On 2020-01-28 at 03:23, Alexander V. Makartsev wrote: > On 28.01.2020 10:13, J. D. Leach wrote: > >> To Whom it May Concern, >> >> Have a Dell Inspiron 3668 desktop with the latest Dell firmware >> (1.12.2). This update, and numerous of the preceding ones, do not >> allow ANY type of loading of Debian (or any othe Linux flavor) onto >> the PC. In the BIOS configuration menu, no option is available to boot >> from the DVD drive, or USB, unless a Windows recovery media is >> detected. Linux loader programs likewise fail, and Windows loads >> instead. PC is about two years old. >> >> Looked all across the 'Net and have found zero fixes outside of wiping >> the hard drive. The latest Dell support pages regarding the set up of >> the boot sequence does not cover the firmware installed on my PC. >> >> I suspect Microsoft is back to trying to squelch the use of software >> other than what it approves of. >> >> Thought you might wish to be aware. >> >> Dave Leach >> > > On the second thought, there is a mention about installation procedures > of alternative OSs in this document. [1] > > So now I think you simply have to make proper UEFI bootable media. > Legacy boot media, prepared like in "the old times", won't cut it for > this PC. > > [1] > https://topics-cdn.dell.com/pdf/inspiron-3668-desktop_setup-guide_en-us.pdf
FWIW, when I've worked with recent Dell models (at my workplace) which had this GPT/UEFI-boot-only requirement, they *only* applied it to the hard drive; with the correct UEFI settings applied (disabling Secure Boot, enabling Legacy Option ROMs under whatever name, and possibly enabling "legacy external device" boot), it has been definitely possible to boot to non-UEFI-partitioned non-GPT removable media. I haven't had experience with this specific Inspiron model, but I'd be surprised if it were any different. https://www.dell.com/support/manuals/us/en/04/inspiron-3668-desktop/inspiron%203668_sm/system-setup-options?guid=guid-2d1e8a4f-e5a2-49eb-823d-707f15a41edc&lang=en-us appears to be the appropriate manual for working with the UEFI on this model. It lists the same "Enable Secure Boot" and "Enable Legacy Option ROMs" settings I was expecting to see, and IIRC the final setting (which may be optional) is under what "Boot List Option", mentioned near the top of the document. So it's likely that this is in fact supported. That said, I've also had problems with formatting, partitioning, and installing to a hard drive (on one of these systems) for UEFI boot from a "legacy"-booted external device - so there may be reason to go for a UEFI-style bootable external device anyway. (IIRC, the reason why "legacy" boot to internal devices is now prohibited is not a Dell decision, or a Microsoft one, but a consequence of an Intel decision which they've implemented in their motherboard chipsets; Intel has apparently decided to drop all support for non-UEFI boot to internal permanent hard drives, presumably for security reasons of some kind, and since that's hardware Dell can't override it in the firmware. So this won't be just on Dell computers, at least not going forward, although IIRC AMD has not yet taken a similar step.) -- The Wanderer The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man. -- George Bernard Shaw
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