Linux on Chromebook Acer C7

09.06.2015

This is a short list of all the steps I went through to get a real linux installation on my chromebook. It is a real standalone linux installation, all of chromeos is gone. Not on top of chromeos like ChrUbuntu or Crouton.

I will write all examples based on my Acer C7 Chromebook.

Acer C7 Chromebook

Linux installation

Instructions are intentionally kept short, you find detailed instructions at the links provided.

  1. Enable DEV Mode
    1. Getting a command prompt

  2. Enable USB Boot: 

    sudo crossystem dev_boot_usb=1

  3. Install custom BIOS

    1. Open the chromebook case
    2. Connect the jumper, e.g. by sticking a piece of aluminium or copper in it
    3. Close chromebook and boot, login as guest
    4. Deactivate flash write protection: 
      sudo flashrom --wp-deactivate
    5. Install custom chromebook firmware

  4. Now you can boot from a USB-Stick or SD-Card and install linux like normally

Enable touchpad in ubuntu

Touchpad does not work in ubuntu by default. You need the right kernel and some kernel modules loaded in the proper order.

  1. Install mainline kernel: 

    wget https://raw.githubusercontent.com/medigeek/kmp-downloader/master/kmpd.py
sudo apt-get install python-bs4 python-apt
python kmpd.py -d
# choose and install newest kernel

  2. Reboot into new kernel

  3. Load modules in correct order: 

    rmmod chromeos_laptop && modprobe i2c-i801 && modprobe i2c-dev && modprobe chromeos_laptop

  4. You might try to setup module loading with /etc/modprobe.d and /etc/modules. However this didn't work for me.

Links

Author's profile picture

Florian Hengartner