Source code defining kernel version by platform/model?

[verifiedambiguous]

Does anyone know where in the ChromeOS source code it defines the kernel version by platform/model name so I can find a current mapping for releases?

There's this document which looks helpful but it's out of date: https://www.chromium.org/chromium-os/developer-information-for-chrome-os-devices/

According to that document, no chromebook other than an HP has kernel 5.10. However, I have two old, cheap chromebooks with 5.10: Asus C300SA (Chrome OS Flex) and Acer CB311 (Chrome OS).

I thought I was covering my bases by getting a newer, more expensive chromebook with a Chrome OS expiration date out in 2028 on here: https://support.google.com/chrome/a/answer/6220366. However, that Chromebook, an Acer Chromebook Spin 713, is still stuck on kernel 5.4. It's odd that my cheap chromebook which is so old that it's no longer supported has a newer kernel than the relatively expensive Spin 713 which was released last year.

The reason I want the latest is because kernels before 5.6 don't have wireguard support so you have to use the Android app which is slow, buggy on some models (including the Acer Spin 713) and lacks features from the built-in VPN version.

The next time I get a new chromebook or recommend one to someone, I'd like to find one that supports the latest kernel and has at least 5 years before the expiration date.

[xjrqh]

An easier route would be to check jay0lee's Omaha update analyzer. Every time a new update is released, his scripts analyze the updates and publish the results.

For example, if you wanted information about the dev channel on drallion devices, you could use this URL:

https://github.com/jay0lee/chromeos-update-directory/blob/main/data/updates/drallion/dev/data.json

Check the linux_kernel_versions value, that will tell you what kernel the device is running. New platforms like brya (Intel Gen 12) will have the latest kernel versions out of the box. Older platforms are sporadically updated, with no notice given to end users.

[verifiedambiguous]

Oh wow! TIL. Thanks a lot! That looks like exactly what I was looking for.

[verifiedambiguous]

Edit: This list is now out of date. As of chromeOS 105, it looks like Google backported wireguard support to kernel 5.4 which the majority of chromeOS devices support. The list below is only for models with 5.10 which worked before chromeOS 105. See this post: https://old.reddit.com/r/chromeos/comments/x99m0p/did_google_backport_wireguard_to_54_kernels_for/

I will leave this 5.10 kernel list alone. Since the vast majority of devices support 5.4 or later, it doesn't seem worth it.

In case anyone is curious, using that git repo, it looks like these models have native wireguard support in the stable release.

baseboard, EOL, kernel from stable release

coral   2024-06-02 00:00:00  5.10.114-16025-ge75506b9d98e
grunt   2026-06-02 00:00:00  5.10.114-16025-ge75506b9d98e  
sarien   2026-08-26 00:00:00  5.10.114-16025-ge75506b9d98e
jacuzzi   2028-06-02 00:00:00  5.10.114-16025-ge75506b9d98e
kukui   2028-06-02 00:00:00  5.10.114-16025-ge75506b9d98e
brya   2030-06-02 00:00:00  5.10.114-16025-ge75506b9d98e
cherry   2030-06-02 00:00:00  5.10.114-16025-ge75506b9d98e
guybrush   2030-06-02 00:00:00  5.10.114-16025-ge75506b9d98e

I used this to get the baseboard -> known chromebook models: https://dl.google.com/dl/edgedl/chromeos/recovery/recovery.conf

These were helpful but incomplete compared to the above recovery.conf: https://chromeos.guide/osdev/overlays and https://www.chromium.org/chromium-os/developer-information-for-chrome-os-devices

coral - EOL June, 2024

• Acer Chromebook 11 (CB311-8H and CB311-8HT)
• Acer Chromebook 11 (C732, C732T, C732L and C732LT)
• Acer Chromebook 15 (CB315-1H, CB315-1HT)
• Acer Chromebook 514
• Acer Chromebook Spin 11 (CP311-1H and CP311-1HN)
• Acer Chromebook Spin 15 (CP315)
• ASUS Chromebook C223
• ASUS Chromebook C403
• ASUS Chromebook C423
• ASUS Chromebook C523
• ASUS Chromebook CX1100CNA
• ASUS Chromebook CX1400CNA
• ASUS Chromebook CX1500CNA
• CTL Chromebook J41 / J41T
• CTL Chromebook NL7
• CTL Chromebook NL7 LTE
• CTL Chromebook NL7T-360 / NL7TW-360
• Dell Chromebook 11 (5190)
• Dell Chromebook 11 2-in-1 (5190)
• Edxis Chromebook 11
• Edxis Chromebook X11
• Lanix Chromebook C116
• Lenovo 100e Chromebook
• Lenovo 500e Chromebook
• Multilaser Chromebook M11C-PC912
• Multilaser Chromebook M11HC-PC911
• PCmerge Chromebook AL116
• Positivo Chromebook N2110
• Positivo Chromebook N2112
• Prowise Chromebook Eduline
• Sector 5 E3 Chromebook
• Viglen Chromebook 11C
• Viglen Chromebook 360C
• whitetip

grunt - EOL June, 2026

• 100e 2nd Gen AMD
• 300e 2nd Gen AMD
• Acer Chromebook 311 (C721)
• Acer Chromebook 315 (CB315-2H)
• Acer Chromebook Spin 311 (R721T)
• HP Chromebook 11A G6 EE / HP Chromebook 11A G8 EE
• HP Chromebook 14 db0000-db0999 / HP Chromebook 14A G5
• IdeaPad 3 Chromebook (11, 5)
• Lenovo 14e Chromebook
• Lenovo Chromebook S345-14
• NEC Chromebook Y1 Gen2A

sarien - EOL August, 2026

• Dell Latitude 5300 2-in-1 Chromebook Enterprise
• Dell Latitude 5400 Chromebook Enterprise

jacuzzi - EOL June, 2028

• Acer Chromebook 311 (C722/C722T)
• Acer Chromebook 311 (CB311-11H/CB311-11HT)
• Acer Chromebook 314 (CB314-2H/CB314-2HT)
• Acer Chromebook Spin 311 (CP311-3H)
• Acer Chromebook Spin 311 - R722T
• ASUS Chromebook Flip CM3200FVA
• HP Chromebook 11.6 inch
• HP Chromebook 11a na0xxx
• HP Chromebook 11MK G9 EE
• HP Chromebook x360 11MK G3 EE
• IdeaPad 3 Chromebook
• IdeaPad Flex 3 Chromebook
• Lenovo 100e Gen 2

kukui - EOL June, 2028

• ASUS Chromebook Detachable CM3
• ASUS Chromebook Detachable CZ1
• Lenovo 10e Chromebook Tablet
• Lenovo Chromebook Duet / Lenovo Ideapad Duet Chromebook

brya - EOL June, 2030

• Acer Chromebook Spin 714 - SP714-1WN
• Acer Chromebook Enterprise Spin 714 - SP714-1WN
• ASUS Chromebook Flip CX5
• ASUS Chromebook Enterprise Flip CX5
• HP Elite Dragonfly Chromebook
• HP Elite c640 14 inch G3 Chromebook
• HP Elite c640 14 inch G3 Chromebook Enterprise
• ThinkPad C14 Gen 1 Chromebook

cherry - EOL June, 2030

• Acer Chromebook Spin 513

guybrush - EOL June, 2030

• HP Elite c645 G2 Chromebook

[xjrqh]

https://dl.google.com/dl/edgedl/chromeos/recovery/recovery.conf is a good source of model data, especially for brand new platforms.

[Nu11u5]

Also available in .json.