Unable to get chromebook into developer mode

Support General Device Support
1

System Details

  • Device: [SONA]
  • OS: [ChromeOS 33, or 16503.78.0]
  • Firmware Type: [Stock]
  • Firmware Version: [As reported by chrome://system Google_Nami.10775.123.0]
  • Internal storage type: [NVMe, I think]

Summary of the Issue

Old and crusty windows admin, now trying to flash a chromebook with Linux.

However…

Cannot get chromebook into recovery mode.

Steps to Reproduce

  1. Hold down ESC and Refresh, press and release power button on LH SIDE of laptop.

  2. Keep holding ESC+Refresh

  3. Device boots normally, both with battery connected and with battery disconnected.

Expected Behavior

  1. Should boot into recovery mode.

Tearing my hair out as I’m older and more stupid than I was when I last tried Linux and I’m not even getting as far as I did ten years ago.

I have done chromeOS setup once with a google account, then done a powerwash and re-setup with the same google account a second time, but that doesn’t make any difference - still cannot boot to recovery mode screen.

  • Would very much appreciate any suggestions for how to get into recovery mode, so I can then enable developer mode to eventually get Linux installed.

  • In the mrchromebox website instructions for reinstalling with Linux, it says that for my SONA chromebook, I need to use CR50 (SuzyQ, battery) method. Does that mean I can either disconnect the battery OR get a SuzyQ cable, or do I have to do both?

Thanks in advance for any and all assistance.

2

either/or.

some Chromebooks seem to have hardware issues as they age and the EC no longer registers the recovery key sequence properly. You can try replacing the keyboard, or you can just use a SuzyQ cable and flash directly (ie, treat as bricked) which eliminates the need to switch to developer mode entirely

3

Thank you for the very prompt reply.

The chromebook dates from 2019, and I got the thing for $25 due to a spill on the keyboard, so that’s definitely a possibility. I have used an external keyboard without success, but that could be because the machine won’t register key presses from a USB source at power up?

I have a replacement chromebook keyboard arriving tomorrow, so I will give that a shot. Given how cheap they are, I already sourced a SuzyQ cable and (if necessary) will go and read up on how to flash directly.

Thanks again!

4

recovery mode specifically requires the internal keyboard for security reasons

5

Got it. I will update this for others once I have the replacement keyboard installed.

Thanks!

6

As an update, having opened it up, pulled all the boards, replaced the lower clamshell which includes the keyboard, the machine now boots into the recovery screen when I press ESC + REFRESH and the power button on the left hand side.

Initially I thought it still didn’t work, but it takes a good ten seconds to get to the recovery screen.

Now I just have to flash it to unlock the firmware.

7

I have my SuzyQable connected, have verified that I have the connection correct from my uploader Unix device (ttyUSB0, ttyUSB1, ttyUSB2) to the chromebook (SuzyQ dongle goes into the left USB-C port) and should be ready to flash, however, I just want to make sure I don’t flash the wrong file.

From cross referencing my HP Chromebook X360 14 G1 device ‘name’ SONA with the deviceDB page (line 162), it sppears I should be using a generic firmware file called NAMI which I can find the download path for on line 92 of the sources page.

Given that I can re-flash if this goes wrong, I’m going to give this a shot, fingers crossed!

8

that’s the correct image to use

but if you can get into Dev mode, why are you flashing via SuzyQ vs script?