[Discuss] Linux on tablets

[mail at whats-your.name (cdr)]

> By any chance, have you had any success getting a "real" Linux to boot and install on your Teclast tablet

both Android-x86 and Debian boot and are usable

this is the general idea for BayTrail / Atom based tablets

0. download an installer ISO and dd it to a USB stick
 - http://www.debian.org/CD/
 - http://www.android-x86.org/

1. get into the EFI BIOS. hold Vol-Up or Vol-Dn while powering on, usually

 on mine it required touching 'Options', then 'Enter EFI Setup' or so, then a classic curses-style UI opened

 INSYDE Q2S was the BIOS-Brand, it offered some OS "profile" options, i superstitiously chose Ubuntu:

 - Steam
 - Ubuntu
 - Android
 - Windows

2. plug in your USB war-chest / swiss-army medusa toolkit

  if you need one of these, Newegg/Amazon or IRL at MicroCenter is a good bet

  - USB Hub
  - USB Keyboard
  - USB Network stick (something mainstream like ASUS w/ Realtek-inside)
  - USB Mouse (Logitech wireless is OK, since that bypasses the Bluetooth stack and emulates a USB-mouse w/ the nub)

3. select and run installer for OS, using USB-devices to avoid catch-22 wrt drivers

4. install custom kernel, enable staging-drivers for wifi/bluetooth/touchscreen

  the wifi was REaltek here , but only in the staging tree and not included in the installer yet (a year ago)
  the touchscreen was "Goodix", also in staging

  everything else just worked, Intel integrated-video for Xorg. GNOME has pretty good touchscreen handling, virtual kbds

  may have had to grab a driver from https://github.com/hadess or similar, it's been a while


the last 2 steps can be annoying/impossible w/o the Medusa-USB kit. also drivers may be buggy/broken

all this leads to i ended up buying an ASUS. the experience is much more pleasant. it cost about 40% more but IMO worth it:

 - no wonky Q2S BIOS, good old American MEgatrends!
 - the touchscreen is SYNAPTICS, no weirdo domestic-brand with buggy staging-driver
 - the HW is just sturdier, a metal case sinking the CPU Heat more effectively