MrChromebox firmware
Hacker ApprovedOpen firmware in Computers
People recommend it for converting Chromebooks into standard UEFI machines that run Linux well, with clear instructions available. No critics appear in the quotes.
13 people recommended MrChromebox firmware in Hacker News comments and none criticized it, November 2025 to October 2026.
Summary written by Claude from 9 comments.
13 people gave an opinion
- recommend it
- 13
- mixed feelings
- 0
- warn against or regret it
- 0
The record
Recommended in 7 of 12 months
In 11 different threads.
- November 2025: recommended
- December 2025: not recommended
- January 2026: not recommended
- February 2026: not recommended
- March 2026: recommended
- April 2026: not recommended
- May 2026: recommended
- June 2026: recommended
- July 2026: recommended
- August 2026: not recommended
- September 2026: recommended
- October 2026: recommended
Why it carries the badge
- 13 people recommend itNeeds 10 or more, met.
- Nobody criticizes itNeeds 2 to 1 or better, met.
- Recommended in 7 of 12 monthsNeeds 4 or more, met.
- Recommended in 11 threadsNeeds 5 or more, met.
- The biggest thread supplies 15% of its recommendersNeeds half or less, met.
The same rules apply to every product, and the badge can’t be bought. Mixed feelings count toward neither side. How the badge works
What people say about it
Reasons grouped from a sample of 9 of the 13 opinions about it, picked in proportion to how many people recommend it, have mixed feelings and criticize it. Each mark is one comment in the sample. Open a reason to read what they said.
Why people recommend it
Each mark is one comment
Converts Chromebooks to Linux
“easy to convert to Linux using the tools and instructions at https://docs.mrchromebox.tech/”
Comment from 23 Mar 2026 in “Migrating to the EU” “once blasted with MrChromebox firmware, and loaded with openSUSE, it runs very adequately”
Comment from 29 Sep 2026 in “Google ending ChromeOS support two years early” “they're surprisingly capable machines after you flash them with MrChromebox firmware”
Comment from 27 Jun 2026 in “Linux on Older Hardware: The Complete Revival Guide” - Comment from 8 Nov 2025 in “YouTube Removes Windows 11 Bypass Tutorials, Claims 'Risk of Physical Harm'”
- Comment from 12 May 2026 in “Googlebook: Designed for Gemini Intelligence – Coming Fall 2026 – Googlebook”
Makes old Chromebooks capable again
“Worked great, and now I get around 30 hours of battery life with a lean linux distro”
Comment from 1 Jun 2026 in “Chuwi Minibook X” Standard UEFI, vanilla Linux install
“It allows installing a standard UEFI environment if supported.”
Comment from 17 Sep 2026 in “Running Ubuntu on the Lenovo IdeaPad Duet”
What people recommend instead
The same counts for each, so you can compare like for like. The tick on each bar marks the 2 to 1 line the badge needs.
| Product | Recommend | Mixed | Criticize | Approval | Months | Had for | Badge |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coreboot | 25 | 5 | 5 | 83% | 10 | — | Approved |
| MrChromebox firmwareThis page | 13 | 0 | 0 | 100% | 7 | — | Approved |
What people said
9 of the 13 opinions about it, picked in proportion to the three counts, newest first. Each links to the original comment.
“in case you weren't aware of it”
“once blasted with MrChromebox firmware, and loaded with openSUSE, it runs very adequately”
“It allows installing a standard UEFI environment if supported.”
“they're surprisingly capable machines after you flash them with MrChromebox firmware”
“Worked great, and now I get around 30 hours of battery life with a lean linux distro”
“I installed Linux on back-in-the-day thanks to Mr. Chromebox”
“easy to convert to Linux using the tools and instructions at https://docs.mrchromebox.tech/”
“This was it. It involved dismantling the machine, removing a screw, and some other maneuvers.”
“Most of them can be turned into a vanilla linux laptop fairly easily”
Counts come from 1,791,911 Hacker News comments labeled by Claude, November 2025 to October 2026, with data through October 31, 2026. Counts updated 2 Nov 2026. How we count. Report a mistake.