My presentation for Google Developer Group San Francisco. Step-by-step guide to turning a ThinkPad X220 into a Chromium OS Android development machine. Covers flashing modified Coreboot firmware, building and installing Chromium OS from source, and hardware upgrades. Updated slides at https://goo.gl/ivaugY

1. ChromePad
Chromium OS ThinkPad X220
Andrew Wright

2. About me
● Android Engineer
● GNU/Linux Enthusiast
● Big fan of Chromium/Chromium OS

3. About this
This guide was tested on Debian Stretch as setup in an earlier blog post.

4. 1.Chromium OS
2.Coreboot
3.Build Chromium OS
4.Hardware
5.Upgrades
6.Android Studio

5. 1.Chromium OS
and Chromium

6. Why Chromium OS for Android Development?
Why not Chrome OS for Android Development?

7. Everything explained in Part 2 is doable in Chrome OS,
if you have a Google Pixel Chromebook.
8GB or 16GB of RAM = Good to Go
If you don’t have a Google Pixel Chromebook, or another
powerful Chromebook with 8-16GB of RAM it’s not going
to work so well.

8. The Problem is with Chromebooks, not Chrome OS.
They come with a fixed
amount of RAM memory.

9. For development we’re going to want as much ram as we can afford, and it’s
nice to have the ability to move the RAM around between devices.
The X220 RAM is held in place by 2 screws and is directly accessible on the
underside of the laptop.

10. Install Chrome OS on a ThinkPad?
The short answer is No.
Google Chrome OS is the Google product that OEMs ship on Chromebooks for
general consumer use.
However, we can install Chromium OS on a ThinkPad, or any other compatible
laptop.

11. What is Chromium OS?

12. Chromium OS is the open-source
development version of Google’s Chrome
operating system.
https://www.chromium.org/chromium-os

13. It’s the open source project, used primarily by
developers, with code that is available for
anyone to checkout, modify, and build.

14. Disambiguation:
What is Chromium?

15. Chromium is an open-source
browser project that aims to build
a safer, faster, and more stable
way for all Internet users to
experience the web.
https://www.chromium.org/Home

16. Chromium is the open source browser inside
of the open source Chromium operating
system. They both share an attractive icon:

17. What are experimental settings?

18. chrome://flags

19. WARNING: EXPERIMENTAL FEATURES AHEAD!
By enabling these features, you could lose
browser data or compromise your security or
privacy. Enabled features apply to all users of
this browser.

20. Chromium OS - Experimental Features
The key to getting the most out of Chromium OS is utilizing chrome://flags
In your Chromium browser navigate to chrome://flags and bookmark it.
In Chromium OS flags extend to system settings, such as enabling Night Light
or the Zip archiver (both of which are extremely useful).

21. Chromium Experimental Features
The key to getting the most out of Chromium is making use of chrome://flags
In your Chromium browser navigate to chrome://flags and bookmark it.
The flags are essentially settings that you can enable or disable to enable or
disable a wide range of new features.

22. Sounds Cool.
How?

23. The easiest way to try Chromium is to use the
Chromium browser on the PC or Android that
you already have.
https://download-chromium.appspot.com
The link is an official Chromium source,
Just download, unzip and install.

24. For Android it’s even easier, you can use my
open source app getChromium.
https://github.com/andDevW/getChromium

25. Awesome browser.
So how do I put Chromium OS on my ThinkPad?

26. If we want to play it safe, according to the official documentation the best
we can do is the ThinkPad R60.
https://www.chromium.org/chromium-os/getting-dev-hardware/dev-hardware-list

27. The good news is that
Chromium OS works great
with Coreboot, and we can
install Coreboot on some
great ThinkPads.

28. Chromium OS on the ThinkPad X220

29. Updated Dev-Hardware-List
WiFi Ethernet TrackPad Suspend/Resume
Lenovo X220 NO YES YES YES
Coreboot X220 YES YES YES YES
X220 with stock Lenovo BIOS and X220 with Coreboot

30. ThinkPad X220 - The Great (AKA Hardware)
- The last ThinkPad made with “the good keyboard”.
- Compact enough that it’s actually usable in today’s world.
- No shortage of models with the 2.5GHz i5.
- Works wonderfully with Coreboot.
- OEM replacement parts are affordable and easy to obtain.
- Great battery life, batteries are cheap and swappable.
- Easily/cheaply upgradable IPS display.
- Arguably still looks cool.

31. ThinkPad X220 - The Bad (AKA Firmware)
- Extremely slow boot time
- WiFi card whitelist locks out the ability to upgrade WiFi
- RAM speed limited to 1866MHz
- Firmware level malware
- Lenovo Service Engine (LSE), etc.
- Intel ME
*All of these things can either be mitigated or negated by installing Coreboot.

32. A wide range of ThinkPads
have Great Hardware paired
with Terrible Firmware.

33. We Can Fix Some.
I haven’t tested this, but it looks like we should be able to do what I’ve done
with the ThinkPad X220 with at least some ThinkPads that meet the following
criteria:
1. amd64
2. Supported by Coreboot
If you’ve tested Chromium OS on other Coreboot ThinkPads I’d love to add
that info to the Updated Hardware List.
Contact me at andDevW@gmail.com

34. Let’s get rid of the
Firmware.

35. 2. Coreboot

37. Advantages of Coreboot
- Boot time is drastically reduced.
- Allows use of mini PCIE WiFi cards
- Allows use of faster RAM
- Allows booting from ExpressCard
- Allows cool extras (games like Tint)
- Coreboot is an open source project
- Intel ME neutered https://www.coreboot.org/Intel_Management_Engine
- Lenovo Malicious Firmware neutered (security bonus)

38. X220 Coreboot Install
1. Requirements
2. Update Lenovo BIOS
3. Configure BeagleBone
4. Configure Coreboot
5. Flash Coreboot

39. Requirements
What you need:
1x ThinkPad X220
1x PC Running *Debian/Ubuntu
1x Micro SD Card 4GB+ (Faster is better)
1x BeagleBone Black (Raspberry Pi can also be used)
1x USB 2 Mini USB Cable (comes with the BeagleBone)
1x PC PSU(any old PC’s power supply)
LOTS of JUMPER WIRES - In all of the available configs (FF/FM/MM)

40. Sources
BeagleBone Black https://www.digikey.com/product-detail/en/ghi-electronics-llc/BBB01-SC-505/BBB01-
SC-505-ND/6210999
Pomona 5250 https://www.digikey.com/products/en/test-and-measurement/test-clips-
ic/624?k=pomona%205250
Jumper Cables - Get one of each type https://www.digikey.com/product-detail/en/adafruit-industries-
llc/825/1528-1161-ND/5353621 https://www.digikey.com/product-detail/en/adafruit-industries-llc/759/1528-
1155-ND/5353615 https://www.digikey.com/product-detail/en/adafruit-industries-llc/794/1528-1159-
ND/5353619
PSU - An old PC will have one of these (It’s the part that the power cord connects to).
http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-power-up-an-ATX-Power-Supply-without-a-PC/

41. Plug-and-Play Hardware Upgrades
WiFi Upgrade Atheros AR9285 Half Mini PCI-E Card - NOT the AzureWave
Bluetooth Upgrade Foxconn 4.0 daughter card - FRU 60Y3303
Cmos Upgrade CR2032 CMOS - Odds are that your battery is old
RAM Upgrade (16GB 2×8GB DDR3 SO-DIMM) - Get 2 of the same
USB 3.0 Upgrade AKE USB 3.0 Card 54mm - The AKE model with 2 USB ports
Display Upgrade LP125WH2-SLT1 - Lenovo Twist S230U touch screen unit
Battery Upgrade Lenovo ThinkPad Battery 44++(9 Cell) - NEW via Lenovo

42. Update Lenovo BIOS

43. Configure X220 UEFI BIOS
Coreboot utilizes proprietary binary blobs that are extracted from the factory
firmware image. In order to build Coreboot with the latest binary blobs the
factory firmware needs to be updated prior to flashing with Coreboot.
Boot the X220, holding down the blue ThinkVantage key.
At the Startup Interrupt Menu hit F1
Set the boot order to USB HDD
Save and Exit.

44. Updating UEFI BIOS - Part 1
Download the latest factory BIOS from Lenovo
https://download.lenovo.com/pccbbs/mobiles/8duj28us.iso
Verify the ISO Checksum and Convert ISO to IMG
$ echo ‘cf433cc5adfabf62f49146f87ae814c9d990f83db386bae1d581878908e5032e8duj28us.iso’ | sha256sum -c
$ sudo apt-get install genisoimage
$ geteltorito -o bios.img fwss31.iso
Burn IMG to USB
$ sudo dd if=bios.img of=/dev/sdX bs=4M status=progress

45. Updating UEFI BIOS - Part 2
1. Plug the X220 into the AC adapter, insert the USB with the bios.img and
boot.
2. In the Main Menu Window select #2 Update System Program
3. At the prompts hit the Y key and the Enter key to proceed.
4. After the reboot select #3 in the Main Menu Window
5. Continue through the prompts with Y and Enter.

46. // DISCLAIMER
The final key requirement is a willingness to completely destroy your X220
motherboard in the pursuit of making a superior one-off device.

47. X220 Service Manual PDF
This is a great resource for identifying FRUs. FRUs are ThinkPad part ID numbers
that can simplify purchasing replacement parts online.
https://download.lenovo.com/ibmdl/pub/pc/pccbbs/mobiles_pdf/0a60739.pdf

48. Getting at the Chip
Illustrated Description on Pages 73 - 78 in X220 Manual
Turn the X220 over and remove the following parts in the following order:
1. Battery
2. HDD
3. Screws required to remove both the Palmrest and the Keyboard.
4. Keyboard
5. Palmrest
6. WiFi Card (swap with the Atheros AR9285 card)
7. Bluetooth daughter card
8. CMOS battery (swap with fresh new battery)

49. Upgrade Bluetooth
Bluetooth daughter card check:
Look at the card to determine if you have 2.0 or 4.0
Bluetooth 4.0 - FRU 60Y3303 or FRU 60Y3305
Bluetooth 2.1 - FRU 60Y3271 or FRU 60Y3275
I

50. Configuring the BeagleBone Black - 001
KEY and COLOR CODE
PC = Debian system that is connected to the BeagleBone via USB
BB = Terminal SSH
X220 = ThinkPad we are modifying
Download Bone Debian 7.8 (works for flashing) https://debian.beagleboard.org/images/bone-
debian-7.8-lxde-4gb-armhf-2015-03-01-4gb.img.xz
Verify the image:
$ echo ‘bone-debian-7.8-lxde-4gb-armhf-2015-03-01-4gb.img.xz c848627722b7a5f7bc89791cc8949e3b’ | md5sum -c
Unpack the image and write it to an sd card
$ xz -d BBB*.xz

51. Configuring the BeagleBone Black - 002
Insert the sd card into the BeagleBone and connect the BeagleBone to your PC via the USB cable.
Plug an Ethernet cable with an Internet connection into the BeagleBone.
In your PC open a terminal.
$ ssh 192.167.7.2 -l root
Say yes and proceed through the prompts.
Now in your BB terminal
$ apt-get update && apt-get upgrade
$ apt-get install ntp

52. Configuring the BeagleBone Black - 003
# apt-get install bash-completion vim build-essential pciutils usbutils libpci-dev libusb-dev libftdi-
dev zlib1g-dev curl wget zip
# wget https://elinux.org/images/1/1f/BB-SPI0-01-00A0.txt
# dtc -O dtb -o BB-SPI0-01-00A0.dtbo -b 0 -@ BB-SPI0-01-00A0.dts
# cp BB-SPI0-01-00A0.dtbo /lib/firmware/
# echo BB-SPI0-01 > /sys/devices/bone_capemgr.*/slots

53. Configuring the BeagleBone Black - 004
Check to see that installation worked
# cat /sys/devices/bone_capemgr.*/slots
The last line of the result should match this:
7: ff:P-O-L Override Board Name,00A0,Override
Manuf,BB-SPI0-01

54. Configuring the BeagleBone Black - 005
Verify that spidev exists
# ls -al /dev/spid*
Which should print out something like this
crw-rw---T 1 root spi 153, 0 Feb 29 05:39 /dev/spidev1.0
Make the last line of the file /etc/default/capemgr read
CAPE=BB-SPI0-01

55. Configuring the BeagleBone Black - 006
On your PC download
https://www.mirrorservice.org/sites/libreboot.org/release/stable/20160907/libreboot_r20160907_util.tar.xz
Verify download
$ echo
‘c5bfa5a06d55c61e5451e70cd8da3f430b5e06686f9a74c5a2e9fe0e9d155505867b0ca3428d85a983741146c4e024a6b
0447638923423000431c98d048bd473 libreboot_r20160907_util.tar.xz’ | sha512sum -c -
Transfer the utility to your BB sd card.
In the BB terminal
$ tar xf
libreboot_r20160907_util.tar.xz
# chmod u+x
libreboot_util/ich9deblob/armv7l/ich9gen libreboot_util/flashrom/armv7l/flashrom

56. Configuring the BeagleBone Black - 007
Connect the BB to the Pomona clip and connect the clip to the SOIC-8 as
specified https://www.coreboot.org/Board:lenovo/x220
Don’t connect the power cable until the clip is correctly attached to the SOIC, only
connecting the ground cable initially.
For the 2 wires delivering power from the PSU, which have to be long, it’s best to
use twisted pair cabling to cancel out any interference.
For the rest of the jumper cables keep the length of everything as short as
possible.

57. Read the flash two times.
# /libreboot_util/flashrom/armv7l/flashrom -p linux_spi:dev=/dev/spidev1.0,spispeed=512 -r flash_01.bin
# /libreboot_util/flashrom/armv7l/flashrom -p linux_spi:dev=/dev/spidev1.0,spispeed=512 -r flash_02.bin
# diff flash_01.bin flash_02.bin
If they don’t match, don’t proceed.
If they do match(you get no response after running diff) save a copy on
external media.

58. https://www.coreboot.org/Build_HOWTO
$ sudo apt-get install git build-essential gnat flex bison libncurses5-dev wget zlib1g-dev
$ cd ~
$ git clone
https://review.coreboot.org/coreboot
$ cd coreboot
$ git submodule update --init --recursive

59. Use the ifdtool to recover descriptor and me firmware
$ cd ~/coreboot/util/ifdtool
$ make
$ sudo make install
$ ifdtool -x ~/flash01.bin
ifdtool -x /path/to/extracted/flash.bin

60. $ mkdir -p ~/coreboot/3rdparty/blobs/mainboard/lenovo/x220
$ cd ~/coreboot/3rdparty/blobs/mainboard/lenovo/x220
$ mv ~/flashregion_0_flashdescriptor.bin descriptor.bin
$ mv ~/flashregion_2_intel_me.bin me.bin
$ mv ~/flashregion_3_gbe.bin gbe.bin

61. Get Coreboot - 001
Go to https://www.coreboot.org/Supported_Motherboards and search for
X220. Click the "upstream tree" link to find the commit hash and then check
it out.
$ cd ~/coreboot
$ git checkout
<hash>
$ git submodule update --checkout

62. Configure Coreboot - 001
$ cd ~/coreboot
$ make nconfig
General Setup
[*] Compress
ramstage with LZMA
[*] Include the coreboot . config file into the
ROM image (NEW) [*] Allow use of binary-
only repository
Mainboard
Mainboard vendor (Lenovo)

63. Configure Coreboot - 002
chipset
[*]
Enable VMX for virtualization
[*] Ignore vendor programmed
fuses that limit max. DRAM frequency (NEW) [*] Ignore XMP profile max
DIMMs per channel
[*] Beep on fatal error (NEW)
[*] Flash LEDs on
fatal error (NEW)
[*] Add Intel descriptor.bin file (NEW)
[*] Add
Intel ME/TXE firmware

64. Configure Coreboot - 003
display
-Nothing
additional checked
generic drivers
[*] Support Intel PCI-e WiFi adapters
[*] PS/2 keyboard
init
[*] Enable TPM support
[*] Silicon Image SIL3114 (NEW)
Security

65. Configure Coreboot - 004
Console
[*]
Squelch AP CPUs from early console
[*] Show POST codes on the debug console
System
tables
[*] Generate SMBIOS
tables (NEW)
Payload
[*] SeaBIOS version (master)
[*] Load coreinfo

66. Configure Coreboot - 005
Hit F6, then hit the Enter key. Hit F9 to exit.
Copy
$ make crossgcc-i386 CPUS=4
$ make iasl
$ make

67. Flash Coreboot - 001
When make finishes, your new rom is located at
~/coreboot/build/coreboot.rom
Flash it
# /libreboot_util/flashrom/armv7l/flashrom -p linux_spi:dev=/dev/spidev1.0,spispeed=512 -w
/coreboot/build/coreboot.rom
You may have to play around with the clip to get a successful flash.

68. Resources
https://www.coreboot.org/Build_HOWTO
https://www.coreboot.org/Board:lenovo/x220
https://karlcordes.com/coreboot-x220/
https://tylercipriani.com/blog/2016/11/13/coreboot-on-the-thinkpad-x220-
with-a-raspberry-pi/

69. Building
Chromium OS

70. Prerequisites
● An x86_64 64-bit Debian or Ubuntu system with at least 8GB of RAM
● An Internet connection (faster is better)
● A good amount of free disk space and time
● A 16GB USB drive

71. Read more:
https://www.chromium.org/chromium-os/developer-guide

72. One-Time Setup
Install the requisite packages
$ sudo apt-get install git-core gitk git-gui curl lvm2 thin-provisioning-tools
python-pkg-resources python-virtualenv
Configure Git
$ git config --global user.email "you@example.com"
$ git config --global user.name "Your Name"

73. Install depot_tools
$ cd ~
$ git clone https://chromium.googlesource.com/chromium/tools/depot_tools.git

74. Make Sudo More Permissive
$ cd /tmp
Copy and paste, or carefully type each of the following lines one at a time,
hitting the Enter key after each.
$ cat > ./sudo_editor <<EOF
#!/bin/sh
echo Defaults !tty_tickets > $1 # Entering your password in one shell affects all shells
echo Defaults timestamp_timeout=180 >> $1 # Minutes between re-requesting your
password EOF
$ chmod +x ./sudo_editor
$ sudo
EDITOR=./sudo_editor visudo -f /etc/sudoers.d/relax_requirements

75. Configuring Environmental Variables
$ vi ~/.bashrc
Add the following line at the very bottom of your .bashrc file:
export PATH=$PATH:~/depot_tools
Source .bashrc
$ . ~/.bashrc

76. Get the Source Code
Make a directory for Chromium OS
$ mkdir -p ${HOME}/chromiumos
$ cd ${HOME}/chromiumos
$ repo init -u https://chromium.googlesource.com/chromiumos/manifest.git --
repo-url https://chromium.googlesource.com/external/repo.git
$ repo sync -j4

77. Add Google API Keys - 001
This needs to be completed prior to building the Chromium OS image.
https://www.chromium.org/developers/how-tos/api-keys
1. Subscribe to Chromium Dev’s Google Group (mandatory)
2. Navigate to https://console.cloud.google.com/
3. At top left, between Google Cloud Platform and the search bar, select
the menu with 3 dots. In the pop-up menu click on box with the + the in
the top right corner. Create a project.
4. Click on the hamburger menu in the top left corner, then scroll down to
APIs & Services in the new menu. In the submenu select Credentials.
5. Select Create credentials > API key

78. Add Google API Keys - 002
6. In the API key created dialog copy your API key.
7. Open a new terminal window and cd to your home directory
8. Make a file .googleapikeys, adding in your own keys as you get them:
google_api_key = "your_api_key"
google_default_client_id = "your_client_id"
google_default_client_secret = "your_client_secret"

79. Add Google API Keys - 003
9. You should have the API key already. Follow the rest of the steps as outlined
here to obtain your own client id and client secret.
Paste these credentials into the .googleapikeys file and save it.
After completing this step the API keys will be automatically baked-in to all of
your Chromium OS builds.

80. Build Steps
The Formula
1. Enter Chroot
2. Select Board
3. Set Chronos User Password
4. Build Packages
5. Build Disk Image
6. Write Chromium OS Image to USB

81. Create a chroot
$ cd ~/chromiumos/chromium
Enter the command to download and enter the chroot
$ cros_sdk
While inside the chroot you will see a special cros-chroot prompt
~/trunk/src/scripts $
After the initial download cros_sdk enters the chroot.

82. Select a board
~/trunk/src/scripts $ export BOARD=amd64-generic

83. Set the Chronos User Password
Set the password that you will use to enter the command line in Chromium
OS. You need to repeat this step every time you build a new image.
~/trunk/src/scripts $ ./set_shared_user_password.sh

84. Build Packages
Build all of the packages for the board
~/trunk/src/scripts $ ./build_packages --board=${BOARD}

85. Build a Disk Image
Build the developer image with the additional developer packages built-in
~/trunk/src/scripts $ ./build_image --board=${BOARD} --noenable_rootfs_verification dev

86. Write the Chromium OS Image to USB
Making a Chromium OS USB installer is easy.
Plug a 16GB USB drive into your PC.
~/trunk/src/scripts $ cros flash usb:// ${BOARD}/latest
Select the USB device from the options and confirm.
cros_flash writes the image while keeping you informed of its progress.

87. Great Job!
Remove the USB and take a moment to feel like something of a technical badass.
If you skipped the API keys part you’re going to be devastated to learn that your
build is *useless, so go back and finish that, and then repeat the steps for Building
Chromium OS.
Also, use this time to remind yourself that using Chromium OS is an
involved process that requires you repeating this process (or other
manual update process) every single time you want to update.
*It will boot and install to a SSD, but you’re going to be sad.

88. // DISCLAIMER
Chromium OS and Chromium don’t auto-update.
Chromium OS isn’t for general consumer use.

89. Dual-Use Chromium OS USB Installer
1. Boot the X220 from the USB and run Chromium OS as-is
2. Boot the X220 from the USB and install Chromium OS to the SSD
We want the second option, because it’s always going to be faster than running
Chromium OS from a USB drive.
The general rule for read/write speed is SSD> HDD> USB 3> USB 2
*Coreboot allows us to enable booting from the ExpressCard, which we can
outfit with a USB 3.0 adapter, enabling us to boot from a USB 3.0 drive.

90. Installing
Chromium OS
on a SSD

91. Insert the USB drive into the X220 and boot.
At the Welcome screen enter VT2 by pressing Alt + Ctrl + F3
login: chronos
Log in with the password that you set earlier.

92. Installing Chromium OS to a SSD
Make sure that you have a SSD in your X220.
$ sudo /usr/sbin/chromeos-install --dst /dev/sda
Hit the y key and let everything run, it will throw errors.
Exit VT2 by pressing Ctrl + Alt + F1
Power off and remove the USB drive.

93. Boot Chromium OS from SSD
At the Welcome screen enter VT2 by pressing Alt + Ctrl + F3
Log in.
Make your rootfs writable
$ sudo /usr/share/vboot/bin/make_dev_ssd.sh --force --
remove_rootfs_verification

94. Exit by hitting Alt + Ctrl + F1
Remove the USB drive and boot into your
new Chromium OS ThinkPad X220.

95. Experimental Settings
Here are some of the flags that I find useful.
To check them out just enter them in your
Chromium browser’s omnibox.
#ash-enable-night-light
#enable-zip-archiver-packer
#smooth-scrolling
#enable-
easyunlock-promotions
Search in chrome://flags for md and enable the material design components.
This looks promising, as it should work with X220 hardware

96. X220 Hardware Upgrades

97. 1. Install Backlit DropIn IPS Screen
2. Deactivate palmrest touchpad
3. Install Cellular Modem

98. X220 Backlit IPS Upgrade
You can upgrade to the superior backlit IPS screen for well under $100.
The best drop-in screen is the LP125WH2-SLT1, which is used in Lenovo’s
S230U Twist. There isn’t a lot of documentation on disassembling the Twist Lid,
as it seems to have been designed for replacement rather than repair.
These are available online as the entire top half of the Twist for around $60.
Carefully disassemble the unit, taking care to only destroy the parts that you aren’t
keeping. So you don’t have to worry about wrecking the outer touch-screen side of
the display, but don’t scratch the inner backlit display.
Alternatively, there are some more serious screen upgrades requiring soldering.
I can’t personally vouch for these.

99. X220 Backlit IPS Upgrade - Requirements
● Lenovo S230U Twist LP125WH2-SLT1 screen
● 2mm adhesive sticker tape (double sided) for cell phone repair
● X220 laptop
Optional - WebCam Upgrade
If your X220 doesn’t have a WebCam this is the perfect time to install one.
● Webcam - Integrated Webcam Camera Kit 04W1364
● Bezel with webcam cover

100. Cut out the plugs that cover the screws on the front of the lid. Then
remove the screws. These parts don’t need to be saved.

101. With the screws out the bottom section lifts off and can be discarded or recycled. The next step will
be pulling the bottom half away from the top half. The bottom slides out from under the top.
BOTTOM-HALF
TOP-HALF

102. I was unable to get a good shot of the separation between the two halves, but in this image they’ve
been pulled apart. The green and yellow arrows point to the edges of the bottom and top halves,
respectively. The top half can now be pulled up away from the bottom half easily. BE VERY CAREFUL
WITH THE TOP HALF FROM THIS POINT ON. The back half is not important to us.

103. The two halves split apart. Don’t damage the components inside the green outline box, that’s our backlit
screen.

104. The backlit screen we need is currently bonded to the touch-screen. We need to carefully separate
the two, being very careful not to tear or rip the metallic colored tape. Basically use a very thin
opening tool to slide under the metal frame around its perimeter, only allowing the blade to cut into
the touch-screen, and not letting it rip open the metallic tape on the inside of the backlit screen.
TOUCH-SCREEN
BACKLIT SCREEN

105. Peel up the transparent tape and unplug the screen cable.

106. Carefully prying the touch-screen away from the backlit screen. Try not to bend the backlit screen.

108. Almost…

110. The trick is separating the double-sided tape on the touch-screen from the metallic tape on
the backlit screen, without damaging the metallic tape in the process.

111. Ta-dow! Everything looks wonderful after straightening the badly bent part that says “Don’t Touch!”.
The circles are highlighting the mounts that make this part a drop-in replacement.

112. Now to remove the old screen from the ThinkPad. The stickers highlighted by the circles need to be
peeled off carefully.

113. The key when doing this type of work is to know which part to destroy and which part not to destroy.
The sticker is going to be cheaper and easier to source than the screen bezel, so wreck the sticker.
Remove both stickers and unscrew the screws underneath.

114. Pry the bezel away from the screen, lifting from the inside. I’m not worried about
scratching the screen, but I don’t want the bezel getting scratched. Work your
way around until the bezel pops off.

115. Remove the screws holding the screen in place, then remove the screen.

117. Mind the screen cable, which you need to carefully unplug.

119. Make sure to have something in place to protect the front of the backlit screen from scratches. Line
the new screen up with the lid.

120. Line the new screen up and connect the cable, securing the connected cable with the transparent tape.

121. Pro-Tip: It looks great, but don’t secure it with the screws until after testing it. If we broke it the last
thing we want to do is make it harder to remove and replace.

122. Testing, Testing...

123. And we’re good (The artifact in the image is from the camera). Secure the screen with the screws.

124. Take the bezel and remove the old double-sided tape. Anhydrous alcohol and Q-tips work great for
this type of residual goo removal.

125. When the bezel is clean, carefully lay down lines of new 2mm adhesive tape. There are grooves to
serve as guides.

126. Remove the white backing from the tape and secure the bezel to the lid, snapping it back
in place. Secure with the screws and re-apply the black square screw cover stickers. Enjoy!

127. X220 Palmrest Upgrade
IMO the worst part of the X220 is the terrible touchpad. I’m a huge fan of the
TrackPad, and want the touchpad gone.
I mod my X220s so that the touchpad is deactivated and physically one with the
palmrest. It literally will not move.
If you’re interested in ridding your X220 of its touchpad, here’s one way to do it.

128. X220 Palmrest Upgrade - Requirements
● Old credit card
● Epoxy (cyanoacrylate is not something you want to use for this)
● X220

129. On the underside of the palmrest, unplug the cable from the connector next to the arrow. Cut a
piece of credit card(smooth on both sides) to fit under the metal frame.

130. Test to make sure that your touchpad is solid with the card insert in place, then use epoxy to make it
permanent. Notice that the fingerprint reader is still connected on the right side.

131. And now you have the ideal palmrest, free of distracting inadvertent
clicking. Somebody clever should remold these without the touchpad
and sell them online.

132. X220 Cellular Modem Upgrade
By default the X220 universally supports SIM modems. An additional wireless card
is required, and there may be additional antennas that you’ll have to install,
depending on which specific X220 model you’re starting with.
The Chromium Project has more info on cellular modems:
https://www.chromium.org/chromium-os/how-tos-and-troubleshooting/get-a-3g-modem-running

133. X220 Cellular Modem Upgrade - Requirements
● Sierra Wireless MC8355 - Gobi 3000(TM) Module
● Compatible SIM Card

134. Install the Sierra Wireless Card
1. Remove the Battery and insert the SIM card into the SIM card slot.
2. Remove the Keyboard and Palmrest.
3. Insert the Sierra Wireless Card into the MiniPCI Express slot to the
left of the Atheros WiFi card. Secure with a silver screw.
4. Connect the Blue and Red antennas to their respective contacts on
the wireless card and secure with tape.
5. Replace the Battery.

135. Enable Mobile Data in Settings
Settings > Network > Mobile Data > On

136. More Information
Enter crosh with Ctrl + T
$ shell
chronos@localhost / $ modem status

137. 3. Chromium OS for Android Development

138. // DISCLAIMER
Android Studio on Chromium OS/Chrome OS™ isn’t 100%.
Mainly
● AVD and Virtualization aren’t working.
It’s good, but it’s not perfect.

139. Question:
How do we run Android Studio in Chromium
OS?

140. Answer:
Inside of Debian OS, inside of a Crouton.
*With 8GB of RAM or better.

141. Debian - The Universal Operating System

142. Crouton
Chromium OS Universal Chroot Environment
https://github.com/dnschneid/crouton
Star it on GitHub, and check out the
documentation.

143. Download the latest Crouton https://goo.gl/fd3zc
Open up a shell:
Ctrl + Alt + T
Then type shell and hit Enter.

144. Install Debian in a Crouton
Install the Crouton Chrome Extension
https://goo.gl/OVQOEt
$ sudo sh -e ~/Downloads/crouton -r sid -t xiwi,xfce -n debiandroid
Let everything download.
At the prompt create a user name and a password.

145. Start Debian
$ sudo startxfce4 -n debiandroid -X xiwi -b

146. Configure Debian
At the prompt select ‘Use default config’
Right click on the Desktop and select open terminal here.
$ sudo vi /etc/apt/sources.list

147. Update /etc/apt/sources.list
deb http://ftp.us.debian.org/debian/ stretch main non-free contrib
deb-src http://ftp.us.debian.org/debian/ stretch main non-free contrib
deb http://ftp.us.debian.org/debian/ stretch-backports main contrib non-free
deb-src http://ftp.us.debian.org/debian/ stretch-backports main contrib non-free
deb http://security.debian.org/ stretch/updates main contrib non-free
deb-src http://security.debian.org/ stretch/updates main contrib non-free
*You can copy and paste from GitHub https://goo.gl/pVfVHZ

148. $ sudo dpkg –add-architecture i386
$ sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get upgrade
Outside of the Crouton navigate to https://developer.android.com/studio/index.html#downloads
Download the Linux platform package.
Go back into your Chroot
$ sudo apt-get install openjdk-8-jdk gradle
$ unzip ~/Downloads/android-studio-ide-171.4443003-linux.zip
$ ./android-studio/bin/studio.sh

149. Configure Android Studio

150. Add a Desktop Launcher

153. How to Start Your Debian Crouton
Open up a shell:
Ctrl+Alt+T
Type shell and hit enter.
Debian in a Chromium Tab
$ sudo startxfce4 -n
debiandroid -X xiwi-tab -b
Debian in its own Chromium Window
$ sudo startxfce4 -n debiandroid -X

154. Enjoy your Chromium OS ThinkPad X220!
Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you have
questions/comments/issues etc.

155. Contact
github.com/andDevW
anddevw@gmail.com
My blog andDevW.com

156. Attributions
Chromium™, Chrome OS™, Chromebook™, Chromebook Pixel™ are trademarks of
Google LLC.
Lenovo™ and ThinkPad® are trademarks of Lenovo in the United States, other
countries, or both.