I have an older 9.7-inch CTL tablet running Chrome OS on a Rockchip RK3399 processor. The operating system is outdated, it no longer offers useful updates, and the device has become very slow. It also doesn't have a keyboard, so good touchscreen support is important. Is installing Linux a realistic project for this tablet? If so, which ARM-friendly distribution would provide the best touchscreen experience, and what should I know about bootloader limitations or the risk of bricking it?
3 Answers
Don’t choose a distribution just because it runs on ARM. Look for an existing port or device-specific support for this exact CTL model. Touch input, display drivers, Wi-Fi, suspend, audio, and power management may all need separate support, so a generic ARM image could boot but still be nearly unusable.
Before replacing Chrome OS, check whether the tablet supports Crostini, the built-in Linux environment. If it does, that would be much safer than flashing a new operating system and could let you run newer Linux applications, including an up-to-date browser with content-blocking support. Very old models often don’t have this feature, though.
It may be possible if the bootloader can be unlocked, but ARM tablet support is much more limited than standard PC support. PostmarketOS is probably the most promising option, although it’s designed more as an Android replacement than a traditional desktop Linux system. You’d need to confirm that this exact tablet model is supported, and there’s a real chance of making the device unusable while flashing it. In most cases, it may not be worth the effort unless you’re treating it as an experiment.
That matches what I’ve found so far. PostmarketOS and Armbian seem like the only realistic possibilities, but the bricking risk makes me hesitant. The tablet is still stuck on its old Chrome OS version, refuses to update, and has become painfully slow.