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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

#41

Post by beagle3 »

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.

This comment from the reddit discussion is very relevant: https://www.reddit.com/r/linux/comments/53ri0m/warning_micro...

Quoth BaronH:

> Nope. You can turn Secure Boot off on the Lenovo Yoga models that this affects.

> They have the SSD in some strange "RAID" mode where Linux can't see or be installed to it, and neither can Windows unless you add some drivers to your Windows installer media. They removed AHCI mode from the BIOS. Then they wrote additional code so if you try to toggle it to AHCI mode with an EFI variable from EFIshell, it immediately sets itself back to RAID.

> For the last 11 months, they were silent on why this machine was configured this way. The only reason we know why now is because Lenovo answered my Best Buy review by stating it is locked due to the agreement they signed with Microsoft for the Signature Edition PC program, so it's very likely that all Ultrabooks in the Microsoft Store, and some outside the MS Store (such as at Best Buy) will eventually be configured so that Linux can't be installed, even if there are some now where you can install Linux.

> So consider "Signature Edition" a warning label that means "You aren't allowed to run Linux, per Microsoft.".

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

#44

Post by voltagex_ »

beagle3 wrote: post #28
INTPenis wrote: post #9

On some recent Lenovo laptops. I have a recent X260 running Fedora 24 and I'm very happy with it, and with Fedoras support. I use both smartcard and 4G data module with it. Only thing I don't use is the fingerprint reader. Only sad bit is that I had to disable SecureBoot to run VirtualBox. I would have happily signed the VirtualBox kernel modules if it wasn't for Lenovo missing a small detail in the implementation of…

Wait a second. Are you running Fedora24 on metal or on Virtualbox? If on metal, then how do the (unsigned) virtual box kernel modules matter? And if on virtualbox - you don't actually know if it would run on metal. VirtualBox hides quite a lot from you. (I expect that it will run on metal - I just don't think you have evidence one way or another if you are running it on vbox)

VirtualBox itself requires kernel modules to run.

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

#46

Post by [deleted] »

voltagex_ wrote: post #34
gmazza wrote: post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

[deleted]

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

#47

Post by xg15 »

The other HN thread suggests this not actually a dark conspiracy by Microsoft but simply a case of missing linux drivers for the storage devices.

This sounds believable to me. But I'll put my tinfoil hat on just for fun and pretend it was an intentional move. Could this make sense as a new twist on the old strategy, making it "Embrace, Extinguish, Extend"? With the WSL, they made it theoretically possible to run Linux software on Windows. With that in place, locking existing users out of Linux might cause a lot less negative backlash as the users can still continue to use their old programs - except under the supervision of Windows. If this catches on, it could actually allow Microsoft to grab some if the more consumer-oriented parts of the Linux ecosystem.

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

#49

Post by dagaci »

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…

Someone should inform the foss-boss! when his website come back up.
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