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Linux can’t be installed on a recent Lenovo laptop

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Re: Linux can’t be installed on a recent Lenovo laptop

#31

Post by mhsabbagh »

Freak_NL wrote: post #21
voltagex_ wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Has anyone actually confirmed this is anything but missing drivers in 3.2.x kernel versions?

This article could certainly use some clarification. I bought a Lenovo Yoga 500 two weeks ago and had no problems whatsoever with installing Ubuntu 16.04 after setting the UEFI to 'legacy' and nuking the complete drive after making a disk image backup for warranty purposes. Did I dodge a bullet here? It came with Windows 10, but perhaps it wasn't this 'signature edition'.

That's a total different thing, I did the same with my Lenovo G50-80 laptop, but the problem with the model in the thread is the Signature Edition and the BIOS lock, it's different from normal UEFI stuff.

Re: Linux can’t be installed on a recent Lenovo laptop

#32

Post by [deleted] »

colemickens wrote: post #22
dTal wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I dunno, this looks like a smoking gun: http://i1.wp.com/fossboss.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/B7g...

A random post by a nameless employee in a forum which offers absolutely zero substantiation...? If that's a smoking gun, I know who killed JFK...

[deleted]

Re: Linux can’t be installed on a recent Lenovo laptop

#33

Post by languagewars »

First they came for the crapware license deals, and I did not speak out— Because I was not a Windows User.

Then they came for spammer license deals, and I did not speak out— Because I was not a Windows User.

Then they came to install back doors, and I did not speak out— Because I was not a Windows User.

Then they came for my ability to install Linux—and there was no one left to speak for me.

Re: Linux can’t be installed on a recent Lenovo laptop

#34

Post by voltagex_ »

gmazza wrote: post #19
voltagex_ wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Has anyone actually confirmed this is anything but missing drivers in 3.2.x kernel versions?

Have a look lenovo forums [1] (also linked prominently from original article), where OP has following to say: I am attempting to install ubuntu 16.04 on my yoga 900. The bios can see the 512 gb samsung hard drive and so can Windows. The ubuntu installer can not see it at all. ...and first person to reply adds: I have the same issue with the 900S model. I have tried the newest kernel 4.6 but linux doesn't even list th…

Right. Thanks for that. I am reacting to the claims that it's "locked by Microsoft". This looks to be missing Linux support for an Intel device. Sad, but not unusual.

Re: Linux can’t be installed on a recent Lenovo laptop

#36

Post by _ao789 »

makaronin wrote: post #3
tzs wrote: post #2

It sounds like Lenovo's BIOS is using a RAID mode with the internal SSD that Linux does not understand. Lenovo apparently provides a driver for this RAID mode for Windows 10. If you want to install something else (Linux, Windows 8) you are out of luck until someone produces a driver for that operating system.

It is much worse because Lenovo programmed the BIOS to lock the system so if you try to toggle it to AHCI mode with an EFI variable from EFIshell, it immediately sets itself back to RAID mode.

EFI = AHCI? EFI:EFI

Re: Linux can’t be installed on a recent Lenovo laptop

#37

Post by kashyapc »

Yaggo wrote: post #13

Just out of curiosity, what's the rationale for MS & Lenovo to do this, why to risk PR? The number of people wanting to install Linux is marginal and they are already "on the wrong side".

What is this gibberish about being "on the wrong side"? Please don't make vacuous statements.

Re: Linux can’t be installed on a recent Lenovo laptop

#38

Post by Aissen »

This is probably the standard "firmware is sending different data to different OSes", which has existed since forever. Or maybe it's just a shitty firmware bug or even a kernel bug.

However, I'm glad this is making this type of fuss. It means bad PR for Lenovo if they don't do any Linux QA (as they mostly never did). Good.

Re: Linux can’t be installed on a recent Lenovo laptop

#39

Post by Normal_gaussian »

Yaggo wrote: post #13

Just out of curiosity, what's the rationale for MS & Lenovo to do this, why to risk PR? The number of people wanting to install Linux is marginal and they are already "on the wrong side".

It's certainly not the year of the Linux desktop, but it's not far off.

I've successfully switched both parents to Linux and non tech at our company run completely on Linux.

It's a real threat, especially with MS failing to innovate.

Re: Linux can’t be installed on a recent Lenovo laptop

#40

Post by Slothrop99 »

nitinreddy88 wrote: post #15

Is it more of hardware/pc manufacture issue rather than portraying it as "Windows" issue?

Right. Obviously there is some justification, but if you hung out at slashdot way too long, you'd know there is a bunch of paranoid schizophrenic people manufacturing bizarre Microsoft conspiracy theories every single day.

The post even describes the issue pretty explicitly as "Linux isn't loading the correct disk driver", yet it still spun as some intentional FU "block". I guess with a domain like "fossboss.com" you should expect the lowest form of the Slashdot mentality. I very much hope HN doesn't start to deal with this sort of pure flame bait.

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