11 ms·

Or just follow Google's instructions if you want the same outcome without the invective: https://www.chromium.org/a/chromium.org/dev/chromium-os/developer-infor

by sowbug 8y ago

Or just follow Google's instructions if you want the same outcome without the invective: https://www.chromium.org/a/chromium.org/dev/chromium-os/developer-information-for-chrome-os-devices/samsung-sandy-bridge https://www.chromium.org/a/chromium.org/dev/chromium-os/deve....

monochromatic 8y ago
Those don’t tell you how to flash the BIOS though.
- dmoy 8y ago
  Not on that page directly, but it links right to a other page detailing how to flash bios. (The other page has a section titled almost exactly like that)
  - lisper 8y ago
    The link you refer to is not so easy to identify, and the linked-to page is missing some critical information. Specifically, it says: "You'll have to locate the Write Protect jumper and enable it." But it gives you absolutely no clue where the write-protect jumper is, or how to find it. For this critical step, you are on your own. It's pretty clear that Google really doesn't want people doing this. (Not that I blame them. But still, the OP page does add quite a bit of value IMHO.)
    - jayd16 8y ago
      The jumpers are device specific. You'll have to look up where the vendor put it.
sofaofthedamned 8y ago
Agreed. OP is one angry human being.
- mindslight 8y ago
  Are we really so far gone that expressing a strong opinion with a little hyperbole is interpreted as "anger" ? The adjective I'd use to describe OP's writing is "resolute". And in these days when surveillance and other corporate monsters continually bathe us in soft nudging to acquiesce to their agendas, it is a stance that's quite necessary.
  - jayd16 8y ago
    But its totally misplaced emotion. The whole design goal of a chromebook is constantly push signed OTA updates. They give you a hardware switch to turn off the signature checks. His comment that a hardware key you'd certainly lose is better than a jumper is pretty weak. If you don't like them, fine, but this just comes off as nerd rage in an attempt at saying "I am very smart."
    - mindslight 8y ago
      Unfortunately the Arbiter of Emotion was not there to correct his frustration during the unlocking. The Chromebook's model is obviously consistent with Google's fleshed out security model. But this model is at odds with Free users, and there isn't one straightforward way to reconcile the two, but rather various ones that will each attract their own criticism. Individuals don't have the luxury of massaging their opinions with a PR department, and conflict (with the corporate narrative) draws attention to rough points. People aren't going to express things perfectly - one can either work to be tolerant of varying personalities and colorful overstating, or retreat to the safe space of sanitized corporate press releases. Ask yourself what is your motivation to shit on him with classical bullying ("nerd rage"). Some casual ranting about security models while tediously reflashing a BIOS is not an attempt to say "I am very smart".
      - saagarjha 8y ago
        Or they could have made their point without the rant and increased their chances of being taken seriously. As it stands, it’s not clear that the author understands why the things he’s annoyed about exist.
cbhl 8y ago
Having followed these instructions before, they're not quite suitable for making a Chromebook run an alternative operating system for the average user. A developer, sure. But every time you boot up the computer, you hear an annoying beep and have to wait ten seconds, during which you're a few keystrokes away from wiping the machine and restoring it to a pristine copy of Chrome OS. The reasons for this design are documented: https://www.chromium.org/chromium-os/chromiumos-design-docs/developer-mode https://www.chromium.org/chromium-os/chromiumos-design-docs/... (Of note, the newer Chromebooks no longer require a physical hardware switch or jumper to be toggled. The hardware folks said this was expensive, so newer devices let you enter developer mode by holding the correct keys on boot.) For now, if you truly want to give a Chromebook running another OS to someone, you have to replace the EEPROM: https://www.chromium.org/chromium-os/chromiumos-design-docs/firmware-boot-and-recovery https://www.chromium.org/chromium-os/chromiumos-design-docs/... https://www.chromium.org/chromium-os/chromiumos-design-docs/verified-boot https://www.chromium.org/chromium-os/chromiumos-design-docs/...
- saltylicorice 8y ago
  You don’t have to replace the EEPROM. You can just open the case and briefly disconnnect the battery to disable write protect, and then flash whatever you like.
- xg15 8y ago
  > An attacker with physical possession of the device over an extended period. The attacker has access to tools including a soldering iron. Yeah, if that is the vulnerability scenario they see necessary to "protect" me against, it's pretty clear I'm not the owner of the machine. I think the anger if warranted. More broadly, I find the distinction between "normal users" and "developers" in that article pretty telling. I guess the goal isn't anymore to make everyone Computer-Literatur enough to run anything else than Chrome OS.
  - anoncake 8y ago
    > I guess the goal isn't anymore to make everyone Computer-Literatur Good. Even by the standards of comic book villainy, that was an insane idea.
abc-xyz 8y ago
I don't know about you but I find it maddening that you have to take apart the laptop and risk damaging the hardware simply to install another OS, and I'd feel just as frustrated as the author if I had to deal with that..
- saltylicorice 8y ago
  You don't have to open the case to go to developer mode. If you want debug features without opening the case, there is https://www.chromium.org/chromium-os/ccd https://www.chromium.org/chromium-os/ccd
  - abc-xyz 8y ago
    Things like these are why I never bothered looking into getting a Chromebook.. developer mode? debug features? The article you liked is even more confusing.. Why can't people just stick a bootable USB in the laptop and install whatever OS they desire?
Latteland 8y ago
This person is confused about the security intentions of the device. Google tells you how to install alternate os' on there. It doesn't have easily upgradable storage in part because that makes them cheaper, but some have had upgradable stoage. My chromeos Asus desktop brick like device has upgraded memory and storage. Look at Mac laptops for serious anti upgrade efforts. Part if the restrictions are to prevent virii or other rootkit like takeover of the machine.
KenanSulayman 8y ago
> Erase all personal data on the "stateful partition" (i.e., user accounts and settings - no worries, though, since all data is in the cloud!).

by sowbug 8y ago

monochromatic 8y ago

Those don’t tell you how to flash the BIOS though.

dmoy 8y ago
Not on that page directly, but it links right to a other page detailing how to flash bios. (The other page has a section titled almost exactly like that)
- lisper 8y ago
  The link you refer to is not so easy to identify, and the linked-to page is missing some critical information. Specifically, it says: "You'll have to locate the Write Protect jumper and enable it." But it gives you absolutely no clue where the write-protect jumper is, or how to find it. For this critical step, you are on your own. It's pretty clear that Google really doesn't want people doing this. (Not that I blame them. But still, the OP page does add quite a bit of value IMHO.)
  - jayd16 8y ago
    The jumpers are device specific. You'll have to look up where the vendor put it.

sofaofthedamned 8y ago

Agreed. OP is one angry human being.

mindslight 8y ago
Are we really so far gone that expressing a strong opinion with a little hyperbole is interpreted as "anger" ? The adjective I'd use to describe OP's writing is "resolute". And in these days when surveillance and other corporate monsters continually bathe us in soft nudging to acquiesce to their agendas, it is a stance that's quite necessary.
- jayd16 8y ago
  But its totally misplaced emotion. The whole design goal of a chromebook is constantly push signed OTA updates. They give you a hardware switch to turn off the signature checks. His comment that a hardware key you'd certainly lose is better than a jumper is pretty weak. If you don't like them, fine, but this just comes off as nerd rage in an attempt at saying "I am very smart."
  - mindslight 8y ago
    Unfortunately the Arbiter of Emotion was not there to correct his frustration during the unlocking. The Chromebook's model is obviously consistent with Google's fleshed out security model. But this model is at odds with Free users, and there isn't one straightforward way to reconcile the two, but rather various ones that will each attract their own criticism. Individuals don't have the luxury of massaging their opinions with a PR department, and conflict (with the corporate narrative) draws attention to rough points. People aren't going to express things perfectly - one can either work to be tolerant of varying personalities and colorful overstating, or retreat to the safe space of sanitized corporate press releases. Ask yourself what is your motivation to shit on him with classical bullying ("nerd rage"). Some casual ranting about security models while tediously reflashing a BIOS is not an attempt to say "I am very smart".
    - saagarjha 8y ago
      Or they could have made their point without the rant and increased their chances of being taken seriously. As it stands, it’s not clear that the author understands why the things he’s annoyed about exist.

cbhl 8y ago

Having followed these instructions before, they're not quite suitable for making a Chromebook run an alternative operating system for the average user. A developer, sure. But every time you boot up the computer, you hear an annoying beep and have to wait ten seconds, during which you're a few keystrokes away from wiping the machine and restoring it to a pristine copy of Chrome OS. The reasons for this design are documented: https://www.chromium.org/chromium-os/chromiumos-design-docs/developer-mode https://www.chromium.org/chromium-os/chromiumos-design-docs/... (Of note, the newer Chromebooks no longer require a physical hardware switch or jumper to be toggled. The hardware folks said this was expensive, so newer devices let you enter developer mode by holding the correct keys on boot.) For now, if you truly want to give a Chromebook running another OS to someone, you have to replace the EEPROM: https://www.chromium.org/chromium-os/chromiumos-design-docs/firmware-boot-and-recovery https://www.chromium.org/chromium-os/chromiumos-design-docs/... https://www.chromium.org/chromium-os/chromiumos-design-docs/verified-boot https://www.chromium.org/chromium-os/chromiumos-design-docs/...

saltylicorice 8y ago
You don’t have to replace the EEPROM. You can just open the case and briefly disconnnect the battery to disable write protect, and then flash whatever you like.
xg15 8y ago
> An attacker with physical possession of the device over an extended period. The attacker has access to tools including a soldering iron. Yeah, if that is the vulnerability scenario they see necessary to "protect" me against, it's pretty clear I'm not the owner of the machine. I think the anger if warranted. More broadly, I find the distinction between "normal users" and "developers" in that article pretty telling. I guess the goal isn't anymore to make everyone Computer-Literatur enough to run anything else than Chrome OS.
- anoncake 8y ago
  > I guess the goal isn't anymore to make everyone Computer-Literatur Good. Even by the standards of comic book villainy, that was an insane idea.

abc-xyz 8y ago

I don't know about you but I find it maddening that you have to take apart the laptop and risk damaging the hardware simply to install another OS, and I'd feel just as frustrated as the author if I had to deal with that..

saltylicorice 8y ago
You don't have to open the case to go to developer mode. If you want debug features without opening the case, there is https://www.chromium.org/chromium-os/ccd https://www.chromium.org/chromium-os/ccd
- abc-xyz 8y ago
  Things like these are why I never bothered looking into getting a Chromebook.. developer mode? debug features? The article you liked is even more confusing.. Why can't people just stick a bootable USB in the laptop and install whatever OS they desire?

Latteland 8y ago

This person is confused about the security intentions of the device. Google tells you how to install alternate os' on there. It doesn't have easily upgradable storage in part because that makes them cheaper, but some have had upgradable stoage. My chromeos Asus desktop brick like device has upgraded memory and storage. Look at Mac laptops for serious anti upgrade efforts. Part if the restrictions are to prevent virii or other rootkit like takeover of the machine.

KenanSulayman 8y ago

> Erase all personal data on the "stateful partition" (i.e., user accounts and settings - no worries, though, since all data is in the cloud!).