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Google might breathe new life into old Chromebooks with ChromeOS Flex
(www.techradar.com)
This is a most excellent place for technology news and articles.
Just run Ubuntu or Mint on the old Chromebook and be done with it.
Linux turns a Chromebook into a fully functional machine, and since they are so cheap, you can get a halfway decent “Linuxbook” for less than $200.
The advantage seems to be that you would not need to reflash the bios. For some models getting to the screw is not as easy and the cable needed to unlock other models is not being sold anymore.
I could see that being a huge benefit. It became a matter of principle for me when it came to getting that screw off in the end. 😬
That said, they could just not put that screw in there that prevents people from doing what they want with their equipment.
Chrome OS is Linux though, so you're basically just degoogling it with a cousin distro.
a worthy cause
I tried putting Linux on an old Chromebook once and it became unusable. Probably my own fault but I'm very reluctant to try again. If Google released something then I'd feel more confident in the process.