Today’s project is to install Parallels for Chrome OS. Yeah, you read that correctly. I picked up a really cool Chromebook for dirt cheap, and I have been using it as my go-to for work at home stuff. Problem is our MDM (FileWave) only has an admin app for MacOS or Windows. (Or a web interface if you really hate yourself.) I tried to get VirtualBox working on it (Chrome now has Debian containers to install Linux apps) but I just could not make it work. All kinds of documentation and disclaimers that VirtualBox is unsupported on Debian 11, which sucks because that’s what I just updated the ChromeOS to. Oh well. While I was reading stuff about running a VM on a ChromeBook, I saw a note that Parallels has a version for ChromeOS. There is no demo, you have to submit a request for someone to get back to you about it. No idea why, but I made the request using my work e-mail since it would be for work anyway.
Today I got a message along the lines of “Hey! You work for IT at a school! Want some free licenses?” Sure! Twist my arm! Turns out that if you’re running a managed Google Workplace (which we are) you can enable Parallels for any or all your users, you just need licenses. Well, Google Admin type person that I am, I went in and turned on Parallels access for staff members (who aren’t going to have any idea that I even did that) activated a license for myself, and installed the client on my ChromeBook. Now, here’s the kicker. Normally, Parallels will import an ISO from anywhere (thumb drive, Downloads directory, whatever) and create a virtual OS for it. Not so on a ChromeBook - you have to set up a server or some sort of hosted space where you can put the ISO image, which can then be accessed from the client app and installed. So I downloaded the 32-bit and 64-bit ISOs for Windows 10, which took about 20 minutes. Now I am uploading them to a spot in my Google Drive, which I will make shareable. Then... oh, wow. Okay. I then have to go to my ChromeBook and give it the link to the shared area, so it can download the ISO. The one I just uploaded. Um... okay. Sure. Right. Got it.
Time passes, which basically is its job...
Hour later, it’s still uploading the images to my Google Drive...
Okay, fast forward to the next day. Tried to get everything set up in Google Admin, enabled everything, assigned a license to myself. Won’t work. The command to create the image doesn’t work. Some more Googling, finally gave up and sent a note to Parallels Education Support. He asks me for the output of a Chrome debug page. Well, derp. Right at the top it says you have to do all this on an enrolled device. As in, a Chromebook that is owned by the school and part of their organization. Meh. Nope. Not this one. Gahhhh oh well. Was worth a shot anyway. None of the school-owned ChromeBooks are up to the task and don’t have enough storage for it anyway. Foo.