Fight Chromebook and win

[Rgarner]

Yeah, that's what it is. My brand new (refurbished) "computer" is actually a Chromebook, probably the least useful such device ever. I guess there's still a little hope. I'm thinking I could plug in this vastly superior (well, maybe) A02s and copy No Root Firewall to the horrible thing and possibly protect myself against googoo and more. I want to get Linux and Calibre. I want to add an external hard disk drive (not solid state) of at least 1 t. Any reasonable advice will be accepted.

 

[Deleted member 2157292]

You knew it was a Chromebook from the sticker photos, surely. Samsung I think iirc.
I know diddly squat about tampering with the OS, but why not first check the internal specs, probably low, with a view to selling or trading it.

 

[Rgarner]

When I got it the thing was literally in a black box which was not easy to open. I should have known it would not be great because it was free. It's just frustrating waiting all this time for a real computer and then getting stuck with this.

 

[MoodyBlues]

Long before I got sick, I bought an Acer Chromebook. Everyone here knows I only use Linux. I wanted to see what this small, lightweight, inexpensive Chromebook could do. So....

As I recall, I used it for a day or two--and it drove me CRAZY. I couldn't stand Google's idea of Linux on it. I didn't want to be limited to using and storing everything 'in the cloud'--I wanted to use my regular programs, like SeaMonkey and the GIMP, and store my data locally. Luckily, I'd had the foresight to order it with a large hard drive.

Back then, it took a bit of hacking but I installed *real* Linux on it, my usual, preferred distro, Kubuntu. From that moment forward it was a *GREAT* little computer! Fast as can be, actually usable by installing all of my regular programs, and storing its data on its hard drive and/or on my network drives. No more cloud nonsense for me. It lived outside on my patio so I didn't have to bother taking a laptop outside every day.

I haven't fired up the Acer in years now, but I can't say enough about how wonderful it was--AFTER losing its factory-installed setup. I read some time ago that Chromebooks now include an option to install your own Linux on them. I can't speak to that at all, I have no idea if that gets rid of the original or lives alongside it or what. I did mine by brute force and got what I wanted: a real Linux laptop, usable just like all of my other computers with no silly limitations. You might want to check your settings to see if you can find this 'install Linux' option. It should be there...somewhere.

 

[Deleted member 2157292]

I was just referring to the photos @ #12 on your previous thread.
The stickers look very like those used on the pre-owned tech stores we have here, CEX, but there wasn't enough info to search the model.

herehttps://androidforums.com/threads/another-day-another-lie.1344033/#post-8086017

 

[Rgarner]

I probably should post some photos of it and not just the box. I'll have to take them first. Maybe that'll help people identify which ports are which.

 

[nickdalzell]

Putting No Root Firewall on a Chromebook won't work. They don't run Android. I doubt any APK will do anything.

A Chromebook will always have the Chrome logo on the LCD lid. They all had that. It's odd to get a laptop and be surprised it's a Chromebook.

 

[ocnbrze]

you can run most android apps on a chromebook. you can run linux on a chromebook. you can even get calibre on a chromebook

your chromebook should have the play store installed already, if not then you can use the browser and it should be able to find apps that are compatible for your chromebook.

linux:
https://support.google.com/chromebook/answer/9145439?hl=en

calibre:
https://www.bestchromebookapps.com/calibre-for-chromebook/

 

[nickdalzell]

I only had one of those Chromebooks before it got confined to the storage bin. It never had Play Store and never ran Android apps.

I recently turned it on and see what it'd still do, and it got the new updated UI and all (which looks like complete crap) but it still doesn't know what an APK is and there's still no Play Store. It has Chrome Web Store (which I thought they EOL'd) and it works, but that's it. It having 'forced' updates are what confined it to storage, and being extremely limited, and too slow on Ubuntu to be useable.

If they run Android now or can run the apps for it, it's news to me.

 

[ocnbrze]

Well I have Google pixel Chromebook and it has the Play store and I can play games and run Android apps. I guess it looks like the Play store is only available for some Chromebooks. Not everyone will have it. I assumed that all did, since mine has it.

 

[Rgarner]

Is there any way to avoid the danger zone of having to log in with googoo? I hate them but I don't see how to get past it. If I could keep them off my case then maybe I could do something useful with this crimebook.

 

[Rgarner]

 

[Deleted member 2157292]

https://gadgets360.com/samsung-chromebook-xe500c13-8690


I would tell Google you're sorry and you would love to use their for them to use your devices.

 

[Rgarner]

Hey, hey, I said reasonable. That ain't happening. They're probably not quite as bad as Amazon, though. I haven't checked out their "dream" (nightmare) house, but I bet the FBI and CIA are drowning it in drool. Even a roomba can be used to spy, it seems, reporting on floor plan, square footage, and the like. I thought those evil freaks hadn't acquired the company yet, but I might be wrong. There is one possible cure for at least some of it, and that is: don't be lazy. If you can vacuum, do the dishes, change the radio station yourself, you probably should. Most people don't get enough exercise and there's a certain satisfaction in doing physical work, not to mention the money saved on needless overpriced gadgets that break too easily anyway.

 

[ocnbrze]

so this is a very basic chromebook. it sells for $59.99 at Walmart so this is no trailblazer as far as computers go. i would only use this for browsing the net and maybe some music or streaming. its not worth using it to play games or anything like that. you should be able to get calibre on it though.

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Samsung-...VDzGKiD0XacdU_BzZNxoCUggQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

 

[MoodyBlues]

so this is a very basic chromebook. it sells for $59.99 at Walmart so this is no trailblazer as far as computers go. i would only use this for browsing the net and maybe some music or streaming. its not worth using it to play games or anything like that. you should be able to get calibre on it though.

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Samsung-...VDzGKiD0XacdU_BzZNxoCUggQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

Thanks for the link. I just read its specs and you're absolutely right, this is a bare-bones Chromebook--it has 4GB of RAM and a 16GB drive. *IF* a person is happy doing everything in Google's cloud, it may [or may not] actually be useful. But for someone who wants local apps, local storage--and plenty of it, this is not going to cut it.

@Rgarner can you return it? I know you're not looking for a high-end laptop, but I just got an amazing deal on an Amazon Fire HD 10 tablet--that can be turned into a laptop by attaching a physical keyboard. Maybe you could consider something like that, or look elsewhere for a Chromebook with better specs. Take a look at my initial post in this thread as a reminder of what a Chromebook *can* do if treated properly! And mine is old, it's from way before they had a built-in method of installing your own choice of Linux, so I'm sure its specs aren't great by today's standards but it worked really well.

 

[Rgarner]

Are they still making these things? Since it was donated I probably can't trade it for anything good. I guess I'm just stuck until I can afford an actual computer.

 

[mikedt]

Don't think I've ever seen an actual Chromebook for myself, and may not even be usable here.

But I do remember the Microsoft "Scroogled" ads.

 

[ocnbrze]

Are they still making these things? Since it was donated I probably can't trade it for anything good. I guess I'm just stuck until I can afford an actual computer.

yep it is offered on wallmart's website. its only $56....lol

 

[Rgarner]

Ha ha, I'm sure it's not worth any penny. Seriously, is there a way to bypass googoo? Maybe I could use somebody else's account (with permission of course) just long enough to get to Linux or something that way and be able to make it just a little bit usable. PLEASE let there be.

 

[ocnbrze]

Ha ha, I'm sure it's not worth any penny. Seriously, is there a way to bypass googoo? Maybe I could use somebody else's account (with permission of course) just long enough to get to Linux or something that way and be able to make it just a little bit usable. PLEASE let there be.

just create a new bogus google account. no need to use anybody else's.

 

[Rgarner]

That sounds good, but won't they be able to tell if it's using the same ip address? I really want to lose them as much as possible. I don't want their crap wasting space on MY device.

 

[ocnbrze]

That sounds good, but won't they be able to tell if it's using the same ip address? I really want to lose them as much as possible. I don't want their crap wasting space on MY device.

it will be the same as using someone else's info as you asked in your previous post. plus i do not think they use ip addresses for anything. but if you fear that then just use a vpn.

 

[MoodyBlues]

That sounds good, but won't they be able to tell if it's using the same ip address? I really want to lose them as much as possible. I don't want their crap wasting space on MY device.

Keep in mind that I've done *no* research on this, okay? I only know that, as I said earlier, some time ago I read that Chromebooks now have the built-in option to install your own Linux, rather than doing it by brute force like I did. Do as @ocnbrze suggested if you're REALLY that concerned about keeping Google out of your new computer, make a dummy account, use it, fire up the Chromebook, look for the 'install Linux' feature that should be there, and see where it leads. Since I know nothing about it, I cannot tell you how successful this would be as far as what you're hoping to accomplish. It may very well keep the factory-installed version of Chrome (the OS) on it while *adding* your Linux alongside it--kind of like a dual-boot computer, with two or more different OSes--or if it will *eliminate* Chrome altogether. I doubt the latter VERY much, but I can't speak with any conviction because I just don't know.

When I installed real Linux on my Chromebook, it had nothing to do with Google after that. It was just another one of my Linux computers, connected to my Wi-Fi network but perfectly capable of running all my apps offline. The way Chromebooks expect users to use them is by *always* being online--if you're not able to talk to the cloud, you're not able to run anything or save anything or access any files/photos/etc. That's not for me!! So mine ended up working exactly like all my other computers, with nothing but programs I installed myself, on its hard drive, and did not have to talk to any cloud in order to use programs or save/access files.

If I were you, I'd start looking for information on how to do this. As I've said, I did mine by brute force--but I also know HOW to do things like that by brute force. I grew up at a UNIX command line. I'm not the least bit queasy about mucking around in an OS's guts. YMMV. You could very well end up borking your Chromebook to the point of being unbootable/unusable. But even if you did that, there should be a way to recover the original setup and start over.

 

[Rgarner]

How do I get a VPN for it? Right now I'm stuck at the part where it wants wifi and I'm goin' nuhuh, not until I protect it. How do I work around that impasse? Can I still get minimal adb + fastboot and maybe usb drivers?