[Guide] How to install more apps under Borealis

Support & help
1

You can install more apps under Borealis, not just Steam!

Please note that the storage isnt persistent, ie, it gets reset after every reboot of the VM. Help wanted to prevent this from happening.

Steps:

  1. Setup Borealis from this guide: [Guide] Make Steam (Borealis) work again on FydeOS 🎮. After it is complete, follow the next steps.
  2. Borealis runs under Arch Linux. This means you will have to use pacman to install apps.
  3. Open terminal with Ctrl+Alt+T
  4. Open the shell by typing shell.
  5. Make sure Borealis is running, i.e, any Steam window/game is open and running.
  6. Copy paste the following script onto the shell:
#!/bin/bash
echo "Entering Borealis as root ..."
echo "vsh --vm_name=borealis --owner_id=${CROS_USER_ID_HASH} --user=root"
vsh --vm_name=borealis --owner_id=${CROS_USER_ID_HASH} --user=root ||\
echo "Command failed - check to see if Borealis is running!"
  1. Once the command is run, you will get root access in the Borealis container. Now mount the filesystem as rewritable by running this command (against Google’s wishes) mount -o remount,rw /.
  2. Install more apps now! Use pacman -S appname to install apps!.

NOTE: Installed apps will be deleted after reboot!

It will be appreciated if someone manages to make the storage under Borealis persistent, so that installed apps does not dissapear after reboot. Thanks!