Gourd

Currently doing the process to flash an old Chromebook I got used for cheap with a regular UEFI firmware from the Chrultrabook project, and it's getting deeply silly as on top of a special USB dongle to get the firmware unlocked (a SuzyQCable) I must:

  • Put the Chromebook in developer mode, wiping the drive and taking about ten minutes.
  • Set up ChromeOS.
  • Switch to a virtual terminal and run a command to enable USB debugging... at which point for about five minutes it randomly prompts me to hit the power button to show it I'm physically there. That's a new one.
  • This also moves it out of developer mode, so I have to put it back into developer mode to actually use this feature. Again. Wiping the drive. Again.

    • Just hilariously roundabout.

    #ChromeOS #Chromebook #HokeyPokey

    Who is this documentation for? | Chrultrabook Docs

    The Chrultrabook documentation

    Mar 18, 2024 at 10:46pmWeb
    Show threadA cool crab wearing shadesMar 18, 2024
    @gourd my mom bought an chromebook and now hates it, she did not consult me before purchase
    Show threadGourdMar 18, 2024
    @neckspike I extremely got it as a dubious hacking project. *crosses fingers*  
    Show threadA cool crab wearing shadesMar 18, 2024
    @gourd ganbare!
    Show threadGourdMar 18, 2024
    @neckspike Just failed to boot after flashing firmware! 
    Show threadGourdMar 18, 2024

    @neckspike One thing I am currently dealing with: USB C connectors with orientation.

    Yes. Really. 

    Show threadGourdMar 18, 2024
    @neckspike Now attempting to reflash the firmware from another laptop borderline jumper cable style.
    Show threadGourdMar 18, 2024

    @neckspike

    Reading old flash chip contents... done.
    Erasing and writing flash chip... FAILED at 0x00001000! Expected=0xff, Found=0x00, failed byte count from 0x00001000-0x00001fff: 0x1000
    ERASE FAILED!

    O_o

    Show threadGourdMar 18, 2024

    @neckspike ..so I tried it again with Google's fork of FlashROM in case the one in the Debian repos had issues and uh... it gave issues at a different hex range.

    ...lol the motherboard may have just failed on me.

    Show threadGourdMar 18, 2024
    @neckspike Trying some more stuff, but at least this establishes one very important thing: this isn't my fault. 
    Show threadA cool crab wearing shadesMar 18, 2024
    @gourd this is google's fault for making shitty computers
    Show threadGourdMar 18, 2024

    @neckspike Well, Dell in this case in conjunction with Google.

    It seemed like a good deal used for the hardware specs at the time if I could jailbreak it.

    Show threadGourdMar 18, 2024

    @neckspike And to be clear, my Sega Saturn is in a closet right now so there's shielding between its technical trainwreck energy and the Chromebook.

    Or maybe it works like baking soda in the fridge and having it out absorbs failure from other devices? :p

    Show threadA cool crab wearing shadesMar 19, 2024
    @gourd That must be it, the cursed Saturn should be absorbing the failwaves but it's locked up.
    Show threadGourdMar 19, 2024
    @neckspike And just got a third failure on the exact same flashrom command in a different range. Doesn't even matter if the payload works or not if it can't flash it correctly and read it back. yay, faulty hardware I can't return because uh, just bricked the motherboard
    Show threadA cool crab wearing shadesMar 19, 2024
    @gourd F