Translation(s): none

DebianOn is an effort to document how to install, configure and use Debian on some specific hardware. Therefore potential buyers would know if that hardware is supported and owners would know how get the best out of that hardware.

The purpose is not to duplicate the Debian Official Documentation, but to document how to install Debian on some specific hardware.

If you need help to get Debian running on your hardware, please have a look at our user support channels where you may find specific channels (mailing list, IRC channel) dedicated to certain types of hardware.

Models covered
Aspire Switch 10

Sub-models (SW14-05) options :
- Processor: Intel Atom X5-Z8300 (Quad-Core)
- Video card: Intel HD Graphics (Cherrytrail) 500MHz
- Screen size: 10.1"
- Wireless card: Broadcom 43241b4 SDIO (brcmfmac43241b4-sdio)
- Disk: eMMC 32GB (/dev/mmcblk0)
- RAM: DDR3L 2048MB

Overall Status

Core Components

[ATTACH]

Boot Standard Kernel:

{OK}

USB to Ethernet Adapter

{OK}

Detect Installation Media:

{i}

Detect eMMC as bootable:

{i}

Extra Features

CPU Frequency Scaling

[?]

Hibernation

[?]

Sleep / Suspend

[?]

Xorg

{OK}

- OpenGL

{OK}

- Resize-and-Rotate(randr)

{OK}

Switch to External Screen

[?]

Dock

{OK}

- Built-in (Touchpad)

{OK}

- Built-in (Keyboard)

{OK}

- Built-in (USB Port)

{OK}

Modem

[?]

Wireless/Wifi

[?]

Keyboard's Hotkeys

[?]

Legend :
{OK} = OK ; {X} Unsupported(No Driver) ; /!\ = Error (Couldn't get it working); [?] Unknown, Not Test ; [-] Not-applicable
{i} = Configuration Required; X-( = Only works with a non-free driver and or firmware

Important Note

{i} In this setup I used a Generic USB to 1Gb Ethernet Adapter as I could not get the WiFi to work. I would recommend having one handy.
{i} In this setup I used the Debian 9.7 Gnome Desktop Live CD image. {i} In this setup I assume that you have the Keyboard/Touchpad Dock. If you don't then you will need a USB C OTG Adapter and USB 3 or 4 way Hub for a Keyboard, Mouse and USB Key (and a USB to Ethernet Adapter for network access).
{i} In this Setup there is a requirement for BIOS configuration.
{i} I am currently testing an LXDE image and experimenting with a Debootstrap installation method.

Installation Procedure

BIOS

  • - To get into the BIOS power off and then simultaneously press/hold power + vol-up
    - Select Boot on the side menu and make sure Secure Boot is Enabled.
    - Select Security on the side menu and then Select an UEFI file as trusted for executing, select the USB device, navigate to and select the *.efi file, give it a name, Ok.
    - Select Boot again and disable secure boot and move USB HDD/Device to the top of the boot order.
    - Select Exit on the side menu, Save and Exit.

Installing Debian using Debian 9.7 Gnome Desktop Live CD image

  • - Choose your method of installation and follow prompts until you get to disk partitioning.
    - Select Partition Disks Manually.
    - Delete all Partitions under eMMC or /dev/mmcblk0.
    - Create a 100MB EFI Partition, 28GB ext4 / Partition and 2GB SWAP Partition then Finnish and Write Changes.
    - Continue the setup as normal then allow to reboot with the USB Key still in.

Finalising Installation

  • - In Grub menu highlight an installer option and press 'e'.
    - Amend 'linux ~/vmlinuz ~' line to 'linux ~/vmlinuz root=/dev/mmcblk0p2' and press f10. This will boot you to the newly installed Debian environment.
    - If graphical open a terminal window.
    - Like the T100TA to get the WiFi working, if at all, you need to run

# mkdir /lib/firmware/brcm
# cp /sys/firmware/efi/efivars/nvram-74b00bd9-805a-4d61-b51f-43268123d113 /lib/firmware/brcm/brcmfmac43241b4-sdio.txt

- If the WiFi still is not working then a USB to Ethernet Adapter will be required for access to the internet otherwise you will have to create a local repository on a USB Key. You could of course try a USB WiFi Adapter but I didn't have any luck with mine.
- To boot without the USB Key you need to install Grub EFI.

# apt install grub-efi
# grub-install --target=x86_64-efi

- Shutdown the system and return to the BIOS by simultaneously holding power + Vol-up.
- Select Boot and turn on Secureboot.
- Select Security then Select an UEFI file as trusted for executing, Select EMMC, <EFI>, <debian>, grubx64.efi, give name ?GrubX64 and press YES, Select Exit, Exit Saving Changes.
- You should now be able to boot without the USB Key. If not then follow the steps below.
- Press and hold the power button to switch of the tablet.
- In Grub menu highlight an installer option and press 'e'.
- Amend 'linux ~/vmlinuz ~' line to 'linux ~/vmlinuz root=/dev/mmcblk0p2' and press f10. This will boot you to the newly installed Debian environment.
- Open a terminal window and run as root.

# apt install grub-efi-ia32 grub-efi-ia32-bin
# grub-install --target=i386-efi

- Shutdown the system and return to the BIOS by simultaneously holding power + Vol-up.
- Select Boot and turn on Secureboot.
- Select Security then Select an UEFI file as trusted for executing, Select EMMC, <EFI>, <debian>, grubx64.efi, give name ?GrubX64 and press YES, Select Exit, Exit Saving Changes.
- You should now be able to boot without the USB Key.

Configuration

Display

  • Seems to work out of the box without any user configuration although I would note that the auto rotate feature has a glitch where when landscape it orientates to portrait? I haven't found a fix for that yet.

Audio

  • The Audio is not working yet.

Touchpad & Keyboard Dock and Touchscreen

  • The Dock works splendidly, USB Port works. Touchscreen and Touchpad works but the multitouch doesn't.

Power Management

  • (not covered yet)

WiFi

  • Not Working although I believe that in this instance that there is a physical fault in this SDIO Card not the driver as before migrating to Debian I had the same issue in Windows 10?

Modem

  • Not working yet but it may be carrier locked and haven't test "said carrier" Sim Card yet.


System Summary

lspci

lsusb

lsusb -v | grep -E '\<(Bus|iProduct|bDeviceClass|bDeviceProtocol)' 2>/dev/null

USB Host controllers entries (without OHCI, UHCI, EHCI) are removed too.

Resources

Attachments

Some configuration files and sample outputs.

Credits