Since Tom figured out how to fix the chromebooks by reflashing them, today we
focused on finding the BIOS chip pins on the accessible side of the board
(which we need to access to get to the Write Protect screw anyway)

turns out we can get to all the pins of the BIOS chip from the bottom of the
board and Paige is making a laser-cut pattern for a piece of acrylic that will
hold pogo pins, which will touch those contact points when aligned with the
board by two scews.  Then we can hit "reflash" and when that's done, move
onto the next chromebook.

these are what pogo pins look like in use:
https://blog.tindie.com/tag/pogo-pins/

https://wiki.mrchromebox.tech/Unbricking
our model is "candy" something?  I don't know maybe Tom knows, i'm focusing on
the electrical connections described above.

-jake

On Fri, 19 May 2023, Peter Mui via sudo-discuss wrote:

> Hi Tom and cc: Sudoers:
>
> Thanks for for organizing this. I'm still hoping that FUSD will unlock the
> Chromebooks so check occasionally as you process them to make sure they're
> still locked.
>
> Also see:
> USPIRG’s petition to extend the life of Chromebooks:
> https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSc-QGoW0UzE0t0oUsKzM6Xsxft1kHM-d6boyLS0UAGvwagUWA/viewform
> For more background see “Chromebook Churn”:
> https://pirg.org/edfund/resources/chromebook-churn-report-highlights-problems-of-short-lived-laptops-in-schools/
> And Fixit Clinic's efforts to keep already AUEed Chrombooks in service as
> general purpose computing devices:
> https://docs.google.com/document/d/1JSbGXhJFJeABWVOn1wO4M6bPT-gPBLV4oQ85xMyvYtM/edit
>
> Maybe we can launch a broader "Keep 'Dem Chromebooks" public good program at
> Sudoroom and get a bunch of Linux-enhanced Chromebooks in circulation in the
> community to improve digital literacy, digital equity, and digital inclusion?
>
> Cheers, -Peter
>
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> Date:         Fri, 19 May 2023 11:11:34 +0000
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> * Pi.BerkeleyLUG: This Sunday Raspberry Pi meeting at SudoRoom
>   <#group_thread_0> - 1 Update
>
> Pi.BerkeleyLUG: This Sunday Raspberry Pi meeting at SudoRoom
> <http://groups.google.com/group/berkeleylug/t/f48694e818adf03f?utm_source=digest&utm_medium=email>
> tom r lopes <tomrlopes@gmail.com>: May 18 09:24PM -0700
>
> This Sunday 21 May 2023 from 11am to about 2pm at SudoRoom in Oakland.
>
> SudoRoom is on Shattuck Ave between 51st and Telegraph
> 4799 Shattuck Ave., Oakland, CA 94609
> The entrance is on the corner of Shattuck and 48th
>
> https://drive.google.com/file/d/1wtxH4mtxL2HUe3y5JXJlhe7iqSDnikT8/view?usp=share_link
>
>
> The project this time is converting chromebooks to Linux.  Peter Mui of
> Fixit Clinic was given a stack of EOL chromebooks from the Fremont school
> district. Unfortunately they neglected to unlock them first.  But I have
> found that the bios can be reflashed so you can boot a Linux installer
> bypassing the Google check.  I had a thought of using a Pi to do the flash
> as PI gpio can do SPI. But most of the chromebooks have 1.8V bios chips
> while the PI has 3.3V gpio.  I probably have level shifters but I have
> recently dumped stuff unorganized into storage. So I will likely not find
> them in time.  For now I am using a USB programmer with an 1.8V adapter.
>
> Yes I will also try to be online at meet.jit.si/Pi.BerkeleyLUG This will be
> a conference room mic and speaker in a shared space so maybe some background
> noise.
>
> Thomas
>
> P.S. You may be interested: SudoRoom has a hardware hack night every
> Tuesday from 7pm
> Also It's a Fixit Clinic.
>
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