Dell Chromebook 3120 "candy"

Yea ran across this on Ebay and bookmarked it.  Seller noticed and sent me an offer for buy it now $12 shipped (plus tax of course).  So $13 chromebook.  Even with zero use for the thing, figured this is real bargain, 4GB RAM and usual modern Celeron, think 4core?  Said screen damaged.  Got it and the damage was three little bright spots on screen.  Big whoop, I had figured cracked unreadable screen or something.

ChromeOS it came with only did wifi.  So created hotspot on linux computer to share my tethered phone connection (hotspot option on phone locked -- thanks ATT).  Ok by this point I was down to throttled data so it wouldnt even offer me choice to set it up with Google account, script timed out.  I was able to choose "guest".  Played a bit with it.  Meh.  Its a chrome browser on steroids.  Could surf, take pics with web cam, and access files from usb drive.  I got it to do full screen clock from html clock files I had.  Hey $13 clock not that bad if nothing else.  Obviously having to setup hotspot on another computer to take it online kinda negates usefulness.  Though one can get a router that will work with EasyTether to create a hotspot that anything wifi can connect.

So searching and https://joshuawoehlke.com/galliumos-dell-chromebook-3120/  Basically followed his recipe, removed security screw from motherboard, and rest of prep.  This morning back with fresh fast data so ran the commands as chronos (online script, have to be connected to run it) and voila, MrChromebox UEFI bios.  Oh with fast connection, when I was getting set up it finally offered me option to set up ChromeOS with Google account.  Uh, no thanks.  Now looking for something I already had downloaded that would be UEFI and hardware friendly.  Had recent copy of Bodhi Linux iso.  Used Etcher and put it on thumb drive.  Booted from thumbdrive and installed it.  Hardware so far all seems to work.  Bodhi boots fast and looks nice on the small screen.  Far as I got, havent set up EasyTether or Azilink.  Bodhi has Chromium Browser which I thought appropriate on chromebook.  LOL  I had planned waiting for further development of "Bookworm" version BarryK's EasyOS and put it on.  But see how Bodhi does.  If its not too obnoxious, might leave it for a while.

Seriously so far MrChromebox and Bodhi has turned chromebox at end of update life for ChromeOS on it into a very friendly (so far) linux box.  Ok, guessing if I replace Bodhi, it will be because of space.  Fresh install and says I have freespace of 9.3GB out of the 16GB eMMC drive.  Yea lot chromebooks had very minimal storage.  Supposed to rent storage on the web....   EasyOS or Puppy could do lot better.  This will never have much space on internal drive.  Have to use usb drive or possibly sd card for anything more serious, it seems to have sd slot on side, not sure if one can boot from its sd reader though.  Can always boot from thumb drive but little clunky.  Oh didnt think of that, Knoppix might be interesting option, has LOT software in compressed system.  I mean its truly amazing how much software they got stuffed on one dvd.  I think it can boot 32bit or 64bit not sure how UEFI friendly it is.  But maximizng space, EasyOS/Puppy or Knoppix be way to go. Still Bodhi is easy on the eyes with the 11.6 screen. Hate small screens that make me squint.  No idea the attraction staring at phone screen all day long.

Oopsie, spoke too soon. No sound in Bodhi. Booted EasyOS Dunfell 3.4.7 on thumbdrive and no sound. Ok never tried, booted MX-21 from usb dvd drive. I didnt know you could boot linux live dvds on UEFI only machine. But the MX-21 live dvd does. Oh MX-21 does have the necessary sound drivers. There are actually two sound chips on this chromebook and both work with MX-21, take your pick. Now yea they work, but with sound maxxed out, its still kinda wimpy compared to sound output in native ChromeOS. Assume the ChromeOS drivers not released and the linux drivers sort of an imitation. Somebody reverse engineered it or something.

So it now has MX-21 which I am not as fond of as MX-19. However it works. Little slower to boot and takes more space, but it works. I suppose I can try extracting that driver to use in Puppy or EasyOS.

Oh reading more. Modern Chromebooks now use a chip rather than a physical screw to prevent tampering. So you have to pay more attention if you buy a Chromebook with intent of making it linux only. Even more commandline acrobatics to get firmware flashed that allows linux only computer. Still huge incentive to figure it out as end of life Chromebooks with no further ChromeOS updates.

Now unlikely to find lot $13 Chromebooks but I do notice lot deeply discounted Chromebooks as they reach end of life. Those with the 16GB eMMC drive especially.

Oh, no surprise, Debian 11 booted from usb has working sound. MX-21 is based on Debian 11.

Reading some on Puppy Forum. Yea Puppy can have sound on one of these chromebooks, but you need special kernel with chtmax98090 driver compiled into it. Its optional and not everybody includes it when they compile linux kernels. There is a kernel made for an Acer chromebook with this same sound driver with link to download in Puppy forum. Its around 40GB. And guess not huge deal to swap out. Considering some drivers for windows.... not that bad I guess.

But honestly I am happy enough with MX. or Debian 11 far as that goes. Not worth bunch work UNLESS I felt need for more space free on the internal eMMC drive. Theoretically there is 16GB but gparted says after efi partition and swap partition, working with 14GB. Have close to 5GB free with MX. Now nothing stopping me booting from a thumbdrive. By way I thought Debian 11 from thumbdrive had slightly better/louder sound than MX installed to internal drive. No idea why. I will say MX has more tools and better organized over all than plain vanilla Debian. Oh I did flash Knoppix iso to thumbdrive and it booted in UEFI mode. No sound of course. But whole lot of software for space it takes. No idea how hard to change kernels in Knoppix. Its greatly compressed so guessing rather involved. But yea you want shitload software in a very small space, its the way to go. I suppose in a pinch you could use a usb soundcard and external speakers if you needed sound for something important. The internal speakers not that great, though I though ok when ChromeOS still installed.