[User-Submitted Instructions] Installing CloudReady in a ChromeBook
NOTE 1: This guide is not written or endorsed by Neverware. Neverware does not have any support or plans to support running CloudReady on official Chrome OS devices at this time.
NOTE 2: Neverware nor me are not responsible for any harm caused to your Chromebook. If you brick your Chromebook it is your own responsibility.
NOTE 3: This will only work in Intel Based Chromebooks, this means if your Chromebook has no Intel Chip this guide won't work.
To install any new operating system onto your ChromeOS device, you must first enable Developer Mode. Many models also require updating firmware, depending on the install type.
To determine what preparation steps your device requires, you will need to know your device's Hardware ID. This is available from inside ChromeOS by navigating to chrome://system, where it's called hardware_class.
STEP 1: ENABLE DEVELOPER MODE
WARNING: Enabling Developer Mode will erase all user data in ChromeOS. If you have locally-stored data, back it up first. Cloud data will not be lost.
- With device shut down, press Esc+F3(refresh)+Power to boot into Recovery Mode
- You will see the Recovery Mode boot screen, informing you that "ChromeOS is damaged or missing" (although it is not)
- Press [Ctrl+D] to enable Developer Mode, then follow confirmation steps (usually just pressing enter)
- Your machine will reboot to a white screen which says "OS verification is OFF". This is Developer Mode.
- Enable Legacy Mode booting (you can skip this step if updating firmware, since it will be done automatically for you)
- Press [Ctrl+D] to boot ChromeOS in Developer Mode
- Configure WiFi if necessary, and log in to Chrome (Guest account is fine)
- Press [Ctrl+Alt+T] to get a ChromeOS terminal ("crosh") window
- At the prompt, enter
shell - At the
chronos@localhost / $prompt, run the following:sudo crossystem dev_boot_legacy=1
STEP 2: FLASH FIRMWARE (IF REQUIRED OF DESIRED)
Here's where you'll need to know your Hardware ID and CPU Family.
- Sandy Bridge models require custom firmware (exception: LINK)
- Bay Trail and Braswell models require custom firmware
- Haswell, Broadwell, and Skylake models can benefit from custom firmware; some models require it depending on install type.
Custom firmware (for many models) is available in multiple types and from multiple sources.
NOTE: There are different custom firmware options available, depending on your Chromebook/box model class, and the features you require: You can check them in the picture at the end of this post.
NOTE: If you decide to modify your Firmware you must know you won't be able to install your original firmware, this means, you won't be able to run Chrome OS again on your Chromebook. You will be able to install any other Operative System on your Chromebook (Chromium, CloudReady, Linux, Windows).
Step 2a: Disable write-protection (if required)
Some types of firmware update (BOOT_STUB and Full ROM) require disabling firmware write-protection on your device. Some models also have conductive stickers, and a few older models have a jumper. The location and appearance of the WP screw/sticker/jumper vary between models, but in all cases you will need to open your device.
A web search for "<model or hardware id> chromebook disable write-protect" will often return detailed instructions, with photos, for your model.
Step 2b: Install/Update Firmware
You can install/update your firmware from the ChromeOS terminal, or from a running Linux system. These instructions describe the process from the ChromeOS terminal.
- Boot into ChromeOS by pressing [Ctrl+D] at the "OS verification is OFF" Developer Mode boot screen
- Configure WiFi if necessary, and log in to Chrome (Guest account is fine)
- Press [Ctrl+Alt+T] to get a ChromeOS terminal ("crosh") window
- At the prompt, enter
shell - Decide which firmware you want to install.
- At the
chronos@localhost / $prompt, run the command to flash your firmware. These commands are current as of this writing, but be sure to check the developer's site for any changes. - Run MrChromebox's Firmware Utility Script (developer's site)
cd; curl -LO https://mrchromebox.tech/firmware-util.sh && sudo bash firmware-util.sh
- Then follow the on-screen instructions to install your chosen firmware type
STEP 3: Install CloudReady (Original - Flint OS Installation in HDD)
1. Enter the terminal
After the GUI of CloudReady has been loaded, press Ctrl+Alt+F2 (on some machines, including the Apple Macs the keys are Fn+Ctrl+Alt+F2) to enter the tty command line interface. If needed, you can press Ctrl+Alt+F1 (or Fn+Ctrl+Alt+F1) to get back to GUI mode. Alternatively, you can press Ctrl+Alt+t (or Fn+Ctrl+Alt+t) with the Chromium browser launched to enter the Crosh, then enter shell to activate the Crosh shell.
2. Login
CloudReady will ask you for a login name and then a password. The default username and password are both chronos.
3. Determine the target drive
Enter command lsblk to obtain a list of attached physical hard drives recognised by the system. Under normal circumstances, your hard drives will be displayed assdxin the list printed by this command. You need to determine the label of the hard drive you want to install Flint OS to based on the size and the number of partitions, e.g.sda. The following command will use sda.
4. Run installation script
Enter commandsudo /usr/sbin/chromeos-install --dst /dev/sda
You will get asked for sudo password. The installation script will confirm with you once again if you wish to continue and your hard drive will be erased. If this is what you really want, key in Y.
5. Wait for the script to run
Hardware Compatibility
Comments
23 comments
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i try to run the installation script, and i get this error:
initctl: Unknown instance:
Error: source can not be the destination device: /dev/dsa
this happened evrery time i tried running the installation script, even when i put in dsb and dsc instead of dsa. either im doing something wrong, or the command prompt thought i meant dsa when i said dsb...
im not sure.
do you think you know what went wrong?
(I have an ASUS chromebox CN60)
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ok - that seems right, and when you include --/dst/sda it makes sense that it would be failing since /dev/sda seem to be your USB installer.
If you run "sudo fdisk -l" you can see all the devices and look for the right name of the internal drive - it could be a different type of device like emmc or nvme which would show up with a name other than /dev/sdb or /dev/sdc
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Alright - that looks pretty clearly like /dev/sdb is your installer USB and /dev/sda is your internal USB (you can tell because CloudReady installer USB has many more partitions compared to the baseline 12 that Chrome OS has.
So you want to run:
sudo /usr/sbin/chromeos-install --src /dev/sdb --dst /dev/sda
see if that'll do the trick, and post any differen error you see this time around.
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Hi Willio
I'm assuming you're attempting to install Cloudready Home on your Asus CN60? I've been doing this for about a year (ever since it fell out of support June 2019).
Have you successfully flashed MrChromeBox's firmware to the CN60? You need to have the write protect screw removed, and boot the CN60 to Chrome OS developer mode (not the same as developer channel). Once in developer mode you need to get to the terminal to run the firmware script command.
To accomplish these steps I recommend you visit mrchromebox.tech and read his instructions.
Once you have firmware successfully updated (and yes there is a risk of bricking your CN60) power off the CN60. You need a properly prepared Cloudready installer USB, plenty of instructions and options on neverware.com, Cloudready's home.
Plug the USB into one of the front ports (opposite side from power/monitor ports), and then while powering up keep tapping the ESC key on your keyboard. This will bring you to the boot menu:
Arrow down to the Boot Menu option and hit ENTER/RETURN:
Arrow down to select the USB installer (in this case Sandisk, not SATA the internal drive nor UEFI the boot loader shell, and Cloudready already exists on my drive) and hit enter:
Wait a bit for the installer to load and follow on screen instructions to connect to wifi. At this point if you want to install, click the clock tab in the lower right corner and select the install OS option. In a few minutes you're good to go by rebooting without tapping ESC as the boot grub is created and Cloudready is loaded. Finish set up per on screen instuctions.
Good luck!
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Its a basic [tap]-[tap]-[tap] as you press the power button until you get the boot screen. Easy. Both my Asus Chromeboxen respond the same. My guess is you don't have the firmware installed. Does the CN60 boot to any OS?
If you've wiped the Chrome OS from the drive forget the developer mode of flashing the firmware. You may need to do a Google Chrome Recovery USB. That requires access to a Windows, Mac or functioning Chromebox/book. Recover to the outdated Google Chrome OS, then follow mrchromebox's instructions. Marco's original post is two years old and mrchromebox has provided more current instructions.
https://mrchromebox.tech/#fwscript
If you can boot using a Linux live boot, such as Gallium OS you can run the firmware script from Terminal.
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Yes, as JCloud suggests definitely use a wired keyboard. Bluetooth isn't activated until later in the boot cycle. I'm using a Logitech K400 wireless keyboard but it is not Bluetooth, it has it's own receiver dongle which is powered up immediately from the USB port.
And if you're using a Logitech device with a Unified Remote dongle don't connect your USB to the port next to the dongle. Weird radioactive interference happens and kills the USB3 ports on the same bus. Logitech knows, can't fix.
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What happens when you disconnect the AC adapter and then plug it back in? Does the power button come on/flash continuously or does it function normally to turn on the CN60?
I've encountered that flashing power light twice: first time was a gift but bricked CN62 which I sent to mrchromebox for his unbricking service, and just yesterday when the SSD of CN60 became corrupted. See this thread for the latter issue and how to fix.
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ChromeOS Flex is replacing CloudReady, so this community is no longer accepting new comments.
Please visit the ChromeOS Flex Help Community to post any new questions or thoughts! You can still link back to this or other pages in this community in order to reference past conversations.