ChromiumOS for The GPD Pocket Installation Instructions

WARNING!!! Installing ChromiumOS for the GPD Pocket will erase all data on your device. It is important that you backup all data to a cloud storage solution or external media before continuing. It is possible to restore Windows to the GPD Pocket by creating a recovery disk. These instructions are for the GPD Pocket 1 and should not be attempted on other devices. You will need to perform a BIOS update on your GPD Pocket which will be covered in the installation instructions below, please be very careful when performing this update and follow all instructions. This is a Preview Release so please read and understand everything on the official product page which includes a breakdown of known issues and workarounds.

Step 1) Obtain the Pre-Requisites

You will need to have the following in order to install ChromiumOS for the GPD Pocket

  • A Blank Flash Drive that has a minimum capacity of 8 GB
  • A Windows/Linux/MacOS or Chromebook to flash the ChromiumOS image to the GPD Pocket (You may use the GPD Pocket for this)
  • A GPD Pocket 1 handheld
  • An Account on KMyers.me – Dont worry, there wont be any spam, this is only going to be used to keep you up to date on all updates. Register Now, it only takes a minute.

Step 2) BACKUP YOUR DATA

This is your last chance to backup all of your data to a USB hard drive, NAS, Punch Cards or Cloud Storage. I will not be held responsible for data loss. You have been warned.

Step 3) Install the GPD Pocket BIOS Firmware Upgrade

Please follow the instructions carefully to update your GPD Pocket BIOS, failure to do so will essentially turn your GPD Pocket into an expensive brick. These instructions assume you are using Windows 10 on your GPD Pocket. It is possible to update on Linux if you install Flashrom however it is strongly advised that you do this from Windows.

  1. Download the GPD Pocket Ubuntu Firmware to the Ubuntu to your GPD Pocket- I have mirrored this file on my website – https://kmyers.me/download/gpd-pocket-1-linux-bios-update/
  2. Extract the RAR archive to a folder on your desktop, you may need to install WinRAR or 7Zip if you do not have a utility that can extract rar files
  3. Close all open applications
  4. Right Click on the “update-win.bat” and select “Run As Administrator” to begin the update. This should take about 2 minutes to complete.
  5. Wait until you see the word “PASS”
  6. If you get a failure, DO NOT REBOOT YOUR GPD POCKET!!! – Re-run the application as an administrator until you get a PASS.
  7. If you get a PASS, reboot your GPD Pocket

Step 4) Create the ChromiumOS for GPD Pocket Recovery Image

 

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ChromiumOS for the GPD Pocket 1 and 2

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  1. Download the ChromiumOS for GPD Recovery Image from the option above or from the KMyers.me Download Site
  2. Download an application that can write a Disk Image such as Win32Disk Imager, Etcher or dd (MacOS/Linux Only). If you are on a Windows PC, MacOS, Chromebook or ChromiumOS, you can use the ChromeOS Recovery Tool to create your recovery tool. The instructions below will cover the steps assuming you are using the ChromeOS recovery tool.
  3. Launch the Chromebook Recovery Tool and select the Options Cog
  4. Insert your USB Flash Drive
  5. Select “Use Local Image”
  6. Select “chromiumos_image.bin”and Open
  7. Select “Open”
  8. Select your Flash Drive from the drop down menu and Continue and “Create Now”. All data on the flash drive will be destroyed.
  9. The Recovery Tool will begin creating a ChromiumOS recovery disk. This process will take a few minutes to complete. You may remove the flash drive when completed.

Step 5) Boot Into ChromiumOS for The GPD Pocket

You are now ready to boot into ChromiumOS for the GPD Pocket, please follow the steps below to boot into the Operating System.

  1. Power Down your GPD Pocket
  2. Insert the Flash Drive you created in “Step 4”
  3. Power on the GPD Pocket while continuously tapping on the “Esc” key to bring up the BIOS menu
  4. Using the arrow keys, navigate to “Save & Exit”
  5. Select “”UEFI: XXXXX, Partition 12” where XXXXX is the manufacturer of your USB Flash Drive
  6. Your computer will now boot into ChromiumOS for the GPD Pocket, this may take a few minutes for the initial boot. You may now complete the onscreen setup wizard if you wish to test the Live Boot system. If you would like to install the operating system, please follow the steps in the next section.
  7. You will need to click on “Settings” > “Device” > “Displays” > and change the “Orientation” to “90” degrees

Step 6) Install ChromiumOS for the GPD Pocket

If you wish to install Chromium for the GPD Pocket, follow the steps below

  1. Power Down your GPD Pocket
  2. Insert the Flash Drive you created in “Step 4”
  3. Power on the GPD Pocket while continuously tapping on the “Esc” key to bring up the BIOS menu
  4. Using the arrow keys, navigate to “Save & Exit”
  5. Select “”UEFI: XXXXX, Partition 12” where XXXXX is the manufacturer of your USB Flash Drive
  6. Your computer will now boot into ChromiumOS for the GPD Pocket, this may take a few minutes for the initial boot.
  7. When you see the Welcome screen, press “Fn + CTRL + ALT + 2” to enter a shell
  8. Login with the user “chronos”, you will not be prompted for a password.
  9. Type “sudo /usr/sbin/chromeos-install –dst /dev/mmcblk0” followed by the enter key
  10. Press “Y” to confirm the installation, it will take a few minutes to complete.
  11. When the install finishes, remove the flash drive and reboot your GPD Pocket by holding down the power button.
  12. You may now complete the onscreen setup wizard if you wish to test the Live Boot system. You will need to click on “Settings” > “Device” > “Displays” > and change the “Orientation” to “90” degrees

Step 7) Secure Your Distribution

By default, this build of ChromiumOS does not set a password for the “chronos” user, you should set this before going any further by following the steps below. This password will be needed if you want to do any debugging or things that require root access. If you leave this as blank, it could allow a person with physical access to the GPD Pocket to gain access.

  1. From the ChromiumOS Desktop, press ALT+CTRL+T to launch the ChromeOS Shell (crosh)
  2. Type “shell”
  3. Type “sudo passwd chronos” followed by enter to set the password

IMPORTANT – If you loose this password, I cannot recover it. You will need to re-install your operating system.

Step 8) (Optional) Setup Crostini (Linux Beta)

If you wish to run Linux Applications, you will need to enable Crostini (Linux Beta). This process is very quick but does require an active internet connection.

  1. Select “Settings”
  2. Select “Linux (Beta)”
  3. Select “Linux” and follow the on-screen prompts to enable Linux Beta.
  4. You can now launch your Linux Instance

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