Good day,
I just got an Asus Vivotab Smart with Windows 8 but the processor is actually a 32-bit type. I am kinda confused with the Ubuntu version to install (32-bit or 64-bit). I have read all the tips and guidelines on installing Ubuntu on a Windows 8 machine.
I have disabled fast boot, quiet boot, secure boot, and still cannot boot from the usb. I tried this with Ubuntu 12.04.2, 12.10, and 13.04 (the 64-bit versions only). I am yet to try a 32-bit version but I'm reluctant since Canonical says only the 64-bit version was developed to handle the Windows 8 UEFI issues.
Also, I have a boot-override field in my UEFI options which I think force-boots from the boot option one selects. I selected to force-boot from my pendrive containing Ubuntu, but the screen just blinks momentarily and nothing happens.
Please help me to figure out how to load ubuntu on my machine. I don't really want the Windows 8……just Ubuntu on my tablet.
Thank you.
Best Answer
I haven't checked the latest Ubuntu release, but the last one I did check did not include EFI support in the 32-bit installation medium. You can add it yourself, though. The medium will need a FAT partition (it may already use FAT; I don't recall offhand) with the boot loader stored at
EFI/BOOT/bootia32.efion the FAT filesystem. Ubuntu uses GRUB 2 by default, but that will be very difficult to get working on an Ubuntu install medium. Instead, I suggest using ELILO or rEFInd. I describe both in my Managing EFI Boot Loaders for Linux page. Whatever you use, you'll need to figure out the appropriate options to pass to the kernel. You can find these in theboot/grub/grub.cfgfile on the Ubuntu install medium (at least, that's where it is on the 64-bit version that I've just checked).I don't know offhand if the 32-bit version will install an EFI version of GRUB. If not, you'll have to manually install an EFI boot loader on your hard disk (or SSD or whatever your computer has) using an emergency system.