Rupesh SinhaGoogle’s Chrome OS might seem like a simple desktop OS aimed at people looking to get going quickly on Chrome and its ecosystem of apps but there’s more than what meets the eye. Like Windows and Linux, Chrome OS too features a command line interface dubbed Chrome Shell or Crosh. It lets you run various tests, debug problems, monitor different system settings and more on your Chromebook.
The good news is, you don’t need to turn on developer mode to try it out. So, if you have been wanting to tinker with your Chromebook, here are 27 cool Chrome OS commands to run in Crosh:
Before you start executing commands, you’ll have to start up Crosh. To do it, simply press Ctrl+Alt+T and Crosh should open up in Chrome like any other tab.
Basic:
1. help : display general commands to execute.
2. help_advanced : list debugging and advanced commands.
3. help <command> : check what a command does.
4. uptime : displays details about how long the system has been running and the number of users logged in other than you.
5. set_time : lets you set time manually.
6. connectivity: check connection status and more details (works on some devices).
7. inputcontrol : adjust touchpad and mouse controls manually (works on some devices).
8. exit: exit Crosh.
System:
1. top : Chrome OS’ task manager (shows all processes).
2. battery_test <seconds> : check battery info and how much battery is used up in seconds.
3. memory_test : runs tests on available free memory.
4. rollback : move back to the last Chrome OS update (will powerwash your device).
5. bt_console : debug Bluetooth console on your Chromebook.
Network:
1. ping www.beebom.com : works like in other operating systems for network troubleshooting.
2. network_diag : runs network diagnostics tests and saves them as text file.
3. tracepath www.beebom.com : trace the network path/source.
4. p2p_update : enable or disable peer-to-peer update sharing.
5. modem help : configure a connected modem.
6. set_apn : set APN for cellular data usage (Chromebooks with cellular connectivity).
7. set_cellular_ppp : set PPP username and password for cellular connection (Chromebooks with cellular connectivity).
Developers
1. shell : more commands aimed at developers (Developer mode only).
2. rlz : enable or disable RLZ.
3. route : display routing tables.
4. syslog <message> : store a message to syslog.
5. update_over_cellular : enable or disable updates when using cellular data (Chromebooks with cellular connectivity).
6. upload_crashes : upload crash reports to the Chrome crash servers.
7. tpm_status: lists information about Trusted Platform Module status.
SEE ALSO: 18 Useful Command Prompt Tricks You Might Not Know
Ready to try out some Chrome OS commands in Crosh?
While you might find a lot of other Chrome OS commands, it’s important to note here that with the new Chrome OS updates, Google has removed a few commands and added a few new ones. So, we have only listed commands that work with the latest Chrome OS build. Also, we will keep updating this list, so you can come back later for more new commands. Till then, try out these commands on your Chromebook and let us know what you feel. Sound off in the comments section below.
