Puppy Linux UEFI boot EASY

[Burn_IT]

I only recently got hold of a 64 bit machine and haven't really had time to play with it under Puppy. I've got it apart at the moment trying to fit a better screen and somebody has sold me a duff part. The problem is which bit is duff without alternates to try.

Is Lenovo still playing silly buggers with restrictions?
I've used a different BIOS on mine to bypass them, but the machine is old and 32 bit only.

[Limbomusic]

Just posting a follow-up on some of my... sort of silly responses to bugs in 64 bit versions.

Point is - I tried the 4.9.15 kernel in tahrpup64 6.0.6 and EVERYTHING just works. Love that kernel - (well, on my main gaming pc the icon for volume is gone, thats the only thing, workin ok on the Lenovo laptop)

BurnIT: Lenovo restrictions? I'm not aware of any, sorry
---------------
Installed a 250gb samsung 850 evo ssd on my main gaming pc a couple of days ago - after fresh install of win 10 (and booting puppy from usb) and holy %¤"#¤! - major difference indeed. Recommended! - but u guys know that already.

PC: http://helledussen.com/video/dill/feelin_good.html

[Burn_IT]

They put restrictions in the BIOS that tries to stop you using none-authorised parts.
They added a "call home" utility that only worked under Windows and powered down the machine if it failed.
They also sold many new machines with malware built into the BIOS - you need to check up on this one. EDIT: SUPERFISH
Don't forget that Lenovo is Chinese nowadays.

[Limbomusic]

Jaysis. Didnt know that - did a simple search:
https://support.lenovo.com/no/en/produc ... /superfish

But according to that page they have seen the error of their ways and want everyone to get rid of it - WEIRD that they offered/included it in the first place.

ANyhoo - MY experience - well - I tried a recent puppy with some quite new laptops recently (i think it was a hp and a acer), and it didnt work very well, one woulndt even load the x desktop. But my 1 1/2 year lenovo ideapad 100 works really well with puppy.
(but they might work with the 4.9.15 kernel, have to try next time I get the chance)

Anyway - in my humble experience - Lenovo Laptops works quite well with puppies as opposed to other brands

EDIT 7 aug 2017:
All problems solved by using new kernel 4.9.13 ( or 30)

[Burn_IT]

Don't get me wrong, I use a T43P most of the time and have overcome most of problems.
The only thing you need to look out for are update that they push through the MS update channel. It is alway worth while checking/delaying them before applying as they have been know to cause problems on several occasions.
I also stop any W10 and associated updates - mainly because I have no intention of upgrading this machine to W10 and also because it shouldn't even run Win 7 according to them (not the User groups though).
Puppy works fine and I tend to use it when I've finished work and are relaxing - though that is often late and I have another play machine for that sort of thing that supports more memory - which is this machine's biggest drawback.

[Limbomusic]

I get what u mean - like the new creators update for win10 has apparently caused many problems for users.
But,
I updated my lenovo idepad 100 to the creators update a week ago - and it works fine. I also last week - installed a new ssd drive to my main gaming pc - and I downloaded the most recent windows 10 ISO to install to it - and that already HAD the latest creators update / version- - so almost no updates afterwards - cause it was already "up to speed" - maybe I,ve been lucky

I love windows 10 actually, (as long as u have ssd) but I love the puppies more

[T-Biscuit]

. . . Then just make a folder called "EFI" and a "boot" folder inside that. (EFI/boot) and then just put this file:
http://helledussen.com/linux/files/bootx64.efi inside it. . . .

Hello, Limbomusic. I am interested in trying out your contribution above. But, my cheap W10 2-in-1 netbook/tablet uses the nasty Baytrail Atom Z3735F soc. For reasons that seem to me silly or mean it has W10-32 and requires a 32 bit UEFI. Nor does it have a legacy boot option in its firmware. I was wondering if you might have a bootx32.efi handy.

Thanks for your very kind consideration.

PS. Sparky Linux boots but (1) is not Puppy, and (2) does not have the 4.9 kernel yet. I read somewhere that the drivers I need for this soc are in 4.9 or 4.10.

Travis "T-Biscuit" (because "Travis-T" just sounds wrong)

[Limbomusic]

Hey man I did a google search And altho I havent tried it - the file youre looking for is probably the bootia32.efi
I downloaded it and put it here:
http://helledussen.com/linux/files/UEFI ... otia32.efi

[T-Biscuit]

Thank you, Limbomusic. I downloaded it and will let you know what happens.

[Limbomusic]

what happened ? Did it work?

[T-Biscuit]

what happened ? Did it work?

Not at all, Limbomusic. The brain-damaged firmware of this device sees the uefi flash drive, makes a brief token effort to boot, then gives up and goes to the windows boot.

It has some odd dialect of grub2 (or uefi script?) -- e.g., instead of "linux" it seems to expect "linuxefi" and likewise for "initrdefi". Ofen I simply don't know what it hated. I've had partial success with Android_x86 and Sparky Linux, which got to live boot bit would not install. Which was OK because I didn't want then anyhow.

In a couple of months it will be a 2 year wait. By the 3rd year I'll quit waiting and donate this baytrail + win-10 junk to someone and get a small laptop I can verify before I buy.

But, I appreciate your suggestions. Thank you!

[jd7654]

... But, my cheap W10 2-in-1 netbook/tablet uses the nasty Baytrail Atom Z3735F soc. For reasons that seem to me silly or mean it has W10-32 and requires a 32 bit UEFI. Nor does it have a legacy boot option in its firmware....

I got one of those Bay Trail tablets. It does work with Puppy/Linux but takes some fiddling around. Mine is mostly dead now, bad battery. I'll probably replace it with a Cherry Trail that has normal 64-bit EFI so easier to work with Linux.

[T-Biscuit]

I got one of those Bay Trail tablets. It does work with Puppy/Linux but takes some fiddling around. Mine is mostly dead now, bad battery. I'll probably replace it with a Cherry Trail that has normal 64-bit EFI so easier to work with Linux.

Ditto! I've seen a few dual core Celerons such as N3060 that make me itchy, but I will definitely look for a legacy mode option and mainstream 64-bit uefi, too. Or it will be returned same day.

With any luck maybe my current cheapo will expire prematurely, too.

[jd7654]

Ditto! I've seen a few dual core Celerons such as N3060 that make me itchy, but I will definitely look for a legacy mode option and mainstream 64-bit uefi, too. Or it will be returned same day.

With any luck maybe my current cheapo will expire prematurely, too.

I'd stay away from those N3050/N3060 chips myself, awful performance. Atom x5 Cherry Trail is way better. The quad core N3150/3160 are comparable, but those seem to be for Chromebooks.

FYI, Baytrail Linux boot should work as shown with just those files. I noticed the bootia32.efi file that was posted previously was different from the one I was using successfully. That one is 558KB and the one which works for me is 607KB.(came from here) The one in the original post is larger still, but can't check that one as my tablet is out for a while.

[T-Biscuit]

[quote="jd7654" I'd stay away from those N3050/N3060 chips myself, awful performance. Atom x5 Cherry Trail is way better. The quad core N3150/3160 are comparable, but those seem to be for Chromebooks.

FYI, Baytrail Linux boot should work as shown with just those files. I noticed the bootia32.efi file that was posted previously was different from the one I was using successfully. That one is 558KB and the one which works for me is 607KB.(came from here) The one in the original post is larger still, but can't check that one as my tablet is out for a while.[/quote]

I appreciate the tips on the chips ( ) and will give them weight when the opportunity comes. And I have downloaded the boota32.efi file that worked for you & will give it a try -- maybe tonight!

[s1wood]

I have finally managed to persuade my Aspire Switch 10 to recognise a USB boot of Xenialpup but I just get to a command line which says
>Grub 2.02 beta 2
Minimal BASH-like editing is supported<
Pressing tab as suggested brings up a long list of incomprehensible instructions.

Can anyone help me with this - in very simple terms, I am not good with the command line.

Susan

[T-Biscuit]

I encountered this myself when getting one of Barry's Easy OS showing some willing. I've lost my notes but maybe can remember what I pieced together from googling.

You need to find out the exact name and location on drive for the vmlinux and initrd files. Assuming that the drive is hd0 (because it booted, almost), your need 4 grub commands.
Something like . . .

root (hd0,0)
vmlinux /vmlinuz.q
initrd /initrd.rd
boot

Hope this helps.

TB

[foxpup]

@s1wood
What do you mean with "a USB boot of Xenialpup"?
Is xenialpup on a usb? How did you put it there?
Did you go into BIOS to choose usb boot?
Did you take 64bit version?

[s1wood]

I downloaded xenialpup-7.5-uefi.iso and installed it on a USB drive with UNetbootin.
I created an EFI folder and a Boot folder inside it and put bootia32.efi and bootx64.efi in that.
So far, so good, both options came up to be authenticated, I went for the 32 since I think this machine is 32-bit (not sure how to check since I can't currently get into it), and when I booted I got this grub screen.

The OS runs perfectly on my Thinkpad.

Susan

[foxpup]

Susan,
It looks too complicated to me: combining both UNetbootin and EFI boot folder.
This is easier: Use the linux command dd to put the iso on your usb. When you insert the usb be sure to know the letter for your usb. Let's say it is sdc. Then the dd command should be something like this:

Code: Select all

dd if=/path_to_xenialpupiso/xenialpup-7.5-uefi.iso of=/dev/sdc bs=1M

An EFI folder is already prepared in the iso of xenialpup.
My guess is you have a 64bit cpu. The grub, included in the iso, should launch 32bit as well, but if not and to be sure, try the 64bit version as well.