How to Access the

Posted by Heather on August 27, 2019

Chromebook command prompt
In many operating systems, including Linux, Windows, and Mac, a command prompt is
where you enter commands to a command-line interpreter application. In layman�s
terms, you enter commands into the command prompt, and then the interpreter command
prompt performs those commands.

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The commands you can enter run the gamut from automating tasks, admin functions,
troubleshooting, debugging, and beyond. For those familiar with the command prompt,
it�s easier and quicker to get things done with commands than with user interfaces
that can be cumbersome. Once you learn to use the command prompt for your operating
system of choice, you�ll find you can do most tasks much faster.

The �command prompt� takes a different form depending on the operating system.
Considering it�s not immediately apparent how to access it on a Chromebook or other
devices running Chrome OS, it�s not uncommon for people to assume it�s just not
there.

The command prompt does exist on a Chromebook, just not in the sense that it exists
as something you do within a separate application like on a Windows or Mac
computer, where it�s known as the terminal. It doesn�t take much to get to a
command prompt on a Chromebook, though.

We�ll be telling you just how you can get to the command prompt on your Chromebook,
which may make getting things done on your computer a lot easier once you get the
hang of it. You may be new to Chromebooks or the Chrome operating system, but when
you�ve become used to having the option of using the command prompt, fret not.
We�ve got your back.

COMMAND PROMPT � CHROME SHELL (CROSH)

The command prompt on a Chromebook is accessible from the Google Chrome Browser,
which comes pre-installed. Okay, so, you�re probably thinking �well, how do I get
there?� It�s actually quite simple: you�ll issue commands using the crosh shell. A
�shell� is an interface to the operating system that enables you to enter commands,
run applications, and so on.

ACCESSING THE CROSH SHELL

Chromebook crosh

Just press ctrl + alt + T and this brings you to what�s called the crosh shell
(command prompt or terminal) on a Chromebook. The crosh shell will now launch in a
separate tab of the Chrome browser. Once the crosh shell has launched, you�ll type
�shell� to get to the root Linux shell from within your Chrome Browser.

To use the shell, you�ll need to be in �developer� mode; we also recommend knowing
what you�re doing so things don�t go haywire and you don�t break your Chromebook.
Or at the very least, find a guide that you can put a lot of faith in.

This Chromium OS documentation page is pretty beginner-friendly and easy to

understand, so you won�t need to wade through eight pages of impenetrable
technobabble just to understand your own Chromebook.

To see the basic crosh shell commands available on the Chromebook, you�d type
�help� after the crosh command prompt. When you�re in need of more advanced
commands type �help_advanced� instead. The advanced commands get used for
debugging purposes.

THE CROSH HELP COMMAND

Why would you want to use the command prompt or crosh shell on your Chromebook?
Well, if your just curious and want to poke around on your Chromebook device, there
are various commands you can run to check on things. Like what? In the basic help
portion of crosh, you can use the ping command or the top command.

The �top� command shows you the system information and all the processes that are
running during the current session. This is what it looks like when we type the
�help� command in crosh on our Chromebook;
Crosh help

HELP_ADVANCED COMMAND

To do more advanced poking around, yes, that�s right you�ll need to type the
help_advanced command and choose one of the commands that are listed on your
Chromebook to check those specifics. Crosh help
advanced

Even if you�re not a developer and don�t plan on debugging the system, crosh is
useful for getting a status update on your Chromebook.

Some of the commands you may want to run are checking on the battery information of
your Chromebook. You can make sure your battery�s firmware is up to date and
trigger an update from crosh if you wish.

You could also test your battery to make sure it�s not having any health issues and
that it�s working properly. Are you having connectivity problems? With
help_advanced you�ll find command to enable you to can see what the connectivity
status of your Chromebook is and work on getting things back up and running.

There are some useful debugging commands such as the ones listed above but most
crosh commands are intended mostly for developers but can be useful to Chromebook
power users as well.

EXAMPLE CROSH COMMANDS

The crosh commands are generally pretty intuitive. Here are some examples to get
you started but be sure to run help and help_advanced.

help � As mentioned above, issue this command for help using crosh.
help_advanced � And, again, as mentioned above this is the advanced help command.
connectivity � Shows your connectivity status, which can be helpful if you�re
having local network or Internet connectivity issues.
battery_test <numberofseconds> � This command shows the battery discharge rate for
a number of seconds you specify. For example, you could set it to test the battery
for 600 seconds: battery_test 600
memory_test � Tests free memory on your Chromebook.
top � Shows you what Chrome plug-ins, extensions, tabs, and so on are using
resources.
ping � The standard ping command that�s useful for network troubleshooting.
sound � This command records audio using your Chromebook�s microphone then plays
the sound back for you and you can save the audio as a file.
ssh � If you need to ssh into your web server or something, you can do it from your
Chromebook using the ssh command.
This post covers the basics of the Chromebook�s crosh command prompt and the
commands that can be used to do basic information checking. Any Chromebook user may
want to find out basics and learn how to use the Chromebooks command shell if for
nothing else out of curiosity or just because they can.

Besides, building a deeper understanding of the tech you use on a daily basis
probably won�t be a bad thing. Just don�t get foolhardy with it; the other more
advanced commands should be utilized by those who are very knowledgeable about what
they�re doing or as intended by developers.

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Do you use crosh on your Chromebook? If so, how do you use it? Please tell us about
it in the comments below!