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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

#71

Post by voltagex_ »

Hydraulix989 wrote: post #67
voltagex_ wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't think being able to change the drive to AHCI mode would fix the problem. The BIOS (actually UEFI) "locking" and storage driver are two separate issues. I mean, hell, if someone wants to send me one of these laptops I'll test it and do a full writeup. Of course Reddit has gone off without anyone actually confirming what the issue is. Microsoft would be smart to come out with a statement on this if it picks up…

"I don't think being able to change the drive to AHCI mode would fix the problem." One user Bownairo confirmed that changing the drive to AHCI mode did fix the problem by allowing the drive to be recognized in Linux, after manually flashing a modded BIOS by soldering chip programming hardware: https://imgur.com/a/ox4Ey

Props to that guy going above and beyond.

I wonder what it'll take to get Linux to see the drive in RAID mode.

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

#72

Post by 2bitencryption »

voltagex_ wrote: post #11
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...

I don't think being able to change the drive to AHCI mode would fix the problem. The BIOS (actually UEFI) "locking" and storage driver are two separate issues. I mean, hell, if someone wants to send me one of these laptops I'll test it and do a full writeup. Of course Reddit has gone off without anyone actually confirming what the issue is. Microsoft would be smart to come out with a statement on this if it picks up…

/r/linux is the most ridiculously paranoid forum I've seen.

You have to go there to see it for yourself. Imagine the way that HN is paranoid of the US government, but then double that and apply it to Microsoft, which makes even less sense. To them, MS is the boogeyman that will stop at nothing to prevent them from being the glorious 1% that doesn't use Windows. It's still the 90's on /r/linux, in many many ways.

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

#75

Post by voltagex_ »

rngesus wrote: post #66

This sounds like "linux kernel missing support for some new proprietary intel device" I'll see if i can pick one of these up on my way home and do some testing :)

Very interested in seeing your results. I wish I had the cash on hand to just pick up a laptop for the hell of it.

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

#76

Post by INTPenis »

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)

I said I was running Fedora 24 on an X260, implied that it's on metal.

However, I also want to run VirtualBox inside Fedora, because my job requires me to have a Windows VM. And VirtualBox has its own kernel modules, with SecureBoot they need to be signed. Unfortunately the poor UEFI implementation Lenovo has provided won't let me enter my own MOKs into the UEFI because coincidentally that little write call is missing.

I dunno, tinfoil hat surgically implanted under my scalp, it feels like they're not making it easy for Linux, when the Linux community is doing their best to adapt to SecureBoot.

Edit: And just to be clear, I did of course disable SecureBoot at this discovery but it was sad to do so because I had hoped to see how well Linux had adapted to this new tech that came out several years ago and was heralded as a Linux blocker. ;)

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

#78

Post by rbanffy »

Hydraulix989 wrote: post #67
voltagex_ wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't think being able to change the drive to AHCI mode would fix the problem. The BIOS (actually UEFI) "locking" and storage driver are two separate issues. I mean, hell, if someone wants to send me one of these laptops I'll test it and do a full writeup. Of course Reddit has gone off without anyone actually confirming what the issue is. Microsoft would be smart to come out with a statement on this if it picks up…

"I don't think being able to change the drive to AHCI mode would fix the problem." One user Bownairo confirmed that changing the drive to AHCI mode did fix the problem by allowing the drive to be recognized in Linux, after manually flashing a modded BIOS by soldering chip programming hardware: https://imgur.com/a/ox4Ey

I am quite sure requiring such extreme measures shouldn't count as "support".

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

#79

Post by Hydraulix989 »

voltagex_ wrote: post #71
Hydraulix989 wrote: post #67

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"I don't think being able to change the drive to AHCI mode would fix the problem." One user Bownairo confirmed that changing the drive to AHCI mode did fix the problem by allowing the drive to be recognized in Linux, after manually flashing a modded BIOS by soldering chip programming hardware: https://imgur.com/a/ox4Ey

Props to that guy going above and beyond. I wonder what it'll take to get Linux to see the drive in RAID mode.

New kernel drivers from Intel, most likely.

djpohly and the BIOS hackers deserve some credit too for their REing:

https://www.bios-mods.com/forum/Thread-Request-Lenovo-Yoga-9...

Conditional flag locking users out of the Advanced settings page (with the RAID settings) of the BIOS, as shown in disassembled code:

https://lnv.i.lithium.com/t5/image/serverpage/image-id/76843...

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

#80

Post by mverwijs »

kelnos wrote: post #64
languagewars wrote: post #33

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.

C'mon, have some class. You're really going to co-opt a quote decrying war crimes and genocide to complain about not being able to install an alternative OS on your hardware?

With closed source software, such as the firmwares and MacOSes of the world, it is impossible to have 'checks and balances'. Yet without computers to run and develop open software on, it is that much harder to create alternatives to those closed systems.

I think this is very much a sliding scale. And that therefor the quote very much applies.

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