X1E-78-100

Setup - general steps

• Create a backup USB medium (>32GB) using the tool Wiederherstellungslaufwerk
• Shrink C partition, using Disk manager of System Control, add 2 partitions for Linux root and home
• install Debian to WSL-2

Install Linux parallel to Windows

These steps are the ones I remember to have performed to get Linux running.

Please use these with care; the list of actions may be incomplete or may simply not work on any other device.

Disable secure boot on HP Omnibook X 14

• On windows, go to Einstellungen / System / Wiederherstellung
• Then click on Erweiterter Start / Jetzt neu starten (2x)
• The system reboots into BIOS Setup Utility
• Then set Boot Options / Secure Boot / Disabled
• Optionally, you may disable the USB power while sleep+off (This prevents the USB-C hub to drain battery)
• Then Save Changes and Exit
• Then type the displayed 4digit code and press Enter
• Then reboot into Windows

Prepare a USB memory stick

To create a bootable memory stick, download an image from here: https://discourse.ubuntu.com/t/ubuntu-24-10-concept-snapdragon-x-elite/48800

Copy this image to a memory stick:

 sudo dd if=Downloads/oracular-desktop-arm64+x1e.iso of=/dev/sdb bs=4M conv=sync status=progress

WARNING: Adapt the command before using it; if /dev/sdb is the wrong disk, you destroy your computer. Check e.g. with sudo fdisk --list for the right of= disk.

Install Grub and Linux (1st try)

Possibly you can go directly to my 2nd try...

• On windows, go to Einstellungen / System / Wiederherstellung
• Then click on Erweiterter Start / Jetzt neu starten (2x)
• Wait: The system reboots into BIOS Setup Utility
• Then: Run Problembehandlung / Erweiterte Optionen / UEFI Firmware Einstellungen / Neu Starten
• Then: UEFI Menu appears
• DO NOT RUN THE BOOTMANAGER (It will not run the installer)
• Instead, change the boot order under Setup

Install Grub and Linux (2nd try)

• On windows, go to Einstellungen / System / Wiederherstellung
• Then click on Erweiterter Start / Jetzt neu starten (2x)
• Wait: The system reboots into BIOS Setup Utility
• Then: Run Ein Gerät verwenden / USB ROM Drive
• Then the installer on USB drive boots. Select "Try or install Ubuntu"
• Do a manual install
  • allow to install 3rd party software
  • do not change the /boot disk-options, only set root and home partitions

Decrypt NTFS

• On Windows, deactivate Bitlocker in "Einstellungen" / "Datenschutz und Sicherheit" / "Geräteverschlüsselung"
• This then takes a while

Run qcom-firmware-extractor

You need an internet connection.

• Plug an USB cable to your USB-A port (!) and connect it to you mobile phone
• Enable USB Tethering on your mobile phone
• On a command shell, run
  • sudo apt update
  • sudo apt install qcom-firmware-extract
  • sudo qcom-firmware-extract
• Reboot your PC

Quite a lot of peripherals on a USB-C hub may work now, like external keyboard, mouse, monitor, ethernet.

Update your system

• sudo apt upgrade
• Reboot your PC

Repair your system after a firmware update

Months later, when running Windows, it may update your firmware on shutdown. This may reset the disabling of secure boot. I experienced this 2 times.

I expect a that a clean way to prevent issues is, to sign grub. I found a guide for that for x86 - but never tried for arm: https://www.reddit.com/r/archlinux/comments/10pq74e/my_easy_method_for_setting_up_secure_boot_with/

Screen stays completely black

• Attach a power supply to the rear USB-C port. An orange LED should light up
• Wait 5 minutes (I found that instruction and waited that time - maybe not necessary?)
• Do a hard reset by pressing the power on button for 20 seconds

System is not booting

The screen states:

 ERROR
 Verification failed (0x1A)
 Security Violation

• Press [OK] (there is no other button)
• I guess you can ignore the [MOK] menu - i tried quite a lot of options there - no success.
• Reboot the system
• Can be skipped: Directly after reboot, constantly hit the [F1] key to get system information.
• Directly after reboot, constantly hit the [F9] key to select a boot manager.
• Only the Windows boot manager will work - the other is not signed.
• Windows boots regularly (maybe one can directly press F1/F8 now - i did another booting round)
• On Windows, run Einstellungen / System / Wiederherstellung
• Then click on Erweiterter Start / Jetzt neu starten (2x)
• While windows is booting (the hp logo is shown) constantly hit F1 and F8 (i guess one is sufficient - I do not know which one)
• Select Problembehandlung / Erweiterte Optionen / UEFI Firmware / Neustart
• The system reboots again
• Select Setup Utility / Boot Options / Disable Secure boot
• Select [Exit] / [Save Changes and Exit]
• The system shows "Operating Mode Change"
• To disable secure boot, you now have to enter the 4-digit PIN that is displayed and press Enter.
• Your system boots again (I hope)
• One may re-run [sudo qcom-firmware-extract] and reboot linux with the new, updated firmware.

Downgrade Linux

If, after a kernel update, the system is still booting but not all peripherals are working (e.g. no network):

Re-install the previous kernel

 cd /var/cache/apt/archives/
 sudo apt-get install ./linux-image-qcom-x1e_6.12.0-30.30_arm64.deb

Re-configure the grub boot menu

 cd /boot/grub/
 sudo grub-mkconfig -o grub.cfg

Reboot and check

 sudo reboot
 uname -r