How to Install Home Assistant OS on an ASUS CN60 Chromebox

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#1

I. Enable Chromebox Developer Mode

  1. Remove the write-protect screw
  2. Attach a keyboard, mouse, monitor, and power cable
  3. While inserting a pin and keeping the Recovery Button pressed, press the power button
  4. Once a white screen is displayed remove the pin (It will say “Chrome OS is missing or damaged”)
  5. Type Ctrl+D and then briefly reinsert the pin (The screen will black out for 2 or 3 seconds and then display “OS verification is Off”)
  6. Do not touch anything (it will now boot into and display the developer mode)
  7. Continue with Step II

II. Install Custom UEFI Firmware

  1. Connect to the internet using a Wi-Fi network or an ethernet cable Do Not Log In
  2. Press Ctrl+Alt+F2 and allow the shell terminal to load
  3. Type: chronos
  4. Type: cd; curl -LO https://mrchromebox.tech/setup-kodi.sh && sudo bash setup-kodi.sh
  5. At the options menu, select: Install/update: Custom UEFI Firmware (the firmware will now be flashed)
  6. When back at the options menu: Exit, and Power Off

III. Prepare a USB Flash Drive using a PC

  1. Download the latest Ubuntu LTS image file and flash it onto a USB drive (16GB or larger) using Rufus or Balena Etcher. If it’s an option, maximize or allow up to 16GB of persistent storage.
  2. Shut down the PC and boot from the USB Drive using the Try Ubuntu option
  3. Once Ubuntu is running, connect to the internet
  4. Open a terminal and install the necessary software:
    a. sudo add-apt-repository universe
    b. sudo apt install libfuse2
  5. Close the terminal and use Firefox to download:
    a. The latest Home Assistant OS Generic x86-64 image from the Home Assistant website. (The same or similar to: haos_generic-x86-64-9.5.img.xz)
    b. Balena Etcher for Linux x64
  6. Right-click on the Balena Etcher file and select properties. In permissions enable: Allow executing file as a program
  7. Power down Ubuntu (the flash drive is ready)

IV. Install the Home Assistant OS

  1. Insert the flash drive into the Chromebox and power on
  2. When the bunny logo displays, press Esc to open the boot manager
  3. In the boot manager, remove all other boot options, and in the boot menu, boot from the USB drive
  4. Run Ubuntu using the Try Ubuntu option
  5. Once Ubuntu is running, run Balena Etcher by double-clicking on its file
  6. Using Balena Etcher, flash the Home Assistant file to the System Drive
  7. The flash process usually completes perfectly, however, an error will usually be indicated or the system will (appear to) freeze up. Do not be alarmed, allow a few more minutes and then power down, removing the flash drive.
  8. Power on, and within a few minutes “Home Assistant” will be displayed in large letters at the top of the screen. Success.

V. Begin using Home Assistant

  1. Set up your box in its desired location, connecting its power adapter and connecting to the internet via an ethernet cable
  2. Press the power button. Within 15 to 20 minutes you will be able to configure Home Assistant via the local webpage: homeassistant.local:8123
1 Like
Asus chromebox cn62 wont load HA OS
Install HA on Samsung Chrombox Series 3 , need help
#2

Are you happy running HA on the Asus CN60? Is it fast/responsive enough for your needs?

#4

i dl Balaner in Ubuntu trial. when i tried to open, i get this error now. any idea why it cant open?
image

#6

Hi David,

Sorry for the tardy reply. The Asus CN60 seems to tick all the boxes. It’s responsive and instantly turns my bedroom lamp (on LocalTuya) on from my phone or PC. Since it has an Intel Core I3 CPU and 4GB RAM, I sometimes wonder if I will one day have multiple servers installed. I don’t presently have the expertise, but I think it’s possible to install a Plex server and a NAS server in containers along with Home Assistant, all on one device.

My purpose in getting Home Assistant has been fulfilled. Room temperature control. One of my first automations successfully turns my fan and heater on or off based on room temperature. Starting my day, and lights-out automations are also working fairly well with only a bug or a few.

My current challenge is home and away detection. As I gain expertise I will improve on this as well as Zigbee devices and NFC, both of which I have installed. and will eventually implement with automations.

These projects are now all on the back burner as my main interest is in Biblical studies. When implemented as God designed, the Bible brings more vitality than the healthiest food and is more enthralling than the best at the box office.

Especially if you are a fellow Bible enthusiast, I am interested in your experience and sharing as well.

Dave

#7

Hi, Steps 4 and 6 in Part III are necessary to run Balena Etcher. Step 4 requires an Internet connection. Dave

  1. Right-click on the Balena Etcher file and select properties. In permissions enable: Allow executing file as a program
#8

Hi,
Great instructions…but … which version of ubuntu:

Desktop image

or

Server install image

https://releases.ubuntu.com/jammy/

Thanks

#9

Hi,

The Desktop image of Ubuntu. Download Ubuntu Desktop | Download | Ubuntu

Thanks for pointing out this ambiguity. I have updated and inserted the link. The instructions are also detailed here: How to Install Home Assistant Server on an ASUS CN60 Chromebox | XDA Forums

Dave