System Details
- Device: Notebook, Samsung XE303C12 (ARM-based Exynos 5250)
- OS: ChromeOS
- Firmware Type: Stock
- Firmware Version: Google_Snow.2695.117.0
- Internal storage type: eMMC
Summary of the Issue
I recently came into an oldschool Chromebook (Model XE303C12) and wanted to install Kali Linux Purple on it to make it usable for my purposes. I successfully went through all the typical steps:
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Powerwash
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Disable OS Verification
-
Enable Developer Mode
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Activate USB Boot Support with:
- crossystem dev_boot_usb=1
- crossystem dev_boot_legacy=1
-
Restart, insert USB w/ Linux installation media
It’s at this point that Ctrl+U doesn’t work-- the screen flickers briefly and two error beeps are returned-- and Ctrl+L does nothing at all. Having read through many forums at this point, I know that Ctrl+U is only useful for booting ChromeOS or ChromiumOS on an Intel processor, so this is what I assume the problem is. Based on MrChromium’s info in this post, it seems most likely that this model’s image doesn’t come packaged with RW_Legacy firmware.
I tried downloading this firmware using MrChromium’s Firmware Utility Script, but was unable to as, according to the error returned, “This script only supports 64-bit OS on x86_64-based devices. ARM devices are unsupported.”
So, I seem to be at a dead end. Am I missing something, or is there a technical limitation to this model that prevents me from installing any other OS?
Steps to Reproduce
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Flash Kali Linux Purple to a USB drive via Rufus
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Powerwash ChromeOS
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Launch Recovery Mode with ESC + REL + PWR
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Disable OS Verification and enable Developer Mode with Ctrl+D
-
Activate USB Boot Support with:
- crossystem dev_boot_usb=1
- crossystem dev_boot_legacy=1
-
Insert USB, restart, attempt Ctrl+U; then Ctrl+L
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Attempt to run MrChromium Firmware Utility Script in ChromeOS terminal
Expected Behavior
Using Ctrl+L opens SeaBIOS splash screen, then ESC to open boot menu