ideacentre Stick 300 Linux USB boot [ Edited ]

[guyman70718]

I want to install linux (Zorin OS or Ubuntu MATE) on my new ideacentre Stick, but there is no USB boot option in the boot options. In the BIOS there is a "Boot from File" option, but I cannot figure out how to use it. I will attach photos of the boot menu and boot from file menu. Secure Boot is off.

http://imgur.com/a/iBdgf

[avarga · Accepted solution]

Hi,

In fact, if You have the proper directory stucture for EFI boot on Your USB device (EFI/BOOT/bootia32.efi) it will enable You to boot from the USB after pessing ESC at boot time and selecting boot options. The same You can achieve via the 'Boot from file" option, when You select the USB device and find the EFI boot file manually.

I've just managed to install Ubuntu Linux (15.10) to the Ideacenter Stick 300 device, so if You need I can provide some tips, how to do it :-)

Akos

[guyman70718]

Hi,

Thanks for replying! I was wondering if I as the only one in the world with this problem. Zorin is a edited copy of Ubuntu to look like Windows XP or 7. Where do I get the .efi file to boot from? PenDriveLinux did not include one.

[avarga]

Hi,

If there's no EFI boot possibility on Your Linux distribution, it might be a bit harder.

I used Ubuntu 15.10 USB to boot to live Linux, then I used this post's instructions to compile my bootie32.efi.

https://github.com/lopaka/instructions/blob/master/ubuntu-14.10-install-asus-x205ta.md

I deployed manually the bootia32.efi file to /boot/efi/EFI/BOOT (to the Fat32 partiotion that was marked as boot/esp at installation time, and that will be mounted to /boot/efi after the installation).

After that I installed 15.10 from the live CD. It crashes during the grub deployment phase, but as this is one of the last steps and becuase I installed the efi boot file to the EFI partiotion manually before, I was able to boot my installed linux.

For Your distribution You'll have to use some similar approach I guess.

I suggest You to create a live Linix USB with Ubuntu 15.10, since there I've verified that it works.

One more point: I had to use an external USB wifi adapter, since the built in did not work in Lunix at all (well it worked very bad in Windoes 8/10 as well, dunno what is Your experiance.

Hote this helps a bit.

Regards

Akos 

[guyman70718]

Thanks! I have installed and I just dismissed the GRUB error. The installer crashed but now how do I get grub on?

[avarga]

Hi,

Before You reboot (after the installation) You need to compile Your bootei32.efi (using the steps from the link in my previous post). Then You have to install the produced efi file to the FAT32 partition, You selected as EFI partition at installtion time (to /EFI/BOOT directory on that partition, to be precise).

Then You reboot and that should be it.

Akos

[guyman70718]

Wait, what EFI Fat32 partition? I only made a swap and / partition

[avarga]

If You want to boot in EFI mode (and I'm not sure the Ideacenter Stick 300 can boot differently) You need to have a small ~128MB FAT32 partition at the beginning of the disk, that is marked EFI/ESP at the Linux installation partitioning time, that will hold Your boot files.

If You did not remove Windows than this has to be the same partition as Windows uses for booting. In that case You should have there the EFI/BOOT directory structure already. And You can choose which OS to boot.

If You removed Windows, like me :-), then You need to create this partition at the installation time, compile and deploy Your bootia32.efi there. And then it will boot.

Akos

[andromatic]

Hello guys,

I have tried booting Ubuntu 15.10 64bit as well as other versions but I keep getting \EFI\BOOT\BOOTx64.EFI boot failed error. I have secure boot unlocked and off. I am probably just missig something obvious that you haven't mentioned. Could you kindly post a step by step guide explaining exactly how you setup the live usb and got it running.

Thank you.

[guyman70718]

Just do what this link says in Ubuntu/Debian based linux. (Zorin OS, Ubuntu, Kubuntu, Xubuntu, ect.) https://github.com/lopaka/instructions/blob/master/ubuntu-14.10-install-asus-x205ta.md