[SOLVED] Asus Chromebook C201 usb boot not working

[duckdodger]

Hello, so I followed the instructions as given in https://archlinuxarm.org/platforms/armv7/rockchip/asus-chromebook-flip-c100p line by line for my USB 2.0 16GB drive, since my Chromebook is pretty much the same as the C100P internally. I have also enabled the developer settings and usb boot. But when I finally go to the splash screen and press Ctrl+U, I get a loud beep and the screen flashes black for a moment and I get back to the splash screen. Nothing else happens. Ctrl+L also gives me a double beep. I've tried preparing the USB drive twice already with the same result. I also tried enabling the developer-mode BIOS as given in https://www.chromium.org/chromium-os/developer-information-for-chrome-os-devices/samsung-series-5-chromebook#TOC-Developer-mode-BIOS to no avail.

What could be the problem? I searched everywhere I could, but found no working fix.

$this->bbcode_second_pass_code('', '
localhost / # cgpt show /dev/sda
start size part contents
0 1 PMBR
1 1 Pri GPT header
2 32 Pri GPT table
8192 32768 1 Label: "Kernel"
Type: ChromeOS kernel
UUID: 20C2A277-F329-A848-A3CF-BAB53FDBE624
Attr: priority=10 tries=5 successful=1
40960 31317983 2 Label: "Root"
Type: Linux data
UUID: 2AC11346-5BAF-E647-B3C4-E1009AACB634
31358943 32 Sec GPT table
31358975 1 Sec GPT header
')

$this->bbcode_second_pass_code('', '
localhost / # crossystem
arch = arm # Platform architecture
backup_nvram_request = 1 # Backup the nvram somewhere at the next boot. Cleared on success.
battery_cutoff_request = 0 # Cut off battery and shutdown on next boot.
block_devmode = 0 # Block all use of developer mode
clear_tpm_owner_request = 0 # Clear TPM owner on next boot
clear_tpm_owner_done = 1 # Clear TPM owner done
cros_debug = 1 # OS should allow debug features
dbg_reset = 0 # Debug reset mode request (writable)
debug_build = 0 # OS image built for debug features
dev_boot_usb = 1 # Enable developer mode boot from USB/SD (writable)
dev_boot_legacy = 0 # Enable developer mode boot Legacy OSes (writable)
dev_boot_signed_only = 0 # Enable developer mode boot only from official kernels (writable)
dev_default_boot = disk # default boot from legacy or usb (writable)
devsw_boot = 1 # Developer switch position at boot
devsw_cur = 1 # Developer switch current position
disable_dev_request = 0 # Disable virtual dev-mode on next boot
ecfw_act = RW # Active EC firmware
fmap_base = 0x00100000 # Main firmware flashmap physical address
fwb_tries = 0 # Try firmware B count (writable)
fw_vboot2 = 1 # 1 if firmware was selected by vboot2 or 0 otherwise
fwid = Google_Veyron_Speedy.6588.237.0 # Active firmware ID
fwupdate_tries = 0 # Times to try OS firmware update (writable, inside kern_nv)
fw_tried = A # Firmware tried this boot (vboot2)
fw_try_count = 0 # Number of times to try fw_try_next (writable)
fw_try_next = A # Firmware to try next (vboot2,writable)
fw_result = success # Firmware result this boot (vboot2,writable)
fw_prev_tried = A # Firmware tried on previous boot (vboot2)
fw_prev_result = success # Firmware result of previous boot (vboot2)
hwid = SPEEDY G2Q-Z6F-Q2I-A8P # Hardware ID
inside_vm = 0 # Running in a VM?
kern_nv = 0x00000000 # Non-volatile field for kernel use
kernkey_vfy = sig # Type of verification done on kernel key block
loc_idx = 0 # Localization index for firmware screens (writable)
mainfw_act = A # Active main firmware
mainfw_type = developer # Active main firmware type
nvram_cleared = 0 # Have NV settings been lost? Write 0 to clear
oprom_needed = 0 # Should we load the VGA Option ROM at boot?
phase_enforcement = (error) # Board should have full security settings applied
recovery_reason = 0 # Recovery mode reason for current boot
recovery_request = 0 # Recovery mode request (writable)
recovery_subcode = 0 # Recovery reason subcode (writable)
recoverysw_boot = 0 # Recovery switch position at boot
recoverysw_cur = 0 # Recovery switch current position
recoverysw_ec_boot = 0 # Recovery switch position at EC boot
ro_fwid = Google_Veyron_Speedy.6588.92.0 # Read-only firmware ID
sw_wpsw_boot = 0 # Firmware write protect software setting enabled at boot (Baytrail only)
tpm_attack = 0 # TPM was interrupted since this flag was cleared
tpm_fwver = 0x00020003 # Firmware version stored in TPM
tpm_kernver = 0x00030002 # Kernel version stored in TPM
tpm_rebooted = 0 # TPM requesting repeated reboot (vboot2)
try_ro_sync = 0 # try read only software sync
tried_fwb = 0 # Tried firmware B before A this boot
vdat_flags = 0x0000cc56 # Flags from VbSharedData
vdat_timers = LFS=0,0 LF=0,0 LK=1,4159061 # Timer values from VbSharedData
wipeout_request = 0 # Firmware requested factory reset (wipeout)
wpsw_boot = 1 # Firmware write protect hardware switch position at boot
wpsw_cur = 1 # Firmware write protect hardware switch current position
')

[k4k]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'W')hen I finally go to the splash screen and press Ctrl+U, I get a loud beep and the screen flashes black for a moment and I get back to the splash screen. Nothing else happens. Ctrl+L also gives me a double beep.

[duckdodger]

Hello, sorry for the late reply, I almost gave up on this post since I didn't get any responses for a while. I did try redownloading the image and verifying its md5, and it was alright. But I have the same issue even with this verified image. Do you think I should try Debian and see if that works? Also, I don't know if it's relevant to my problem, but I'll just say that when I extract the tarball using
$this->bbcode_second_pass_code('', 'tar -xf ArchLinuxARM-veyron-latest.tar.gz -C root
')
I keep getting this message continuously until the extraction gets finished:
$this->bbcode_second_pass_code('', 'tar: Ignoring unknown extended header keyword 'SCHILY.fflags'
')

And could it possibly be a problem with my USB drive? But it works fine on regular usage, and I also very recently used it for installing a distro on another computer and it worked without problems as a bootable USB.

[summers]

Hi,

The problem with $this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'S')CHILY.fflags

[duckdodger]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'b')sdtar

[duckdodger]

So it appears there is something wrong with my USB drive that doesn't allow it to be bootable on my Chromebook. I bought a microSD card and tried installing Arch on it and it worked absolutely without any problems whatsoever. I guess I'll mark this solved. Thanks for the help, though!

[bolbishvili]

For anybody else having this problem booting from USB on a C201, I was having the same problem. I tried installing debian jessie, debian stretch and arch and wasn't able to boot any of them. Then I realized that if I took out the USB drive and then put it back in and waited about 4-5 seconds, I could Ctrl-U and it would boot. (first I have to Ctrl-H to hold the libreboot screen.)

Apparently it doesn't recognize the USB drive if it is powered on with it plugged in.