Deploying and managing the Chromebook extension

Chromebook™ devices run the Chrome OS operating system, which is a lightweight Linux-based operating system that is integrated with the Chrome browser and designed to primarily run web applications. User data is stored in the "cloud" rather than on the device’s hard drive.

Due to the unique nature of the Chrome OS operating system, the Secure Endpoint Agent can't be installed on a Chromebook. Instead, you manage your Chromebooks by deploying the Absolute for Chromebooks extension (Chromebook extension) to each device. The Chromebook extension is a small software program that enables Chromebooks to secure a connection with the Absolute Monitoring Center and allows you to manage these devices in the Secure Endpoint Console.

Managing Chromebooks consists of the following tasks:

Depending on the permissions associated with your user role, and the Absolute licenses that you have, you may not be able to manage your Google account in the Secure Endpoint Console.
This section only applies to customers with Chromebook support.

Before you begin the tasks described in this section, make sure that:

  • You are assigned a Google Admin role with the following minimum set of administrator privileges:

    • Organizational Units, including Create, Read, Update, and Delete privileges
    • Users, including Read privileges
    • Services > Chrome management, including Manage Devices, Manage User Settings, and Manage Device Settings privileges

    These privileges are assigned by default to the Super Administrator role, or you can create a User Created role and assign these privileges to it. For more information about Google Admin roles and privileges, refer to the Google Admin console documentation.

  • API access is enabled for your Google account.

  • You have added at least one organizational unit (OU) under your domain in your Google account and the Chromebooks you want to add to the Secure Endpoint Console are contained in it.

    For more information about creating Google OUs, see the Google Admin console documentation.

    If you have not purchased enough licenses for all the Chromebooks in your fleet, ensure that the Chromebooks you want to add to the Secure Endpoint Console are in their own OUs directly under your organization. By doing so, you ensure that only available licenses are consumed.

To support the Chromebook extension, devices must be:

  • running ChromeOS version 96 or higher

    You can install the Absolute for Chromebooks extension on devices running ChromeOS version 88 or higher, but for full functionality, we recommend using a minimum version of ChromeOS version 96. For example, web usage is not available for devices running a version of ChromeOS lower than version 96.

    The ChromeOS operating system is supported when it is running on a Chromebook, Chromebox, or Chromebase device that is managed in the Google Admin console.

  • managed in the Google Admin console