Chrome OS + Crostini: The Missing Bridge to Android Development

Hello Community,

I recently read an article about connecting a Windows PC to an Android phone, which got me thinking: we need a similar focus on connecting Chrome OS (via Crostini) to Android devices.

Since both Android and Chrome OS are Google products, the integration should be seamless. If Google wants to grow Chrome OS adoption, developers are the ideal first target. However, making it easy for developers to build Android apps on Chrome OS must be a priority, and currently, there are significant friction points.

The Technical Blockers
My Android development on Chrome OS has been halted for over a month due to persistent issues:

ADB Debugging on Managed Devices: My managed Chromebook (I am the admin) has the "Enable ADB debugging" toggle locked. Despite a month of searching, I haven't found a fix.
Connection Instability: Both USB and Wi-Fi debugging work intermittently and then fail. I have tested this with a modern Android 15 phone and an older Lollipop tablet; the connection fails on both, pointing to an issue on the Chromebook side.
USB File Transfer: There is a known issue transferring files from Crostini to USB devices (requiring a workaround of copying to the Chrome OS files app first).

The Strategic Picture
Google should not depend on Microsoft Windows for Android development. Chrome OS is already a high-quality product—I use it daily. For example, upgrading my Crostini VM from Debian 12 (Bookworm) to Debian 13 (Trixie) was a pleasure and required no reinstallation. This stability proves Chrome OS is a serious development platform, not just a "cheap" alternative.

Addressing the "Aluminum OS" Rumors
There is a current campaign discrediting Chrome OS, citing rumors about a new "Aluminum OS." I believe these rumors are misinterpreted. Rather than dropping Chrome OS, it appears Google is aiming for the high-quality device segment. Regardless of naming conventions, Google is walking securely, step-by-step, from a browser to a full OS.

Conclusion
I strongly advise Google to continue its efforts in making Chrome OS a high-end development platform. The community is involved and patient (a major quality of developers!), but we need these bridge issues—specifically ADB debugging and USB file transfers—solved to fully unlock the potential of the ecosystem.