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fellow chromebook users: If you had a Chromebook, and Google locked your account. Does the scenario described in the article imply that you can no longer can

by knbknb 6y ago

fellow chromebook users: If you had a Chromebook, and Google locked your account. Does the scenario described in the article imply that you can no longer can log into your own laptop?

spc476 6y ago
You could possibly log in as a guest (or "browse as a guest" at it says on the login screen) but there isn't much you can do by browse the web as a guest. Go figure.
wegs 6y ago
A Chromebook isn't your own laptop. It's a lease from Google for 0-6 years, after which they effectively disable it. You can look up when your lease ends here: https://support.google.com/chrome/a/answer/6220366?hl=en https://support.google.com/chrome/a/answer/6220366?hl=en If this scenario happens, you can think of it as Google terminating the lease early. No biggie.
- lima 6y ago
  You can unlock the bootloader on any Chromebook and install a regular Linux distribution on it.
  - wegs 6y ago
    You can do this on SOME Chromebooks. It'd be great if you could do this on any Chromebook! There's a whole pile of AC700 Chromebooks around, with no upgrade path as far as I know, at least if you don't want to be p4wn3d.
    - lima 6y ago
      I thought developer mode was a hard requirement? Including AC700: https://www.chromium.org/chromium-os/developer-information-for-chrome-os-devices/acer-ac700-chromebook https://www.chromium.org/chromium-os/developer-information-f...
      - wegs 6y ago
        The AC700 does have a developer mode. That doesn't mean there's any Linux distribution which will install on it. For a while, there were, but they disappeared, and now it's a web of 404s and obsolete documents. Most recommended chrubuntu, but (1) that relies on obsolete ChromeOS components, which introduce security issues (2) someone said that's now dead too. I'll see if Chromium builds for it. Thanks for the pointer. There's a lot of AC700's out there.
- withinboredom 6y ago
  My chromebook isn't even listed (Acer Cb154-x) seems like the list isn't exhaustive.
  - wegs 6y ago
    Then you paid a fixed quantity for a lease of unknown duration. Congratulations! If the model number doesn't have a typo, it might be expired. Most of the ones not listed tend to be expired, and many vendors sell expired ones. Oh ohs! If so, you're in good company. Many less affluent, less educated families find themselves there. Some find they wasted $150 on a Chromebook which has a few months left, and some keep using it, and find their data held for a few grand in bitcoin. Thanks Google! But I suspect you have the CB514, not CB154, which IS listed, and which expires in 2024. If so, you've got almost four years left. Congratulations!
- shaicoleman 6y ago
  It's not disabled, it just doesn't get new software updates.
  - wegs 6y ago
    It's not disabled, but if you keep using it, but you get a scary warning from Google. If you do keep using it, it will be 0w3nd, and your data will be held ransom for bitcoin. I guess it beats Android, where the same happens, only without the warning.

by knbknb 6y ago

fellow chromebook users: If you had a Chromebook, and Google locked your account. Does the scenario described in the article imply that you can no longer can log into your own laptop?

spc476 6y ago

You could possibly log in as a guest (or "browse as a guest" at it says on the login screen) but there isn't much you can do by browse the web as a guest. Go figure.

wegs 6y ago

A Chromebook isn't your own laptop. It's a lease from Google for 0-6 years, after which they effectively disable it. You can look up when your lease ends here: https://support.google.com/chrome/a/answer/6220366?hl=en https://support.google.com/chrome/a/answer/6220366?hl=en If this scenario happens, you can think of it as Google terminating the lease early. No biggie.

lima 6y ago
You can unlock the bootloader on any Chromebook and install a regular Linux distribution on it.
- wegs 6y ago
  You can do this on SOME Chromebooks. It'd be great if you could do this on any Chromebook! There's a whole pile of AC700 Chromebooks around, with no upgrade path as far as I know, at least if you don't want to be p4wn3d.
  - lima 6y ago
    I thought developer mode was a hard requirement? Including AC700: https://www.chromium.org/chromium-os/developer-information-for-chrome-os-devices/acer-ac700-chromebook https://www.chromium.org/chromium-os/developer-information-f...
    - wegs 6y ago
      The AC700 does have a developer mode. That doesn't mean there's any Linux distribution which will install on it. For a while, there were, but they disappeared, and now it's a web of 404s and obsolete documents. Most recommended chrubuntu, but (1) that relies on obsolete ChromeOS components, which introduce security issues (2) someone said that's now dead too. I'll see if Chromium builds for it. Thanks for the pointer. There's a lot of AC700's out there.
withinboredom 6y ago
My chromebook isn't even listed (Acer Cb154-x) seems like the list isn't exhaustive.
- wegs 6y ago
  Then you paid a fixed quantity for a lease of unknown duration. Congratulations! If the model number doesn't have a typo, it might be expired. Most of the ones not listed tend to be expired, and many vendors sell expired ones. Oh ohs! If so, you're in good company. Many less affluent, less educated families find themselves there. Some find they wasted $150 on a Chromebook which has a few months left, and some keep using it, and find their data held for a few grand in bitcoin. Thanks Google! But I suspect you have the CB514, not CB154, which IS listed, and which expires in 2024. If so, you've got almost four years left. Congratulations!
shaicoleman 6y ago
It's not disabled, it just doesn't get new software updates.
- wegs 6y ago
  It's not disabled, but if you keep using it, but you get a scary warning from Google. If you do keep using it, it will be 0w3nd, and your data will be held ransom for bitcoin. I guess it beats Android, where the same happens, only without the warning.