Scripps Employees Called 'Hackers' For Exposing Massive Security Flaw
Suspected PayPal Hackers Seek Deal To Stay Out Of Prison
Install any OS on a Google CR-48 laptop with Luigi
Hexxeh's new tool -- Luigi -- simplifies the process greatly. As long as you can follow his 12-step program and don't mind popping open the CR-48 case for a quick bit of hardware tinkering you'll be able to install your OS of choice in no time. Once you've downloaded Luigi using wget from a Chrome OS terminal window, a firmware flash and a reboot is all that's needed to enable booting any OS installer via a USB drive.
Check out Hexxeh's video after the break to see how the process unfolds!
Comments
7
Subscribe to commentsSamJan 3rd 2011 6:31PM
What a dick move. If you get sent a free netbook to beta test, then fucking beta test it. I completely consider this stealing.
chronoJan 3rd 2011 11:16PM
@Sam It's not a beta test, it's a developer's preview. Hacking is encouraged.
clem11388Mar 24th 2011 6:51AM
@Sam Google specifically said in their keynote presentation for EVERYONE to feel free to do what ever they want to these notebook, and specifically stated that anyone can hack them and put other operating systems on them if they choose. Because if you have the desire to take off the software they designed, then apparently you don't like that software. And THAT is a beta test statistic if I ever heard of one.
By the way please keep comments clean and free of bad language. Not I would like to feel comfortable allowing my children to do research on things like this without having to worry if they will read or hear words like that. There is freedom of speech, but please respect freedom of innocent minds.
joeJan 3rd 2011 9:18PM
agreed. i COULD install Ubuntu on my cr-48 but the point is to test it out - hence the agreement. It's not a final product unlike the idiot bloggers everywhere are acting like it is. I'm surprised that Hexxeh released this since I read how Google brought him out to CA to meet the Chrome OS team. I would be surprised to read that Google doesn't care if you hack your cr-48 to install something else. They made an investment and the individuals that got a cr-48 agreed to it. Pretty lame.
If Google relinquished you of beta testing - that may be a different story.
chronoJan 4th 2011 12:01AM
@joe I don't think think they mind too much: http://www.chromium.org/chromium-os/developer-information-for-chrome-os-devices/cr-48-chrome-notebook-developer-information/how-to-boot-ubuntu-on-a-cr-48
Remember, installing another OS on your kit isn't about totally not bothering to test or try out Chrome OS, it's about doing something that's difficult and pushing the hardware beyond what it was intended to do. These aren't end user machines and the people using them aren't end users for the most part.
lassiJan 4th 2011 3:06AM
@joe
it certainly isn't a private closed beta test, if that's what you believe :D. perpetual beta label sure, since that's the google way, but they've been shipping them to pretty much everyone and everyone's mother. it's not an exclusive club.
and of course it's going to be hacked.. _that_ would be the real thing to test anyways - everything else about the machine and the sw it runs is known.
FranklinJan 4th 2011 12:25AM
Google may not necessarily mind people replacing the OS -- they have a page on the Chromium developers page detailing how to install Ubuntu on it, after all, and openly tell you how to enter the Linux shell terminal mode to start tinkering around with its underlying system.
I was given a Cr-48. Right now, though, it's not worth the hassle to me (I already own a good Windows 7 notebook and an 11" Macbook Air). But I love knowing I could replace its OS if I want to, so I've been saving these links for future reference.