- ChromeOS hardware conversion by removing write protection.
- Use of third-party UEFI firmware to allow booting of third-party operating systems.
- Install Home Assistant OS for maximum stability and ease of management.
- Repurposing old Chromebook devices as a cost-effective alternative to the Raspberry Pi.
If you have a Chromebook gathering dust in a drawer, you might not realize you have a real gem for home automation. Many people have gone crazy looking for a Raspberry Pi that won't run out of power, but the truth is that used Chromebooks are a fantastic alternative, as they can be found very cheaply on sites like eBay and consume very little energy.
Setting up your home control center on these devices isn't a piece of cake if you haven't used Linux before, but with a little patience and by following the right steps, you can turn a Lenovo Chromebook or any similar device into the brain of your smart home , managing everything from lights to speakers and Chromecast.
Hardware and firmware preparation
For this to work, we can't just rely on Google's system. The first step is to remove the write protection from the device. Depending on the model, as is the case with some Asus devices, you might need to open the chassis and remove a specific screw to modify the firmware. Once this is done, the device must be connected via Ethernet to avoid any issues.
The next step is to enter developer mode. To do this, with the device powered off, use a paperclip to press the recovery button while powering on the machine. When you see the recovery screen, press CTRL+D and confirm the action by pressing the paperclip button again. After a few restarts, you will be able to access the shell by pressing CTRL+ALT+F2 and logging in as the user chronos without a password.
Now comes the important part: the MrChromebox script. Running this tool, we must choose the option to install the UEFI firmware (Full ROM). Be careful here, because this process is delicate and there is a real risk of rendering the device unusable if something goes wrong, but it's the only way to boot a clean operating system.
Operating system and HAOS installation
With the UEFI firmware already installed, we need a USB drive with Linux (Ubuntu is a great option). At startup, press ESC to enter the boot menu and select the USB drive. There's no need to install Ubuntu on the hard drive; simply select the option to try Ubuntu to run it from RAM.
Once inside Linux, we need to prepare for recording Home Assistant OS. If we're using Balena Etcher, we'll likely need to open the terminal and run sudo add-apt-repository universe followed by sudo apt install libfuse2 for the application to work properly. Also, don't forget to give it execution permissions to the Etcher file in the program properties.
If you're having trouble formatting the USB drive, tools like Rufus can save the day if you configure the persistent partition correctly . Finally, we flash the HAOS image directly to the Chromebox's internal drive, shut down the computer, remove the USB drive, and turn it on. Magic! The automation system is now running natively.
Device management and performance
Once operational, Home Assistant will be able to detect and control your entire ecosystem: from smart lights and Google Nest Mini to Fire Stick and Android TVs. By using the OS version instead of Docker on Crostini or conventional Linux, we achieve much greater stability and simplified update management.
Some users try to use the Android app on ChromeOS, but it's important to understand that the Home Assistant frontend is essentially a webview, and the limitations of the ChromeOS version can negatively impact the user experience. Therefore, a full OS installation is the most professional and secure approach for those seeking a robust system.
Transforming a Google device into a home automation server allows you to take advantage of powerful hardware at low cost, overcoming the shortage of Raspberry Pi boards by installing UEFI firmware and flashing Home Assistant OS, thus achieving total and efficient control of all connected gadgets in the home.
