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bolmsted · (This post was last modified: 2017-02-19, 03:55 by bolmsted.)

I'm at the latest LibreELEC setup thanks to the EZ setup script and the standalone firmware upgrade. Is it possible to install an android version (and recommendations) on the Chromebox and possible dual boot with LibreELEC? I guess if it runs Android I could run Kodi from there instead of LibreELEC but it would be nice to run Android apps possibly but I'm not sure about remote control capability and if would have to use a mini handheld keyboard to do it.

My Kodi 17 setup seems to be working well but would be something to explore.

thanks again

nickr · 2017-02-19, 04:17

There is an androidx86 project, and also a commercial version for PC hardware I think.

I would only try it if you are really desperate to run android apps though.

mxmerc · 2017-02-19, 19:59

(2017-01-30, 19:46)Haws Wrote:
(2017-01-30, 18:21)Matt Devo Wrote:
(2017-01-30, 17:23)Haws Wrote: Long time user, no real problems. Thank you Matt.

Somehow messed up last update i was doing on one of my boxes. Normally just running a standalone setup. Firmware update went well.

Boots to shell command device mapping table now.

Not wanting to mess up more so figured i would ask the experts before i pushed more buttons.

Thank you in advance

When you install the standalone firmware via the EZ setup script, it now installs the UEFI firmware, rather than the older Legacy Boot firmware previously used. There's not a good way (read: automated) to migrate an installed OS between the two, because they use different partition layouts (MBR vs GPT) among other reasons. The easiest thing for you to do will be to boot a Linux USB, run my Firmware Utility Script, and install the Legacy Boot firmware instead. Run the script, choose 'u' to unlock all functions, choose option 3 (Install Full ROM firmware), then choose 'L' for legacy boot when prompted. When done, simply exit/reboot.

Flawless and Easy Fix.
Great support and thank you for all your hard work.

I apologize for my ignorance (and for replying to an old post on the thread), but I am having the same exact issue this user had. I attempted to use the EZ setup script and it installed the UEFI firmware over the legacy boot firmware. The chromebox now boots into a shell prompt. I have created a Linux usb, but am unable to get it to boot. How do I get from the shell prompt to the Linux usb so that I can run the firmware utility script?

Matt Devo · 2017-02-19, 20:26

(2017-02-19, 19:59)mxmerc Wrote: I apologize for my ignorance (and for replying to an old post on the thread), but I am having the same exact issue this user had. I attempted to use the EZ setup script and it installed the UEFI firmware over the legacy boot firmware. The chromebox now boots into a shell prompt. I have created a Linux usb, but am unable to get it to boot. How do I get from the shell prompt to the Linux usb so that I can run the firmware utility script?

type 'exit' to get to the UEFI firmware settings, then select Boot Manager then your USB. If it doesn't boot, it's because the ISO/image wasn't written properly to the USB. Assuming your writing it from Windows, use Win32DiskImager or Rufus, and make sure the partition layout is set to 'GPT for UEFI' after selecting the ISO

mxmerc · 2017-02-19, 23:25

(2017-02-19, 20:26)Matt Devo Wrote:
(2017-02-19, 19:59)mxmerc Wrote: I apologize for my ignorance (and for replying to an old post on the thread), but I am having the same exact issue this user had. I attempted to use the EZ setup script and it installed the UEFI firmware over the legacy boot firmware. The chromebox now boots into a shell prompt. I have created a Linux usb, but am unable to get it to boot. How do I get from the shell prompt to the Linux usb so that I can run the firmware utility script?

type 'exit' to get to the UEFI firmware settings, then select Boot Manager then your USB. If it doesn't boot, it's because the ISO/image wasn't written properly to the USB. Assuming your writing it from Windows, use Win32DiskImager or Rufus, and make sure the partition layout is set to 'GPT for UEFI' after selecting the ISO

Thank you sir. Worked like a charm. I had the partition layout set incorrectly to MBR.

Matt Devo · 2017-02-19, 23:30

(2017-02-19, 23:25)mxmerc Wrote: Thank you sir. Worked like a charm. I had the partition layout set incorrectly to MBR.

'MBR for UEFI' will work too, what doesn't work is 'MBR for Legacy BIOS or UEFI-CSM' because CSM = Compatibility Support Module = Legacy BIOS emulation

SandmanUT · 2017-02-22, 02:12

(2017-02-19, 02:02)Matt Devo Wrote:
(2017-02-19, 00:33)SandmanUT Wrote: Well..waded in and got as far as the UEFI flash.

From Ubuntu 16 on a stick, all went well, made it to the end and chose "P" to power down while I went to make a Steam install stick. When I came back and restarted, it powers up but there is now no video output. Tried it with hdmi, with the DP, two different monitors, with a boot disk in, without, steam, ubuntu...just blackness. No prompt, no response to any keys.

Thought I'd stop right there before doing any additional damage and check on thoughts here. A reminder that the box is the Asus M004U, it's got 4 gigs of ram in, a wired keyboard and mouse and wired net connection. I ran the firmware utility script as outlined on your site and it looked like it did everything it was supposed to do..while I was using the terminal from Ubuntu.

** Additional info: I used the Full rom (3) option and created a backup on a separate usb stick. It was running OpenElec and Kodi under a dual boot with ChromeOS using your script until today.

some users have reported video output/handshaking issues after flashing/before an OS is installed. I'd give it a try with another HDMI cable / on a different display if you can. I can count on one hand (with digits to spare) the number of boxes actually bricked when flashing firmware over the past ~3 years

Well, you were right about it not being bricked. When I took it to a monitor (instead of the 2 tvs in that room) I was able to get into and install the OS, even using the same hdmi cable that wasn't in a working scenario. I finally got SteamOS all configured and Kodi loaded into it, etc, but when I moved it back to the original room, no video on my older plasma (same HDMI cable from working) and still no output on the dp (via dp-hdmi) that were both working with openelec/chromeos/your script.

What's missing to make these handshakes work again?

Matt Devo · 2017-02-22, 02:30

(2017-02-22, 02:12)SandmanUT Wrote: Well, you were right about it not being bricked. When I took it to a monitor (instead of the 2 tvs in that room) I was able to get into and install the OS, even using the same hdmi cable that wasn't in a working scenario. I finally got SteamOS all configured and Kodi loaded into it, etc, but when I moved it back to the original room, no video on my older plasma (same HDMI cable from working) and still no output on the dp (via dp-hdmi) that were both working with openelec/chromeos/your script.

What's missing to make these handshakes work again?

it's really hard to say, but I'd try another cable or two if you have them handy. I'm also pushing a firmware update later today which may help, so I'd recommend updating to that and then retrying

bolmsted · (This post was last modified: 2017-02-22, 16:18 by bolmsted.)

(2017-02-19, 04:17)nickr Wrote: There is an androidx86 project, and also a commercial version for PC hardware I think.

I would only try it if you are really desperate to run android apps though.

Is it possible for me to boot this or another version of Android off of a USB (flash) drive instead of dual booting from the internal flash drive of the Chromebox for the rare instances that I would run Android for example?

BTW, does the Chromebox support 4K resolution over HDMI? I did a quick google and it seems it does from the Overview but nothing on the specs page. Does kodi support it then?
https://www.asus.com/ca-en/Chrome-Devices/Chromebox/

If that's the case, I may buy a splitter box for HDMI to send the video to TV and AVR (doesn't support 4K) if I swap out my 1080p Sharp Aquos under warranty for a new 4K display and then eventually replace the AVR as 4K ramps up.

SandmanUT · 2017-02-22, 20:25

(2017-02-22, 02:30)Matt Devo Wrote:
(2017-02-22, 02:12)SandmanUT Wrote: Well, you were right about it not being bricked. When I took it to a monitor (instead of the 2 tvs in that room) I was able to get into and install the OS, even using the same hdmi cable that wasn't in a working scenario. I finally got SteamOS all configured and Kodi loaded into it, etc, but when I moved it back to the original room, no video on my older plasma (same HDMI cable from working) and still no output on the dp (via dp-hdmi) that were both working with openelec/chromeos/your script.

What's missing to make these handshakes work again?

it's really hard to say, but I'd try another cable or two if you have them handy. I'm also pushing a firmware update later today which may help, so I'd recommend updating to that and then retrying

I ran the UEFI update and that got a signal to the older Plasma, but here's what happens. When swapping between two different TVs, the OS will hang on startup at the splash screen. A manual restart (button on the box) will jump to Grub...but the keyboard will not respond. A second manual shutdown and restart will load Grub, give keyboard back, allow a safe start, which then will do the handshake and start up normal UNTIL you swap HDMI ports on the display or change displays, then it does the whole dance again, in the exact same order. I did this 10-12 times and it behaved identical each time.

If you stay to the display, in the same hdmi port, don't change cables, you can restart or shut down/manually restart without issue. If ANYthing changes, it creates the crash.

Why did I do this 10-12 times? Testing different hdmi cables and trying to get the DP to work with the two dp-hdmi cables I have. No luck in the DP with a signal at all to either TV or the Asus monitor that I had resorted to earlier. I did notice that resolutions are changing at startup on the TV with 1080p. First screen is a 768 resolution signal then once BPM loads in, it switches the TV to 1080 (auto). I had set Steam to 720 for the large plasma and those settings held according to the interface, but the TV feedback on the smaller 1080 suggests something else happening.

Are we looking at an issue with SteamOS or still a firmware handshake with the devices getting garbled?

Matt Devo · 2017-02-22, 20:29

an easy way to test would be to use a GalliumOS or LibreELEC USB, and see their behavior on startup

nickr · 2017-02-22, 21:03

(2017-02-22, 16:16)bolmsted Wrote:
(2017-02-19, 04:17)nickr Wrote: There is an androidx86 project, and also a commercial version for PC hardware I think.

I would only try it if you are really desperate to run android apps though.

Is it possible for me to boot this or another version of Android off of a USB (flash) drive instead of dual booting from the internal flash drive of the Chromebox for the rare instances that I would run Android for example?

http://www.android-x86.org/

Quote:BTW, does the Chromebox support 4K resolution over HDMI?

http://kodi.wiki/view/chromebox

tony323 · (This post was last modified: 2017-02-23, 00:38 by tony323.)

Hi everyone,
Recently I updated through the libreelec settings on my chromebox from 7.0.3 and after the libre boot screen its been blank (black screen with a cursor in the middle). Any ideas on what I should do from here? Never had this happen before after doing a update.

I use a single boot setup.

Thanks for your help.

nickr · 2017-02-23, 06:54

Can you ssh in and see if there is anything in the log?

john.cord · 2017-02-23, 12:25

I got very wierd HDMI Handshake Problems with my Chromebox after i switched my Beamer and HDMI Switch. After Refresh Rate switch sometimes Signal Errors with crazy Image distortion. I first thought that its a HDMI Cable Problem. I switched that but no luck, after that i thougt my HDMI Splitter is broken but atm i think its the Chromebox.