Create linux boot disk from .iso

dd bs=4M if=/media/TOURO\ Mobile\ 3.0/Peppermint-5-20140623-amd64.iso of=/dev/sdc && sync

dd is a nice tool, and relatively easy to use. Remember that the of = sdc and not eg sdc1.

Research on Install Linux on Acer E1-570

Reading:

• Sarah Kemp
• Multiboot (QEMU nice emulator here)

Trying

Multiboot is very nice, since QEMU is incorporated, you can check the .iso files on the system.
After 5-6 attempts this approach did not work either.

Installing Linux on Acer Aspire E1-570

Here are  some notes made during my fight with the Acer E1-570 in order to get a Linux system. Eventually I succeded after three days of experimenting.

So I bought this PC. It's filled with irritating crapware. So the best solution I guess is to create a Linux system.

That's more easy to say than do. Installing Linux on this laptop is still work in progress. If somebody writes "works out of the box" ... I'd like to see it.

After two days of concentrated word: no success.

Perhaps the failed installs are caused by a defect on my USB. I'll try another install medium later on today. During the night I had Peppermint up and running - but only on the usb. The install however was not possible.

PARTITION
I have chosen to split the partition in two. Just in case my Tomtom GPS cannot update without windows. So the MS thing seems to survive.

DISTROS
So far I had no success I'm afraid ... below you may see what I tried in vain.

These were created by Pendrive:

Ubuntu

UEFI
The E1-570 will boot in Uefi. When you see ACER during boot press F2. Then you can change the boot order and choose to boot from a USB drive before the Windows partition.

I will try to boot via Legacy - that should solve any problems with the MS boot crap. I hope.

PENDRIVE
I used pendrive in order to create a boot usb.

1. Ubuntu Gnome - crash: "Kernel Panic". Dropped.
2. Same iso as above - tried to add persistent space (since the error said something about not being able to create drive or similar).
3. Same as above - Linux is ok, but Gnome stalls. Some decompression error.
4. Trying out Debian Live 7-5-0.
5. Boot ok. Log into Debian ok. Some write error on the USB. Network and trackpad does not work out of the box. Apart from that all seems ok. This distro might work on a properly formatted drive. 

Debian

This install failed. Partially because Debian had no drivers for the Atheros ethernet. After some research, I found this post giving hints to a better bootorder.

This article gives some advice. Promising it seems. Perhaps my problems are due to some error on the USB. It seeems that Debian is not able to write to the disk for some reason. The article explains how to boot Windows in legacy mode:

Boot the computer on Windows, insert your password and as you arrive on the so called “metro” screen with all the tiles just go with the mouse on the upper right corner of the screen until a small window appears on the right side of the screen and select “Settings” go to the bottom of the new window that appears and select “Change the settings of the PC”.
Then select “General” and then “Advanced boot” and click on “Reboot now”. Check “Problem solving” in the new menu and then “advanced options”. Go to the “UEFI firmware options” tile and click on the “reboot” button
In the nez screen select the top menu “Boot” and switch to “Legacy mode”.

So I have an unclean system, that must be deleted.

Live USB cannot boot in uefi.
Live USB cannot use the ethernet and wifi.

Dropped the system.

Ubuntu
Can boot live usb - but when you try to use Ubuntu ... kernel panic. Dropped after several attempts.

Fedora
I had no luck with Debian & friends. Trying Fedora now.
Livedisk cannot boot.

SuSE
Hang on boot.

Peppermint Day I
Hangs.
Harddisk error.
Totally fucked up the system.
Cannot boot in Legacy.
Can boot in UEFI but cannot install.
Error: "No boot disk found"

Hang on trying to get the time from an internet server.

Changed hd  mode to IDE in bios.

Plugged in the network cable.
Ubi-partman crashed.

No luck here. Suspected that there was a fault on the install media.

Peppermint Day II
I can boot the live USB. And that's something, ain't it?
Tried to install - but "encountered ... error".

Trying the same recipe with ...

Debian Day II
Disk formatted via dd
Boot is possible in a live system.
Boot in Legacy mode.

Trackpad does not work.
Ethernet drivers are missing.
Wifi not found.

Seems that the Debian family should be able to run on this Acer.
Trying to find a flavour with drivers ...



Linpus
Not tried yet. Perhaps that distro might work, since the Acer One series used that distro.

Trying again with LiLi USB Generator

And so the battle begins

I'd like a dual boot system. So Windows has to behave. Now and then I need a game or even an update to our Tomtom. So ...

1. Decrapifier

Symptom: Random windows pop up. Annoying.

Symptom: Skype needs MS login. Crap!

Symptom: Program focus changes randomly. Strange and annoying.

Windows 8 really sucks

That I do not like MS Windows is not exactly news. But Windows 8 really pisses me off. Sorry for my French. But why the Hell and in the name of Sir Belzebub do I have to log on to a MS account in order to log into Skype. There is NO way in Pensylvania (or a hot place below) that will make me do this.

Why in the name of the Prince of Darkness does the OS interrupt med with suggestions, strage screens from the startup that I do not want. I cannot work when interrupted by the OS all of the time.

Since many programmes become wothless on Windows 8 the verdict is yet again:

Format C:
Install Linux.