GOOGLE STOPPED SUPPORTING THESE COMPUTERS. HE TURNS THEM INTO HOME ASSISTANT TOUCH PANELS FOR ABOUT 50 DOLLARS
A Chromebase all-in-one that Google stopped updating, bought second-hand for about 40 dollars, becomes a touchscreen Home Assistant panel on a 3D printed stand.
by Hardware Haven
HomeAutomation
Built with3D printing
- difficulty
- ●●●○○
- time
- an afternoon
- license
- license not specified
- repo
- repo 0 stars
●●●○○ · an afternoon · license not specified · 0 stars · repo
WHAT YOU’LL NEED
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COMPAREE VERDICT
If you can find an end-of-support Chromebase for almost nothing, this is a satisfying afternoon project that turns e-waste into a Home Assistant touch panel. What you can do depends on the processor. The small ARM-based AOpen Chromebase Mini in the video cannot practically be reflashed, so it stays on Chrome OS and simply opens Home Assistant in the browser on a printed stand, drawing 5 to 6 watts; it cost the creator about 50 dollars with shipping. An x86 model such as the Acer CA24V can be turned into a normal PC: remove one write-protect screw inside, run MrChromebox's script to install coreboot, then install Linux and even run Home Assistant itself on it. The catch is compatibility: check your exact model on mrchromebox.tech before you buy. Units often come without the 19 V power adapter, and second-hand all-in-ones are sometimes cheap because the screen is faulty.
IN THE REPO
GOOD TO KNOW
- —CAD: VESA kiosk stand published on Printables under CC-BY.
- —Firmware: coreboot from MrChromebox.tech, open source, well-documented for supported models.
- —No bill of materials — you bring the Chromebase and source your own hardware.
- —No written teardown guide — the 24-minute YouTube video is the documentation.
- —Model compatibility is not guaranteed; check MrChromebox.tech before buying.
- —CC-BY licence allows commercial use of the stand design.
Parts to buy
3 itemsFrom our check of the build. Exact quantities and part numbers are in the creator’s BOM.
Can I build this?
Build at your own risk. Projects involve tools, electronics and sometimes mains voltage — follow the creator’s safety notes.
Videos
Nobody Wants These Computers... But I Do. (Hardware Haven)24:00
24-minute video covering two Chromebases: the ARM AOpen Mini used as a Chrome OS Home Assistant kiosk on a printed stand, and the x86 Acer CA24V opened, flashed with coreboot and turned into a Debian machine running Home Assistant. This is the project documentation.
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Start here
Navigation into the creator’s own docs — we don’t rewrite the guide, we route you to the source.
- 1.Check if your Chromebase model is supported (The firmware does not support every model. Verify before you buy.)
- 2.Watch the Hardware Haven teardown video (This video is the only documentation; watch it before buying so you know which model type you are getting.)
- 3.Download the kiosk stand STL (Choose the VESA pattern that matches your monitor.)
- 4.Flash coreboot firmware (Follow the MrChromebox script after removing the write-protect screw.)
Resources
Documentation, files and community threads for this build — we link straight to the original sources and never rehost the creator’s files.
KNOWN ISSUES
- Buying a Chromebase model that MrChromebox does not support — check the compatibility list before you buy, not after.
- On x86 models the firmware flash requires removing a write-protect screw inside the case; on the Acer in the video that meant removing the stand, three screws and a lot of plastic clips. Its location differs between models, so look up yours.
- Firmware flashing is straightforward if you follow the script, but interrupting it mid-flash can brick the device.
- Some Chromebases use non-standard VESA patterns; measure before printing the stand.
- The project assumes you already run Home Assistant — setting that up from scratch is a separate weekend.
- Thrift store units may have dead pixels, failing backlights, or other display issues not obvious until you power them on.
Which Chromebase models work?
Check the MrChromebox.tech compatibility list before you buy. The video covers two models, but not all end-of-support Chromebases are supported by coreboot.
Can I run something other than Home Assistant?
On a supported x86 model, yes: after the coreboot flash it is a standard PC (the creator installed Debian and ran Home Assistant in a virtual machine). On ARM models you are limited to Chrome OS.
What if I brick it during the firmware flash?
Most firmware flash failures on supported models can be recovered with a hardware programmer, but that is advanced work. Follow the MrChromebox instructions exactly and do not interrupt the flash.
Do I need to keep ChromeOS?
It depends on the model. On ARM Chromebases like the AOpen Mini you keep Chrome OS and simply open Home Assistant in the browser. On a supported x86 model, coreboot firmware from MrChromebox replaces Chrome OS and the machine becomes a standard PC.
Community builds
No community builds yet — be the first, we feature the best ones.
Discussion1
FROM THE COMPAREE TEAM
A second-hand Chromebase and a printed stand turn into a Home Assistant touch panel that draws a few watts. What would you put on yours, and where would it go?
Hardware Haven
Colten of Hardware Haven makes YouTube videos about home-lab and second-hand hardware. He designed this VESA kiosk stand to mount an AOpen Chromebase Mini Commercial as a Home Assistant controller.
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DISCLAIMER
- Comparee is not the author of the projects featured here. All rights to each project belong to its creator — every page links to the original source, and we never host creators’ files.
- Information is provided without warranty and may become outdated as projects evolve. Prices are indicative bands only — always check the creator’s parts list for current costs.
- Building and operating any project is at your own responsibility. Protective equipment, safe workshop practice and compliance with local regulations are the builder’s responsibility.
CompareeTEAM1mo agoedited
Practical notes from our verification: the build comes from Hardware Haven's video and Colten's VESA kiosk stand on Printables, made for the AOpen Chromebase Mini Commercial. The video covers two machines. The small AOpen has an ARM chip, so it cannot practically be reflashed: it stays on Chrome OS, logged in with session restore so it reopens Home Assistant after a reboot, and drew only about 5 to 6 watts. The larger Acer Chromebase CA24V is x86: he removed one write-protect screw inside, flashed MrChromebox's coreboot firmware, installed Debian and ran Home Assistant in a virtual machine, so one box is both dashboard and server (about 14 to 26 watts depending on brightness). Home Assistant OS with the kiosk add-on booted on it, but the touchscreen did not work. Check your exact model against the MrChromebox list before buying, and note that neither unit came with its 19 V power adapter. Correction (4 October 2026): we re-checked this page line by line against the project's own repository, documentation and videos, and fixed errors in earlier versions.