How to install Debian Linux with dualboot on Lenovo Yoga 900s

Initially It was not posible to install Linux on Lenovo Yoga 900s ( Yoga 900S-12ISK) due a non standard Harddisk access method. It was thought that Lenovo had a plot with Microsoft to avoid Linux to be installed on this laptop. But Lenovo answers with a BIOS release that makes posible to install Linux. I really like this laptop, fanless, long battery, light, tablet mode and Linux compatible.

yoga-lenovo-900s-debian

This post is a tutorial that describes howto install Debian Linux and dual boot with Windows 10 partition. This tutorial is for advanced users, please use at you own risk.

Back up drivers & create a Windows 10 USB

In order to have Windows working on this laptop you have to reinstall it with the new AHCI mode. Note that Lenovo does not support Windows with the Linux compatible firmware.

To do that you need to follow these steps:

  • Copy all Lenovo driver from D: unit to an external USB.
  • Create a windows media USB , with the Microsoft Windows 10 media creation tool.

You need to have two usb, one with the drivers and another with the Windows 10.

Install BIOS linux compatible firmware

Once all done, download the BIOS firmware that allows Linux to work. Lenovo download link. Boot Windows and install the new BIOS firmware.

As you can see, there is a new option on the BIOS. Change it from RAID to AHCI.

bios-ahci

Now the factory Windows install will not work, It was installed on RAID mode and doesn’t works on AHCI mode.

windows-fails

Don’t worry we can reinstall Windows, with the new AHCI mode.

Reinstall Windows and drivers

Now, boot with Windows 10 media USB, delete all partitions, create a smaller partition (in my case 64GB), windows will create additional partitions. Complete the Windows installation process. The windows will be activated as they will recognize the laptop has license for Windows 10. Doing that you will loose your recovery partition and could not restore to factory setting, and probably you could not install Windows in RAID mode again, make it at your risk.

After installed Windows, install one by one all the drivers, you previously copied to the USB.

drivers-lenovo

That’s it, we have a windows installed on “Linux compatible mode”.

 

windows-screenshoot

Install Debian

Now It is time to install Debian. I have tried with Debian Jessie with no luck, the grub didn’t installed on the disk.
Then I tried Debian testing Stretch ant it works!!!

http://cdimage.debian.org/cdimage/stretch_di_alpha8/amd64/iso-dvd/debian-stretch-DI-alpha8-amd64-DVD-1.iso

After the installation we need to add the nonfree firmware for the wireless card, install this .deb

http://ftp.us.debian.org/debian/pool/non-free/f/firmware-nonfree/firmware-brcm80211_20160824-1_all.deb

Now everything is working

Wifi: OK (non-free)
Xwindow 3D: OK
Sound: OK
Suspend: OK
WEBCAM: OK
Touchscreen: Works as the mouse pointer.
Trackpad: OK
Active Pen with pressure levels: OK

 

debian-lenovo-900s-screenshot

How to reinstall  GRUB in the boot in the EFI if Windows remove it.

I don’t know why but Windows, have replaced once the grub from the boot. In order to fix that I have used EASYUEFI  it is a windows software, the free version works great.

You have to create a new boot entry with Linux type and add grubx64.efi file.

easyuefi

and later put that boot option the first.

Automated rotation screen

The automated accelerometer rotation when used in tablet mode or even vertical works with the standard Debian package. The needed package is iio-sensor-proxy:

apt-get install iio-sensor-proxy

But in my case I prefer to disable the rotation, because for me is too sensitive and change orientation when I move the laptop on the sofa 😉 Then

systemctl stop iio-sensor-proxy

Pending TODO Investigations

  • The screen resolution is very high and things are very small. I need to investigate howto make things bigger.

More info

Lenovo forums are a good place to look for more info

https://forums.lenovo.com/t5/Linux-Discussion/bd-p/Special_Interest_Linux

https://forums.lenovo.com/t5/Lenovo-Yoga-Series-Notebooks/Yoga-900-and-Ideapad-710S-Linux-Only-BIOS/ta-p/3466850

https://forums.lenovo.com/t5/Linux-Discussion/Howto-Dualboot-Linux-and-Windows-10-on-Lenovo-900s/td-p/3491910

 

Facebooktwitterredditpinterestlinkedinmail