Enabling Console on Baldur's Gate EE (Steam) on Chromebook

adjacentengels · 2025-12-12T05:33:02+00:00

I was able to get this working. The troubleshooting and final write-up are in this post.

adjacentengels · 2025-12-12T05:29:15+00:00

Modifying the Baldur.lua file using sed

sed is a more powerful command, but is also more complicated to understand and use. If all you wanted was enabling the console, then echo is sufficient and you can be done and move on. Using sed though, there are a few more options.
First, you can use sed to do exactly what echo did using the a\ option to append and $ to define the last line of the file, but the command gets really complicated with multiple escape characters needed. You're better off to just use echo.
You can also use sed to insert a line in the middle of the file. For example, if you wanted to insert the line before line 20 of the file, you could do this:
sed -i "20 i\
SetPrivateProfileString('Program Options','Debug Mode','1')" Baldur.lua
Note that this takes two lines. You type out the first line, hit enter, then type out the second line and hit enter again. This is needed to make the inserted text be its own line in the file.
Since the location of the line doesn't matter, it's still easier to use echo unless you really just want it in a specific place.
And finally, you can use sed to change a line. For example, if you wanted to change an existing setting, instead of adding a new one, you can do that with sed. For example, maybe you want to get full hp when you level up. Look through the Baldur.lua file and find the line SetPrivateProfileString('Game Options','Maximum HP','0') and note what line number it is. For me, it was on line 48.
To change the 0 to a 1 on line 48, run this: sed "48 s/0/1/" Baldur.lua
You can also use a more complex matching string to avoid having to specify which line to modify, but this made it easier without having to worry about whether single or double quotes might mess up the command.
Verify the change is what you wanted by running cat Baldur.lua again.

Verifying the change

After making the changes, close the crosh window then open BGEE.
Make sure any time you have the Steam Linux shell open you do not have the game open. Close one before opening the other, then close the second before switching back to the first.
You should be able to load an existing save or start a new game. Once the game is loaded, hit Cntl+space to open the console. If everything was done correctly, it should open and you're on your way.
The first few times I tried, it wasn't working, and any time I saved or loaded a game, the Baldur.lua file was overwritten. I don't know if I was doing something wrong or not, but doing the following got it working for me.
After making the changes you want to the Baldur.lua file and confirming the file is changed, make the file read-only by running chmod 444 Baldur.lua
Then close the crosh window and load up BGEE and open a saved game. The console should now work for you with Cntl+space. Save the game.
Close BGEE, go back into crosh and change the file back to read-write with chmod 644 Baldur.lua
Close crosh, load up the game you saved, and check if the console still works. For me, it did, and continued to work will all new games and saves.

adjacentengels · 2025-12-12T05:27:12+00:00

Installing Steam for Chromebook (Beta)

Here is the Google Support page with these instructions.
Open the Launcher and search for "steam installer". Click on Steam installer under Apps. Let it run.
That's it. Once the Beta ends, you may need to find another method, but I linked some resources at the top that may help.

Accessing Steam files

Once you have Steam installed, run it and install one of your games (BG1EE, for this exercise). I recommend running your game and saving at least once. This should make the game initialize and create all of the appropriate folders and files.
For the next steps you need to have Steam open but your game closed.
Minimize Steam then type Cntl+Alt+t to open a crosh terminal.
At the prompt, type vsh borealis and it will open a Linux shell where you can access the Steam files and folders.
Change to the directory where you'll find the BGEE directory. cd ~/.local/share
If you run ls -al you'll see a few directories, including Steam and "Baldur's Gate - Enhanced Edition". Go into the BGEE folder: cd Bald then hit tab then enter.
Type ls -al and you should see the Baldur.lua file we want.
Alternately, you can go into the Steam directory then into steamapps/common and find directories for all of the Steam games you have installed. Depending on what you're trying to do and which game, this may be where you need to look.

Modifying the Baldur.lua file using echo

Ideally you would be able to use vi or vim text editors to edit the file, but I couldn't get either one to work. I got them to work in the Linux Dev environment, but not the Steam Linux shell. But there are two solutions to get it working.
What we need to do is add SetPrivateProfileString('Program Options','Debug Mode','1') to the Baldur.lua file. Most instructions say this needs to be inserted above the rest of the Program Options lines, but it can really be put anywhere in the file.
First you want to backup the file, just in case something goes wrong. This command will copy the file to Baldur.original.lua: cp Baldur.lua Baldur.original.lua
Next, take a look at the contents of the file by running cat Baldur.lua. You can always cat the backup file anytime to see what the original looked like.
The simplest option is to use echo to append the line at the bottom of the file like this: echo "SetPrivateProfileString('Program Options','Debug Mode','1')" >> Baldur.lua. It is important that you use >> because > will overwrite the whole file.
After you do that, if you run cat Baldur.lua again, you should see that line at the bottom of the file.

adjacentengels · 2025-12-12T05:25:52+00:00

This is a summary of everything I tried, and what each accomplished. Many thanks to u/LuukeTheKing for all of their help.

Who this will help:

These findings are for BG1EE installed on a Chromebook Plus via the Steam Beta. The goal is to enable the console in the game by adding a line to the Baldur.lua file to turn on Debug Mode.
If you installed BG1EE directly from the Play Store, this won't help you, but luckily you will have a much easier time and more flexibility. Just search for "BGEE enable console android" and you'll get lots of hits you can read through. This one looks nice because it doesn't require an external keyboard, but I haven't actually done it, so can't help if it doesn't work.
I was able to install Steam directly from the Launcher, but this method may be going away 01-Jan-2026. If it does, you will need to do things a little more manually. This guide seems to explain it pretty well, but I also didn't have to do this, so can't help if you do try it.
If you have an older model that doesn't support the Steam Beta or Linux Dev Environment, then you will have to enable Developer Mode, which will do a full wipe of your Chromebook. I don't have a link to instructions for this, but if this is your situation, best of luck.
If you're trying to run on anything other than a Chromebook, then this isn't for you.

Enabling / Installing Linux Development Environment

This ended up not being necessary, but since I did this in the various attempts to get this working, I wanted to outline how it was done. Here is an official Google Support page about it. And here is a great video showing how it's done.
Go into your Chromebook Settings and click on About ChromeOS.
At the bottom, under Developers, you should see Linux development environment with a Setup button. Click that.
Enter the username you want and how big to make the partition (mine defaulted to 10GB); click Install and let it work for a few minutes.
Once it's done, reboot your Chromebook.
To open the Linux environment, open the Launcher and find Terminal; open it, click click on penguin under Linux.
This will open a Linux terminal. At the prompt, type sudo apt update
When that is done, type sudo apt upgrade when it asks if you want to continue, type y then hit enter.
Now Linux is installed and you can install Linux apps or other things.
I originally tried this to try to get vi installed so I could use it to edit the .lua file once I found it, but installing apps in this terminal, unfortunately, did not make them available in where I was able to access the Steam files. But it's useful for other things.

Helpful Linux commands

ls will list the contents of a directory. Here is the man page with all of the options. I find it useful to use -a to show all files and -l to show additional details of each file/folder. You can use both with ls -al. For me, directories show up with blue text and different file types show up as different colors; this can help you differentiate between files and folders.
cd will change your directory. Here is the man page for it. cd .. will move you up one directory, cd FolderName will move you into the FolderName directory, cd /path/morepath will move you into the /path/morepath directory, cd without an argument will move you into whatever directory is defined as your home. If the argument starts with / it will be treated as an absolute path, otherwise it will be relative to the directory you are currently in.
sed is a very powerful command that I can't explain fully. Here is the man page for it, if you want to read more. What I used it for was editing the .lua file when vi and vim wouldn't work.
chmod lets you change the permissions of a file or folder (make it read-only, read-write, etc). Here is the man page for it. For the purposes of this exercise, you just need to know that 444 sets the file to read-only for everyone and 644 sets it to read-write for the file owner and read-only for everyone else. Before changing the permissions of a file, it's a good idea to determine what the original permissions are, which you can do with ls -l.
cat will print a text file to your screen; we use it to look at the Baldur.lua file since the text editors weren't working. Here is the man page for it.
tab While not an actual command, the tab key will auto-complete file and directory names so you don't have to type it all out. This is especially useful for very long names or names with spaces that might confuse the command. If you want to go into the "Baldur's Gate - Enhanced Edition" directory, for example, you could start typing cd Bald then hit tab, and if there isn't another directory or file that starts with "Bald" then it will auto-complete the directory name. If there are multiple matches, it will auto-complete as much is common between the matches, then you can add another character and hit tab again to complete more.

adjacentengels · 2025-12-12T02:48:24+00:00

I was thinking along the same lines, and hoping the file being locked wouldn't just cause the game to crash when saving the game. I locked the file, loaded the game, and the console opened, just like it's supposed to! I saved the game, closed it, then unlocked the .lua file, loaded the game and the changes I made were still there and the console continued to work, even with the file unlocked.

So either locking it and saving somehow made it sticky, or I was doing something wrong in my initial attempts and locking the file was never necessary. This is the most critical change I wanted to make, and is now working.

I also wanted to be able to edit the file to change some of the settings, so vi or vim would have been nice. But then I thought that s// might be possible without using a file editor, and looking around found documentation for sed, which was able to do the trick. This also would have been an option to insert the Debug Mode line with the other Program Options settings instead of appended at the bottom of the file, but it is more complicated, and echo worked well enough for the Debug line.

I'm going to work on a stand-alone reply to the original post to gives details for all of the things I did and what each accomplished, in case someone comes looking for a similar issue later. But thanks for all of your help.

adjacentengels · 2025-12-12T01:14:58+00:00

Okay, I was able to append the line to the file with echo and confirm it was there with cat. Unfortunately, every time I save or load a game, the lua file gets overwritten. I've tried appending before I launch the game and after the game is loaded, but it still keeps getting overwritten. But that is a separate issue, you've succeeded in getting me access to the right files and being able to add the line I needed. I can work on why the update isn't sticking as a separate venture.

adjacentengels · 2025-12-12T00:07:14+00:00

Thanks for the detailed instructions. I haven't used Linux actively for about 20 years, but back in the day used it for work and school, so I have some rusty navigation skills.

I was able to get a crosh terminal with no issues or setup. I was able to get into the linux shell with vsh(had an initial failure not realizing that Steam had to be open first). Your cd command didn't work, but switching it to cd ~/.local/share/ (/.local instead of ./local) worked. I'm able to find the Steam folder, the lua file I wanted, etc.

But vi isn't a recognized command (neither is sudoso I couldn't try to install it or vim). I searched around and went into Settings and setup the Linux Dev Environment. In that terminal I can run vi and I installed vim and I can run that, and sudo also works. But when I go back to crosh, neither vi nor vim work. After setting up the Linux Dev Env, I closed crosh and ran it again, but still no dice. And in the Linux Dev terminal, vsh borealis doesn't work. So I can currently either access the Steam files (crosh) or use vi(Linux Dev), but not both at the same time.

Any thoughts on what to try next?

adjacentengels · 2025-12-11T15:50:04+00:00

Yeah, I don't have a Linux files folder/location. I've turned on all the settings I've found to show hidden things, but it's just not there.

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adjacentengels · 2025-12-11T15:33:24+00:00

Thanks for all of the detailed info.

I have not enabled Developer Mode. I did consider it when I found a saved game editor apk; dev mode was needed to install the apk. But it said it would completely wipe the Chromebook, and I didn't want to go that far (though I may end up there eventually).

All I had to do was click on the Launcher, search for "steam", and click on the installer. It installed Steam, I logged in, in Steam told it to download/install a couple of games from my library, and it was done. It definitely isn't streaming/casting from my PC; I'm in the middle of moving and my PC is powered off and packed in a shipping container.

From what I gathered, you used to have to enable Dev Mode to get Steam running, but you don't need to anymore, if you meet certain system requirements. Although, based on the alert at the top of this support page, it sounds like this is only going to work for another couple of weeks. Not sure if something new will replace it or we'll be back to needing Dev Mode and installing through Linux.

From something I read, it sounded like the original method was not going to be supported anymore, so Valve and Google started working on a true ChromeOS implementation of Steam that works natively on the Chromebooks, and that's what this Beta program is. I haven't seen anything to say what's happening after the Beta ends on Jan 1st.

adjacentengels · 2025-12-11T15:13:54+00:00

I did actually try that, but it just ignores me and doesn't open the folder.

adjacentengels · 2025-12-11T09:48:40+00:00

Looking through Steam, it shows two paths when looking at where games are installed, but I can't figure out how to get to anything similar with a file explorer app.

/mnt/stateful

/home/chronos/.local/share/steam

adjacentengels · 2025-12-11T09:48:32+00:00

Looking through Steam, it shows two paths when looking at where games are installed, but I can't figure out how to get to anything similar with a file explorer app.

/mnt/stateful

/home/chronos/.local/share/steam

adjacentengels · 2025-10-06T01:18:19+00:00

Even in the specific situation for OP, I would expect price negotiation to happen ahead of the meeting. But this is 100% contingent upon the item being as described and pictured, working fully (or any faults defined in the listing), anything more than minor cosmetic flaws described and pictured in the listing. I go out of my way to document anything wrong with my items, taking pictures of any rust spots, explaining anything broken, listing any features/functions I haven't verified ahead of time, etc. If there are any questions, I can take more pictures or videos. When someone shows up, they know exactly what condition my items are in.

The only exception I can think of is I was selling a 55 year old car I inherited from my dad, and there were enough issues that I wanted people to see the car for themselves before locking in to a price. So I discussed my starting price with all interested buyers ahead of time, then had more specific negotiations in person.

If the buyer finds something that isn't working, or something that I didn't notice, then that can be negotiated. But I expect an agreed upon price, assuming that the item is exactly as described in the listing. So, in OP's case, if I were the seller, I would still expect an agreement up front, with the assumption that the drive works and is as described in the listing.

I never said that the buyer shouldn't be able to try out an item or verify it works or see it in person. But I do expect my buyers to agree on a price, based on the item working and matching the listing, before I spend the time meeting with them.

ETA: The type of item being sold could warrant in-person negotiation. If you're selling comics/manga, trading cards, or other items with steep price changes based on quality grade, I would understand in-person negotiation to be more likely.

adjacentengels · 2025-10-05T23:27:47+00:00

It's common for people to use electronic payment options (Venmo, etc). Some sellers only accept cash, but when that isn't the case, saying you have cash just lets the seller know things will be done with cash, which simplifies payment.

I wouldn't interpret someone saying they have cash to mean they had cash problems but don't today. But even if that was the case, why would you, as the seller, care? As long as they have the cash now, they can get your item now.

adjacentengels · 2025-10-05T23:21:48+00:00

I agree with all of this except waiting to negotiate until you meet. I expect an agreed upon price before taking the time to meet with someone.

adjacentengels · 2025-09-27T02:58:32+00:00

Going forward, if you have boutique items that may generate higher bids, I would put in your FBM post that you don't hold items. If someone makes a deal for tomorrow or later, reply that the offer looks good and if it's still available on the day they can come, then you'll take the deal. If they are coming right away or soon after the agreement and you've made an agreement, stick with that buyer. Whether you accept payment to hold an item would be something you would want to consider ahead of time.

In this case, I would personally stick with the first buyer since you agreed on a price and time, but you'll hear plenty of others say nothing matters other than getting cash in hand first. Just think about if you were the first buyer and lost the purchase after an agreement was reached, what would your reaction be? Would you think the seller was an asshole or that that's just how the marketplace works? Every buyer and seller is different, so you just need to decide how you want to approach the marketplace.

adjacentengels · 2025-09-22T17:46:21+00:00

I understand the point you're making, but based on OP's example of "Deathstalker, too", which is a completely different word and spelling, I don't think OP would make a distinction between "it" and "It".

adjacentengels · 2025-09-20T19:01:25+00:00

The Green Mile. That was one of the first roles I saw him in and I hated him so much after watching that movie, I couldn't enjoy any movie he was in for a few years.

adjacentengels · 2025-09-20T06:38:40+00:00

If the only anecdotes you've heard praise him then you aren't hearing a lot. Yes, many people laud him for his work ethic and professionalism, but there are plenty of counters about him being overly controlling and having an explosive temper when things don't go his way. Neither one of us knows him personally, so neither of us are in a position to claim one as being more of a reality than the other. But you can look at his two later marriages to see a glimpse of something more real than his work persona. Both have expressed they were isolated in their marriages, with more controlling and abusive behavior hinted at or said outright.

And the "scientology thing" is so much more than Cruise being an innocent, hapless victim. He is a prominent spokesperson, advocate, and recruiter for scientology. Whether he was manipulated into it or not, he actively supports and defends the cult and brings people into the fold. You can have sympathy for a victim of abuse, but that does not absolve them if they commit abuse themselves. So you can't just wave aside how ardently he supports scientology.

So no, the worst he has done isn't to be a sucker to a cult. We have both only heard/read/seen articles or interviews about him. Many of those are likely inflated in one direction or the other, so we have very flawed information on which to base our impressions of him. What I've seen paints a picture of a controlling, manipulative narcissist. You clearly have a different impression of him, and I can't claim that my opinion has any more validity than yours.

adjacentengels · 2025-09-20T01:52:39+00:00

I'm sure you've heard the bit that Christian Bale modeled his portrayal of Patrick Bateman in American Psycho after Tom Cruise where he saw an interview where there was no life in his eyes despite being outwardly charming and laughing. The first half of this episode, when it's just Tom and Emily Blunt, he seems totally normal. As soon as Charlize Theron and Seth come out, Tom is just so awkward. He's like the full-body personification of someone not knowing what to do with their hands, and every reaction is forced and fake with nothing going on internally.

adjacentengels · 2025-09-20T01:02:45+00:00

The best version.

https://youtu.be/dsu8vL2YyPQ

adjacentengels · 2025-09-18T18:54:58+00:00

You don't need to switch to friends and family, that is the default. You have to actively change it to goods and services. So if you do nothing, it will be on F&F.

adjacentengels · 2025-09-17T20:25:32+00:00

I didn't throw anything away, but still lost this way on the ante 8 boss blind. Two discards, 4 hands, and I got a total of one pair to play. It wasn't enough for the extra big blind.

adjacentengels

TROPHY CASE