From Chromebook (XE500C21) to ChrUbuntu

USB Recovery Device

Before we get started... Be prepared with a recovery USB device... Just in case... :-)
Google Chromebook Recovery USB, if needed. I made one just for fun. And it came in handy, for sure. You can do this pretty much from any OS. I recommend using Ubuntu.

nano chromebook_recovery.sh sudo chmod 755 chromebook_recovery.sh sudo bash chromebook_recovery

Here's a link to the list of Chromebook models. You'll need this list later if you screw-up.

Prep for Download and Installation

NOTE:When installing ChrUbuntu to the internal SSD, assume that all data from your Chromebook profiles will be lost forever. The only thing that you might lose, if anything, will be maybe the picture of yourself you took when you setup your profile(s) before. Otherwise, all your other junk should have been saved to your Google Drive, etc. So, don't be a scardy-cat. Also, installing to a USB or SD card device will work, but they can be kinda slow-ish, depending on the quality & speed of the device. I used a class 10 microSD with 16Gb, and it ran... ok, i guess. A tag sluggish for my taste, though.

Boot w/ OS Verification OFF! aka dev mode

• Flip the right-side switch to dev mode (to the right).
• Be careful... mine's busted off now and jammed in dev mode forever... lol
• Boot up, wait for ASCII sad computer face :-(
• Stay there... wait at least 30 sec. it will beep... 
• This is normal... ChromeOS will load
• Connect to a Wifi then accept the EULA
• STOP HERE!

Drop to shell - Login - Update Firmware - Reboot

• Hold CTRL+ALT+=> (=> is where F2-key normally would be)

• Username: chronos... There's no password.

Update your firmware

sudo chromeos-firmwareupdate --mode=todev

• Reboot. Let the OS checker (sad face) beep. 
• At the Create/connect a new acct screen... STOP! DROP! and ROLL!... to a shell...

List the connected devices

ChrUbuntu:~$ lsblk lsblk: dm-0: failed to get device path NAME    MAJ:MIN RM   SIZE RO TYPE MOUNTPOINT sda       8:0    0  14.9G  0 disk ├─sda1    8:1    0   1.8G  0 part ├─sda2    8:2    0    16M  0 part ├─sda3    8:3    0     2G  0 part ├─sda4    8:4    0    16M  0 part ├─sda5    8:5    0     2G  0 part ├─sda6    8:6    0    16M  0 part ├─sda7    8:7    0     9G  0 part / ├─sda8    8:8    0    16M  0 part ├─sda9    8:9    0   512B  0 part ├─sda10   8:10   0   512B  0 part ├─sda11   8:11   0     8M  0 part └─sda12   8:12   0    16M  0 part sdb       8:16   1  14.9G  0 disk ├─sdb6    8:22   1    16M  0 part └─sdb7    8:23   1  14.9G  0 part

Note:Mine has a 16Gb SSD built-in and I've also got a 16Gb microSD Class 10 card the SD card slot on the front. Also, the partitions you see here are from AFTER the switch to ChrUbuntu was completed. What I've done is install CrhUbuntu on both my SDD and microSD. So, when I'm booting up, if I have that microSD in the slot, then I can choose to boot from it. More on that later... :-) 

Download and Run Install script
To install on the internal SSD:

wget http://goo.gl/tnyga;sudo bash tnyga /dev/sda

Note:ARM-based: wget http://goo.gl/34v87;sudo bash 34v87 /dev/sda (or sdb)

Ok, now here's where you need to go do something else for a while.

Do yourself a favor and do this where you've got a solid & speedy connection. The script will download 52 files totalling to just over 1Gb or so. So, go to the gym or play frisbee with the dog.

Also, I shouldn't have to say this, but PLUG IT IN!!

After you've come back from polo lessons or your piano recital, it will finish doing it's thing and will be sitting at the old Create/Connect a new user screen for ChromeOS.

No worries. Chill! OK?! Now... stick with me because we're almost done here.
The hard part is over. You can relax. Breathe... ohmmmm...

Drop to shell - Login - Set Default boot Partition

Hold CTRL+ALT+=>

To set "partition 5" as the default boot partition on SSD (/dev/sda):

sudo cgpt add -i 6 -P 5 -S 1 /dev/sda

To set "partition 0" as the default boot partition on SSD (/dev/sda):

sudo cgpt add -i 6 -P 0 -S 1 /dev/sda

Note:Turning off the developer mode switch will also set the default boot partition to 0.

Reboot and fire up ChrUbuntu!

When you see the "sad face" OS checker screen boot into the ChrUbuntu partition

Hold CTRL+ALT+D (default boot partition)

Note: If you installed ChrUbuntu on either your SD or USB flash, then hold CTRL+D

Oh yeah, probably should do an update once you're logged in...

The admin user is set to auto-login.
The password for the default user is... "user"...
I recommend that you create a new admin user, get logged in and then
Disable the original admin account

Have a nice day