Linux on Yoga Tablet 2 1051 (not working)

[ClassicTm]

Looking to bring some life into this old thing, windows runs but sluggish.

Tablet Specs:
https://support.lenovo.com/us/en/solutions/pd104222-overview-for-yoga-tablet-2-1051

Windows Version: 10 Home 22h2 OS build 19045.2364
Running Latest Bios Firmware from Lenovo site
Fast Startup and Safe Boot Disabled

Linux Versions tested:
FatDog64-813
Bionicpup64-8.0-uefi
bionicpup32-8.0-uefi

Lick installs but bootloader does nothing after restart, entering bios gives me the option to see the bootloader, after selecting it I see a black screen for a few moments and boots back to Windows, ran the fix from the exe without luck.

Tried also UNetbooting without luck have this error:
(https://cdn.windowsreport.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/UNetbootin-Windows-Failed-to-Start-886x590.jpg)

Want to use a USB stick as a last resort...

Thanks

[noryb009]

2 ideas:

1. Try using Nothing happens on reboot in the menu. I'm not super optimistic about this for you, but it's worth a shot.

2. Try using a newer grub version. In the res/ directory, delete the default grubx64.efi, and replace it with a grub from grub 2.06. I am attaching a grubx64.efi from grub 2.06 to this comment, how I built it is below (mostly as a note to myself). (I should probably update the resource to the new version some time, so let me know if this fixes things)
   grubx64.zip

   • Either download the precompiled Windows version, or compile the source code yourself.
   • Run this command. The grub2.cfg is from here, and I had to disable compression on Windows.

[balazsgrill]

I experienced a similar issue with an Atom Z3735D tablet. The Nothing happens on reboot action fails with "could not copy files on EFI partition" error.
I checked the code here, and tried to do the same steps in EFI Shell. In EFI/LICK I have the following files:

• loader.efi
• shim.efi
• HashTool.efi

I copied these to /EFI/Boot, renamed shim.efi to bootia32.efi (as seemed logical based on the code above), but to now avail. The tablet still boots to windows.

Altough I kept /EFI/Microsoft/Boot/bootmgfw.efi intact at the moment since I had no tool to edit the grub config file from the EFI shell. If I change the config in windows than rename the bootmgfw in EFI shell, should that allow me to boot into grub?

PS.: another thing occured to me. I tried to load manually the updated bootia32.elf (formerly shim.elf) from the EFI shell and it told me "Image type x64 is not supported by this IA32 shell". Is the problem that the bootloader is x64, but my system is 32 bit only?

[mailyspamy]

Hi,
did you find the solution? I have 1051L and get grub bluescreen and boot loop if selected LICK bootloader.
For developer, this tablet has 64bit procesor, but 32bit uefi.

[noryb009]

I won't be able to officially support a version of LICK with 32bit uefi - I do not have a system to test this on, so I do not know what is required to support it.

Altough I kept /EFI/Microsoft/Boot/bootmgfw.efi intact at the moment since I had no tool to edit the grub config file from the EFI shell. If I change the config in windows than rename the bootmgfw in EFI shell, should that allow me to boot into grub?

I can't give any official guidance here, since I don't want you to brick the device based on my advice. I'll suggest making sure you can boot to a live USB via the UEFI, in case things go badly after renaming.

Is the problem that the bootloader is x64, but my system is 32 bit only?

There is only one download for Preloader.efi - I don't know what architecture it targets. You should try disabling secure boot, and skipping PreLoader. Grub 2 is definitely compiled for x64, you will need to follow the above instructions to rebuild it.