Ubuntu Installation on Acer Chromebook Plus 514 After Persistent Issues

[vshamgin]

Subject: Successful Ubuntu Installation on Acer Chromebook Plus 514 ("crasneto") After Persistent Issues

Hi everyone,

I wanted to share my experience with installing Ubuntu on my Acer Chromebook Plus 514 (board name "crasneto", Intel Alder Lake-N chipset) in case it helps others facing similar challenges.

What was done:

1. USB dev cable (SuziQable)
2. Hardware WP disabled (paperclip)
3. Software WP disabled (sudo flashrom --wp-disable)
4. Firmware Utility Script (Option 2)

Problem:

I initially tried to install Ubuntu 25.04 on my Chromebook after preparing a bootable USB on a Mac and flashing the ROM using the mrchromebox.tech script to enable legacy booting. However, the installation repeatedly failed with a vague error: "We're sorry, but we're not sure what the error is," and logs showed a ValueError: /dev/7LCI86OE7VTC3/thinpool: not an existing file or block device from the curtin installer. This persisted even when I simplified the storage setup by choosing "Erase disk and install Ubuntu" without LVM. The eMMC storage was being misidentified as nvme0n1 (instead of mmcblk0), likely due to the mrchromebox firmware or Ubuntu 25.04’s kernel, causing curtin to fail. I also tried a kernel workaround (nvme_core.mp=0) and direct installation of Ubuntu 22.04, but these didn’t work.

Solution:

After several attempts, I found a workaround that successfully installed Ubuntu 24.04:

Installed Debian: I first installed Debian on the Chromebook, which worked without issues. Debian’s installer (debian-installer) handled the eMMC storage correctly, setting up a basic partition scheme.
Installed Ubuntu 22.04 Over Debian: I then installed Ubuntu 22.04, overwriting the Debian installation. Ubuntu 22.04’s installer worked with the partition scheme created by Debian, avoiding the curtin error.
Upgraded to Ubuntu 24.04: Finally, I upgraded to Ubuntu 24.04 using do-release-upgrade, which modified the existing system without repartitioning, thus bypassing the curtin issue entirely.

Outcome:

This process resulted in a fully functional Ubuntu 24.04 installation on my Chromebook. The system is stable, and I’ve confirmed the eMMC health using smartctl, which showed no issues. For others facing similar problems, especially with newer Chromebooks like those with Alder Lake-N, this multi-step approach might be a viable solution. I recommend backing up your system after installation (e.g., using dd or Clonezilla) and checking for any Alder Lake-N-specific drivers (intel-microcode, linux-firmware) to ensure optimal performance.

Best,

Vladimir Shamgin

[MrChromebox]

this isn't really an issue with my script (or my firmware), and would be better posted on the chrultrabook forums IMO

[vshamgin]

this isn't really an issue with my script (or my firmware), and would be better posted on the chrultrabook forums IMO

Could be. But the issue is: "The eMMC storage was being misidentified as nvme0n1 (instead of mmcblk0),"