#corebootbook — Public Fediverse posts

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.