Typically, you can install linux if you can get a new firmware - this depends on the device in question [1]. I've done this on a couple of ChromeOS devices in the past and installed GalliumOS [2]. You may be able to install other OSes, but I found GalliumOS worked well on the C720p I installed it on, and actually used it for about a year on one where I'd upgraded the storage to something larger. You can't get away from it being a slightly cheap machine, but it's great to have something which you're not going to mind if it gets lost or broken.
