#corebootbook — Public Fediverse posts

I freed an HP Chromebook 11 G5 EE, codename RELM, from #Google today using the mrchromebox #coreboot firmware script.

It is very similar in specs to the Dell Chromebook 11 models I have been using, code name CANDY.

I may attempt to install #netbsd on the HP #corebootbook this evening or on Sunday.

My "go to" distro on these machines has been #Devuan, which has worked well.

Just sold a refurbished Dell Latitude 3340 to a repeat customer. She requested #Linux, as she's used that on laptops she's purchased from me before and prefers that over Windows.

#LinuxMint #Debian Edition is what I am installing for most people who want Linux now. Slowly moving toward #Devuan, as I have sold at least six #corebootbook laptops locally with Devuan.

@dem32

I rarely use a handheld phone, so I don't plan on getting the Pine Phone Pro.

A friend lent me his Pine Phone (and I may buy it from him), but I haven't done much with it yet.

When I am out and about I use a #corebootbook for most of my text and calls.

When I am in the office, I make most of my calls with a Logitech headset. I use phone.com for my VOIP provider that has a good web based interface for texts and calls.

I do also have a Samsung S5 with @e_mydata on it that I use as a backup in case I encounter a problem with my laptop. The phone is in airplane mode most of the time.

I just ordered nine HP ChromeBook 11 G5 EE Laptops with Intel Celeron N3060 1.60GHz 4GB RAM 16GB storage.

Will be turning them into #corebootbook laptops and using them for an educational activity through the end of this year.

I look forward to comparing them with the other Chromebook laptops that I have turned in to #corebootbook laptops.

I expect the HP ChromeBook 11 G5 EE (hardware ID: RELM)to be very similar to the Dell Chromebook 11 (hardware ID: CANDY, model 3120) that I have already done quite a lot with.

@Coyote

The X300 is a great model. I really wanted one when they first came out. I think I now have one in my collection of computers, or a similar X301. It's not in fully working order, but I think it boots.

I can sell Chromebooks converted to #corebootbook laptops. Will be giving one away to a random subscriber of my substack after it reaches 100 subscribers.

@Coyote

Battery life is excellent on the Chromebook #corebootbook laptops, though. I really like them for that. I use one for my work road trips.

I like the Dell Chromebook 11 keyboard better than the Acer C740's keyboard that I am using now. But the performance is better on the C740, so that was one reason for the switch. The other reason is that I'm testing out different #corebootbook models.

I delivered two #corebootbook laptops to business customer today.

Here's my system release count so far:

CoreBootBooks sold locally: 6

Conversions from ChromeOS on customer owned laptops: 1

CoreBootBooks given away out and sent out of the local area: 1

So now up to eight #corebootbook laptops freed from Google's limited support ChomeOS with #coreboot and then loaded with Linux.

I'll be giving another one away to a random subscriber of my substack newsletter once I reach 100 subscribers.

https://retroedgetech.substack.com/

I've been using a #ThinkPad T470s for the last few weeks as my secondary laptop around home (use a #corebootbook for travelling).

There are some really good things about the ThinkPad T470s. I do like it's size and weight. It's slim, but not too lightweight.

It can be charged by three different means, the regular rectangular #Lenovo DC jack, the USB C (thunderbolt) port and the docking station port. That's an oddity, as usually laptops only have one or two ways to get power.

I've been using it with #Devuan #Linux, but I sold one to a customer as a replacement for an earlier generation ThinkPad X1 Carbon and he has had a good experience on it with Windows 10.

The only thing I don't really like for a refurbisher's standpoint is that the T470s has two internal batteries. This makes it more expensive to replace both batteries and they don't hold as much of a charge due to both of the batteries being so slim so that they can fit inside the case.

I'd rather have the traditional ThinkPad "bridge battery" system of one internal battery and one hot swap-able external battery with the option of having a larger extended battery. But that adds significant thickness and weight, which doesn't fit with the "s" series of laptops like the T470s,

The T480s has one internal battery but changes the charging ports and docking station type. Long term, the T480s may be better for me to sell as a refurbisher due to only having one internal battery.

Overall, I like the T470s and am enjoying using it. I do recommend it if you are looking for a 14 inch lightweight #laptop.

Going to be selling two more #corebootbook laptops locally.

Will be giving one away to a randomly drawn subscriber of my email newsletter once I reach 100 subscribers.

https://retroedgetech.substack.com/

@Charadon @RL_Dane

I plan on using #netbsd, but haven't done much with it yet.

I chose it for similar reasons, but good to see you put it in words.

For me, it also seemed like it would work well on old hardware (Pentium 3, 4 and Core 2 Duo/Quad.

Hope to get some experience running it on that hardware soon. I also plan to use with ethernet, so don't need wifi, but would be great to get it working with netbsd on a #corebootbook

@splitshockvirus

I don't use a smart phone (much) and I no longer have a phone plan.

I switched to phone.com as a provider and use their web app to do most of my texts and calls.

I use a #corebootbook when traveling and that handles phone calls fine in most situations.

Got a US Cellular hotspot with internet only. No phone plan, no contract.

It has mostly been working well for me.

I do often carry a Samsung Galaxy S5 with @e_mydata on it, which is a #privacy focused version of Android. I have the phone.com app on that and sometimes use it to make calls but usually use my #corebootbook

I did end up using the maps and gps features to get to a hard to find place today, but most of the time I have the GPS turned off and the Samsung Galaxy in airplane mode.

Confirmed. I will be selling another #corebootbook locally. The customer wants it mostly for distraction free offline writing, so asked me to remove the wifi chip. That also helps with #privacy, too.

It'll have #devuan installed.

I may be selling (locally) another #Dell #Chromebook converted to a #corebootbook later this week.

Will be giving one away to a random subscriber of my email newsletter after it reaches 100 subscribers:

https://retroedgetech.substack.com/

@10leej

Thank you for the elegant, built in #Linux solution. Your suggestion is what I was looking for.

Dramatic difference.

On the Acer C740 with 32GB SanDisk m.2 SATA SSD the completion time was:

31.447 seconds

On the Dell Chromebook 11 with eMMC storage it was:

1 minute, 18.551 seconds.

I guessed the SATA SSD would be faster, but now I know by how much! That makes the Acer more than twice as fast as the Dell when loading data from the disk.

#corebootbook testing

Used #clonezilla to make an image of my Dell #corebootbook (model CANDY) with #Devuan, then used Clonezilla again to restore it to an Acer C740 #Chromebook (model PAINE). Used the advanced options to expend the storage from 16GB to 32GB. Looks like it all worked well.

Seems like the everything worked well. It feels snappier, even though the processor doesn't have as high of a boost speed.

Might be the difference between the m.2 SATA SSD on the Acer compared to the eMMC storage.

I would like to run some storage speed tests between the two devices to compare. Does anyone recommend a #Linux command line storage test?

Just freed an Acer #Chromebook C740 from #google with #coreboot

#antiCorporate #corebootbook

This laptop, I pulled out the motherboard with 2GB memory and put in another one that had 4GB. The memory is soldered to the motherboard on all the Chromebooks I've seen.

I then took that C740 board and put it in a C720 laptop. That motherboard seemed to be dead, so took it out and the C740 board fits almost perfectly. The exception is just the connectors for the wifi antennas were a larger size on the C720 than on the C740. That's an easy fix as I can scavenge the correct connector size from another device if I really want to get this laptop fully functional with wifi.

@dallin

On my #chromebook #corebootbook laptops, I use #Cinnamon desktop environment and have tested the /etc/default/keyboard setting on #Devuan and #LinuxMint #Debian Edition.

Have tested on CANDY and PEPPY hardware models.

On the CANDY model, I could only get sound (internal audio) working with #Devuan, I didn't have success with any other Linux software distribution.

@parasurv

I do sell some #corebootbook models if your wanting something that already has #Google #Chromeos removed.

If you want to do it yourself, ebay has quite a few available.

Full installation success on the Acer C720 #chromebook

Now a #corebootbook with #LinuxMint #Debian Edition.

This Acer C720 has been successfully turned into a #corebootbook !!!

A bonus over the Dell Chromebook 11 that I use as my primary laptop is that the sound works right away without doing anything special in Linux Mint Debian Edition. Wifi is also working (shows up anyway, I have been using a USB to ethernet adapter for the whole process as I have wifi turned off in my shop most of the time).

On my Dell Chromebook 11, the only linux that I could get the sound to work on was #Devuan (my first choice for my own use now anyway).

I probably will install #LinuxMint #Debian Edition for my client.

Flashing #coreboot onto an #Acer C730 #chromebook for a client.

The process is a bit of a pain. Even though I have it documented, there are quirks and things that have to be done in exactly the right order to be able to get the laptop into Developer Mode. From there it can be flashed and made into a #corebootbook

Just used this post that I made back in May for my own reference to set the keyboard correctly on another #corebootbook

Status Update on #corebootbook

I've been using the Dell Chromebook 11, freed from #Google with #coreboot as my primary laptop for at least three months.

It has a weak processor, only 4GB memory and 16GB of storage... yet it serves most of my needs for a mobile computer.

I'm running #Devuan #Linux, as that is the only Linux distro that I got everything working, including sound, on this laptop. Sound just wouldn't work on most other distros on this laptop (except the aging #galliumos ).

The 16GB storage limit is a bit annoying, as my Thunderbird email profile is quite large and would press the space limits of that 16GB drive. I may insert an SD card and configure Thunderbird so the profile is kept on an SD card.

So far, the #corebootbook works for what I need it to. I use it to log into my phone.com account while I am out and about, using a mobile hotspot for internet. I can keep up on business phone messages and not use a mobile phone (staying away from stock and OEM Android for #privacy reasons, but do occasionally use /e/ OS version of Android that is wifi only).

I may switch to a different faster laptop in the coming months, but the proof of concept for usefulness of the #corebootbook has been proven to me.

I plan to give a few more away to my subscribers. I also have some that I can sell, if someone wants to just buy one already set up.

Status Update on #corebootbook

I've been using the Dell Chromebook 11, freed from #Google with #coreboot as my primary laptop for at least three months.

It has a weak processor, only 4GB memory and 16GB of storage... yet it serves most of my needs for a mobile computer.

I'm running #Devuan #Linux, as that is the only Linux distro that I got everything working, including sound, on this laptop. Sound just wouldn't work on most other distros on this laptop (except the aging #galliumos ).

The 16GB storage limit is a bit annoying, as my Thunderbird email profile is quite large and would press the space limits of that 16GB drive. I may insert an SD card and configure Thunderbird so the profile is kept on an SD card.

So far, the #corebootbook works for what I need it to. I use it to log into my phone.com account while I am out and about, using a mobile hotspot for internet. I can keep up on business phone messages and not use a mobile phone (staying away from stock and OEM Android for #privacy reasons, but do occasionally use /e/ OS version of Android that is wifi only).

I may switch to a different faster laptop in the coming months, but the proof of concept for usefulness of the #corebootbook has been proven to me.

I plan to give a few more away to my subscribers. I also have some that I can sell, if someone wants to just buy one already set up.

Another boost of #Devuan in my estimation of it.

On the #corebootbook, onboard sound usually does not work. It works with #GalliumOS, which was designed for #chromebook hardware, but Gallium is getting old and isn't likely to see another release.

I was surprised to see that sound is working just fine on the #corebootbook in Devuan.

I'm not sure exactly why. Sound does not work on this laptop in #LInuxMInt, LDME5 or #VoidLinux.

But it is a pleasant surprise and makes me like Devuan even more.

@dj I wasn't aware of #FydeOS

https://www.fydeos.io/

Thanks for mentioning it. Not sure if it is something that I would be looking for or not, but may be worth trying on the #corebootbook to see if the built in sound works out of the box (it doesn't on most Linux distros).

First day using the #corebootbook with #LMDE5. I am traveling with it and connected to wifi at another location other than my home or office.

So far #LinuxMint #Debian Edition 5 is working fine. I am writing down ideas for simple "how to" style videos.

Just to clarify, I am not a Linux Mint or Debian fanboy, but I think it is a useful place for people to start and build skills.

#corebootbook update:

I successfully installed #LinuxMint #Debian Edition 5 on it. The installer still crashed at a certain point, like with LMDE4, but I found a way to work around that and did a successful installation of #LMDE5 on the Dell Chromebook 11 laptop.

Most of my computer time for normal day to day stuff is spent on #LinuxMint :linuxmint2:.

Most of the computers I upgrade and repair are Windows 10 for customers.

Spending more time with #VoidLinux :void: on the #corebootbook and other machines.

Hoping to do more with #netbsd :netbsd: in the near future.

Did some #lua programming learning last night and my son is figuring out how to use Lua within C.

#RetroEdgeTechStack progress report

Most of my computer time for normal day to day stuff is spent on #LinuxMint :linuxmint2:.

Most of the computers I upgrade and repair are Windows 10 for customers.

Spending more time with #VoidLinux :void: on the #corebootbook and other machines.

Hoping to do more with #netbsd :netbsd: in the near future.

Did some #lua programming learning last night and my son is figuring out how to use Lua within C.

#RetroEdgeTechStack progress report