ROM snapshots and step by step procedure

[Nestor A. Diaz]

Hi People,

I am looking for a new laptop, basically a laptop for traveling, cheaper
and lightweight.

It seems the Acer C7 from Google full fit my *hardware* requirements.

But I am not planning to use Google Chrome os instead I need to run
Debian 7 on it.

I like to play with GNU/Linux on embeded devices like the ones supported
with OpenWRT or even the Raspberry PI, usually all they come with
firmware files or disk images ready to be loaded and let me get them up
and running quickly, I am not a hardware geek guy, so I don't want to
spend too much time dealing with the internal of the Acer C7 Chromebook
in order to load GNU/Linux on it.

So, this is what i want to do:

* Completely remove all the google OS stuff.
* I don't need to run windows, so I don't care is the replacement
firmware will not allow me to install such a crappy system in the future
even if I sell the device later.
* I want to run something 100% free since it power up, for those who
have this laptop can you tell me if the wifi drivers, camera, network
adapter and so on are 100% free ?
* There is a web page which describe the procedure in a single page ? I
know the coreboot website have a lot of information, but time is a
constraint, so there is a step by step instructions webpage with all the
files, requirement and procedures to free the Acer C7 laptop and then be
able to install a GNU distribution on it ?
* I found some prebuilt images at
http://johnlewis.ie/pre-built-coreboot-firmware-for-chromebooks/ there
are some official or daily rom firmware from the coreboot project in a
similar way like the ones produced by the OpenWRT people ?

Thanks.

[John Lewis]

Hi Nestor,

On 27/09/2013 15:40, Nestor A. Diaz wrote:
> Hi People,
>
> I am looking for a new laptop, basically a laptop for traveling, 
> cheaper
> and lightweight.
>
> It seems the Acer C7 from Google full fit my *hardware* requirements.
>
> But I am not planning to use Google Chrome os instead I need to run
> Debian 7 on it.
>
> I like to play with GNU/Linux on embeded devices like the ones 
> supported
> with OpenWRT or even the Raspberry PI, usually all they come with
> firmware files or disk images ready to be loaded and let me get them 
> up
> and running quickly, I am not a hardware geek guy, so I don't want to
> spend too much time dealing with the internal of the Acer C7 
> Chromebook
> in order to load GNU/Linux on it.
>
> So, this is what i want to do:
> Completely remove all the google OS stuff.
> I don't need to run windows, so I don't care is the replacement
>
> firmware will not allow me to install such a crappy system in the 
> future
> even if I sell the device later.
> I want to run something 100% free since it power up, for those who
>
> have this laptop can you tell me if the wifi drivers, camera, network
> adapter and so on are 100% free ?

Even coreboot on Chromebooks is not entirely "free", as there are 
several closed Intel binaries needed. Not sure is any non-free firmware 
needed for the Atheros card but it should be pretty open.
> There is a web page which describe the procedure in a single page ?
>
> I
> know the coreboot website have a lot of information, but time is a
> constraint, so there is a step by step instructions webpage with all 
> the
> files, requirement and procedures to free the Acer C7 laptop and then 
> be
> able to install a GNU distribution on it ?

http://johnlewis.ie/compiling-your-own-coreboot-firmware-for-the-samsung-ser... 
and http://www.coreboot.org/Chromebooks/550_Chromebook_Build_HOWTO but 
the latter is slightly out of date. Just change the vendor and product. 
The same guy that bricked below followed the same instructions himself 
and got a straight SeaBIOS payload that worked.
> I found some prebuilt images at
>
> http://johnlewis.ie/pre-built-coreboot-firmware-for-chromebooks/ 
> there
> are some official or daily rom firmware from the coreboot project in 
> a
> similar way like the ones produced by the OpenWRT people ?

No. That's why I created those.

BTW, don't build in USB dongle support at the moment unless you can 
de-brick - one of the guys commenting on my site bricked his when he 
compiled it in.

Cheers,

John.
> Thanks.
>
> -- Typed on my key64.org keyboard Nestor A. Diaz T: 
> +57-1-485-3020,211 M:
> [phone] [e-mail] www.tiendalinux.com

[Nestor A. Diaz]

Hi John, thank you for the information, could you please post the output
of the command `lshw`.

I want to know the list of hardware that comes with the Acer C7.

Thanks.