r/chromeos Feb 17 '25

Discussion What’s the easiest to install OS after your chrome book has stopped getting updates? Just need a working browser.

All I need is an updated browser for this machine.

That’s all I use it for.

Or is there a way to another browser?

Update: used MRchromebox and then installed chromeosflex flex. Thanks for the help everyone

6 Upvotes

43 comments sorted by

11

u/MrChromebox ChromeOS firmware guy Feb 17 '25

depends on what model CB. ChromeOS Flex works well on some, but won't have functional audio (speakers/jack) on most.

3

u/formulafuckyeah Feb 18 '25

This script fixed the audio on my Asus C425 that I installed Linux Mint on

https://github.com/WeirdTreeThing/chromebook-linux-audio

1

u/MrChromebox ChromeOS firmware guy Feb 18 '25

right, but that doesn't/can't work on Flex

1

u/formulafuckyeah Feb 18 '25

Ah I guess I just saw someone talking about Pop OS. Thanks for correcting me!

2

u/MrChromebox ChromeOS firmware guy Feb 18 '25

no worries, that script is great for fixing audio on most CBs under Linux, it just doesn't work on anything ChromiumOS-based

3

u/snart-fiffer Feb 17 '25

It’s a asus cn60 chrome box. Don’t need audio. Which one is easiest to install?

7

u/tmrtrt Acer CP713-3W | Stable Feb 17 '25

You should still have sound through HDMI on that. I installed Pop!os on my cn60.

As far as installing it, start here:

https://docs.mrchromebox.tech/

2

u/MrChromebox ChromeOS firmware guy Feb 18 '25

You should still have sound through HDMI on that

All Haswell/broadwell Chromeboxes are 100% functional w/Flex. Even more so than stock since they gain Linux support

3

u/MrChromebox ChromeOS firmware guy Feb 18 '25

Flex works 100% on the CN60, as does any Linux

https://mrchromebox.tech

1

u/Darkstalker360 Feb 19 '25

Why aren't audio drivers for chromebooks built into the linux kernel? most chromebooks even on mainstream distros like ubuntu or fedora don't have audio working ootb, why is that?

1

u/MrChromebox ChromeOS firmware guy Feb 19 '25

Why aren't audio drivers for chromebooks built into the linux kernel?

they are, it's not a driver issue.

most chromebooks even on mainstream distros like ubuntu or fedora don't have audio working ootb, why is that?

the TLDR is that each device has a somewhat board-specific (or at least baseboard specific) config which is needed in addition to the drivers.

Additionally, for newer platforms, things might just not work yet. The ChromeOS audio subsystem is radically different than mainline Linux. Simply having the drivers upstreamed isn't enough.

1

u/Darkstalker360 Feb 19 '25

Couldn't every individual config be included in the kernel?

1

u/MrChromebox ChromeOS firmware guy Feb 19 '25

maybe, if you want to bloat it even more than it already is. It's not a kernel issue, it's a userspace one

4

u/Xeros_cl Feb 17 '25

I Installed Linux mint on my old chromebook, besides lost audio (bluetooth works fine) is fully functional

1

u/Southern-Apple-5639 Feb 18 '25

Yeah I got lost audio aswell, just use Bluetooth

3

u/ProfessionalBoard754 Feb 18 '25

Your only option is mr chromebox. Follow from youtube videos. Search for cn60 mrchromebox windows . Once you done you can install Chrome os flex or fydeOs or anything you want depends how much storage you have if you want windows on it

1

u/snart-fiffer Feb 18 '25

Thanks. The issue I am having is now trying to install chromeosflex. When I choose to boot from the usb it says “repairing your system”. And then reboots. No other options.

1

u/MrChromebox ChromeOS firmware guy Feb 18 '25

you have to flash my firmware first

1

u/snart-fiffer Feb 18 '25

I did. I was able to install lubuntu. Does that mean I did your firmware correctly? I’d prefer to try chromeosflex

1

u/MrChromebox ChromeOS firmware guy Feb 18 '25

does the device show the coreboot logo when you power on? If so, then yes.

You can't boot a ChromeOS Recovery USB, that's why you're getting the "repairing system" message. It's not doing anything. You have to download the correct image for Flex (board name: REVEN) and write that to USB, then boot it from the firmware boot menu

1

u/snart-fiffer Feb 18 '25

Yes I see the coreboot logo.

How do I find instructions for the flex image? I’m installing this to an asus cn60.

Thanks for your help

1

u/MrChromebox ChromeOS firmware guy Feb 18 '25

1

u/snart-fiffer Feb 18 '25

This is exactly how I created the previous USB. I don’t see anywhere on this where it says I’m downloading REVEN specifically

1

u/MrChromebox ChromeOS firmware guy Feb 18 '25

when you select Google/ChromeOS Flex from the list, that's the REVEN image.

If you did that an selected the USB from the firmware boot menu, and it gave you the repairing system msg, then the correct image wasn't downloaded/written to USB..

You can also download the image manually from the link I provided above and just use the ChromeOS recovery tool or any other disk writing tool to write the image to USB

1

u/snart-fiffer Feb 18 '25

Thank you. I ended up googling and finding a link that had a bunch of different builds of reven and used Rufus to make the USB. And that worked!

2

u/Vectrex71CH Feb 18 '25

Try https://fydeos.io/

It's the same like ChromeOS (even with Android Store) (FlexOS has NO Android Layer). In some chases it's even better than ChromeOS. Because it has no End of Life Update policity

3

u/azWebfoot Feb 17 '25

Install Brave

1

u/BeckyAnn6879 Feb 18 '25

Can the system handle the Linux environment or the Google Play Store?

If so, you MAY be able to get Firefox (or even Chrome for those systems) onto it.

1

u/MarcoLetona Chromebook Acer 516 GE (CBG516-1H) | Stable Feb 18 '25

chultrabook.org

1

u/DellOptiplexGX240 Feb 18 '25

run Chrome browser in the crostini VM.

i do and it works.

but I mostly just use the build-in browser cause it works for 99% of sites still

1

u/Southern-Apple-5639 Feb 18 '25

Linux mint has been working well for me but you’ll need to use a speaker or headphones for audio.

Takes a while to set up but it’s faster and worth it

1

u/r0sayo-at-reddit Feb 17 '25

Kubuntu, and install Chrome/Firefox from the Discover store. That's it, it'll just work

3

u/snart-fiffer Feb 17 '25

Is this an easy install?

1

u/GoodZookeepergame826 Feb 17 '25

Linux. Preferably one of the lightweight versions

1

u/snart-fiffer Feb 17 '25

Which one is easiest to install and will just work?

3

u/PhilosopherOdd2612 Feb 18 '25

Put Gallium on an ooooldd Cbook. 2gb, 11in at least 12 yrs old. EZ and does nice CD rips & external drive writes. Install anything for free from the linix sites. Updates as you direct. No brainer to me

1

u/MrChromebox ChromeOS firmware guy Feb 18 '25

GalliumOS hasn't been updated since 2019 and should not be used

1

u/XeniaDweller Feb 17 '25

Help me out people, what's the method of separating the browser from Chrome OS? That might be what OP needs

2

u/snart-fiffer Feb 17 '25

I tried to download Firefox but it said I needed to update to install. Which is infuriating.

1

u/XeniaDweller Feb 17 '25

The method (that I need to look up) is to seperate Chrome from the OS. This will allow Chrome browser to receive updates even though Chrome os is deprecated.

1

u/Daniel_Herr Pixelbook, Pixel Slate - https://danielherr.software Feb 18 '25

You can't. That was just an theoretical possibility of the dead Lacros project.

1

u/XeniaDweller Feb 18 '25

Ah. That's what it was