One thing that I think would be helpful in posts like these would be database configuration with Postgres. While Heroku has made it incredibly simple on OSX[0], figuring everything out on Ubuntu was a nightmare in comparison.
Also, fun story: I've been working on both my MacBook and my Chromebook, and I've been deploying to Heroku. This resulted in me accidentally ending up with three versions of my settings.py. Always a pleasant sensation to runserver only to end up staring at a database error. Not at all terrifying.
I used a script called crouton[0] developed by a Googler to install an Ubuntu chroot. I get to use Chrome OS as my browser (and it's a very good browser) and I get a fully powered Linux instance to develop with locally in crosh (and it's a very good-looking shell). I use vim, but if you want a GUI, it's very easy to install your DE of choice, since it's the same as it would be as any other Ubuntu machine.
I haven't run into any problems using it this way that many other people seem to have. Judging from online forums, many people install a chroot, Unity, and then everything falls apart for them because Dropbox/Sublime Text/something isn't ARM compatible. Sticking with just a browser and a CLI has made development on the Chromebook simple.
Also, fun story: I've been working on both my MacBook and my Chromebook, and I've been deploying to Heroku. This resulted in me accidentally ending up with three versions of my settings.py. Always a pleasant sensation to runserver only to end up staring at a database error. Not at all terrifying.
[0]: http://postgresapp.com/