Unable to install Linux

[Tony1044]

PCS do not officially support Linux on any of their builds and since they are Microsoft partners that's not likely to change. That's not to say that Linux won't run but, as you're discovering, it might not run well. I'm afraid you're very much on your own with Linux. You can experiment with alternative BIOSes of course but you will almost certainly void the warranty if you do.

It is worth noting though that being a Microsoft partner does not preclude you from using, "selling*" or supporting Linux in any way. I know this because I'm an MS partner for one thing but also because MS are the largest FOSS contributor out there and have been for some time.

Those "Linux is a cancer" days of Steve Ballmer are long gone.

Nor in cases like this, is it anything really to do with either PCS or Microsoft - it's how Clevo are choosing to hobble their BIOSes.

*I say selling in the loosest possible terms, of course.

Edit: I know MS made it difficult to put other OS'es on for a while with their initial use of Secure Boot, but again, that was soon solved by BIOSes being made able to turn it off. Apple make it even more difficult to put Linux on (Bootcamp has allowed native Windows dual booting for some years).

Second Edit: SATA / RAID modes don't generate any heat or lead to damage so why, like virtualisation extensions, are these settings not accessible in the BIOS is the real question. Alas, no one other than Clevo can answer it.

 

[Tony1044]

It's certainly not ideal but surely better than throwing the warranty away.

From a little bit of digging around I've done in the past, I don't believe it's easy to put another manufacturers' or otherwise modified BIOS on anymore, to the extent the guides I was reading spoke about having to short pins out on a chip on the motherboard to put the BIOS into a kind of recovery mode that ignore signatures.

That is fraught with so much risk, that it's just not worth taking the chance in my personal opinion.

 

[Stephen M]

I am unsure whether this is all down to Clevo as other sellers using their chassis seem OK, I had an email from a friend abroad who had no trouble with her new machine. Not sure of exact specs, waiting to hear but sounded very much like a Lafitte under another name.

 

[ubuysa]

I've been talking to my contact at PCS and I've asked if we can have an official response on here from PCS. My contact's opinion (which is not official policy) is that this is a Clevo/TongFang issue because, as my contact put it, PCS have no interest in stopping anyone from doing anything.

 

[Tony1044]

I've been talking to my contact at PCS and I've asked if we can have an official response on here from PCS. My contact's opinion (which is not official policy) is that this is a Clevo/TongFang issue because, as my contact put it, PCS have no interest in stopping anyone from doing anything.

I have an email somewhere from PCS that explicitly says they only have access to the BIOS'es that Clevo provide, so I agree that it's not a PCS issue in as much as they don't provide the firmwaer, but it does appear that other vendors, as Stephen says, that use Clevo as the OEM, don't have such restricted BIOS'es so it kind of suggests that there is something that PCS could do on their side to at least request "enhanced" versions from Clevo.

I'm typing this on a Dell which is about 2 months old and I've already had two BIOS update alerts for a performance bug and a security fix.

The HP laptop next to it provided by a customer has a BIOS available from Jan to fix the same security bug (to be fair both BIOS'es appear to be by Phoenix).

 

[ubuysa]

I think the key thing is that PCS know about this Linux issue. I've no idea how they make policy decisions nor what they might or might not do about it, but if they decide to do nothing then Linux users, at least those wanting M.2 NVMe drives, would be best advised to buy elsewhere.

 

[Tony1044]

I think the key thing is that PCS know about this Linux issue. I've no idea how they make policy decisions nor what they might or might not do about it, but if they decide to do nothing then Linux users, at least those wanting M.2 NVMe drives, would be best advised to buy elsewhere.

On the one hand I agree - far better to buy a known compatible machine from a vendor, but on the other, unless someone tries it, there's no way to know up front on a new machine, so alas someone has to be first.

I did exactly that - couldn't afford to have another machine for the next 5 years with a hobbled BIOS, so I was forced to choose an alternative vendor. And that's genuinely a shame because I loved my Defiance.

In past times I'd generally have expected a laptop to last me anywhere between 12 and 18 months before needing an upgrade but with that pattern long, long, gone, it's an expensive mistake to make when you find out you can't use feature x when it's released, not because your hardware isn't compatible but because the BIOS doesn't allow you turn a feature on or off.

Note - I am not talking about something that can only be used if there is newer hardware to take advantage of it - that's always going to happen and is part and parcel of the evolvement of the ecosphere of PC's.

 

[Stephen M]

Just had an email from a German seller who also use Clevo and do not officially support Linux but they stated the BIOS in their machines is exactly as it comes from Clevo. So far I have not heard on any issues on their new machines, although it is admittedly a very small sample of three 'nix users.

 

[BeNe]

I'm planning to buy a Lafité Pro Series 14" Notebook and would like to use Linux as my daily OS.
So for (my understanding what i read) if i choose a none M.2 "NVMe" SSD - i am good to go ?
Like one of these here and i should be able to run Linux on it ?



Is the original Clevo Bios running on this device ?
Is there also an "FlexCharger" Option in the Bios under "Advanced Options" -> "Advanced Chipset Control" to set the min. and max. charge for the battery ?

 

[Stephen M]

A SATA SSD should be fine. Sorry but cannot help with the BIOS, this is a PCS customer's forum and while the staff do look in it is not frequent. Your best option would be to phone or email PCS.