifiers Q182933 and Q272629 (platform support listed in project metadata).

### H3: Licensing and source
- License: BSD licenses (per project metadata).  
- Source code repository: https://chromium.googlesource.com/chromiumos/ (Gitiles / Git repository).  
- Project code search / described-by: Chromium Code Search at https://source.chromium.org/chromiumos.  
- User manual / docs: https://chromium.googlesource.com/chromiumos/docs (README and documentation tree).

### H3: Community, outreach, and metadata
- Official website: https://www.chromium.org/chromium-os/ (English).  
- Twitter: account "ChromiumOS".  
- Subreddit: "chromiumos" (English).  
- Logos and imagery: official logos and images provided in project media (logo and small icon assets listed).  
- Documentation and code are public for inspection and contribution.

### H3: Relationship to related projects
- ChromeOS: listed as a derivative work (ChromeOS is a separate product derived from ChromiumOS).  
- ChromeOS Flex: described as an operating system based on Chromium OS and intended to be installable on devices not officially supported by Chrome OS (ChromiumOS is the open project foundation referenced in this context).  
- Gentoo Linux: ChromiumOS is based on Gentoo according to project metadata and published references.

## Schema Markup
```json
{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "Thing",
  "name": "ChromiumOS",
  "description": "ChromiumOS is an open-source Linux distribution project developed by Google that serves as the upstream basis for ChromeOS, published under BSD licenses and first announced in July 2009.",
  "url": "https://www.chromium.org/chromium-os/",
  "sameAs": [
    "https://chromium.googlesource.com/chromiumos/",
    "https://source.chromium.org/chromiumos"
  ],
  "additionalType": "Linux distribution"
}

## References

1. [Source](https://lingualibre.org/wiki/Q810361)
2. [Source](https://www.worthview.com/google-chrome-os-details/)
3. [Source](https://googleblog.blogspot.com/2009/11/releasing-chromium-os-open-source.html)
4. Freebase Data Dumps. 2013
5. [Source](https://chromium.googlesource.com/chromiumos/docs/+/refs/heads/main/README.md)
6. Quora
7. [Source](https://googleblog.blogspot.com/2009/07/introducing-google-chrome-os.html)
8. [Source](https://golden.com/wiki/Chromium_OS-MDGG43)