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Accepted
megloff
Asked: 2019-10-20 09:57:40 +0800 CST

Ubuntu Setup boot hangs on Lenovo C940 with Intel i7-1065G7

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I try to setup an Ubuntu 19.10 on a new notebook Yoga C940 with an i7-1065G7 with a Live USB ISO. I get after the Boot Screen with the Menu Options only a Black Screen.

This I tried already:

  • Disabled the Secure Boot in BIOS and set it to Setup Mode
  • There is no Legacy Boot Option in that Bios, no such option get offered
  • "Safe Mode" Compatibility Install Option
  • Start from a Live USB DVD instead of a USB stick
  • With "E" to the GRUB Editor Page and tried parameters like "nomodeset" "i915.nomodeset=0" and "modprobe.blacklist=intel_lpss_pci" but did not help

=== UPDATE ===

I have been ableto install it by creating a patched live CD with a Kernel 5.3.7. This you can do by using tools like Cubic and bootiso.

Unfortunately afterwards the Wifi does not work, It does not even recognize the card, but I am not a Linux expert. Any Idea what I can try? Just wait for newer kernels?

Thanks

lenovo grub2 boot intel 19.10

3 Answers

  1. TL;DR - Linux installation on the Lenovo Yoga C940 works only with Grub-2.02 and Kernel-5.3.7 (or above) for the time being and you will need to do some manual steps to get those in place for Ubuntu.

    I ran into the same problem with the Yoga C940 as stated in the original post, any latest Ubuntu or Debian based Live USB installer will get stuck after Grub booting. I tried nightly as stated in the accepted answer https://askubuntu.com/a/1187577/1027381 but those installers have the same problems, they won't boot. This is due to Grub-2.04 on all of above.

    As stated in https://askubuntu.com/a/1192612/1027381 Fedora 31 Live works flawlessly and all hardware works except the microphone. The Live disk uses Grub-2.02 so it boots fine and Kernel-5.3.7 which supports the hardware. So if going for Ubuntu one needs to get the same versions for those in place.

    To install Ubuntu one needs to either:

    • pick a Ubuntu live usb disk with Grub-2.02, e.g. Ubuntu 19.04 but that has an old Kernel-5.0.0 which does not support the laptop's hardware much so you will not have network but you can still use it to install the basic system and then update later from that to a newer Ubuntu and a newer kernel (see below more about the kernel version)
    • modify some of the more recent Ubuntu live usb disks to downgrade to Grub-2.02 and update to Kernel-5.3.7 - Some pointers to do that are at https://www.techrepublic.com/article/how-to-create-a-custom-ubuntu-iso-with-cubic/ and you will need to download the right kernel debs (see below kernel notes) and the right Grub-2.02 debs from e.g. Ubuntu disco distro https://packages.ubuntu.com/disco/grub-common - you will need these packages for Grub:
    efibootmgr_15-1_amd64.deb
grub2-common_2.02+dfsg1-12ubuntu2_amd64.deb
grub-common_2.02+dfsg1-12ubuntu2_amd64.deb
grub-efi-amd64_2.02+dfsg1-12ubuntu2_amd64.deb
grub-efi-amd64-bin_2.02+dfsg1-12ubuntu2_amd64.deb
grub-efi-amd64-signed_1.115+2.02+dfsg1-12ubuntu2_amd64.deb
grub-theme-breeze_5.15.4-0ubuntu1_amd64.deb
libefiboot1_37-2_amd64.deb
libefivar1_37-2_amd64.deb

    Install them inside the chroot of the LiveUSB and also overwrite these directories inside the ISO image (while the Cubic process has the disk mounted): custom-live-iso/boot/grub/ and custom-live-iso/EFI with same dirs from e.g. ubuntu-19.04.iso as that has Grub-2.02.

    Regarding the Ubuntu Kernel, that ain't trivial either. You will need at least Kernel-5.3.7 e.g. from https://kernel.ubuntu.com/~kernel-ppa/mainline/ because Ubuntu official repos current latest is Kernel-5.3.0 and that does not support all the laptop's hardware. Some more recent kernels from above, e.g. Kernel-5.4.3 have again hardware issues with the laptop, e.g. sound and suspend do not work :/. So other versions than 5.3.7 need testing to find out if they work properly. Note that if you install some of the above kernels you will need to disable "secure boot" in the BIOS because the kernels are not signed and will not boot otherwise.

    Now after going through the above process and getting Ubuntu installed with the proper Grub and Kernel version you will need to pin Grub (see https://help.ubuntu.com/community/PinningHowto#Apt ) to not be automatically updated to 2.04 as that will again lead to an non bootable system :/.

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  2. Best Answer

    Wifi worked for my c940 out of the box on ubuntu 19.10 nightly(it is built daily from the most recent code).

    I made my ubuntu live usb on windows with rufus.

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  3. I had to install using LiveCD from 19.04, then update kernel to 5.4 using USB memory to get Wifi working, reboot and then upgrade to 19.10. Now it works fine except for sound & mic.

    LiveCD from 19.10 doesn't boot due to upgraded GRUB (2.04) vs Kernel 4.3 vs Laptop conflict, no matter what I tried. Loading of initrd hangs and kernel doesn't even start to boot with blank screen.

    Fedora 31 LiveCD/installer works without problems and has working sound output, but not the mic.

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