Chromebook Pixel allows for custom bootloaders, is Linux-friendly

[wraggster]

http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2013/02/linux-pixel-chromebook_620x340.jpgWiFi-only flavors of the Chromebook Pixel (http://www.engadget.com/2013/02/21/chromebook-pixel-hands-on/) have only just started shipping, but if you're already itching to install Linux on one of them, you're in luck. Not only have kernel patches (http://www.engadget.com/2013/02/21/linux-kernel-chromebook-pixel/)been submitted for the hardware, but Google's Bill Richardson has now laid out exactly how to load up the devices with Linux Mint (http://www.engadget.com/2012/11/21/linux-mint-turns-14-settles-into-young-adulthood-with-nadia/). Richardson says that part of the Chrome OS BIOS is read-only, so changes to it are generally exclusive to new hardware. Pixel, for example, has been tuned to support user-provided custom bootloaders thanks to an unverified BIOS slot. Unfortunately, Mint doesn't support the laptop's touchscreen and trackpad because it leverages the stock kernel. Adventurous types looking to boot a Tux-powered OS on a Pixel can hit the neighboring source link for step-by-step instructions.
http://www.engadget.com/2013/02/23/chromebook-pixel-linux-unverified-bios-slot-custom-bootloader/