Installation disk selection configuration

[RLynwood]

Well, I wiped the NvMe and installed 23.10 with / and /home in separate partitions. The partitions don't look exactly like your examples or those on Wikipedia, but all seems to be ok except that I couldn't install Mint in the second OS partition. I'll handle that later. So, for now, I'll make this post solved. I do have questiions, but I'll ask them separately.

[claydoh]

How can I tell which drive mode HP uses on this unit?

You would need to check if there is a BIOS setting for it -- but it is almost certain (99.999% after doing a little digging) that you don't, since it is AMD, and this is an Intel chipset thing.

[RLynwood]

if your laptop has an AMD cpu, you probably won't have this. Dunno if they have something similar to Intel or not.

It does have an AMD processor & a built-in NvME M.w SSD. How can I tell which drive mode HP uses on this unit?

Schwarzer Kater, not OT at all; it's exactly what I need. Thanks.

[Schwarzer Kater]

A bit OT, but might be useful in the future.

[…] Or would the updates come from the BIOS vendor through HP? […]

Updating HP BIOS firmware from Linux

[claydoh]

Sorry for my ignorance, but could you explain what RST is in this context and how it worked?

See one of my previous replies
On a number of laptops, the manufacturer sets the drive mode to use Intel RST, on NVME drives for some reason. instead of AHCI mode. Supposedly for better performance in Windows, maybe involving hibernation states?
It does does not support Linux at all, and if enabled the drive won't show up when attempting to install Linux. There a number of posts on it here on KFN, and on other Linux-y forums.
In context, it could be seen as a conspiracy to keep Linux at bay.
if your laptop has an AMD cpu, you probably won't have this. Dunno if they have something similar to Intel or not.

[RLynwood]

My Envy x360 had RST set, and before I figured that out it gave Kubuntu some grief during installation. All has been well for the past 4 years.

Sorry for my ignorance, but could you explain what RST is in this context and how it worked?

[jglen490]

My Envy x360 had RST set, and before I figured that out it gave Kubuntu some grief during installation. All has been well for the past 4 years.

[claydoh]

HP's warranty therefore voided,

Only until you reinstall Windows, if possible (swap in a new ssd for Linux, maybe?)

would the BIOS's updates still come?

No, you get them manually from HP. Some BIOS updates can come via linux's fwupdmgr, and you would see them in Discover, but I don't think HP consumer ones would. Few do, in general.

it WILL be a pain, as bios updates that don't require Windows are often very hard to find or nonexistent especially for consumer stuff. Then you have to make a DOS/FreeDOS usb stick to boot from to install, maybe.
Or you might be able to extract the files using zip/7z, and putting files on a fat32 USB, if your bios has an option to update the bios from a .bin file.
Or you may be super lucky and the bios can be downloaded updated over an Ethernet connection directly from the bios
Or....who knows?


I kept Windows on my last new laptop just for the BIOS updates. Shrunk it down as small as I though prudent, and let it gather dust.

Here is a long thread on this (read all comments):

https://gist.github.com/eNV25/c80014...f7b0ae18993ba1

[RLynwood]

Can someone answer my question in the middle of my last post?
Here it is again, reworded: With Windows wiped, replaced w Kub. and HP's warranty therefore voided, would the BIOS's updates still come? Also, would the updates have anything to do with the unit's OS (I don't think so, just asking)?

[RLynwood]

You are absolutely right - those things (if applicable) could be problematic. I don't think a Pavilion has a RST RAID option, though. But I may be wrong.

I looked up the laptops you said were Ubuntu certified. HP classifies those as business laptops. Mine is a consumer laptop, but the highest spec'd one in its category (not on purpose; I was just lucky because of the conditions of the purchase). So I'm sure you're right. I wouldn't expect it to have an RST RAID option. In fact, it has only the most minimal ports: 2 USB-A, 2 USB-C, 1 MIDI, & its own power-cord.

RLynwood: I think the obstacles have another origin - can you describe in more detail what you mean by "crippled" UEFI and by "crippled" GRUB?

No. That's why I said "I may not even be asking exactly what I want to know; I just don't understand the whole situation enough to ask the question correctly." I don't remember what prompted me become suspicios of this laptop's BIOS. That came up when I was looking over its BIOS &/or reading something about it in HP's support site. Come to think of it, I believe it had to do with the warranty: If I wiped Windows, HP's warranty no longer applied. I'm sure that MS's legal agreement constrained HP. So, perhaps that was the MS control I saw and wondered if that extended to the BIOS's design and functionality, perhaps with HP's update. Or would the updates come from the BIOS vendor through HP?

Those are also two different things and one does not have to be connected to the other.

This I know.

Is it possible you accidentally misconfigured your UEFI settings? Did you try to reset them to factory defaults and go from there?

I haven't configured or reset anything yet. The laptop still is inexactly the condition it came in, still has Windows 11 Home on it. I wanted to be confident of the suitability of its BIOS before proceeding to configuring the SSD.

[claydoh]

I don't think a Pavilion has a RST RAID option

I have seen some HP laptop users report this, and it is not an HP specific thing - I have seen this on a few Lenovo laptops. Mainly some with NVME drives, though it was mostly for Optane drives originally - it isn't relevant to SATA drives at all. Not sure if this is till the norm.

[Schwarzer Kater]

You are absolutely right - those things (if applicable) could be problematic. I don't think a Pavilion has a RST RAID option, though. But I may be wrong.
Certainly they are no result of a conspiracy between Microsoft and HP to prevent Linux from being installed.
They would belong in the category of "usual" obstacles a Linux user can run into.

RLynwood: I think the obstacles have another origin - can you describe in more detail what you mean by "crippled" UEFI and by "crippled" GRUB? Those are also two different things and one does not have to be connected to the other.
Is it possible you accidently misconfigured your UEFI settings? Did you try to reset them to factory defaults and go from there?

[claydoh]

No. Something like this does not exist.

The only slight caveats to this I can think of that might slightly hinder things may be:

1. Intel's RST raid option in the bios (if present -it is not a universal, mostly laptops iirc) - This does not support Linux at all, but can be turned off, though pre-existing Windows installs may need some extra steps to load properly (well documented on the 'net)
2. Some BIOS updates for some machines on many brands will reset the boot order back to Windows as the default. Another easily fixed thing, and of course if Windows is not present, it can't be set as the default.

[Schwarzer Kater]

[…] Does anyone know of the extent of collusion between HP & MS, esp. as of Windows 11, that limits the BIOS' (vendor Insyde) from accommodating "Linux" in ANY way, and so, in what way and how? […]

No. Something like this does not exist.
Many HP devices are on the list of "Ubuntu certified laptops" - mostly EliteBooks, ProBooks and ZBooks, though.
And I have never had any problems installing Kubuntu or other Linux distributions on EliteBooks of former customers or friends.

[RLynwood]

This is a side issue to this post. Does anyone know of the extent of collusion between HP & MS, esp. as of Windows 11, that limits the BIOS' (vendor Insyde) from accommodating "Linux" in ANY way, and if so, in what way and how?
I may not even be asking exactly what I want to know; I just don't understand the whole situation enough to ask the question correctly. I'm sure this sounds like an absurd question, but I'm afraid that once 23.10 is installed, the BIOS will somehow cripple its, GRUB's, full accessibility and functionality.