Chromium / Chrome OS Guide for Hobbyist, Educators, and Developers

C H R O M I U M / C H R O M E  OS  GUIDE

                     

The focus of this guide is to walk you through installing Chromium and/or Chrome OS for educational or tinkering reasons. This guide references a lot of good material already found on the internet and I've included links at the end of the guide. I would like to thank all of those writers for making my approach easier and laying good groundwork for the basis of this guide. A good reason to try out Chromium is aging hardware. You might find that an old computer is quickly brought back to the life via Chromium. If you are interested in learning more about the install process or just want a few general tips about Chrome, you've landed at the right spot.

Let’s get rolling.

Things to acquire:

A computer. This guide assumes you will be using Windows-platform hardware and have access to software on a Windows machine.

A Gmail account (Free)

http://www.gmail.com/

A Google Drive account (Free)

https://drive.google.com/

A USB drive (Preferably 4 GB or >)

Hexxah Chrome build, found here:

http://chromeos.hexxeh.net/

or

Arnold the Bat Chrome build, found here:

http://arnoldthebat.co.uk/wordpress/chromium-os/

or

Dell’s Chromium OS builds, found here:

http://linux.dell.com/files/cto/

or

Chrome OS-Lime build, found here:

https://mega.co.nz/#!ZF4xVA4Z!BRPucQiEYpbxLoQr9BgryE-qbl0Z-OqluZuiALQBkVA

also

Win32 Disk Imager, found here:

http://sourceforge.net/projects/win32diskimager/

7-Zip file manager used to unzip image files, found here:

http://www.7-zip.org/

Optional:

The Chrome Recovery Tool, found here:

https://support.google.com/chromebook/answer/1080595?hl=en

Note: The above tools: Win32 Disk Imager and 7-Zip are just recommendations. There are many other programs that will perform the same task. Check out the “Links” section for more information on software and additional downloads.

Note: Chrome OS needs a reliable internet connection to function properly. Part of the appeal for the OS, is that all apps back up their data to the cloud allowing peace of mind. This is why I mentioned getting a Google Drive account above. You will be able to save documents, photographs, movies, and other media to your Google Drive account. These items can then be accessed when you sign into Chrome OS or when signing into your Google Account through a any browser on any operating system.

MAJOR NOTE: Before continuing, please back up any data from your device that you would not want to be lost forever. I am providing this guide with no liability for data loss. A lot of the software builds are still in the early stages of development. I take no responsibility for what happens. With that said J

Minor Note: Dual-booting with Chromium/Chrome OS is supported, but will not be covering in detail in this guide. I have included some great resources in the links portion where you can find more about dual-booting systems. Also, be aware that dual-booting with Chromium/Chrome OS requires 2 separate hard drives as installing Chromium formats the entire drive with no way to partition until after it is formatted.

With that said,

To Test Out Chromium:

1    Download a Chrome build from the links above. I'm using a Hexxeh build.

2     Unzip and locate the .img file.

3     Use Win32 Disk Imager and put the file onto your USB drive.

4     Put the USB drive into the computer you wish to have Chrome on and while starting your computer, go into the boot setup and make sure you chose to boot from the USB drive first.

5     Chromium will now boot and you can play around and check it out.

To Install Chromium to your hard drive:

      MAJOR WARNING! Doing these operations will erase all data on your hard drive. Only perform if you have everything backed up and are ready to experience a new operating system full time.

1     Press ctrl + alt + t on the keyboard to bring up Crosh command prompt.

2     Type install and hit enter.

3     You are then prompted for the username/password or just for the password in some cases. They are:

a.     Username: chromos

b.     Password: facepunch

Note: Passwords for different image builds can vary. Please check documentation or site where image comes from.

4    Chromium will ask you if you’re sure you want to make these changes and then will install to your hard drive.

5     When it’s finished installing it will tell you you can power off computer, take out the USB drive, and then reboot to make sure it worked.

To Upgrade Chromium to Chrome OS:

      Warning! It is possible that wireless and other device drivers won’t be installed or they might not even be available for your specific hardware yet. Use caution. If you get stuck or something doesn’t work you can always start back at the beginning of the guide.

1     Log into Chromium. Make sure you’re not under a guest account.

2     Bring up the developer mode by pressing ctrl + alt + F2 on the keyboard.

3     The developer console will now open.

4     Type: sudusu and hit enter.

5     You will be prompted for username/password. Same as before:

a.     Username: chromos

b.     Facepunch

6     Type: wgethttp://goo.gl4suhf; sudo bash 4suhf and hit enter.

7     This will pull down a list of available Chrome OS builds (22 as of my testing) that can be installed. The list might take a while to load. Try to pick a build that matches your brand of hardware, but experiment around to see which build works best with your hardware as the install process doesn’t take a lot of time.

Note: For 64-bit users, try a Samsung 550 or Series 3 image

8     You will then be prompted to pick what build you want to install. Type in the corresponding number off the list that comes up and press enter.

9     Chrome OS will then download and install.

Installing Codecs in Chromium:

You might want to install codecs if you find a build you have doesn’t come bundled with support for things like: Adobe Flash and .mp3 playback.

To Install codecs:

     

      1. Gain su permission. Bring up developer terminal by hitting: ctl + alt + F2.

      2. Type: sudosu and press enter.

      3. You will be prompted for username/password: facepunch

      4. Now you have permissions, type the following command and hit enter:

                  curl -L http://goo.gl/reX3Z | bash

      5. Codecs will download and install. Restart your Computer after that.

      6. To check which plugins are installed, bring up a chrome window and                           type: chrome://plugins and hit enter. You will then see a list. I have                           set mine to be 'always allowed'.

      To check plugins, open a chrome window or tab and type: chrome://plugins into the address bar and hit enter. You will see a list of the installed plugins and you can check always-allowed which I normally do.

Caution: Auto-updates do not work on these builds! You will need to update occasionally if builds become available. Know that the recovery image versions lag behind the current stable versions of Chrome OS. Hopefully, as Chromium ages device support will continue to get better and auto-updates can be added.

Default Chrome OS Applications

      Most Chromebooks come with a default set of applications already installed. Many of the Chromium and Chrome OS builds that you can install online do not come bundled with or sync any applications. Below is a list of default applications that came bundled on a Chromebook.

      Note: This list is taken from an Acer Chromebook C720.

Chrome

Google Web Store

Google Search

Youtube

Gmail

Google Calendar

Google Maps

Google Drive

Google Docs

Google Sheets

Google Slides

Google+

Hangouts

Google Play

Google Play Books

Google Play Movies

Calculator

Camera

Chrome Remote Desktop

Chrome+ Photos

Google Keep

Chromium/Chrome OS Wallpapers:

      Most of the default builds come with minimal wallpapers. If you have one of the newer builds you can chose a custom wallpaper using the following method. If you are using regular Chromium or a version of Chrome that doesn’t the wallpaper you want, you can download them from:

https://drive.google.com/folderview?id=0B_GyancQy6LxWUNaVkhmTDJKRkE&usp=sharing

and

http://www.softpedia.com/dyn-postdownload.php?p=210274&t=4&i=1

This will give you a nice start. You can also chose any image online that you want. Using your Google Drive account, upzip all images you want to keep into a folder. Right-click on the desktop and chose set wallpaper. You can then chose your Google Drive and make Chromium appear more like regular Chrome OS or use any custom saved image.

Chromebook Enterprise Enrollment:

1.     Hit ctrl + space + F2 (Let go of space, hit F2 while holding ctrl the entire time).

2.     Type: sudosu – echo ‘serial_number=”1234567890”>tmp/machine-info restart ui and then hit enter.

Note: replace 1234567890 with whatever serial you chose.

3.     Then do the normal ctrl + alt + E method of enrolling a Chromebook device.

Chromebook OS Recovery Tool:

      There is a built in function to make a recovery image of your Chromium OS install. To access this, have a SD Card or USB drive with capacity of 4GB or greater available. Then open a Chrome window or tab and type: chrome://imageburner and then hit enter. This will allow you to go through the process of making your own custom recovery device. Just follow the on-screen prompts.

Links Section

      Some of the best and most useful links I’ve found for all things regarding Chromium/Chrome OS. Links cover a wide variety of topics and some are aimed at educational environments.

Chromium/Chrome OS Builds/Guides:

Hexxeh Builds:

http://chromeos.hexxeh.net/

Arnold the Bat Builds/Guides:

http://arnoldthebat.co.uk/wordpress/chromium-os/

Seth Tech Guide:

http://zzsethzz.blogspot.com/2013/02/install-chromium-upgrade-it-to-chrome.html

 Chromium OS Lime Guide:

      http://www.kirsle.net/blog/kirsle/install-chromium-os-lime

      Install Java, Flash, .mp3, .mp4 to Chromium OS:

      https://gist.github.com/dz0ny/3065781

      Chrome Wallpapers:

  https://drive.google.com/folderview?id=0B_GyancQy6LxWUNaVkhmTDJKRkE&usp=sharing

http://www.softpedia.com/dyn-postdownload.php?p=210274&t=4&i=1

      Chromium/Chrome OS Useful Links:

Samsung Google OS User Guide:

http://static.highspeedbackbone.net/pdf/Chrome%20OS%20User%20Guide.pdf

ChromebookEdu Blog:

http://chromebookedu.blogspot.com/

Chromebook Tips & Tricks:

http://www.culver71.net/pdf/tech/ChromebookTipsTricks_3.pdf

100 Best Chromebook Tips, Tricks, & Time-Savers:

http://www.chromestory.com/google-chromebook/

Guardian for Chrome OS:

https://laptoplookout.com/enterprise/products/guardian/

The Always Up to Date Power User’s Guide to Google Chrome:

http://lifehacker.com/5867446/the-always-up-to-date-power-users-guide-to-chrome

Google Chromebook Developer Mode:

http://www.chromium.org/chromium-os/poking-around-your-chrome-os-device

Kathy Shrocks’ Guide to Everything: Chromebooks (Great k12 educator resources)

http://www.schrockguide.net/chromebooks.html

Google Chrome Web Store:

https://chrome.google.com/webstore/category/apps

Chromebook System Recovery (For Official Chromebook models):

https://support.google.com/chromebook/answer/1080595?hl=en

Running Chrome OS in VirtualBox:

http://www.fixedbyvonnie.com/2014/01/how-to-try-out-chrome-os-with-virtualbox-before-you-buy-a-chromebook/#.Uyet8_ldV8E

Chrome OS* Architecture:

https://intel.activeevents.com/sf13/connect/fileDownload/session/1026ACB310E835E05D828255A465F1C7/SF13_SFTS014_100.pdf

Introduction to Google Chromebooks and Chromeboxes:

http://www.nersc.gov/assets/pubs_presos/Chrome-OS-presentation-Tech-Talk.pdf

iFixIt Samsung Chromebook 11.6 Teardown:

http://www.ifixit.com/Teardown/Samsung+Chromebook+11.6+Teardown/12225

Chrome devices for education technical planning guide:

http://static.googleusercontent.com/media/www.google.com/en/us/support/enterprise/static/chromeos/docs/admin/en/chrome_devices_for_edu.pdf

IT Ideas: ChromeOS Printer Deployment:

http://wpsit.blogspot.com/2013/09/chromeos-printer-deployment.html

Chrome USB Recovery Knowledge Base:

http://wiki.sebeka.k12.mn.us/chromebooks:usb_recovery

Chromebook Troubleshooting & Tips:

http://www.d21.k12.il.us/students/chromebookstips.html

Intel-Based Chromebooks in Education:

http://www.k12blueprint.com/sites/default/files/Intel_Chromebook_webinar_Masterw_v5.pdf

Chromebook k12 Resources:

http://www.sedck12.org/index.php/tech/chromebooks/184-chromebook-resources

Troubleshoot Chrome Devices:

https://support.google.com/chrome/a/answer/1319163?hl=en

Chromebook Enrollment:

https://support.google.com/chrome/a/answer/1360534?hl=en

Chromebook Enrollment Tips:

https://docs.google.com/a/cmsd.k12.pa.us/document/d/1yttUoIfyItIOfVHo3kk1KnOjqlJbK21o92Z94HFcv30/edit

Powerwash (reset) a Chromebook:

http://blog.laptopmag.com/how-to-reset-a-chromebook

GNU Bash Reference:

http://www.gnu.org/software/bash/manual/bashref.html

Google Cloud Print:

http://www.google.com/cloudprint/learn/

This guide brought to you by:

pghcomputertech @ gmail.com