Arch Linux

Franzzz25

Member

From: ger

Registered: 2016-10-07

Posts: 2

Installing Arch Linux on TrekStor SurfTab duo W1

Hello there,
im being using Arch for quite a while and wanted to install it on the SurfTab now (full name in title). But im having issues that i can't boot my USB-Drive because it's some kind of locked to Windows.
So the question is, if there is still a way to get Linux on this thing?
I can enter the BIOS but like i said it's sort of locked to Windows.

jasonwryan

Anarchist

From: .nz

Registered: 2009-05-09

Posts: 30,424

Website

Re: Installing Arch Linux on TrekStor SurfTab duo W1

What does "locked to Windows" mean? Secure boot? Some other setting in the firmware (is it really BIOS or is it UEFI)?

Moving to NC...

---

Arch + dwm   •   Mercurial repos  •   Surfraw

Registered Linux User #482438

Franzzz25

Member

From: ger

Registered: 2016-10-07

Posts: 2

Re: Installing Arch Linux on TrekStor SurfTab duo W1

Ok my bad it's an efi boot i was just reading BIOS. However i allready made it to the GRUB Bootloader booting from an arch thumbdrive with using this: https://github.com/jfwells/linux-asus-t … otia32.efi. But i don't know how to continue from there.

simeon

Member

Registered: 2012-03-06

Posts: 16

Re: Installing Arch Linux on TrekStor SurfTab duo W1

Hello,

I also have difficulties booting the standard archlinux boot medium on a TrekStor SurfTab duo W1. I used dd to flash archlinux-2017.01.01-dual.iso to a flash drive.

I could not manage to boot any linux (ubuntu, debian, archlinux) with various methods (dd, rufus, unetbootin, with gpt, with mbr...).

In the American Megatrends Bios (v2.17.1249), I did following:

• Security -> Secure Boot -> Set Secure Boot to disabled

• Security -> Secure Boot menu -> Set Secure Boot Mode to Standard

• Boot -> Disabled Quiet Boot

• Boot -> Disabled Fast Boot

• Boot -> Configured boot order to USB Key first

• Boot -> UEFI Hard Disk Drives BBS Priorities -> Set Boot Option #1 to "Disabled" instead of "Windows Boot Manager"

The thing is: I have created a Win10 boot medium and flashed it the same way to the the same flash drive. This Win10 boot medium works.

From reading various forum threads it might be that a boot32.efi file might be missing in /boot/

Can anyone help out with this issue? Shall I create a mbr/gpt partition type? Is fat32 OK? Should I use rufus, parted or another tool? Can I copy the content of archlinux-2017.01.01-dual.iso eg with

7z x /home/Downloads/archlinux-2017.01.01-dual.iso -o/run/media/ESD-USB

Shall I some more files? Please help, give us some hints...

simeon

Member

Registered: 2012-03-06

Posts: 16

Re: Installing Arch Linux on TrekStor SurfTab duo W1

So I could boot and install a debian 32bit without any problems. But I cannot install a 64bit archlinux from there. I'm experimenting with archboot https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Archboot

But I cannot get passed the grub menu. The screen stays black after trying to boot any menu entry there.

It's a strange that the archlinux install medium (which is a dual mode install medium) cannot be booted by my system. The key problem is that there is a 32bit UEFI burnt into the tablet, which requires grub to be able to boot a mixed-mode kernel.

I try to get help in https://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?id=182439

hntuioesw

Member

Registered: 2017-02-15

Posts: 2

Re: Installing Arch Linux on TrekStor SurfTab duo W1

Hi there,

got the same device in front of me & successfully installed ApricityOS (based on arch, for my grandpa).
If you still need some help with installing please let me know, my install-stick's still 'up and running' (was some efi/grub config-stuff to do).

I even managed to get the WiFi card displayed in ifconfig/iwconfig, can't connect yet, but I'll look into that tomorrow.
Sound and 'external' microSD aren't working at all yet, but I'm on it after WiFi.

If you already managed installing it and got wifi, sound or sd-card running please provide me some info.

EDIT:
Got WiFi running, you gotta disable mac-address-randomization in NetworkManager.conf:

[device]
wifi.scan-rand-mac-address=no

Last edited by hntuioesw (2017-02-16 20:52:41)

simeon

Member

Registered: 2012-03-06

Posts: 16

Re: Installing Arch Linux on TrekStor SurfTab duo W1

Hi,
meanwhile I installed from the archlinux-2016.12-1-archboot-network.iso (you can find it also in the official mirrors, have to traverse a bit).

I had to fight with grub and uefi to get a 64bit kernel booted.

I managed to get Wifi working and patched the goodix kernel module, because the touchscreen x-axis was mirrored.

Working:
* wifi (required extra package and bios settings)
* SD card (out-of-the-box)
* touchscreen (goodix kernel module patch)
* touchpad (out-of-the-box)
* hidpi (out-of-the-box, gnome)

xorg and wayland both work also with hidpi, can't tell which one is better.

All in all it work a bit. But:

* no battery indication
* no sound
* no backlight control

simeon

Member

Registered: 2012-03-06

Posts: 16

Re: Installing Arch Linux on TrekStor SurfTab duo W1

Just in case: I got archlinx up and running pretty smoothly. Everything works except Webcam and graphic acceleration. There were two major hurdles:

* debootstrapping from an old archboot medium (pacman-static from Jude DeShield required due to .zsdt compression and disabling signature checking during first upgrade)
* configuring grub (archlinux wiki is gold)

For automatic screen rotation iio-sensors is required.

For Touch orientation I had to fiddle with some matrices.

Graphic Acceleration is broken, probably in hardware. I had severe issues on Windows, too, leading to blank screens and broken youtube playback. Disabling graphic acceleration everywhere (browser, mutter, vlc) made the table quiet useful. Playing youtube is still not feasible, though. Still good for listening to podcasts and checking news.

Last thing is the correct accelerometer config, which is still ongoing.