--- title: "How to Open a Publisher (.pub) File on a Chromebook" description: "There's no Publisher for ChromeOS, and Google Drive can't preview .pub files. What works: LibreOffice through Linux, or a web converter that makes a PDF." url: https://aretus.app/open-pub-file-on-chromebook last_updated: 2026-10-28 site: Aretus --- # How to open a Publisher (.pub) file on a Chromebook > A Chromebook can't run Microsoft Publisher, and Google Drive can't preview .pub files. You have two real options: turn on Linux and install free LibreOffice, which opens .pub files in Draw, or upload the file to a web converter and open the PDF it makes. School Chromebooks often block Linux, so the converter is usually simpler there. ## Open a .pub file on a Chromebook with LibreOffice 1. **Turn on Linux.** Open Settings, then About ChromeOS > Developers. Next to Linux development environment, choose Set up and follow the steps. Google says this can take 10 minutes or more. 2. **Install LibreOffice.** Open the Terminal app and run: sudo apt update, then sudo apt install libreoffice. Wait for it to finish. 3. **Give Linux access to the file.** In the Files app, drag the .pub file into Linux files, or right-click its folder and choose Share with Linux. 4. **Open the file in LibreOffice Draw.** Open LibreOffice from the launcher, choose File > Open, and pick the .pub file. It opens in Draw. 5. **Save a copy you can use anywhere.** Choose File > Export as > Export as PDF. Save the PDF to My files or Google Drive so you can open it outside Linux. ## What works on a Chromebook, at a glance | Route | Cost | Works on a school or work Chromebook? | Lets you edit? | |---|---|---|---| | LibreOffice through Linux | Free | Only if your IT team allows Linux | Yes, in LibreOffice Draw | | A web converter | Free preview, then a one-time price | Yes, if the site isn't blocked | You get a PDF, page images and text; editing needs another app | | Someone with Publisher on Windows | Free | Yes | They can, you get the PDF | | Google Drive, Docs or Slides on their own | Free | Yes | No. They can't open .pub files | ## Why Publisher won't run on ChromeOS Publisher was a Windows desktop program. Microsoft's own help page says it was [available for the PC only](https://support.microsoft.com/en-gb/office/where-s-my-app-b309db8a-c4df-48ed-8334-8616ba62d620), and there was never a web version you could open in Chrome. Microsoft [retired Publisher in October 2026](https://support.microsoft.com/office/microsoft-publisher-will-no-longer-be-supported-after-october-2026-ee6302a2-4bc7-4841-babf-8e9be3acbfd7), so that won't change. Google Drive doesn't help either. Drive will store any file, but its [list of files it can preview](https://support.google.com/drive/answer/37603) covers Word, Excel, PowerPoint and XPS from Microsoft, not Publisher. A .pub file in Drive shows no preview; all you can do is download it. This has been a sore spot for a while. When schools moved to Chromebooks, IT staff on the EduGeek forum [found no direct way to open .pub files](https://www.edugeek.net/forums/topic/202999-chromebooks-and-publisher-files/), and suggested converting old files to PDF and making new ones in Google Slides or Canva. ## Option 1: LibreOffice through Linux (free) Many Chromebooks can run Linux apps, and LibreOffice is one of them. Its Draw app opens .pub files, lets you edit them, and exports PDFs. The steps are above. What to know first: - **School and work Chromebooks.** Google says that if your Chromebook is managed by a work or school, [you might not be able to use Linux](https://support.google.com/chromebook/answer/9145439). If you don't see the Developers section, that's usually why. Ask your IT team, or skip to Option 2. - **Setup takes a while.** Turning on Linux takes 10 minutes or more, and LibreOffice is a large download. Do it on good Wi-Fi. - **The version may be older.** The LibreOffice you get with `apt` comes from Debian and [may not be the newest release](https://chromeunboxed.com/chromebook-install-newest-libre-office-linux-crostini-how-to/). It still opens .pub files. - **Linux can only see shared folders.** Put the .pub file in **Linux files**, or right-click a folder in the Files app and [share it with Linux](https://developers.google.com/chromeos/app-development/develop/setup). Once it's open, LibreOffice behaves just as it does on Windows or Mac, rough edges included. Our [LibreOffice guide](https://aretus.app/open-pub-file-in-libreoffice) covers the common problems and how to fix them. ## Option 2: Convert it in Chrome (no install) If Linux is blocked or you'd rather not set it up, a web converter is the simplest route. Our converter works from Chrome (the conversion itself runs on our servers) and turns each .pub file into: - a **PDF** that opens in Chrome, the Files app or Google Drive, ready to print or share; - **PNG and JPG images** of every page, which drop straight into Google Slides, Canva or a class website; - a **text-only Word file**, which opens in Google Docs when you only need the words; - an **ODG file** for LibreOffice Draw, if you or a colleague can edit it later. To [convert a .pub file to PDF](https://aretus.app/), upload the files or a ZIP. You see a free, watermarked preview of every page for the first 10 files in a batch, so you know what you're getting. One clean file is free per email address. After that it's a one-time $5 for up to 10 files, $15 for up to 60, $29 for up to 300 or $59 for up to 2,000, and only files that convert count ([pricing](https://aretus.app/pricing)). There's no account to make, and files are deleted after 24 hours. ## Option 3: Ask someone with Publisher on Windows If a colleague still has a one-time-purchase copy of Publisher (2016, 2019 or 2021), they can open the file and choose **File > Save As > PDF**. For one or two important files, that's the most faithful copy you can get, and it costs nothing. ## After it's open: making new versions on a Chromebook Once you can see the file, decide what you need next: - **Just reading or printing:** keep the PDF and you're done. - **Making the next issue:** rebuild it in Google Slides (set a custom page size) or Canva. Canva can [import a PDF](https://www.canva.com/help/pdf-import/) and keep the layout as closely as it can, so the converted PDF is a good starting point. - **Reusing the words:** open the text-only Word file in Google Docs and copy what you need. ## Related guides - [How to open a .pub file without Publisher](https://aretus.app/open-pub-file) - [How to open a Publisher file in LibreOffice](https://aretus.app/open-pub-file-in-libreoffice) - [Converting Publisher pages to PNG or JPG](https://aretus.app/pub-to-image) ## Frequently asked questions ### Is there a Publisher app for Chromebook? No. Publisher was only ever made for Windows PCs and never had a web version. Microsoft has now retired it, so one isn't coming. ### Can Google Docs or Google Drive open a .pub file? No. Drive will store a .pub file, but it can't preview or convert it. Convert the file to PDF, which opens in Drive, or to a text-only Word file, which opens in Google Docs. ### Why can't I find the Linux setting on my school Chromebook? Google says Linux may not be available on work or school Chromebooks, because the administrator controls it. Ask your IT team, or use a web converter instead. ### Can I edit a Publisher file on a Chromebook? Yes, in LibreOffice Draw if you can turn on Linux. Without Linux, convert the file, then rebuild the design in Google Slides or Canva using the PDF or page images as a guide. ### Does the converter need anything installed? No. You use it in Chrome: upload .pub files, check the free preview, and download the results to your Downloads folder. The conversion itself runs on our servers. ## Sources 1. [Google Chromebook Help: Set up Linux on your Chromebook](https://support.google.com/chromebook/answer/9145439) 2. [Chrome for Developers: Linux setup on ChromeOS (sharing files)](https://developers.google.com/chromeos/app-development/develop/setup) 3. [Google Drive Help: Files you can store in Google Drive (preview types)](https://support.google.com/drive/answer/37603) 4. [Microsoft Support: Where's my app? (Publisher is PC only)](https://support.microsoft.com/en-gb/office/where-s-my-app-b309db8a-c4df-48ed-8334-8616ba62d620) 5. [Microsoft Support: Microsoft Publisher will no longer be supported after October 2026](https://support.microsoft.com/office/microsoft-publisher-will-no-longer-be-supported-after-october-2026-ee6302a2-4bc7-4841-babf-8e9be3acbfd7) 6. [Chrome Unboxed: Installing LibreOffice on a Chromebook through Linux](https://chromeunboxed.com/chromebook-install-newest-libre-office-linux-crostini-how-to/) 7. [EduGeek forum: Chromebooks and Publisher files](https://www.edugeek.net/forums/topic/202999-chromebooks-and-publisher-files/) 8. [Canva Help: Import and edit PDFs](https://www.canva.com/help/pdf-import/) ## Cite this page “How to open a Publisher (.pub) file on a Chromebook.” Aretus, last updated October 28, 2026. https://aretus.app/open-pub-file-on-chromebook Quoting this page? Please link to it, so your readers can check the source.