Lenovo IdeaPad 100s - installing Linux Mint 17.3 Cinnamon to a uSD card?

[VirtualLarry]

Just wondering how feasable this is, to install a persistent Linux installation to a microSD card, and be able to boot off of it.

I was thinking of making the install on my new Skylake desktop, using a Linux Mint 17.3 LiveUSB made with Rufus, and then plugging in a USB2.0 SD card reader, with the SD adaptor, and a 64GB microSD card, and trying to install that way.

The only tricky thing will be, the IdeaPad 100s is an Atom Z3735F platform, with 2GB RAM, and 32GB eMMC. Those tend to have 32-bit UEFI. I have a file that I can use to boot a 64-bit Linux Mint on those systems, but I guess I would have to patch up the persistent install after I install it onto the microSD, before I actually try to boot it.

Also, I'm hoping and praying that I can even boot off of the microSD slot in the laptop, otherwise, I'll have to go with picking up a nano-USB flash drive to stick into one of the two USB2.0 ports persistently.

I've made persistent Linux installs on USB flash drives before, and I've gotten LiveUSBs with 64-bit Linux Mint to boot on a 32-bit UEFI Atom Z3735F platform before, but I haven't done both of those things on the same install.

Worst comes to worst, I could probably install Linux Mint 17.2 onto the internal MMC, but I would prefer to keep the Win10 32-bit install pristine.

 

[Essence_of_War]

I think it isn't a great idea to put a root file system in a flash card or usb stick unless it is with an OS/distro that tries to run completely in memory.

Have you considered puppy Linux? I think the latest versions support installation to f2fs filesystems, but puppy tries to run completely in memory anyway, so that might just work better even with a canonical filesystem.

 

[lxskllr]

I think it isn't a great idea to put a root file system in a flash card or usb stick unless it is with an OS/distro that tries to run completely in memory.

How come? It'll be a little pokier than usual, but no big deal. If it's for flash burnout, flash media is very affordable these days, and the /root/ system shouldn't be getting that many writes anyway.

 

[VirtualLarry]

Wouldn't the longevity between a uSD and eMMC be similar? They are both based on similar technology?

I'd rather wear out a removable card, than the internal memory drive.

 

[kmacdowell]

Regarding your last paragraph, I'm wondering how feasible that would be. I successfully booted to 64 bit Mint using the 32 bit uefi file, although the touch pad and keyboard didn't work, networking didn't work, and the os couldn't tell that the laptop was plugged in. Using a USB mouse and keyboard I attempted an install on the built in drive, which apparently worked successfully but after rebooting the persistent install would not load. This is the only error indication

imgur.com/t37YE85

I actually want to obliterate win 10, since it runs so slowly on this laptop. But the price was right, and if I can get Linux running I'll consider it a steal, otherwise I'll consider it a return.

Any idea what tweaks would need to be done to get everything working?

As far as booting from micro SD, just try it?

 

[VirtualLarry]

http://askubuntu.com/questions/6840...deapad-100s-linux-has-issues-with-this-laptop

 

[jhu]

Regarding your last paragraph, I'm wondering how feasible that would be. I successfully booted to 64 bit Mint using the 32 bit uefi file, although the touch pad and keyboard didn't work, networking didn't work, and the os couldn't tell that the laptop was plugged in. Using a USB mouse and keyboard I attempted an install on the built in drive, which apparently worked successfully but after rebooting the persistent install would not load. This is the only error indication

imgur.com/t37YE85

I actually want to obliterate win 10, since it runs so slowly on this laptop. But the price was right, and if I can get Linux running I'll consider it a steal, otherwise I'll consider it a return.

Any idea what tweaks would need to be done to get everything working?

As far as booting from micro SD, just try it?

I have the ASUS version (ASUS X205TA). It works reasonably well with Debian (keyboard, trackpad, USB, microSD slot work, wifi works but requires downloading a binary blob and compiling a newer kernel, sound doesn't work yet). So I would recommend that one since there seems to be trouble with some hardware on the Lenovo. It's the same price too.

 

[VirtualLarry]

Yeah, perhaps I made a mistake thinking that the Lenovo would be as easy to get working with Linux Mint or Ubuntu, as the Asus. Oh well. I don't specifically have to have Linux, but it would have given me a re-assuring feeling, compared to Win10.

 

[jhu]

Yeah, perhaps I made a mistake thinking that the Lenovo would be as easy to get working with Linux Mint or Ubuntu, as the Asus. Oh well. I don't specifically have to have Linux, but it would have given me a re-assuring feeling, compared to Win10.

You could return it. Or, better yet, try and hack the kernel so that the hardware works. That would help everyone else who wants to run Linux on it.

 

[kmacdowell]

Well I eventually got to the point where I could boot to the desktop, following a guide for installing Mint on an Asus Transformer Book.

http://community.linuxmint.com/tutorial/view/1969

The same steps allowed me to boot to GRUB and get to the desktop - note I formatted the MMC so no Windows left whatsoever. I also didn't need to use nomodeset so the iGPU was in fact working.

A kernel update got the trackpad and keyboard working. But I still could not get WiFi and sound to work, at all. I seem to remember reading someone at least getting WiFi on this notebook, but nowhere have I heard anyone getting sound to work, and I tried several fixes based on the errors I got with dmesg.

It may have been possible with more tweaking, but the keyboard and trackpad died after just a couple days. That's right - I got them working, but then they stopped. I'm sure it was a hardware problem because they didn't work in UEFI either, and I even reinstalled Windows 10 and they continued not to work.

So I just returned the laptop and got an HP Stream 11 with the Celeron N2840, 64 bit OS installed fine with 32 bit bootloader. Everything works exactly as it should, although WiFi range sucks, and switching the antenna attachment location didn't work as some have pointed out.

Interesting note about the Asus version of the Ideapad 100s working - I actually did like the 100s, and the HP is as ugly as sin, so I wish I maybe would have tried that option. It looks like a child's toy. But the experience with the Baytail Lenovo notebook has at least made me wary of both Intel and Lenovo, at least in certain combinations.