A guide to creating a Python programming Chromebook

Installing VS Code and Python on Chromebook

To setup a personal Chromebook for Python programming, follow these steps. Talk to Mr. Koenen if you wish to setup a personal PC or Mac for Python programming. The steps are not the same.

  1. Install the Linux virtual machine on your Chromebook by going to Settings > Developer > Turn on Linux (Beta). 10 GB is plenty of space for the virtual machine.
  2. When the virtual machine is finished installing, open Terminal and click “Penguin” to open the Linux command line. Update and upgrade Linux by entering this command into the Terminal: sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get upgrade
  3. Then, install the package gnome-keyring by entering this command: sudo apt-get install -y gnome-keyring
  4. Go to the VS Code Download page and download the correct package. Run dpkg —print-architecture if unsure of correct package. If the command returns amd64, select the .deb 64-bit package.
  5. Double-click the downloaded package to launch the installer. The Chromebook will install VS Code and all other dependencies.
  6. Once VS Code is installed, open the Terminal again to install a few more packages to create the optimal Python environment. Enter this command and let it run: sudo apt-get install -y python3-pip python3-dev python3-venv build-essential libssl-dev libffi-dev 5b. Then, install pipx with this command: sudo apt install pipx
  7. Then, install the numpy data science package with this command: pipx install numpy
  8. Install git with this command: sudo apt install git-all
  9. Install tkinter (for graphics) with this command: sudo apt-get install python3-tk
  10. Finally, open Visual Studio Code and click the Extensions icon on the left-hand side of the screen. Search for “python” and install the Microsoft Python extension.